Sunday, May 12, 2024

Author Interview: Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin by Dennis Conrad

About the Book

Book: Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin

Author: Dennis Conrad

Genre: Christian Children’s Picture Book

Release date: October 30, 2023

Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin is an exciting adventure in the Ancient Roman Empire at the time of Christ. Eight-year-old Marcus and his father are on a mission for the Emperor and visit a mine and a mint where coins are made. Marcus himself makes a denarius, a coin with the emperor’s image.

Marcus goes to Jerusalem where he sees Jesus hold a denarius saying, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What will seeing Jesus mean for Marcus, and will he ever be the same again?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

A former coin collector for over fifty years, Dennis combines his love for the Bible, children’s literature, and sharing stories about the history behind coins.

Dennis retired as a professor of speech communications from Barstow Community College. He and his wife served as English and public speaking teachers ten summers overseas.

Dennis became a sustaining member of the Numismatic Association of Southern California in 1979. He is also a life member of the American Numismatic Association.

Dennis is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a Fellow of the National Writing Project.

More from Dennis

How to Turn a Penny into a Teachable Moment

Dennis Conrad

Connect with your child or grandchild by starting a coin collection.

Start with the penny, also known as the Lincoln Head Cent. The coins were first minted in 1909 because it was the 100^th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

Use the coin to help your child make the connections with who Lincoln was, what he did, and when he lived. Reasons why Abraham Lincoln is featured on a coin include the following:

Lincoln is often at the top of the list of America’s greatest presidents.
He helped to preserve the Union during the American Civil War.
His Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves.
The Gettysburg Address ranks as one of the best speeches of all time.

Now, Look On the Back (the Reverse)

Go through change to find the different images on the backs of pennies.

There are wheat ears (1909-1958) and the Lincoln Memorial (1959-2008).

To celebrate the 200^thanniversary of his birth, the U.S. Mint issued coins with four different images on the back. The Lincoln Bicentennial (2009) coins include a log cabin, Lincoln sitting on a log, Lincoln standing in front of the state capitol of Illinois, and an unfinished U.S. Capitol Building (the way it was when he was president.) For the past several years, there has is a shield on the back representing the preserved union (2010-Present).

Add one of each reverse to the child’s collection.

Don’t forget to mention the words, the date, and the mintmark.

The words include “One Cent,” “In God We Trust,” “Liberty,” “The United States of America,” and “E Pluribus Unum” which means “Out of many, one.”

Also, look for and find the year minted and the mintmark.

Find and add a coin from the child’s birth year to the child’s collection.

Look at the mintmark. It is a letter on the front of the coin under the date. The “D” is for Denver, the “S” for San Francisco, and the absence of a mintmark means the coin was minted in Philadelphia.

Add coins with the different mintmarks to the child’s collection.

Keep the collection safe in a small box or a Ziploc bag. Have fun. Add to the collection as time goes by.

Free Resources

Want to encourage the child in your life to learn more about coins? Sign up at https://dennisconradauthor.com so your child can become a Junior Coin Collector. Receive free, monthly activity sheets like a crossword puzzle. There is a Coin Hunt section where children can search for and find coins in change for their collection, and a Vocabulary Builder section with coin collecting terms.

Author Interview

Q: What was the inspiration behind this children’s picture storybook?

Dennis: One morning, I took a manuscript about Bible coins to my eight-person critique group. After I read my story, the leader of the group was blunt. “I don’t like this story. There is no conflict. Why don’t you focus on the one incident where Jesus holds up a coin, and says, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

I thought long and hard about what he said, and I finally took his advice. I am glad I did. Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin became an Amazon bestseller in two categories and won First Place in Carolina Christian Writers Conference, Children’s Book Category, Kudos Awards.

Q: How long did it take you to write this children’s picture storybook?

Dennis: I had spent months revising the story for my critique group. Then, I worked closely with my editor at Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. for a little over three months.

Q: What was the most surprising thing you discovered while researching and writing this children’s picture storybook?

Dennis: I learned there is a lot of information about ancient Roman coin production. It was fun to find books, YouTube videos, and online articles related to this subject.

