Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read: December 2023

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Spider's Web Release Blitz and Giveaway

Spider’s Web is a dark, emotional journey of two lost souls finding one another and overcoming loss.

Spider’s Web

Merciless Few MC West Virginia Book 2

by M. D. Stewart

Genre: Contemporary MC Romance

Spider's Web is a dark, emotional journey of two lost souls finding one another and overcoming loss.

Jericho "Spider" Hodges

I was wrongly convicted of murder, and I’m forced to navigate life as a free man after a decade behind bars. But I’m not alone - I find myself welcomed into the fold of the Merciless Few MC, a brotherhood of rebels who live by their own code. Forgetting my past is easy with enough booze and women. But when Nova Frazier enters my life, everything changes.

Nova Frazier

I’m on the run from a life of forced prostitution and abuse. I’m a woman with a past as tortured as Spider's. I can’t let myself fall in love, I’m too messed up for anyone. But Spider and I understand each other’s fear of loving and losing someone special. Can our shared traumas forge an unbreakable bond between us? Is it impossible for two broken people to learn to trust each other?

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**Don’t miss book 1 of the series!**

Almost Heaven

Merciless Few MC West Virginia Chapter Book 1

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I was born and raised in southern West Virginia. At eighteen, I married a man I met in college and even though we went our separate ways, he gave me two wonderful children. I've always loved reading and I'd write poems and short stories for as long as I could hold a crayon, pen or pencil. Once I realized I could self-publish I got excited and started writing down the stories of my characters that live in my head. When I'm not writing my husband and I can the vegetables we grow in our garden, take care of our pet chickens or play with our two cats.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the blitz HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Signed paperback of Spider's Web (US) or eBook (International winner),

$10 Amazon giftcard

-1 winner each!

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Sophia Freeman and the Winter Behemoth Virtual Book Tour

Middle-Grade Fantasy Mystery

Date Published: 12-01-2023

Publisher: Rise Publishers

A STRATEGIC PLAN WAS IN PLACE…

POWERFUL ALLIANCES WERE FORMED…

BUT NOTHING COULD STOP THE GREAT WAR.

After Tim Charnal was captured by Allen Chan and the ruthless iron-masked guards, Sophia Freeman has no choice but to follow their orders and meet them in the Forbidden Land to free their Master, Tombermon, an ancient tree giant. The release of great evil leads to broken promises, countless sacrifices, and an inevitable war. As the islanders face a losing battle, an unexpected machine army comes to their rescue. But is it enough to stop the enemy and their threatening new era of darkness once and for all?

About the Author

Thuan Doan is an award-winning author of the Sophia Freeman series. He conceived his first middle-grade fantasy novel, Sophia Freeman and the Mysterious Fountain, during a trip to Gabriola Island, British Columbia in the summer of 2013. Then he took his work and settled in a small town of Enderby, where it’s peaceful and quiet.

Thuan is writing under a pen name of T.X. Troan. “X” stands for Xu, his grandmother’s name who passed away. And “Troan” is a combination of his parents' names.

“No matter how this turns out, I want my family to be a part of this wonderful journey.”

T.X. Troan married Sarah, his original fan and longtime love, in 2016. They live in Enderby with their pack dogs!

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✱✱Book Review✱✱ Never Plan a Billionaire's Wedding by Julia Kent

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Staci Hart

Audiobook Narrators: COMING SOON

Tropes/Themes: Billionaire, Forbidden Romance/Breaking Contract, Mistaken Identity, Wedding, Engagement, Reunion Romance, Second Chance Romance, Romantic Comedy,

Rule #1: Don’t fall in love with the groom

Stalker exes. Momzillas. Drunk uncles. Hurricanes. Jealous siblings. Paparazzi.

You name it, Kari Whitevelt has seen it all.

And that’s why brides and grooms hire her.

Because she makes it all go away.

Wedding Protectors, Inc., is here to make sure that special day stays special.

Whatever it takes.

No matter what.

But when her newest client turns out to be her own long-lost high school sweetheart, rising tech star billionaire Caleb Mikelmas, suddenly Kari’s not sure whether she’s protecting the wedding couple —

Or her own heart.

Tech billionaire Caleb never thought he had a chance, much less a second chance with his first love and high school sweetheart, Kari. When a case of mistaken identity turns their reunion into one big misunderstanding, unraveling his feelings about the one who got away while supporting his brother’s nuptials means facing old demons.

And kissing Kari.

He likes kissing Kari far more than that whole demon thing.

But if kisses were enough, Kari would already be his wife.

Maybe it’s time to revisit the past and right some wrongs.

One vow at a time.

Welcome to the Whatever It Takes series:

Every bride needs something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue -

But you know what brides don't need?

Complications.

Welcome to Wedding Protectors, Inc. Have a spritzer or a latte or some lovely Zen tea and sink into a comfortable chair in our sunlit offices as we listen to your wedding problem – and form the perfect solution to every possible contingency.

