#10. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
I strive to live out 1Thessalonians 5:16 

​Ten of my novels are horse books for girls. On the rare occasions that I do a book sales table, I’m inevitable asked if I’ve written any books for boys. So, I wrote this two book series (Texas Boys Adventures) because you asked and kept asking. You and my four grandsons. Finding wholesome books that will engage 8- to 12-year-old boys is a parental challenge.

I’m so old school. Let the kids keep their childhood for as long as possible. I believe in protecting their young hearts and minds. Give them adventures where they learn to build friendships and be the hero of their own stories. Capture their interest and then encourage and strengthen them to grow into the arrows they are destined to be.

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 17
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 18 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, October 19
Simple Harvest Reads, October 20 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, October 21
Artistic Nobody, October 22 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 23
Guild Master, October 24 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 25
Fiction Book Lover, October 26 (Author Interview)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 27
Lots of Helpers, October 27
The Bookish Ledger, October 28 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, October 28
Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, October 29
Vicky Sluiter, October 30

​Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance
Release Date: September 1, 2026

​You'll be singing Christmas carols by the end....

I don't read a lot of Christmas-themed fiction, but, when I saw that Michelle Griep had a new Christmas novella, it immediately went onto my list for this year. I've been a fan of hers for several years, so I was pretty excited to read Belle's Christmas Carol.

I was even more intrigued when I found out that this story would feature Ebenezer Scrooge's past love, Belle. From the charming Regency Era cover to the author's note at the end, this book had all of the atmosphere – and a touch of mystery – that I've come to appreciate from Michelle Griep. And then there were those English Christmas vibes to enjoy as well...

I think my favorite part of this story was Belle's ongoing mental list. Reminders to find her backbone and to hire someone who isn't afraid of rodents... That internal list may have been a little heart-tugging at times, but, it was almost always funny and amusing.

Belle's Christmas Carol was a delightful holiday read. Not too long and not too short, this novella is perfect for a crisp afternoon or Christmas in July if that's your thing. You really can't go wrong with any of Michelle Griep's stories and that holds every bit as true for Belle's Christmas Carol....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Belle's Christmas Carol by Michelle Griep a 4 Bark rating.

​I’ve always been suspicious of characters who appear just long enough to break your heart and then vanish without so much as a forwarding address. Belle from A Christmas Carol is one of those.

​Scrooge, of course, gets the full treatment. Ghosts. Doom. Moral terror. A dramatic overnight transformation. Turkey delivery. The works. And yes, yes, it’s all very moving. But Belle? Come on. All she gets is one aching goodbye and then is shoved neatly into Scrooge’s past. So, excuse me, Mr. Dickens, but I have questions.

What became of the woman who loved Ebenezer before greed got to him? Did she regret walking away? Did Christmas ever sting? Did she build a fine, sensible life or did some little corner of her heart still ache for him or not? That wondering became Belle’s Christmas Carol.

In my story, Belle Beaumont unexpectedly inherits Haven House, a struggling London orphanage with fire damage, muddled ledgers, eccentric staff, and children who are more than rambunctious. Naturally, Belle decides she will set everything to rights and give the children the most splendid Christmas imaginable because—like me—apparently the woman has never heard of pacing herself.

Then along comes Rafe Munro, a handsome barrister searching for a missing child, and Belle’s tidy plans start to change. Oh, did I mention he’s single? That’s because I wanted Belle to be more than Scrooge’s lost love. I wanted her to have grit, flaws, hope, purpose, and a future all her own.
​
Because sometimes the story doesn’t end with goodbye. Sometimes that’s where the real story begins.

Where Faith and Books Meet, October 6
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 6
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , October 7
The Avid Reader, October 7
She Lives To Read, October 7
Texas Book-aholic, October 8
Devoted To Hope, October 8
Betti Mace, October 9
Inkwell Inspirations , October 9
The Lofty Pages, October 9
For Him and My Family, October 10
Romances of the Cross, October 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 11
Jeanette’s Thoughts , October 11
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 12
The Vine and The Branch, October 12
Maureen’s Musings, October 13
Fruitfully Planted, October 13
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, October 13
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 14
Mornings at Character Cafe, October 14
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 15
Simple Harvest Reads, October 15 (Guest Review from Donna)
Cover Lover Book Review, October 16
Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, October 16
Vicky Sluiter, October 16
Devoted Steps, October 17
Lily’s Corner, October 17
Holly’s Book Corner, October 18
Mary Hake, October 18
Blossoms and Blessings, October 19
Pause for Tales, October 19

Genre: Adult Fantasy
Release Date: September 22, 2026

​into the sunlight of the open meadow, a yellow butterfly zigzagging ahead of him above a patch of purple lupine. He pressed through the bloom-laden stalks into rippling grass, following the plucked notes of a lirret and a voice as familiar as his own. She must be just beyond that primrose at the meadow’s far edge.

Children’s laughter echoed in counterpoint to her sweet voice, and his pace quickened. Ian would be over two by now, walking well, maybe even talking in phrases and sentences, while Simon would have left all his toddlerhood behind, a real little boy at last. Then there was Maddie.