Q: Do any of the children’s picture storybook’s characters hold a special place in your heart?

Dennis: I like Marcus. He is a young boy who is a bit clumsy. I was glad to show him to be more mature by the end.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this children’s picture storybook?

Dennis: The following quotations show Jesus’s comment and Marcus’s reaction.

Jesus’s voice boomed over the crowd. “Give to the emperor the things that are his, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Marcus frowned, “What?”

Marcus has to figure out what Jesus meant.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from this children’s picture storybook?

Dennis: I hope children and other readers will relate to Marcus and realize they, too, can have a mission. Also, family members can have the salvation conversation with the next generation.

Q: If the children’s picture storybook was made into a movie, who would like you to see play the main characters?

Dennis: I have already created a short video using the illustrations. Watch here:

https://dennisconradauthor.com/book-collection/

As a movie, Tom Hanks would be a good father, and I would pick an unknown child actor to play Marcus. I don’t have anyone in mind for Jesus.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Dennis: My wife, Diane, and I will have been married thirty-four years this June. In October 2019, Diane fell, had a brain bleed, and brain surgery. She now has dementia. I have been her caregiver until recently when her condition worsened. She is now living in a senior community with memory care. I see her every day.

Q: In what setting do you enjoy writing the most?

Dennis: I do some of my best thinking and writing after having breakfast at a restaurant or having coffee at a coffee shop. I write on a yellow legal pad for the early drafts. Once I have the overall story in mind, I like to write dialogue.

Q: What are you reading now?

Dennis: I just finished reading several children’s and young adult books set in 300-325 A.D. for my next book. For example, I read nonfiction accounts about Constantine the Great and what life was like in ancient Rome. I also read a fictional story written for middle graders about a boy living during this time.

Q: How many bookshelves are in your home?

Dennis: This is embarrassing! My wife and I are retired college professors, and we have fifty-nine shelves of books. Yikes! We have several Bibles; faith-based, Christian books (nonfiction and fiction); teaching English as a second language books; English, public speaking, and cross-cultural communication textbooks; craft of writing books; a large collection of pamphlets; business books; Shakespeare; biographies; travel guides; and on and on. (Now that I counted the number, I think it is time to donate some of these books.)

Q: Who is an author you would recommend to anyone and everyone?

Dennis: Jerry Jenkins writes well and tells a great story. I liked Left Behind and the series.

Q: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Dennis: My wife, Diane, and I have been married thirty-four years this June. In October 2019, Diane fell, had a brain bleed, and brain surgery. She now has dementia. I have been her caregiver until recently, when her condition worsened. She is now living in a senior community with memory care. I see her every day.

Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your children’s picture storybook?

Dennis: Readers can visit https://dennisconradauthor.com.

Children can become Junior Coin Collectors and get free Activity Sheets (like a crossword puzzle) each month. There is also a “Coin Hunt” section that encourages young people to search for and find coins in change, and a “Vocabulary Builder” that teaches words related to coin collecting.

Blog Stops

Lots of Helpers, May 8

Artistic Nobody, May 9 (Author Interview)

BookZone Reviews , May 9

Vicky Sluiter, May 10

Texas Book-aholic, May 11

Beauty in the Binding, May 12 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 13

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 14

Hannahbandanarama, May 15

Guild Master, May 16 (Author Interview)

Lights in a Dark World, May 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 19 (Author Interview)

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 20

Labor Not in Vain, May 21

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Dennis is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a signed hardback 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.

Link for giveaway: https://promosimple.com/ps/2b7c8/marcus-and-the-emperor-s-coin-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, May 10, 2024

Book Spotlight: For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer

About the Book:

Grace and Hope are identical twin sisters born with the ability to time-cross together between 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, and 1912 New York City. As their twenty-fifth birthday approaches, they will have to choose one life to keep and one to leave behind forever--no matter the cost.

In 1692, they live and work in their father's tavern, where they must watch helplessly as the witch trials unfold in their village, threatening everyone. With the help of a handsome childhood friend, they search for the truth behind their mother's mysterious death, risking everything to expose a secret that could save their lives--or be their undoing.

