About the Book

Book: Chaos Woods, Chronicles of the Ever-Guise, Book I

Author: Scott T. Barnes

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release Date: November 14, 2025

After a thieves’ auction goes wrong, young barmaid Telyn Brower winds up with a shard from a magical mask.

Only one problem: In this world, humans are forbidden to use magic. In fact, they’re the only sentient beings without any innate magical powers.

That doesn’t stop Telyn and her friends from using the mask to improve life in their isolated mountain town of Harlech.

At first, the changes seem small. Helpful. Necessary.

But good intentions only carry them so far.

Soon, lies begin to surface. Trust erodes. With every spell they cast, the mask tightens its grip. The power is seductive, addictive. The consequences are dangerous.

As the subjugation of humans intensifies and enemies draw near, the only way out seems to lie deep in the Chaos Woods—an ancient forest where magic itself bends and frays.

To survive, the friends must face the cost of their choices and decide whether they can truly trust one another.

Discover the young adult fantasy Chaos Woods, rated 4.8 out of 5 stars by IndieReader, and described as “an ambitious, character-driven fantasy.”

Excerpt from the Book:

CHAPTER ONE

Telyn spit on her hand, placed her elbow on the greasy table, and leaned forward. A geometry lesson of a girl—tall, skinny, sharp-nosed, and pointy-chinned—she wore a stained apron over a long gray skirt and white blouse. She’d rather be wearing trousers, but in the mountain town of Harlech, trousers were frowned upon for women unless the specific activity demanded it, activities such as ice climbing or trapping.

Opposite her, the furry gray eehoo tilted her head and vibrated her purple nose—as if she didn’t know the game. They’d been arm-wrestling for years, but now that Telyn was fifteen and rather strong, the marsupial’s enthusiasm had waned.

“Come on, Tums. Raz will be here any second. ‘Where’s my stew?’” Telyn did a decent imitation of Razenbock’s gravely voice. “Just give me the paw and we’ll see how my new training routine compares to your animal biceps. Lazy animal biceps, I might add.”

The creature hardly ever exercised—not really. She just hung from the walls by her sucker paws for hours on end. But Telyn climbed daily—trees, cliffs, the side of buildings, the frozen waterfall in winter, whatever, rain or snow, without fail.

Too bad you couldn’t make a living climbing.

Missed an Excerpt? Go Here:

Excerpt One: https://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Two: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Three: https://www.fictionbooklover.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Four: https://www.guildmaster97.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Five: https://www.becausefiction.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Six: https://www.thebookishledger.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Seven: https://thequietbookmark.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/

About the Author

An afficionado of small towns, forests, and mountains, you can find Scott T. Barnes writing in coffee shops all over Southern California. Scott won the Writers of the Future Award for his story “Insect Sculptor.” His contemporary fantasy, Memories of Lucinda Eco, set in Baja California, received a coveted “Editor’s Pick” from BookLife, while his epic fantasy Chaos Woods earned 4.8 out of 5 stars from IndieReader. Kirkus Reviews called it, “An absorbing, character-driven YA tale of camaraderie and redemption.”

About the Book

Book: The Last Quiet Autumn

Author: Loni Kemper Moore

Genre: Christian historical fiction with strong faith themes

Release Date: September, 2025

One letter stitched a family together. Now, with war on the wind, only love—penned note by note—holds the threads in place.

Autumn 1941

Three young women—strangers to one another—each receive an alluring invitation they cannot and dare not refuse—Thanksgiving dinner in Texas with a mysterious ninety-year-old woman.

Virginia Campbell, a poised Boston socialite on the brink of marrying into a powerful political family, is entrusted with a delicate family mission—one that could jeopardize the perfect wedded life she so carefully planned.

Eulalia Bell, a spirited nursing graduate, earned her scholarship in Nebraska thanks to the Orphan Train. But the truth of her past threatens the career she’s fought hard to build.