We plan for everything.

Except our own love lives.

But that's not your problem. ;)

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CKB6KHD3

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Billionaires-Wedding-Whatever-Takes-ebook/dp/B0CKB6KHD3/

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Never-Billionaires-Wedding-Whatever-Takes-ebook/dp/B0CKB6KHD3/

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Never-Billionaires-Wedding-Whatever-Takes-ebook/dp/B0CKB6KHD3/

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/never-plan-a-billionaires-wedding/id6468538482

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/never-plan-a-billionaire-s-wedding

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-plan-a-billionaires-wedding-julia-kent/1144157018?ean=2940186153108

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Vn7aEAAAQBAJ

Print: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Billionaires-Wedding-Whatever-Takes/dp/1638801975/

Website: https://jkentauthor.com/books/whatever-it-takes/never-plan/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/never-plan-a-billionaire-s-wedding-whatever-it-takes-book-1-by-julia-kent

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199278585-never-plan-a-billionaire-s-wedding

Audible: COMING SOON

Amazon Audio: COMING SOON

iTunes: COMING SOON

Carolina was introducing him to his former fiancée.

Fine. Near fiancée. It had been a promise ring, not an engagement diamond, but still.

The run he'd just finished was apparently unnecessary from a cardio standpoint, since his heart was now racing, crashing into his ribs as if it were fleeing a crime scene. Not that he was the bad guy. But still.

Kari. No way.

It was his Kari. And okay, maybe she was never formally his fiancée, but until college and distance broke them up, they always planned on it. He’d given her a promise ring in high school, so that was close enough.

When Carolina had mentioned she was meeting two wedding professionals named Katie and Carrie, he'd heard it as the more familiar spelling. She'd never spelled it out, and she hadn't bothered to tell him Kari's last name.

“Caleb, have you swallowed your tongue along with your manners? Shake the poor woman's hand, for goodness sake!” Carolina crooned, giving him side-eye while managing a puzzled smile at Kari as the two stood awkwardly in front of each other, gaping.

Kari had changed in some ways, for sure, but it was her, alright. Her brown hair was a darker shade but still thick and shiny, framed in soft layers around her face, brushing the edges of straight, strong shoulders. He recognized those whiskey brown eyes, deceptively sleepy unless you knew her, knew that behind them, her brain was working constantly at warp speed.

She was taller now–or anyway, she didn’t wear four-inch heels back then–so instead of having to bend to kiss her lips, he could just dip his head.

If he wanted to kiss her.

If wanting to kiss her wasn’t the only thing he could think about.

Momma Says: 5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Welcome to Wedding Protectors, Inc." If ever there was a trope guaranteed to be full of hilarious situations, this is it. It also doesn't hurt that it's penned by Julia Kent, which pretty much guarantees lots of sarcasm and wit - two of my favorite things.

This first in the Whatever It Takes series focuses on Kari and Caleb for a second chance romance. This pair definitely has some unfinished business to work through, but they run into a fair few obstacles, including Kari getting out of her own way. I'll stop there and let you find out the rest for yourself. What I will say is Never Plan a Billionaire's Wedding is everything I've come to expect from Julia Kent. It's wonderfully written with characters that practically leap off the page. It's as witty and fun as it is swoony and sexy, and it's a great introduction to this new series.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Social Media Links:

Website: http://jkentauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2PIBi9n

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jkentauthor/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-kent

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3238619.Julia_Kent

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Julia-Kent/e/B00A99V268/

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Surviving Hospice Virtual Book Tour

A Chaplain's Journey Into the Business of Dying How to Find a Trustworthy Provider

Nonfiction / Medical

Date Published: October 9, 2023

Publisher: MindStir Media

Maryclaire Torinus invites you to join her at the bedsides of dying patients. Her enlightenment becomes your learning as each chapter unfolds. Her admiration for hospice helps her see its darker side. Her list of interview questions for those seeking good, community-oriented hospice is a valuable tool.

Larry Patten, Retired United Methodist Minister, Hospice Chaplain, author of "A Companion for the Hospice Journey.

Maryclaire Torinus received certification in Clinical Pastoral Education for Chaplaincy at St. Camillus Senior Living Residence. She worked as a hospice chaplain and as a hospice consumer advocate for eight years. She also worked for two years as a pastoral counselor in an acute-care wing of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Complex. Maryclaire is a Wisconsin native and met her husband, Mark, in the fifth grade. She and Mark were married for 37 years until he died in 2013. They have three children and three grandchildren.

Praise for Surviving Hospice

Powerful, beautifully written, and eye-opening, this book spotlights the inner workings of a multi-billion-dollar industry and the effect on patients, families, and hospice staff. The author shares poignant accounts of hospice at its best and worst and the hard-hitting truths she learned on her journey. A must-read for family members exploring hospice care.

Stacy Juba, author, editor, and award-winning health journalist

Maryclaire Torinus speaks with authority, providing this essential handbook for choosing a hospice care team and why that selection really matters.