Abramm ached for her so badly sometimes he could hardly bear it. Now finally, that was behind him. All the worrying about threading the high passes before winter closed them had been for naught. In a moment he would step around that bush and there she’d be, her gray-blue eyes widening with surprise at the sight of him an instant before she’d cast her lirret aside and fling herself into his—

His foot slipped, and he lurched to regain his balance, gripping his walking staff hard as he drove it into the snow. The misstep jolted his entire body as the vision winked out and the dark, icy reality of the blizzard-swept heights filled his senses again. She wasn’t here. His boys weren’t here. There was no meadow. The passes were not behind him, and winter was very definitely closing in . . .

Realization slammed him so hard he reeled to a stop, struggling to breathe as he felt again the cold and the exhaustion and the misery.

Wind screamed around him, pelting his heavy woolen cloak with slivers of snow and flapping its snow-caked hem about his legs. For a moment, the desire to give up was so strong he nearly collapsed.

But he couldn’t. Maddie was waiting for him. His boys needed him. And so he drew a deep breath and reached up to dash away the ice that continually froze onto his beard and mustache. Chunks of it clung also to the long hair dangling beside his face, some of them rasping against the inside edge of his cowl, others frozen to his beard. He no longer felt his feet, and his fingers, numb beneath a double layer of glove and mitten, could hardly grip his walking staff.

He squinted down the rocky hill to where a shin-deep trough of footprints angled across the slope through the rapidly accumulating snow. At the end of his pocket of visibility, the last of his companions were starting down the next switchback, obscured by the shifting veils of snow. Shuddering, he started after them, placing steps and stick carefully to avoid any more almost-falls.

Neither he nor anyone else in his party had any real idea where they were going, only that having come through the Kolki Pass they must descend the barren slopes beyond to an ancient Terstan monastery just below the tree line. “The way will be obvious,” the men back at Highmount Holding had assured them. Maybe it would be if clouds hadn’t swallowed the world and driving snow hadn’t made it hard to open one’s eyes and the rock cairns that were supposed to be their guides weren’t fast disappearing beneath the drifting snow.
​
It was typical, though, of the bad luck that had plagued them since leaving Kiriath, transforming what should have been a three-week journey through the pass into a six-week trial of endurance. They’d run out of food two days ago and burned the last of their dung-pats in last night’s fire. Water had been in short supply for over a week, and they had an old man, a pregnant woman, and a number of children with them. Thinking they’d be in Caerna’tha tonight, they’d left much of their bedding and tents with the wagon when it had irreparably broken down in the pass that morning. Now, with the day three-quarters gone, and the tree line still who knew how far below them, their situation was growing desperate.
For not the first time he sent up a prayer for guidance and protection.

Simple Harvest Reads, September 25 (Spotlight)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 26 (Spotlight)
Artistic Nobody, September 27 (Spotlight)
The Lofty Pages, September 28
History, Hope & Happily Ever After, September 29 (Spotlight)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 29
Guild Master, September 30 (Spotlight)
Lily’s Corner, October 1
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, October 2 (Spotlight)
Fiction Book Lover, October 3 (Spotlight)
Vicky Sluiter, October 4 (Spotlight)
Texas Book-aholic, October 5
For the Love of Literature, October 6 (Spotlight)
Romances of the Cross, October 6
The Bookish Ledger, October 7 (Spotlight)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 8 (Spotlight)

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: September 1, 2026

​Everything is just ducky at the Marquee. Or is it?

Dana Mentink is one of those mystery/suspense authors that I will automatically pick up as soon as I see the familiar name on the cover. I don't have to read the back cover copy to know that I'll enjoy the story. That was the definitely the case this time around.

Murders In The Marquee intrigued me with the title and I was good and hooked after 'meeting' Saul, Kitty, and Henry – oh, and the ducks, of course. One cannot forget the ducks. I liked the lead characters and enjoyed the dual POVs of Saul and Kitty. They are very different – she is gung ho to throw convention aside in order to investigate and he just wants to stay out of trouble and keep his job.

Part cozy mystery, part historical, the latest from Dana Mentink was an enjoyable read. It has the historical atmosphere with its elegant hotel setting – I loved the location – as well as the cozy-ish mystery vibe that kept me turning the pages curious to find out who-done-it and just exactly what they even did. Was Saul actually witness to a body falling several floors out of the hotel? Just how many Murders In The Marquee were there really?

I had a good time reading Murders In The Marquee and I was excited to find out from the back of the book that there will be a sequel from Dana Mentink. The problem now, of course, is that I must wait for it....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Murders In The Marquee by Dana Mentink a 4 Bark rating.

​Ice cream or pie? Cake or cookies? Beach or mountains? The answer for me is always, “Yes!” I’m a restless soul, I suppose, but I’ve never been able to choose one delight over the other. I’m that way with writing too. I started my career in mystery and sidestepped to suspense. It’d be so much easier to stick with one genre but no. Dana Mentink has to write both, it seems. I attended a Harlequin anniversary celebration in Toronto a couple of years ago and listened to the editors discuss their futures wishes. Tina James mentioned she’d like to see an “Only Murders in the Building” type book or maybe a historical mystery. Whammo! The idea hit me like a train. What about both? An Only Murders in the Building/Downton Abbey type mashup? The series idea was born. Lots of twists and turns? Check. Humor? Check? An unlikely crime solving trio? You bet! I’m truly thrilled to have been allowed to step back into mystery land. I hope you’ll enjoy the results!