Francesca Smythe, a resilient wife and mother on an Oklahoma ranch, survived the Dust Bowl and Depression. She longs for the warmth and connection of a true family. When the letter arrives, she wonders if it holds the key to the belonging she’s yearned for all her life.

As secrets unfold and pasts entwine, these three women are drawn to a truth that will reshape their lives—about love powerful enough to face a potential world at war, desires too strong to be silenced, and the courage to claim their place in history.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Loni Kemper Moore is a sports-cheering, Diet-Pepsi-sipping, Rocky Mountain–adventure-seeking storyteller who longs to reflect God’s beautiful love through life’s hardest places, especially for remarkable women around the globe.

A preacher’s kid at heart though her father joined her mother in Heaven, Loni’s wanderlust was sparked early by family and missionary stories. She has visited more than a dozen countries, learning from other cultures while often experiencing life as “the other.” Though she attended multiple schools as a minority and later discovered African heritage through DNA testing, she approaches those experiences with humility rather than assumption.

Loni earned bachelor’s degrees in Education and Biblical Studies from the former Denver Baptist Bible College and completed graduate work in Education at the University of Evansville.

A Jesus-following history enthusiast, Loni was named Leonnie Sue after generations of strong women. Leonnie was her maternal great-grandmother, who died during the Influenza Pandemic, leaving behind her husband and four teenagers. Sue traces through the family tree to Susanna Dean, who stepped off a ship in Korea, Maine, in the 1640s. These inherited collections of more than 500 spoons; stories of faith, endurance, and love deeply shape Loni’s writing.

Her novel The Last Quiet Autumn came to life after cousin reunions on both sides of her family stirred memories of childhood gatherings at her grandparents’ homes—one on a Loudoun County, Virginia farm and the other on a southern Colorado ranch. Reflecting on shared family experiences and her parents’ childhood just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Loni began to wonder how different her life might have been without nearly two dozen cousins spread across four time zones. That question sparked a story that grew far beyond her original imagination.

When she isn’t writing, Loni is visiting friends, studying history, and exploring meaningful places—like the Cherwell River near Oxford, UK where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis once walked. During a trip to Swindon, England, she visited the Eagle and Child pub, where the Inklings met, a moment that proved especially encouraging.

Loni is the proud mom of Adam, a CAD engineer and YouTuber; Becca and Anthony, who made her a delighted grandmother of her “GrandMiracles,” Naomie and Zemira; and a frequent traveler with her beloved “Hugsband,” Robert, an embedded engineer. A granddaughter of ranchers and farmers, Loni holds close the legacy of trusting God through tragedy—faith that carried her grandparents and parents through the World Wars and continues to anchor her stories today.

More from Loni

I can still picture my grandmother standing at her farmhouse stove, cracking open precious eggs she’d just sold back to herself. The surplus eggs were sold to allow her to buy rationed products.

One recipe she made regularly was this ‘Wacky Cake’—a chocolate cake so frugal it needed no eggs, butter, or milk. While historians debate the exact origin of the name, the most likely explanation is that it earned its playful moniker from the unconventional method of mixing everything directly in the baking pan—no bowl required. Homemakers could hardly believe a cake without eggs or butter would actually rise and taste good. But it does!

As a child spoiled by Betty Crocker mixes, I had to admire her ingenuity, even if I couldn’t quite share her enthusiasm for the taste. When my character Chessa bakes in ‘The Last Quiet Autumn,’ I drew directly from recipes like this one. Understanding how women stretched ingredients during wartime rationing helped me write scenes that felt authentic.

Have you tried Depression-era recipes? I’d love to hear about your family’s resourceful traditions from that era.

It reminded me how faith, like that cake, often rises when we least expect it to.

Wacky Chocolate Cake

(a.k.a. Depression Cake or Crazy Cake)

Circa 1940s

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider)
• ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In an ungreased 8×8-inch square baking pan, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3. Make three wells in the dry mixture:

o   In one well, pour the vanilla.

o   In the second, the vinegar.

o   In the third, the oil.