In 1912, Hope dreams of becoming one of the first female pilots in America, and Grace works as an investigative journalist, uncovering corruption and injustice. After their parents' orphanage is threatened by an adversary, they enter a contest to complete a perilous cross-country flight under the guidance of a daring French aviator.

The sisters have already decided which timeline they will choose, but an unthinkable tragedy complicates the future they planned for themselves. As their birthday looms, how will they determine the lives--and loves--that are best for both of them?

Excerpt:

Our mother in 1912, Maggie Cooper, was a time—crosser and had passed the gift on to us. Hope and I had been born with Mama’s mark on the backs of our heads that sent us between 1912 and 1692. When we went to sleep in 1692, we woke up in 1912, and when we fell asleep in 1912, we woke up in 1692 without any time passing while we were away. On our twenty—fifth birthday, October twelfth, we would choose which path to keep and which to forfeit forever.

We both knew we would not stay in 1692, but Hope had always wanted to leave early, and the only way to do that would be to knowingly change history in 1692. If we did, we would forfeit our lives here. Our physical bodies would die in 1692, and our conscious minds would stay in 1912.

But it was much too dangerous. It would be easier—and safer—to bide our time.

“We cannot change history,” I whispered as I clutched the bundle of food. “It could set into motion events that are not supposed to happen. We could cause wars or famines—or worse. It’s not worth it, Hope. Not when we only have seven and a half months left to endure.”

She let out a weary, frustrated sigh. “Fine—but if anyone accuses me of witchcraft, you won’t be able to stop me.”

My heart fell at her words, opening the gaping darkness inside me.

I could never tell Hope that it would be me who accused her one day. I had foolishly allowed my curiosity to get the best of me four years ago in my other path. While studying the witch trials, I saw words that had haunted me ever since. Hope Eaton, daughter of the ordinary keeper Uriah Eaton, was yet another casualty of the Salem Witch Trials when her sister, Grace Eaton, became her accuser.

How could I ever call my sister a witch? It was unfathomable, but history did not lie.

Or did it?

I had slammed the book closed before I could learn more. What had it meant by “yet another casualty”? I couldn’t bring myself to look, and I vowed I would never search for answers again.

“Don’t talk like that,” I whispered, trying to cover the anxiety in my voice. “You know what people already think about us.”

I stepped past Hope and walked through the connecting door into the main room of the tavern. It was past the noon hour, but there were several men and women sitting at tables with their pints of ale. The weather had made all outside work impossible, so people had come to the ordinary to visit, hear the latest gossip, and stay warm.

John Indian, Reverend Parris’s enslaved man, was tending the bar today for Father. He worked at the ordinary several days a week and kept an eye on things when Father was away. John glanced up at me and nodded toward the crackling hearth, where Sarah Good stood with her back to the room. Her worn and tattered dress had probably not been washed in a year. She carried her young son on her hip, while her four-year-old daughter, Dorothy, clutched her mother’s skirts. Neither of the children were properly clothed for the February weather.

I acknowledged John and moved toward Sarah and her children. Hope followed me out of the kitchen.

Several people in the room were watching Sarah, whispering to each other. Salem Village was a small agricultural community about five miles north of Salem Towne. With fewer than a thousand inhabitants, almost everyone knew everyone else’s business. Surely they all knew of the afflicted girls and the rumors swirling about bewitchment.

When Sarah saw me approach, she turned and snatched the bundle out of my hands, grumbling under her breath. “Is this all?”

Her unwashed body and sweat—stained clothing sent off a putrid smell. It was well known that her husband, William Good, had abandoned her. She and the children were left to the charity of neighbors, but they were cast out of one house after the other because of Sarah’s foul mood.

“’Tis all we can spare,” I told her. “Stay and warm yourself as long as you need.”

“All you can spare?” Sarah snorted. “You aren’t so high and mighty as you think, Grace Eaton. They may be whispering about me, but they’ve been whispering about you and your sister much longer.”