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 29
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 29
Books Less Travelled , September 30
She Lives To Read, September 30
Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 1
Texas Book-aholic, October 2
Wishful Endings, October 2
For Him and My Family, October 3
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 3
Lily’s Corner, October 4
Blogging With Carol, October 4
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 5
Leslie’s Library Escape, October 6
Life of Literature , October 6
Connie’s History Classroom, October 7
Mary Hake, October 7
Blossoms and Blessings, October 8
Holly’s Book Corner, October 9
Pause for Tales, October 9
Cover Lover Book Review, October 10
Life on Chickadee Lane, October 11
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, October 12
Lights in a Dark World, October 12

​ Robert Weston became a psychiatrist to heal people’s minds. He can’t lose his. But if the strange occurrences of forgetfulness and confusion continue, he may not be able to hide the truth much longer. When his psychological issues put his life in danger, he must face the reality that the genetic nightmare he fears inheriting has seized him.

Attorney Monty Montgomery doesn’t trust Robert Weston. His expert testimony once ruined her client’s case. She didn’t realize the psychiatrist isn’t only wrong but also completely unreliable. How can she defend him against a malpractice suit for the insurance company that hired her when he’s clearly incompetent?

Robert and Monty have bigger problems than they know. Someone has a mission. A mission that won’t be stopped until somebody ends up dead.
​
Is everyone a pawn in the lethal game, or is Robert’s failing mind playing tricks on him? Even with the help of the Weston siblings, Robert and Monty may need a mind smarter than theirs—the mind of God—to escape this twisted game alive.

Publisher: SDG Words, LLC
Release Date: September 24, 2026
Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Is it the mind that betrays or people that do?

When I started Watched, the third book in the Windy City Westons series, I knew I was in for a good story. It IS a Jerusha Agen novel after all. But, I had no idea just how absorbed I was going to get in the psychological games and the overall drama.

Those two elements are very strong in Watched, making it one of the most interesting and riveting psychological reads that I've picked up this year. I was quite impressed with Jerusha Agen's ability to spin Robert's fears of cognitive loss as well as Monty's fear of dealing with yet another unreliable and unstable man. The third Windy City Westons novel really kept me on the edge of my seat trying to guess who might have done what and why they would have done it. Some of my suspicions were spot-on and other events came as rather a surprise.

I will say that I am not usually a fan of a certain event conveniently timed to allow a HEA. But, in this case, the mystery and suspense really carried the story, and I was kept glued to the page from start to finish.

I did miss reading Windy City Westons book one, but I enjoyed book two, and I feel like, though there are some spoilers, you can read each of them at least somewhat independently. I do, however, intend on reading book one as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Watched was an enjoyable read with elements of mystery, suspense, and thriller that really kept me turning those pages. Jerusha Agen has another great series going here, and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Watched by Jerusha Agen a 4 Bark rating. ​

​Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 28, 2026 and will last through
11:59 PM EST on October 5, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and
given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

​#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
​The Holy Spirit.

​The My Heart Is Home series was written during a season of deep loss, hurt, uncertainty, confusion, and anger. Broken. Wounded. Heart bleeding. End of story, right?

Grief and loss equals the end, right?

No.

God used grief to birth something Natasha never could have imagined.

It was summed up beautifully by Amanda Lentz, the podcast host of Who We Become — Life Beyond Change! During Natasha’s interview with Amanda, she said something Natasha found so profound…

She said, “Grief is not the end of the story… it’s often somehow inexplicably, the beginning of a deeper one.”

As Natasha reflected on this quote weeks later, she realized grief was not the end. It was the beginning.

The My Heart Is Home series was birthed.
​
Even now, grief seemed like it was the whole story, but it is still unraveling. God has used the miscarriage Natasha went through and turned it into something she never would have imagined… something to help others feel seen, loved, understood, and, most of all, to help them see hope.

Simple Harvest Reads, September 17 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, September 18 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, September 18
Guild Master, September 19 (Author Interview)
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 20
Fiction Book Lover, September 21 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Ledger, September 22 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, September 23
Vicky Sluiter, September 24 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, September 25 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 26 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 27
Blossoms and Blessings, September 28 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, September 29 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 29
Books, Books, & More Books, September 30 (Author Interview)

The Creation of Kate Baxter: Meeting the Detective of Letters to the Editor

How do you come up with your characters?

It’s one of the most frequent questions I (and probably a lot of authors) get at book events. Some authors talk about their characters as creations, while others insist their characters come to them fully formed, gradually revealing themselves to the writer. As with most writing philosophies, I personally tend to fall in the middle.

But I can tell you that Detective Kate Baxter in her trademark trench coat did not spring from my imagination fully formed like Athena from the mind of Zeus. Several thoughtful factors came into play during her creation.

The Mystery Came First
For many novelists, the character comes first, but Letters to the Editor began with the mystery. I imagine that’s common for mystery writers. It was an idea I’d had for some time, just simmering in the back of my brain.
It wasn’t until I signed up for a novel-writing class that I decided to actually flesh the mystery out and put it down on paper. So, if I was going to write a classic mystery, I was going to need a detective.