4. Pour the cold water over everything and mix well with a fork or whisk until smooth.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool in the pan. Dust with powdered sugar or enjoy plain.

Interview with the Author

1. Which character did you connect to best in this book? There’s Virginia — “Ginny” — who moves somewhere new and suddenly starts questioning everything she’s ever believed. Bless her heart. Nothing will test your convictions faster than unfamiliar streets and a grocery store you can’t navigate.

Then there’s Francesca — “Chessa” — who resists change in her family like she’s guarding a handwritten recipe card passed down three generations. She’s not stubborn. She just loves hard and holds tight.

And Eulalia — “Lal” — well, she begins to recognize her traumas. The kind we were taught to call “just life” and press on through. Her courage isn’t loud, but it’s steady — like finally opening a window in a room that’s needed air for years.

Turns out I didn’t just write three women. I wrote three ways the heart learns — to question, to protect, and, eventually, to heal.

2. Which part of the book was the most difficult to write? Which part was hardest to write? The conclusion nearly did me in. Ending a story is easy enough in theory — you just type “The End” and stop writing. In practice, however, my POV characters refused to cooperate. Virginia still had opinions. Lal still had places to be. Life, it turns out, is profoundly inconsiderate of chapter endings.

3. What inspired this book?

I was inspired to write this book while polishing the 500+ spoon collection I inherited from my mother. As a girl, I’d admired the beautiful wooden display\ frame built to house them. My mother had a story for nearly every spoon — and the oldest one, pre-Civil War, had a story worth keeping. I finally figured out how to put it in a book, so I did.

4. What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?

Each year I ask the Lord for a special verse to guide me through the next twelve months — sort of like a divine GPS recalculation. For 2026, He landed me in Micah 6:8: ‘Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.’

Now, I’ll be honest. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic — maybe parting seas or chariots of fire. But no. God looked at my track record and apparently decided I needed to start with the basics.

Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.

Three things. Just three. You’d think I could manage that.

And yet here we are.

5. What is your vacation spot?

Our favorite spot is wherever we happen to be together — and right now, that’s Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando. I know timeshares have a reputation, but over twenty years we’ve watched this place grow while making memories that money can’t measure. The moment we drive onto the property, the faces come back — family, friends, couples we’ve blessed with a week we couldn’t use, and now our “Grand Miracles” on their way to join us. I’m grateful to God for the opportunity to love people well in a beautiful place.

But the place itself has a story, and it’s a good one.

When Disney purchased the land for Walt Disney World, their attorneys discovered a curious problem: a parcel inside what would become EPCOT had no clear owner. Disney simply built around it. Then in 1975, when Chiang Kai-shek passed away, his heirs somehow held claim to that mysterious land — and chose to partner with Hilton and Wyndham rather than Disney. The result is a resort completely surrounded by EPCOT, with Disney refusing road access across their property. For a time, the only way in or out was reportedly by helicopter.

Some things improve slowly — but they do. Rather like a timeshare, or a family, when you give them enough time. I was pleased to discover that a letter I wrote to management last year was apparently heard. I’d noted that the business center had been replaced by a fortune teller and suggested they consider instead a quiet chapel — the kind airports offer, with time slots for people of every faith. They chose a snack shop. Not exactly my vision, but the fortune teller is gone, and I’ll take the win.

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, April 9

Stories By Gina, April 10 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 11

Simple Harvest Reads, April 12 (Author Interview)

A Simple Texas Girl, April 12

Texas Book-aholic, April 13

Artistic Nobody, April 14 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 15

Guild Master, April 16 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 17

Fiction Book Lover, April 18 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 19

Vicky Sluiter, April 20 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, April 20

Lily’s Corner, April 21

For the Love of Literature, April 22 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Loni is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/3bY3w/the-last-quiet-autumn-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Cerulean Rose

Author: Demi Griffin

Genre: Romantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling

Release Date: January 20, 2026

Hidden in a tiny cottage away from the ordinary existence of Cerulean’s citizens, Aural lived a simple life with her father in Sabean Woods. When he is struck by a serious illness, that ordinary life suddenly became extraordinary.