Hope took a protective step forward. “We’ve given you what we can—”

“You’ve given me nothing but leftovers,” Sarah spat.

The other patrons quieted, and John stepped out from behind the bar.

Sarah looked between Hope and me. “’Tis the likes of you who should be begging. With those strange marks of yours and the mysteries surrounding your birth. The only reason no one questions you is because your father owns the ordinary.” She took a step closer while Dorothy tripped along. “Do you ever wonder about your mother? Why no one knows her name or where she came from?”

Hope drew closer to me, and I inhaled, lifting my chin.

“You should leave,” I said. “We’ve given you what we can.”

Sarah snarled at me and then turned and left the ordinary, Dorothy trailing behind her.

Chapter 1, pages 13-16
Excerpt from For a Lifetime, by Gabrielle Meyer © 2024, published by Bethany House Publishing

Author Bio:

Gabrielle Meyer (GabrielleMeyer.com) is an ECPA bestselling author. She has worked for state and local historical societies and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides along the banks of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. By day, she's a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and nonfiction filled with hope.

X: @MeyerGabrielle @bethany_house @austenprose

Instagram: @gabrielle_meyer @bethanyhousefiction @austenprose

Author Interview: Do You Have the Courage to Be You? by Jenny Williamson

About the Book

Book: Do You Have the Courage to Be You? 10^th Anniversary Edition: A Guide to Discover Your Unique Identity and World-changing Destiny

Author: Jenny Williamson

Genre: Nonfiction Christian Living: Personal Memoirs/Personal Growth

Release Date: September 30, 2023

There is no one else like you.

You are an exceptional work of art.

You are special, unique, and original.

If all this is true, then why do we strive so hard for most of our lives to look and act like everyone else? We spend more time trying to reinvent ourselves than we do getting to know ourselves. It is critical to know you, love you, and value you so that you can be and do all you were created for.

Did you know there is somebody on this earth waiting for you to be you? When you are being you . . . the you God created you to be . . . lives will be changed, history will be made, and prayers will be answered. If you don’t dream it, create it, write it, tell it, sing it, or build it, it will never be done. Lives are literally at stake.

Part memoir and part self-help book, Do You Have the Courage to Be You? tells the story of Jenny Williamson and how she left her ordinary, comfortable life to start an international nonprofit that creates safe homes for children being sold for sex. Her journey of purpose guides readers to find their unique identity and uncover their passion, calling, and mission for life. What does it mean to have the courage to be you? What thought patterns or belief systems keep you stuck? What will you need to face the challenges? Jenny answers these questions in this revised edition of this powerful book. Reading it might just set you on the path to fulfilling your destiny.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jenny Williamson is the Founder and CEO of Courage Worldwide, an international nonprofit that builds Courage Houses for children recovered from sex trafficking around the world. Jenny is known for her contagious energy, her motivational speeches, and her passion for changing the world. She is an international speaker and courageously is and does all God created her for and absolutely refuses to settle for less. She encourages everyone she meets to do the same. Jenny and her family live in Northern Nevada.

More from Jenny

I wrote this book because, for most of my life, I believed I was created without talent, gifts, or any special ability to offer this world. Growing up, I was told I was too loud, too bossy, too stubborn . . . and too much! I didn’t believe God had created anything special in me, and I certainly didn’t believe I had a water-walking, giant-slaying, history-making destiny. I so wanted to matter—to make a difference in this world, but I didn’t believe I had anything special to offer . . . until I began reading my Bible—for myself!

Though I was raised in the Bible Belt of the South, went to church five times a week, am a seventh-generation Christian, and have a mother who speaks King James (any question you ask my mother about anything, she will answer you with a Bible Verse), I never had read the entire Bible cover to cover. I didn’t have to. I knew all the stories. They start teaching them in “Sunday School” every year and then repeat them the next. These stories didn’t “wow” me because I knew how they all ended. Abraham does have a son. Joseph does get out of the pit and prison. David does become King. Daniel doesn’t get eaten by lions, and Jesus doesn’t stay in the grave.