The Professional Detective
Cozy mysteries can be great fun, but in a series (and they usually end up as series) I find the trope of the amateur detective who constantly stumbles into one mystery after another a bit strained. Requiring a high suspension of disbelief, it works best in comic, here-we-go-again scenarios.

I wanted to create a world that felt more grounded and to leave the window open for my detective to come back (which she did in The Lies People Publish). And that’s one reason Kate serves on the Fulton Springs Police Department.

The Girl Next Door
I recall feeling bombarded at the time by burned-out detectives, whether in literature, film, or television. The investigator whose life is an unholy shambles, who’s nursing a substance abuse problem (usually alcohol), whose family or private life is completely shattered. I kept seeing these broken-down characters, and they just depressed me. I struggled to relate to them in any way. With their addictions and psychological damage, I questioned how legitimately they could function in everyday life, let alone track down murderers and other criminals.

I wanted a more relatable detective, not a beleaguered trainwreck nor a genius human computer of the Sherlockian variety. I wanted someone who, even if you couldn’t relate to her directly, you could imagine her living next door.

When an interviewer referred to Kate as a bit of a hot mess, I must admit I got defensive for a moment. And then I realized that she probably is—the way all of us are in the right light. She struggles with her relationships and goals and with living out her values and beliefs as most thoughtful people do.

When I began the novel, I had a female friend who was a police officer. Kate is not based on her, but I won’t deny that my friend (and her stories) inspired some of Kate’s characteristics, her tribe of friends, and even a few anecdotes that worked their way into the story.

Midwestern Woman of Faith
While I live in the South, I grew up in the Midwest. At the time of writing, I felt I could more accurately capture the Midwestern sensibility than a Southern one, both for Kate’s character and the setting in general. Plus, my publishing background (I was a book editor at the time) was going to inform the novel’s setting, and the Chicago metro area seemed a more likely representative of that world.

My writing instructor called Kate “a church-going detective,” which made me laugh a little. If, in forming Kate, I was reacting against the broken-down detective, I was also reacting against the portrayal of Christians in the arts. There seemed to be two extremes: in Christian fiction, the Pollyannaish Christian who lived a sanitized version of life, and in mainstream literature, religious hypocrites and wackadoos. I realize that may be a tad reductive, but that’s how it felt. Why couldn’t we have something a little more authentic, more fair, more nuanced?

While not necessarily tackling a spiritual journey, I wanted to show Christians in real-world, everyday contexts. I know some readers may find Kate’s faith alienating, but no reader is going to agree or sympathize with every character they read. That’s only natural. But as I researched the genre, I found mainstream novels with detectives with all kinds of worldviews, so why not a mainstream novel with a Christian detective?

Introducing Kate Baxter
These influences formed the initial skeleton of Detective Kate Baxter, but they don’t begin to paint the entire picture of the character she developed into—the insecurities and challenges she faces as a single woman; her love for her friends, her pets, and classic literature; or her belief that the best therapy is found at a gun range. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Letters to the Editor and meet her yourself.

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 10
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 10
Leslie’s Library Escape, September 11
Vicky Sluiter, September 12 (Author Interview)
Book Looks by Lisa, September 13
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 14
Texas Book-aholic, September 15
For the Love of Literature, September 16 (Author Interview)
The Lofty Pages, September 17
Life on Chickadee Lane, September 18
For Him and My Family, September 19
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 20
Lily’s Corner, September 21
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 22 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, September 22
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 23

​Each testimony is paired with Julie’s honest, compassionate reflections that address the real-life obstacles keeping believers from living with eternal focus—fear, grief, trauma, unforgiveness, mental health struggles, waiting on God, spiritual warfare, and more. With wisdom shaped by personal suffering and years of ministry, Julie doesn’t just inspire—she equips.

At the heart of the book is what she calls the Heaven-Minded Mission Manifesto—a practical framework designed to help readers stop sleepwalking through life and begin living with bold Kingdom intention. Through prayer, worship, gratitude, belief, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, readers are invited to move from survival to activated faith.

With thoughtful Pause & Ponder sections at the end of each chapter, Routed to Heaven becomes more than a book—it becomes a journey of awakening. For those who want to go deeper, the Companion Study Guide expands on these reflections with guided questions, scripture exploration, and practical exercises—making it ideal for personal growth, small groups, or church studies.

If you’ve ever wondered whether Heaven is real…

If you’ve questioned whether your life has greater purpose…

If you’re longing for hope, healing, or renewed fire for God…

This book—and its companion guide—are your invitation.
​
Heaven is watching. The time is short. And your mission matters.

Genre: NF (Memoir, Devo, Christian Living)
Release Date: February 21, 2026

​When Julie returned from visiting heaven in August of 2024, she received a list of three things (to apparently start a list of many more lol) and one of those was to gather the stories and write “Routed to Heaven.” She was shocked to discover that while she was exuberant about her heavenly trip and couldn’t wait to share more, many others had experienced visits over the years and became hesitant to talk about their journeys due to misbelief or even put-downs from other people. But the Lord had placed within her heart that not only was it her job to round them up and get them into paper format, but to build a community. And that community had a special role on earth as well as upcoming in Heaven. She began many conversations with, “Hey I went to Heaven and I hear you might have had an experience too.” Even then, sometimes people hesitated. She found cases of “Well, your heart actually stopped and I don’t think mine did so mine was just a vision” or “I barely remember any of mine …” Over time, she was honored to help over twenty people write their stories for their inclusion in “Routed to Heaven.” People now seek her out specifically at times to tell their stories and she also finds people with stories in some interesting places, including funerals and grocery stores. You just never know! But there are many more stories out there and she continues to gather them for book 2, as well as for other purposes.