In search of a physician, Aural breaks her promise never to leave the woods. When her path crosses with a Mystic, the manipulative Duchess, and the Prince of Cerulean, Aural realizes something beyond her simple quest to help her dying father has mapped out her journey.

An ancient legend about a brotherly rivalry that resulted in tragedy stirs up the Fates guarding Cerulean. If the Cerulean Rose doesn’t bloom again, the kingdom is destined to perish.

A wild path filled with romance, mystery, and intrigue shapes Aural’s heart in ways she could not have imagined as she gets sucked into the legend. Would it be enough to restore the foundation of true love that established the kingdom of Cerulean hundreds of years ago? Could a simple girl satisfy the Fates, capture a prince’s heart, overcome a king’s prejudice, and save Cerulean’s Rose?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Demi (also D.M. Griffin) Griffin is the author of several novels and has won multiple literary awards. Her novels in The Encounter Series won various Independent Author awards in the category of Religious Fiction.

She writes Christian Fantasy, Biblical, and Historical Fiction. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband of over thirty years. She truly believes that a book that sits on a shelf unread is like a planted seed that never blossoms. Nothing delights her more than sharing a story.

More from D.M.

The inspiration behind The Fates Trilogy came after I spent a few years crafting an epic fantasy series called The Illumination Chronicles. I wanted to write something light-hearted and less involved. What began as a simple idea for a single story quickly escalated into a trilogy—all because of the final scene in the first book. Though it isn’t a cliffhanger, my author’s mind grabbed onto the possibilities, and the second book invaded my dreams at night. Then the third. The combination of romance and fantasy was too much fun to stop at writing one book.

The royalty element is what I enjoy most about the stories in this series. Exploring the complicated relationships between fathers and sons, and the unspoken bond of brotherhood, added depth to the otherwise light-hearted stories. In this trilogy, the Christian influence is less pronounced than in my other novels, but the overarching themes of unity and sacrifice reach their peak in the final book.

The characters in The Fates Trilogy struggle with issues that echo Christian values. Some of the issues include the sting of prejudice, the challenge of forgiveness, and the ache of feeling forsaken. Each book dives deeper into those ideas until they culminate in the epic climax in the last story.

However, my main goal in the first book was to ensure that the narrative centered on the theme of love. Fairy tales swirled in my mind during my childhood, weaving vibrant worlds in my imagination. Cinderella was one of my favorite fairy tales, so it comes as no surprise that those vibes worked their way into this story. Yet, putting my own spin on it, I added depth, intrigue, and instead of glass slippers… a blue rose.

While the vibes of that classic story have found their way into Cerulean Rose, it pulses with its own heartbeat. The faint imprint of a quest for true love feels familiar … but there is so… much…. more.

Interview with the Author

• What does success as an author look like to you?

Measuring success as an author can be tricky. Like most indie authors, the financial support is crucial so that I can keep writing and meet the expenses that come with publication. However, the truest success as an author comes when a book I have written resonates deeply, touching a reader’s heart in a transformative way or arriving at a moment in their life when they most needed it. I am thrilled beyond words when I can share a story and see how God has touched another person’s life through it.

• Which character did you connect to best in this book?

While I enjoyed all the characters in Cerulean Rose for various reasons, I think I connected most with Aural. I am introverted by nature, often feel overlooked, and am sometimes surprised at how events unfolded in my life. Her unwavering trust, the boldness that flared when needed, and the sacrificial love that bloomed within her heart inspire me to live my life with Christ-like principles.

• What inspired this book?

This book was inspired by my favorite fairy-tale, Cinderella. Following years lost in a sprawling fantasy world, I sought a literary sorbet, a less demanding writing journey than the previous project. Langlee and Aural sprang into my mind, and I was swept away on a sweet adventure, something I had envisioned as a one-book story. However, the way it ended had me scrambling to write another one, thus turning it into a trilogy.