However, in my search for meaning and purpose, I picked up my Bible and started reading it from the beginning—word for word. In that search, I found the most astonishing thing: God uses the most ordinary people, often dysfunctional, without great talent, to literally change the world! In that journey of reading, a tiny spark was lit inside of me that turned into a burning flame of desire to be and do all God created me to. It was then I heard the whisper, “Do you have the courage to be you—you I created?” I embarked on the life-changing journey of discovering first who I was and what I was created to do. When I discovered those two things, I wanted to share this truth with everyone who crossed my path!

You, too, have been created on purpose for a water-walking, giant-slaying, history-making purpose. Mine led me to help children who were being sold for sex. I wonder where yours will lead you? I pray this book encourages you on that journey!

Author Interview with Jenny

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Jenny:

“Every man and woman is born into this world to do something unique and distinctive and if he or she does not do it, it will never be done.” —Dr. Benjamin Mays, son of a slave

Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Jenny: The book is all about them and for them. They were created on purpose for a water-walking, giant-slaying, history-making purpose! I hope they will also desire to find their purpose and be inspired to move forward into what God has for them. I wrote a 10-week study to help them do just that called Uniquely You: A Faith-Driven Journey to Your True Identity and Water-Walking, Giant-Slaying, History-Making Destiny.

Q: Are you working on another book now?

Jenny: Yes—The Battle to Be Me.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Jenny: I started a nonprofit organization called Courage Worldwide for minor girls recovered from sex trafficking. And despite having two biological sons, I always thought I’d have daughters. Now, I am a “mom” to hundreds of these girls and “Gigi” to about forty of their kids!

Q: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Jenny: I really enjoy hiking in the beauty of the mountains, and I just took up playing Pickle Ball!

Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your book?

Jenny: I have written two other books in addition to this one. One is called Transitions, and the other is a 10-week study called Uniquely You based on the principles in this book. I have plans to write another book called The Battle to Be Me, so stay tuned at Jennytwilliamson.com and courageworldwide.org!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 3

Simple Harvest Reads, May 4 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 5

Artistic Nobody, May 6 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, May 7

Splashes of Joy, May 8 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 9

Beauty in the Binding, May 10 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 11

Guild Master, May 12 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 13

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 14 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, May 15 (Author Interview)

An Author’s Take, May 15

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 16 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jenny is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and signed 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.

Link for giveaway: https://promosimple.com/ps/2b35e/do-you-have-the-courage-to-be-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Author Interview: A Storm of Doubts by JPC Allen

About the Book

Book: A Storm of Doubts

Author: JPC Allen

Genre: YA cozy mystery

Release date: March 1, 2024

Her dad said nothing could hurt their relationship. But what if he isn’t her dad?

Summer gets off to a rocky start for twenty-year-old Rae Riley when the ex-wife of family friend Jason Carlisle claims their youngest child isn’t his and Rae’s con man uncle Troy returns to Marlin County, Ohio. Rae is already at odds with her father, Sheriff Walter “Mal” Malinowski, over her desire to help people in trouble. When she extends that help to Troy and Jason’s ex-wife, Ashley, she and Mal clash even more.

Then Ashley disappears, and Jason and his brother Rick are the main suspects. As Rae and her aunt Carrie, a private investigator hired to protect Jason’s kids, work to discover what really happened to Ashley, Rae wrestles with Troy’s insinuations that she may be calling the wrong Malinowski “Dad.”

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

JPC Allen started her writing career in second grade with an homage to Scooby Doo. She’s been tracking down mysteries ever since. Her Christmas mystery “A Rose from the Ashes” was the first Rae Riley mystery and a Selah-finalist at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2020. Her first Rae Riley novel, A Shadow on the Snow, released in 2021. Online, she offer tips and prompts to ignite the creative spark in every kind of writer. She also leads workshops for tweens, teens and adults, encouraging them to discover the adventure of writing. Coming from a long line of Mountaineers, she’s a life-long Buckeye.