Simple Harvest Reads, September 4 (Author Interview)
Girls in White Dresses, September 4
Artistic Nobody, September 5 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, September 6 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, September 7 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 7
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 8
The Bookish Ledger, September 9 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, September 10 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, September 11 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 12
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 13 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, September 14 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, September 15 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, September 16
Cover Lover Book Review, September 17

​Release Date: August 11, 2026
Genre: Viking fantasy (adult)

​Her past, his present, all hope for a future...

Wow, what a conclusion to an epic fantasy trilogy... Once I started, I couldn't seem to put Winter's Dawn down. I've been invested from the first book in The Nordic Wars series and I just had to know how it all would play out. Morgan L. Busse did not disappoint, this story was big and the final showdown was both heroic, and, well, epic.

I've been a fan of Morgan L. Busse since reading her Mark Of The Raven trilogy a few years ago and I must say that every book in The Nordic Wars series has more than lived up to its predecessors – Winter's Dawn very much included.

Fantasy is a genre that I rarely read as a kid or teen but have really come to appreciate as an adult reader. It's stories like Winter's Dawn and the rest of The Nordic Wars trilogy that keep me coming back time and again. Morgan L. Busse's worldbuilding skill is both wonderful and fascinating. Multiple cultures and landscapes are fully fleshed out in a way that keeps you completely immersed in the story-world.

The character's, too, have come to feel like friends and I was completely invested in their survival and well-being. Brighid and Kaeden are both likable and in this book, their struggles fear and compassion are surprisingly easy to relate to despite them being in a war zone in a fantasy world.

Anyway, whether you are an older YA or adult reader who loves fantasy with a strong faith element and you enjoy a good fight scene, or several, may I recommend Winter's Dawn and the entire The Nordic Wars series from Morgan L. Busse. It's well-written, entertaining, and enjoyable. And there just might be some rather large and furry surprises in this book....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Winter's Dawn by Morgan L. Busse a 4.5 Bark rating.

​Legacy. I don’t think many people think about legacy. At least not until they start facing the end of their lives. So, what is legacy? One definition I found is something handed down from one generation to the next. I like this definition because it can be so many things. It can be wisdom, stewardship, an example of a life lived with integrity, leaving the world a better place, peace, and even hope. Perhaps another way to say it is legacy is living with the future of the next generation in mind.

The quote up above is from the last book in my Viking-inspired fantasy series, The Nordic Wars. In Winter’s Dawn, the leaders of the Nordic people are facing two impossible choices, both that will most likely cost their nation everything. Then the end comes. Discouraged, Brighid feels all hope is lost. But Gurmund reminds her that even if they lose everything, and their people cease to be no more, it still mattered how they finished.

They would leave hope and light for the next generation.
​
This is how I want to live. I once told my husband that I don’t think we will ever know the legacy we leave behind, because it will be spoken about after we are gone. But the choices I make today and the life I live, will determine the ending I leave behind for others to read. I want that ending to be full of hope and light so that when the next generation faces darkness, they will remember they are not alone and those who went before them.

The Lofty Pages, August 27
To Everything There Is A Season, August 28
Artistic Nobody, August 29 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, August 30 (Author Interview)
Lily’s Corner, August 31
Texas Book-aholic, September 1
Fiction Book Lover, September 2 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Ledger, September 3 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 4
Wishful Endings, September 4
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 5 (Spotlight)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 5
For the Love of Literature, September 6 (Author Interview)
Devoted Steps, September 7
Labor Not in Vain, September 8
Simple Harvest Reads, September 9 (Guest Review from Mindy)

​Almost ten years ago, a big Victorian house was for sale. I had the pleasure of touring it and taking photos of the exterior and interior. I knew I would eventually set a story there. Fast forward to spring of this year, and it was finally time to write about the setting in Shippensburg, PA. The house has changed very little through the years, so it’s easy to imagine life in 1878 along Normal Avenue. The house is located at the bottom of the hill where the Cumberland Valley State Normal School started in 1873*. It soon changed its name to Shippensburg State Normal School and eventually Shippensburg University.

​Since I have my heroine living in the old house at the start of Sarah’s Search, she also attends the normal school and graduates before she becomes a teacher in Newburg, PA at the Mount Jackson one-room schoolhouse.

​It is no longer in Newburg, but is on the grounds at Shippensburg University and set up as it would have looked when used many years ago.

I love when I can envision history coming to life by visiting places like the house, normal school, one-room schoolhouse, as well as the local churches and towns that were around in the time period that I used in my recent book. I had the distinct pleasure of finding three local historians. Two with expertise in the two different towns I wrote about in Sarah’s Search, along with one who was a former archivist at Shippensburg University. What a treasure they’ve been to me.

As you read Sarah’s Search, I hope you’ll enjoy stepping back in time as much as I did while writing it.