• What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?

I have many favorite Bible verses. However, the one that anchors most of my writing is Galatians 5:25. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. I hope that every word I read and write will reflect that verse, constantly aligning me with the Spirit and glorifying God. I think imagination is a gift; it can deepen our faith when we carefully consider God’s Word.

• What are you reading right now?

I am always reading new books, ARC copies of upcoming releases, and books for reviews. Currently, I toggle between my favorite genres: historical fiction, biblical fiction, and fantasy. So far this year, some of my favorites include Jaime Ogle’s As Sure as the Sea; Heather Kaufman’s On Living Stone, and Paige Reed’s Revealing Shadows.

Blog Stops

Book Looks by Lisa, April 10

Simple Harvest Reads, April 11 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 11

Lily’s Corner, April 12

Artistic Nobody, April 13 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 14

Guild Master, April 15 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, April 16

Fiction Book Lover, April 17 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 18

For the Love of Literature, April 19 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, April 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 20 (Author Interview)

Leslie’s Library Escape, April 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 22

Blossoms and Blessings, April 23 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Demi is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/s3FDM/cerulean-rose-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Star-Blessed

Author: Angie Dickinson

Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling

Release Date: March 10, 2026

Three legendary origins of power. Two royal bloodlines. One deadly curse.

The kingdom of Stelauris is slowly dying. A season of poison infects the air, earth, and water with increasing deadliness each year, and a deep love of gold and power infects the failing mind of the king. His only daughter and first in line to the throne, Princess Seren, lives in tightly controlled isolation. When she is suddenly thrust into royal society, she struggles to hide the strain of untamed magic awakening in her blood.

Seren’s newly appointed personal guard, Sir Corin, resents the exile of his people. As heir to a long-banished line of succession and the last of the land’s legendary protectors, he holds no loyalty for the current royal family and their history of unhinged cruelty.

As death steals over the kingdom and the schemes at court grow deadlier, the princess and the guard are forced to face their fears, their troubled pasts, and the cost of personal freedom.

The Star-Blessed is a reimagining and reinventing of two fairy tales: “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Cat-Skin” by the Brothers Grimm.

Click here to get your copy!

Guest Review from Mindy

About the Author

Angie Dickinson is a lifelong lover of magical stories that point to truth, hope, and redemption. She is the author of Truth Cursed, a YA fantasy with Enclave Publishing. Angie especially loves to read and write historically inspired fantasy, mystery, and fairy tales. She enjoys Earl Grey tea, reading too late at night, and spending time with her husband and children at their home in the woods of Michigan.

More from Angie

If you’re like me, I suspect you can still remember the soft sounds and smells of the local or school library that you visited in childhood. You can probably remember the thrill of finding a book that you longed to spend time paging through in peace. For me, the greatest thrills came whenever I found a beautifully illustrated fairy tale. Fairy tale collections were always my favorite, and finding illustrated versions by talented artists made my heart sing.

Reading and re-reading fairy tales as a child eventually led to writing my own retelling as an adult. I began with an unusual tale that was very familiar to me via its illustrated retelling: “Cat-Skin” by the Brothers Grimm has been gorgeously retold (and mercifully sanitized) by Charlotte Huck, and illustrated by Anita Lobel. This picture book for children is titled Princess Furball, and is one of my old favorites that never left me. I chose this story and its original source for my retelling, lightening the darker original elements in my own way, but including the story beats, themes, and motifs that were so dear to me. I put my own twist on the tale, which surprisingly (even to me) included a subplot that was a retelling of its own: “Rumpelstiltskin.” I have loved many versions of this familiar story over the years, but my favorite is an illustrated retelling by Paul O. Zelinsky. I have read this one to my children countless times, and it has always set my mind whirring with the different ways that it could be told again.