More form JPC

Readers Deserve a Reward

I may be unusual, or just plain weird, but thinking of my ending first is the common way I approach a new story. It seems to help me to know my destination before I set out on the adventure of writing a story. I can take any number of routes to reach my destination and wandering around and exploring detours is a lot of the fun of writing. But by keeping my destination in mind, I don’t get lost. Or at least, not easily.

The other thing I keep in mind about my ending is that it’s a reward for the reader. I’m relatively new to publishing and not well known. So when readers take a chance on one of my stories, I believe it’s my job to reward their risk with an atypical, satisfying ending. Now I do work hard to make the whole story satisfying with things like an attention-grabbing opening and tension-building scenes. But endings, I think, are special to readers. This is the part that lingers in their minds when they close the book–whether it’s a sense of satisfaction, like the pleased feeling you have after a delicious meal, or anger or exasperation because the ending let them down.

I work to make all parts of the ending satisfying–the climax, denouement or wrap-up, and the last lines. For the climax, readers of my mysteries deserve more thant just the good guys solving the puzzle and catching the bad guy. I plan an action-packed, suspenseful climax that has readers living the final confrontation with the main character and it resolves itself in a way that, I hope, surprises readers.

Denouements are so critical to mysteries, when the detective explains how he solved the case. But they can also be deadly dull because the explanation needs to be thorough to meet the expectations of mystery fans. So in A Storm of Doubts, I split up the explanation–a lot of it is revealed during the climax, so I don’t bore readers by piling up a discussion of the solution in one chapter.

The final scene and last lines are areas I spend a good deal of thought on. Even if this scene was my inspiration for the entire story, how it plays in my head and how it plays on the page are two very different things. I also think the last scene and lines have a certain rhythm to them, like the final bars of a song. My job is make the scene round off the story without staying too long in it.

So when you read A Storm of Doubts, I’d love to know what you think of the ending. Because you do deserve a reward.

Author Interview with JPC

Q: Do any of the novel’s characters hold a special place in your heart?

JPC: Most of my characters are special to me. Like a doting mother, I find it hard to choose just one. But Rae's father Mal and her great-grandfather Walter are two of my absolute favorites. They are very complicated with many layers to their backstory and personalities, and it's a joy to release them into a story and see what they will do. In many ways, I haven't created them. I've discovered them, especially Walter, and that's a delight for any writer of fiction.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this novel?

JPC: I have several, but I think my favorite is this one from Mal, the sheriff of their county. "But I'm a parent, Rae. I do dumb every day."

I can't explain this quote because it comes at the end of my novel, but I love it because I've faced this realization with my kids. For example, when my youngest was 3, he didn't like sleeping in his bed. So he made a pile of blankets on the floor and slept on that. One night, he was acting up and not settling down to sleep. I yelled, in all seriousness, "Go to your nest!" I've taken action that seemed so necessary at the time, but then when I look back, I think, "Good grief, did I really do that?"

Q: What do you hope readers take away from this novel?

JPC: It depends on what they want to take away from it. If readers want an entertaining mystery they can escape into, I provide that. If they want to live the mystery with Rae and her family, I provide that. If they want to go deeper, the book has a theme of trust and about how, when we're pushed to the wall, we have to decide whether we will believe what our Father has said.

Q: How many bookshelves are in your home?

JPC: I love this question! And since I'd never thought about it before, I had to go count. Most of the shelves are in our loft overlooking our living room. These line one wall. We have 7 sets of shelves, totaling 48 shelves. My youngest has 1 bookshelf in his bedroom. Then there are various stashes of books in drawers and under and around beds, along with a shelf of baby books I can't part with in the basement. There's the book table, where I used to keep library books, which eventually migrate under beds. And the butternut table I got from my grandparents, which holds several Bibles and other religious books. Actually, just about any horizontal surface in our house can count as a bookshelf.

Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your novel?

JPC: You can follow me at Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, Facebook, either on my author page or Rae Riley Mysteries page, and Instagram. To get my latest writing news first as well as exclusive stories and giveaways, sign up for my newsletter in the sidebar of this page.