*The cornerstone was laid May 31, 1871.

Pause for Tales, August 20
Simple Harvest Reads, August 21 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, August 22 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, August 23 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 23
Texas Book-aholic, August 24
Fiction Book Lover, August 25 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Ledger, August 26 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, August 27 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, August 28 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, August 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 29
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 30 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, August 31 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, September 1 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, September 2

​A moving story of finding home, healing from the past, and discovering that love knows no boundaries in the untamed Montana Territory.

Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: August 11, 2026

​Sometimes doing the right thing can be so hard....

Wow, I didn't think I could meet a heroine who could give Belle Tanner (Harden!) a run for her money in the toughness department, but, oh, did Abby do just that...

On one hand, I've been really looking forward to reading Wildflower Bride since finishing the last Petticoats And Cowboy novel, but, on the other hand, I wasn't too sure about Wade as a hero. He was so unhinged in Montana Rose that I was skeptical of whether I could come to like him or not. I shouldn't have questioned it. Mary Connealy knows her stuff and she had me in both Wade and Abby's corner right away.

I found Wildflower Bride to be every bit as humorous and entertaining as the previous books in the Petticoats And Cowboys series, but Mary Connealy also takes on the toxic father-son dynamic in a way that felt compassionate but surprisingly real. I think the struggle for adult children to balance honoring difficult parents, particularly if there is a history of any kind of abuse, and setting personal boundaries will really resonate with a lot of readers.

As I've said before, the Petticoats And Cowboys series has been an enjoyable one. I would recommend it, and pretty much any other Mary Connealy series to anyone who loves historical romance with a western/cowboy theme. Don't miss Wildflower Bride or the rest of the series....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy a 4 Bark rating.

​I try to write books I love, and I re-read my own books. I’m a big re-reader and if I find myself uninterested in a book I wrote, I take that as a bad sign.

I happen to LOVE Wildflower Bride as much as any book I’ve ever written.

I wrote for ten years before I got my first book published. On that fateful day when I earned my first contract, I had twenty finished books on my computer. And I didn’t just write them and move on. I’d go back (re-reading even then) and polish them. I took stand alone books and shortened them, lengthened them. Turned them into series, saved all versions in case an editor wanted a series or did NOT want a series.

Each book well, not ALL twenty of them, but a whole bunch, had about nine versions, all saved separately. Love Inspired length, trade fiction length, series, stand alone. I kept them all. But when I felt like I’d really improved one of them, I went back to the other versions and made those same improvements. I did a LOT of writing within those twenty books.

Wildflower Bride was the first book I wrote from scratch after I signed a contract for it. Maybe for this reason, I especially love it. I took everything I knew, everything I learned and put it into this book. I remember staring at that blank page…I had about six books published by this time…and holding my hand flat on the computer screen and praying, God help me to remember everything I’ve learned.

The hero is Wildflower Bride is the villain in Montana Rose. He is wretched. But to me, he was a broken man. My editor, when I told her Wade was the hero, said, “I can’t imagine it, but go for it.”

He is saved at the end of Montana Rose. A young Christian trying to do right in the face of enormous pressure from his powerful, abusive father, in The Husband Tree, and a sad, lonely, but strong man, still growing in his faith at the same time he’s very solid in it, in Wildflower Bride.

I just loved him.

I love the wild beginning of Wildflower Bride, the heroine is an adult woman taken in by an Indian tribe at the age of ten when they find her, alone in a cabin, with her family all dead from a fever. She loves the people who saved her.

Then people start trying to save her from the tribe and she is insulted and wants no part of this new world when her small band of native family is killed in a massacre. Again, she survives.

Abby, she only vaguely remembers her birth name, fits nowhere. And she’s so at home in the wilderness she’s planning to live on her own, somewhere.

Wade falls desperately in love with the strength he finds in her.

These two need each other so badly, but Abby is a hard one to convince she should spend her life with Wade.

Then Abby finds that one of her family, an older brother who didn’t come west with her family, is alive and living nearby.

The way they discover each other, well, I just love it. Wade is starting to look pretty good compared to the grouchy, quick to swing a fist, brother. Still, she begins to remember her big brother, and she remembers loving him. Abby is a confused woman.

Can Abby find her place anywhere in the world? Can Wade find enough backbone to stand up to his father…so far he’d just cut him out of his life. But Pa needs him even if he’s too awful to admit it. Wade’s pa needs God, too.
​
And those evil men who destroyed her village, haven’t gone away and they want more from Wade and Abby than anyone can imagine. They have to be stopped and Abby and Wade have to find a way to work together to stop them.

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 18
Texas Book-aholic, August 19
Labor Not in Vain, August 20
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 21 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, August 21
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 22
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 23
Book Holds and Jello Molds, August 24
Guild Master, August 25 (Author Interview)
Books You Can Feel Good About, August 26
Simple Harvest Reads, August 27 (Guest Review from Donna)
Holly’s Book Corner, August 28
Cover Lover Book Review, August 29
Fiction Book Lover, August 30 (Author Interview)
The Vine and The Branch, August 31
Mary Hake, August 31

Genre: Non-Fiction, Christian
Release Date: March 6, 2026

#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
The inspiration was a sermon series I had preached on the subject of painkillers. When I finished that
series, I immediately knew it could help so many people. I felt it was valuable — that people could sit
down, read the book, and identify their own lives in each chapter. After the sermon series, I thought,
Wow, this really could help a lot of people.