For my retelling, I lovingly mined these two stories, “Cat-Skin” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” and worked them together into a foundation for a new fairy tale. The frame holds pieces of the old tales, but it’s wrapped up in something brand new. This is a story of a young woman and a young man whose paths cross and wend down a road marked by destiny, shadowed by grief, and lit by courage. Their story is a new fairy tale, reflected in gold and fortified by the faithful gleam of the stars.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, March 31

Devoted Steps, April 1

The Lofty Pages, April 1

Inspired by Fiction, April 2

Because Fiction, April 3 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, April 4

Blogging With Carol, April 5

Artistic Nobody, April 6 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, April 7

Guild Master, April 8 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 9

Simple Harvest Reads, April 10 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Fiction Book Lover, April 11 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 12 (Spotlight)

To Everything There Is A Season, April 12

Vicky Sluiter, April 13 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a hardcover copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/0iDN2/the-star-blessed-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: God Storys: Told By a Daughter of the Most High King

Author: Victorya Wright

Genre: Non-Fiction; Inspirational

Release Date: October 14, 2025

Do you have a personal mantra that guides you? Have you ever felt God’s presence so strongly that it seemed as if He was right beside you? Do you seek His wisdom when faced with tough decisions?

For me, my constant prayer is “Not in my own strength, Lord. Not in my own strength. Guide me. Direct me. Help me.” Since childhood I have experienced God’s undeniable presence, leading me in ways both profound and personal. There are moments when I turn, expecting to see someone beside me, only to realize it is His unseen nearness. When uncertainty arises, I seek clarity through prayer and my own version of the ancient Thummim and Urim – trusting Him to reveal the way forward. God Storys is a compilation of 30 true, standalone vignettes that testify to these Divine encounters – extraordinary moments that are not mere coincidences, but God-instances. May these stories inspire you, strengthen your faith, and open your eyes to His presence in your own life.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Born at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles during one of the city’s largest earthquakes, I took my first breath as the building swayed and the gurney rolled – my parents recount a dramatic beginning marked by both chaos and grace. Life since then has been rich with God’s goodness, meaningful relationships, and profound learning. It has also brought seasons of hardship, loss and shame – yet grace has always abounded.  I am the mother of seven children, two of whom are already in heaven. My five God-fearing, compassionate, and well-educated adult children live in five U. S. states. My greatest joy is spending time with them and my 14 adorable grandchildren. I have spent most of my life working in healthcare and continue to serve part time in my orofacial myofunctional therapy private practice in San Diego County and beyond. I am passionate about proclaiming all that God has done.

More from Victorya

I have been asked, “What is the purpose of this book? I believe that the answer to that question lies in the fact that you are holding this book in your hands and reading these God storys. That is not a coincidence; it is another God incidence. I do not believe in coincidence. I believe that our lives and our world are beautifully orchestrated by a very personal, very relational Creator.

This book is not about me; it is not about spiritual one-upmanship. This book is all about Him … about having a relationship with Him. I am an ordinary person; I am an ordinary Christian. I am merely His scribe writing out of obedience. Even the cover and subtitle of this book reflect God storys. I photographed the sunset from my front door before this book was ever written. The song that I refer to “The Truth”, reflects our royal relationship with Him as our King. The lock on the cover is to be unlocked as you explore your own relationship with Him, the God Who breathed life into our nostrils.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, April 8 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, April 9 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, April 10 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 12

Fiction Book Lover, April 13 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, April 14 (Author Interview)

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

Lots of Helpers, April 15

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 16 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 17

Blossoms and Blessings, April 18 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, April 19 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 20 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 20

Books, Books, & More Books, April 21 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Victorya is giving away the grand prize of a $100 VISA gift card, a hardcover signed copies of the book and 2-Gold Antique Skeleton Keys [for bookmarks, decoration, favors, or handiwork]!!

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

https://gleam.io/C8evw/god-storys-told-by-a-daughter-of-the-most-high-king-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Firebreak

Author: Kathy Tyers

Genre: Science Fiction Space Opera

Release Date: March 10, 2026

What would you sacrifice to save your family and your home world?