Blog Stops

Stories By Gina, May 4 (Author Interview)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 5

Artistic Nobody, May 6 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 7

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 8 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, May 8

Beauty in the Binding, May 9 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 10

Guild Master, May 11 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 12

A Reader’s Brain , May 13 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, May 13

Texas Book-aholic, May 14

For the Love of Literature, May 15 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 16

Vicky Sluiter, May 17 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, JPC is giving away the grand prize package of all four books in the Rae Riley mystery series, a $25 Amazon gift card, and an Ohio tumbler with lid filled with buckeye candies!!

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

Link for giveaway: https://promosimple.com/ps/2b587/a-storm-of-doubts-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, May 4, 2024

April 2024 Reading Recap & May 2024 TBR

My April 2024 Reads:

Mostly What God Does by Savannah Guthrie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I enjoyed this authentic, interesting Christian living book. Read my review.

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin - ⭐⭐⭐½ - My local book club's selection for April. It generated lots of good discussion.

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano - ⭐⭐⭐ - Not my favorite book by this author, but it had an interesting combination of depth, mystery, and whimsy. Read my review.

These Tangled Threads by Sarah Loudin Thomas - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

Expected May 2024 Reads:

Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. - Currently reading. This is a LONG book!

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese. - My local book club's selection for May. Read my original review here.

The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green.

Think This Not That by Dr. Josh Axe - Currently reading.

What will you read this month?

Friday, May 3, 2024

Book Spotlight: Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen

Lethal Danger Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Lethal Danger
Series: Guardians Unleashed #4
Author: Jerusha Agen
Publisher: SDG Words
Release Date: April 25, 2024
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

This K-9 team is trained to eliminate threats. This threat could eliminate them.

Being a loner is getting old. Jazz Lamont still can’t fit in at the Phoenix K-9 Agency, and she’s losing her best friend. At least providing security with her K-9 partner at the Tri-City Fair will mean revisiting the only place where she once belonged. But a series of accidents threatens her beloved fair and puts lives at risk.

Thriller author Hawthorne Emerson suspects foul play after the first “accident.” Moonlighting as fair security to investigate the death of his sister’s boyfriend, he’s eager to find the truth. He doesn’t expect the task to lead him to the cult he escaped.

Finding the culprit behind the sabotage is personal for Jazz and Hawthorne. But someone else has a personal stake, too. Someone who wants Jazz dead. When everything she thought was true is dismantled, can Jazz risk trusting others—including God—to survive?

Lethal Danger continues the thrilling story of the elite Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency that began with Hidden Danger (Guardians Unleashed, #1). (Each book can stand alone or be read as series installments.)

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Excerpt

The woman had beauty, brains, courage, and toted a gun and knife he was sure she knew how to use. It couldn’t get any better than that.

“I’ll get on his left side here. You can go on his right, and I’ll pass the rope under him to you.” Her directions brought him out of his observations to see she was hefting the coiled rope off her shoulder and over her head.

Occupational hazard to get lost in observations and imagination. But he couldn’t help it this time. He’d been searching for weeks for the right idea for his next book series. And now, she was staring him in the face.

“What’s your name?”

“Excuse me?” She shot him a glance with raised eyebrows as she unwound one end of the rope.

“Sorry.” He scrambled for an excuse for the oddly timed question. An excuse that would also get her to answer. “I just want to know what name to yell if I’m about to fall.”

His joke earned a charming laugh that sounded like she was hitting the notes of a musical scale.

She bent over the passenger to slide the rope under his back. “Jazz Lamont.”

Jazz. Even her name was perfect. Though she’d probably never agree to let him use that in print, too. But either way, he’d just met the heroine of his next bestselling thriller novels.

More Books in This Series

About the Author

Jerusha Agen

Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes romantic suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats, often while reading or watching movies.

Find more of Jerusha’s thrilling, fear-fighting stories at JerushaAgen.com. Connect with her there to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a signed paperback of Lethal Danger, a Lethal Danger mug, a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, a Lethal Danger magnet, plus more fun swag!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 29, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 3, 2024. Winner 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.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!