#2. What new or interesting things did you learn while researching for this book?
I learned that there are many relatable examples out there if you open your eyes and look for
them. Learning that they exist — and then developing the discipline to capture them — that was
the new and interesting thing.

#3. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
Our church family. Looking at the diversity there, especially in the ministry of restoration that is
so important to us — recognizing that there are broken people all around us. Because I have a
heart for the broken, those are the people who inspired me.

#4. What do you hope your readers will remember after finishing this book?
They're not alone, they're not hopeless, and there can be healing and restoration in their lives.

#5. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
I'd want to communicate that just because you've messed up, just because you've made bad
choices, just because you're in a situation where you think there's no hope — there is healing
and restoration for you. I'd pray that readers would recognize the danger of running to the wrong
painkillers the world offers, and instead run to the only One who can truly fix their pain. In Him,
they can find abundance, healing, and forgiveness in Jesus.

​Where do you run when life hurts?

That question is at the heart of my book, Painkillers.

I wrote this book because pain is universal. Every person carries wounds—some visible, some hidden. And when pain comes, we all look for relief. Sometimes we run to distractions. Sometimes to control. Sometimes to success, comfort, or isolation.

The truth is this: wanting the pain to stop is human. But where we run with that pain matters.

Painkillers was written to help people recognize the unhealthy places they turn for relief and to point them toward the only place where real healing can be found—God.

This book isn’t about pretending pain doesn’t exist. It’s about facing it honestly, understanding it deeply, and finding freedom on the other side of it.

Over this blog tour, I’m excited to share more of the heart behind the book, the stories behind the pages, and the hope found in healing.

If you’ve ever been hurt, disappointed, broken, or just tired of carrying the weight—this journey is for you.

Because the question isn’t if we run when life hurts.

The question is: Where do we run?
​
#PainkillersBook #HealingStartsHere #WhereDoYouRunWhenLifeHurts

Artistic Nobody, August 5 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, August 6 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, August 6
Fiction Book Lover, August 7 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 8
The Bookish Ledger, August 9 (Author Interview)
The Quiet Bookmark, August 10 (Author Interview)
Life on Chickadee Lane, August 11
Vicky Sluiter, August 12 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 13
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 14
Texas Book-aholic, August 15
For the Love of Literature, August 16 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 17 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, August 18 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, August 18

Genre: Crime Thriller with Christian elements
Release Date: August 4, 2026

​#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
Believe it or not, St. Joseph partly inspired the prologue. The parallel is more in the main character’s actions than in the plot itself, so readers may not immediately notice it. Charlie is initially reluctant and uncertain, but after receiving what feels like a quiet nudge, he accepts the “mission” placed before him. In a way, it mirrors St. Joseph’s story — he intended to quietly walk away from Mary, but after receiving a message from an angel, he chose to trust and embrace the path set before him.

​Lethal Design, Book 2 in the KC & Orlando Prime series, shifts the spotlight in a powerful way. While Fatal Invitation centered on Detective Kylie Cassidy, this installment dives deep into the elite Prime Task Force, especially its leader, Commander Frank Travers.

A year ago, Travers lost his wife to a brutal, unsolved murder. The case went cold. The killer vanished. But in Lethal Design, that past refuses to stay buried.

As KC and the Prime team investigate a new wave of suspicious deaths, threads begin to surface, threads that may finally lead Travers to the truth he’s been chasing. And this time, it’s personal.

What makes this story especially layered is how it connects back to the larger conspiracy introduced in Stolen Secrets. Pieces are moving. Secrets are colliding. And everything must align as the story builds toward a confrontation that’s been a long time coming.

Expect high-stakes action, tight investigative work, and emotional tension as justice and revenge blur into something far more dangerous.

Because when Travers comes face-to-face with his wife’s killer… there’s no guarantee he walks away.
​
And KC may be the only one who can keep him from crossing a line he can’t come back from.

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 31
The Lofty Pages, July 31
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 1
Vicky Sluiter, August 2 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, August 3
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 4
Texas Book-aholic, August 5
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 6
For the Love of Literature, August 7 (Author Interview)
Blogging with Carol, August 8
Because I said so, August 9
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 10
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 11 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, August 12
Betti Mace, August 13
Leslie’s Library Escape, August 13

Genre: Adult Science Fiction
Release Date: July 14, 2026

​The enemy seeks to divide us. And while there are wars to be fought, the battle lines often aren’t in the places that we think.

This is not the reason I started writing Worlds Collide. But in the more than ten years that I’ve been working on this trilogy, it has become the reason this story is the thing I most want to say to the world.

I started writing Worlds Collide because of a few ideas that came together at once. I had been reading a book that discussed five types of heroes: the selfless hero, the hero with a code, the charming hero, the cunning hero, and the sympathetic hero. I challenged myself to write a story featuring each type of hero as a way of better learning the archetypes.

Around the same time, I came up with the concept of different worlds being set on a collision course by their respective creators—cosmic beings in the forms of dragon, phoenix, lion, serpent, and wolf—as a “contest of the gods.” This idea came out of nowhere. At the time, I was working on a completely different story (that still has not been published). That evening, I took my wife on a walk, told her the concept, and she said, “This has to be the next thing you write.”