Laura Kukowski, CEO

For-Profit Badger Hospice, LLC

About the Author

I am intellectual, contemplative, and intuitive. I resonate deeply with the writing and theological teachings of Franciscan Friar Richard Rohr and am a One on the Enneagram Spiritual Inventory. I recently converted from Roman Catholicism to Episcopalian and I am an active member of St. Mark’s Church in Milwaukee. My colleagues have told me that I am a bridge-maker and an agent for change and spiritual growth. I am a lover of water with a passion for kayaking.

I think it’s important to take healthy (informed) risks in life, which is why I am writing this book. During my years of study in the field of music, I’ve grown to love the vocal polyphony of the Renaissance period, Broadway musicals, and the film scores composed by John Williams (Schindler’s List and E.T.) My favorite performing experiences have been in Europe, Carnegie Hall, semi-professional theater roles, and touring with my college vocal jazz ensemble.

After more than 35 years of marriage I lost my husband and best friend to heart failure. I am a mom to three millennials and am a nana to three grandchildren and three cats.

My love of travel began when I studied abroad for a year in W. Berlin, Germany during the height of the Cold War; where I was profoundly affected by the history, culture, post-war politics, and ghastly Soviet-built wall. It was my first experience living amidst suffering.

Favorite memories over the years include riding a sweaty, stumbling horse for 6 hours into the Bob Marshall Wilderness to fly-fish, camp, and raft; hoofing up “The Great Wall” of China for three hours in a torrent of rain and wind; and cross-country skiing with my husband into a Colorado valley; lit only by the moon and our head lamps.

My Bachelor Degree is in Vocal Music Education from St. Norbert College. My Master’s degree is in Religious Studies from Cardinal Stritch University. I trained in Clinical Pastoral Education for Chaplaincy at St. Camillus Skilled Nursing Facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was humbled to receive the Heart of Compassion Award in 2012, as one of the top chaplains in the nation for my company. I studied at the Writers Institute at UW Madison, The Clearing Folk School in Door County, and Red Oak Writing Studio.

My career in pastoral ministry culminated in my position as a full-time Hospice Chaplain at the same time that my husband was dying. Having also endured a serious clinical depression in my early fifties, my combined personal and professional experiences offered a peculiar benefit for my work in Hospice – where holding a certain comfort level with suffering and loss was imperative.

I have worked in the fields of education, hospice chaplaincy, and eldercare for almost 30 years. My chaplain ministry has afforded many opportunities to speak at funerals, conduct workshops on the industry of hospice, and teach on the Spirituality of Aging.

From this experience, I am offering my knowledge with the mission of helping consumers navigate hospice services.

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Crime Paradise Virtual Book Tour

Boise Montague, Book 3

Noir Crime/Murder Mystery

Date Published: December 12, 2023

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Three bodies. One suspect. Zero time.

After his girlfriend ditches him at a concert, private investigator Boise Montague makes the latest bad mistake in a long line of them. Only this time, instead of waking up with a hangover and some woman he doesn’t know, he wakes up with a hangover on a Caribbean beach, along with three women.

All of whom are dead.

With the dead women’s blood all over his clothes, no memory of what happened, and no way for Boise to explain it, the cops and the prosecutors think it’s a slam dunk. Boise knows he didn’t do it, but no one’s willing to listen—so he’ll have to find the killer himself.

But whoever said the truth will set you free never saw anything like this. The people behind it are powerful, careful…and they want Boise out of the picture for good.

Soon, Boise will face not only present danger, but past pain, because the deeper he digs, the more skeletons he finds. And some of those skeletons are his own. But will he finally bury them—and the past—or will those skeletons bury him instead?

Perfect for lovers of Agatha Christi, Michael Connelly, and Richard Stark, bestselling author Gene Desrochers’ third book in the hardboiled Boise Montague mystery noir series will take you on an adventure into the dark side of crime, the darker side of memory, and the danger that comes to anyone who ventures into a Crime Paradise. Get your copy now!

About the Author

Growing up in an 18-room guesthouse/wartime hospital in the Caribbean isn’t for everyone, but it proved just the right atmosphere for bestselling author Gene Desrochers to hone a sense of story, mystery, and scene that would prove critical in his writing career. Born on a tiny dot called “St. Thomas” (somewhere in the Caribbean), Desrochers migrated steadily west over the years until he found a home – with a wife who loves him, kids who are young enough to still think he’s pretty cool, and a cat who tolerates him – in the continental United States. He also found the time to earn a JD and become a practicing lawyer, run a tennis club, and publish award-winning short fiction in publications across the US and beyond. Now settled in the mysterious and exotic land known as Los Angeles, Desrochers splits his time between the loves of his life: his family, his writing, his tennis, and his ability to impress strangers with his St. Thomian accent. Find out more about him – and the worlds he creates – at his website, GeneDesrochers.com

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