But as I wrote the story, these characters from different worlds started coming together in interesting ways. Each believed that they were doing the things they had to do to survive, to protect their own kind. The distance between them and the rival planets served to create a sense of “otherness” about the people inhabiting those worlds. It was easier to hate them when they were so far removed. And like most (if not all) instances of hate, it was rooted in fear.

The danger of division is a central theme in scripture. In Matthew 12:25 and Mark 3:24-25, Jesus states, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” The Greek word for the devil, diabolos, is derived from a verb that means “to throw apart” or “to scatter,” directly identifying his nature as a divider.

We see this division every day, much of it sparked by what we read online. Humans are designed to be in connection with each other, so the most deceptive way to subvert that innate design is to present the façade of increased connection that is actually voluntary isolation and polarization.

I’m not against the internet and social media, but it must be stated that the technologies that were supposed to bring more people together have achieved the opposite. They constantly present us with groups of people who—at a distance—appear to be dangerously opposed to everything we hold dear.

When we engage with so much of this content, we believe we’re learning more about people. But in truth, we’re only presented with algorithmically curated experiences that are incented to spark fear and outrage, emotions that lead to clicking and engaging. We are told that they are the enemy, that they are to blame, and that they will destroy our way of life. Then we’re told, “click here to read more.”

I wasn’t raised in church; I came to my faith during my teenage years. As a result, and due to a handful of other personal experiences, I’m comfortable in environments where I’m surrounded by people whose beliefs are very different than my own.

But here’s what has surprised me: I never feel like I need to hide my faith in these situations. When I engage such people in conversations from a place of love, respect, and genuine curiosity, they are almost always receptive. We find common ground. How could we not? Regardless of their beliefs, these people are created in the image of God, just like me. Through these interactions, I have created real friendships with people that might have never walked through the doors of my church (but that doesn’t mean I won’t try).

I’m not saying that I’m without my biases. I’m far from perfect. But when I manage to push past my perceived boundaries, I’m often amazed at what I discover on the other side.

As believers, we affirm that every person is made in the image of God. But we must ask ourselves—do our words, our posts, and our attitudes reflect that truth? Or have we, too, begun to see those who are unlike us primarily as enemies?

That tension is at the heart of Worlds Collide. As these characters begin to interact, they discover aspects of each other that they never would have expected. They start asking questions they were never meant to ask, and the answers challenge everything they have ever known.

We may not be on warring planets, but we are constantly being told where the battle lines are in our world, and that anybody on the other side of those lines is our enemy.
​
And when that happens, will we accept that as the truth? Or will we dare to step across those lines in love, courage, and faith to reach out our hands, as the Savior did for us?

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 29
Books, Books, & More Books, July 30 (Spotlight)
Texas Book-aholic, July 31
Artistic Nobody, August 1 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 1
Simple Harvest Reads, August 2 (Guest Review from Susan)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 3 (Spotlight)
The Lofty Pages, August 4
Guild Master, August 5 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, August 6
Fiction Book Lover, August 7 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Ledger, August 8 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 8
Vicky Sluiter, August 9 (Spotlight)
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 10
For the Love of Literature, August 11 (Author Interview)

​“Logan vs. the Pouty Paw Paw” is a special book in the series “Logan’s search for the Fruits of the Spirit” because it was written with the support of my stepdad, John Beghtol.  In the spring of 2025, we were working through the death of my Mom from a long battle with cancer.  He found out my kids were running a Kickstarter for one of my picture books, Meow Meow Milks the Cow, and decided to support it.  As a supporter, he earned the option to share some creative direction on one of my upcoming projects.

Over the summer of 2025, I was doing some research for my next Logan book, looking for a native Midwestern fruit that would be good for representing sadness, to contrast with the spiritual fruit of joy.  I learned that Paw Paws were a rare native fruit that would have been used to make jam in the 1860’s.  So, they seemed like a good fit, especially if they were Pouty Paw Paws.  It also kind of fit what was going on with us, both of us were sad at the loss of my mom, and many people use the name Paw Paw as another name for a Grandfather. So, it spawned the idea that Gramps from the Towers of Light series could be a key character in this adventure.

I shared an early flight plan for the story with him, and he liked it in principle, but then provided an idea around a mysterious stranger entering the town.  I like the idea, but I felt a little stuck because this story takes place after the Towers of Light series, where all the bad guys had been defeated, so who was this mysterious stranger?  Eventually, I just wrote a mini story about the stranger to place him in the city, and I was off with a solid story to tell.

The story ended up being a good cross-section of dealing with sadness of different forms, from being upset over chores that feel to hard, to the loss of a loved one. At the same time, I kept the fun and hijinks that only a boy and his pet raccoon can get into.  I hope your child enjoys it as much as I did while writing it with my Bonus Dad.

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 6
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 7 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 8 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, August 9 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, August 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 11
Books, Books, & More Books, August 12 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, August 13 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, August 14 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, August 14
Vicky Sluiter, August 15
Labor Not in Vain , August 16
The Bookish Ledger, August 17 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, August 18 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, August 18
Stories By Gina, August 19 (Author Interview)