Lady Firebird Caldwell returns to the world of her birth, Netaia, intending to introduce her young sons to the noble Electors while her husband, Brennen, conducts a military inspection. When mysterious ships in distress suddenly approach the planet, the Electorate sends her to initiate first contact. Forced to work alongside a vengeful childhood enemy, Firebird uses everything within her power—even her passion for music—to negotiate, only to discover their alien technology threatens all the worlds she holds dear.

Facing ruthless betrayal, Firebird undertakes a deadly journey to salvage the mission. Brennen must make daring use of his telepathic powers to save human life in the galactic Whorl, including that of their young sons. But saving the worlds might force Brennen to give the order that would mean Firebird’s death. In a galaxy poised on the edge of ruin, survival may demand the ultimate sacrifice—from them both.

Click here to get your copy!

Guest Review from Mindy

About the Author

Kathy Tyers is known for her award-winning Firebird series and two licensed Star Wars Legends novels, including New York Times bestseller The Truce at Bakura. Her messiah-in-space novel, Daystar, which concluded the original Firebird series, won a 2013 Carol Award, and in 2019, Shivering World received the Christy Award in the visionary category. At home in southwest Montana with her husband, William T. Gillin, Kathy focuses on writing, music, and short-season vegetable gardening.

More from Kathy

Is the Firebird Series “Space Opera”?

Kathy Tyers

You may have come across the term “space opera” and wondered what it meant. Sopranos in space suits?

The term comes to us by way of “horse opera,” those good old-fashioned western movies with horses and bad guys and adventures and sweet-rated romance. With space opera, it’s “head ’em off at the next galaxy” and the sheriff carries a blaster (a blazer in my books) instead of a revolver, but it often has the same flavor. Remember the sci-fi TV series “Firefly”? It acknowledged its western-movie roots with horse chases and train rides. Often, people who dislike most science fiction for its far-futuristic technology find that they enjoy space opera, because its beating heart is the characters who are having the adventure.

I’ve written two kinds of science fiction. My Christy-award winning novel Shivering World is what we call “hard” science fiction. The plot revolves around solving a scientifically plausible problem.

I like to explain the distinction between hard SF, soft SF, and space opera like this: All science fiction has a veneer of scientific credibility. With hard SF, that veneer has to be so thick that a scientist in that field wouldn’t scoff. I once read a compelling hard SF story in which the characters were saved by knowing the melting point of aluminum and whether it would float them across a pool of extraterrestrial lava (plainly, they were too far off Earth to Google it).

Soft SF has a thinner scientific veneer, with more emphasis on well-drawn characters. In space opera, the veneer can be thin indeed. Some people mock the Star Wars movies for showing that explosions in space go “boom” although sound waves are carried by air molecules.

Do Star Wars fans care? No! They’re in it for the adventure, the fight scenes, the fabulous visual effects, John Williams’s music, and the sense of hope that even in dark times, maybe goodness will win out.

Can’t we all use some of that?

In my Firebird space opera series, I keep the science plausible if I can. My telepaths’ ancestors dabbled in genetic manipulation to create those abilities. They exceed lightspeed using a technology that turns every shipboard molecule sideways to normal space (say quasi-orthogonal three times fast). My “magical weapon,” the crystace, contains a crystal whose X and Y axes elongate dramatically when activated by sound at a particular resonant frequency. I explained the crystace just once, at the start of the series, because what really matters in these tales is whether Lady Firebird will survive to have another adventure.

Yet there’s music in my space operas. Firebird plays a small harp, which becomes a plot point in Firebreak. All of my chapter titles have musical subheadings such as allegro con fuoco, like instructions for a performer.

There is also chaste, moral romance and deep love between a pair-bonded husband and wife. My sister accused me of trying to “create the perfect man” in my series hero, Brennen. I won’t call him perfect—no one is—but I think he’d be a catch on any planet. Then there’s Prince Tel, left a widower . . .

If you’ve never enjoyed science fiction, you might try a space opera, maybe even mine. If you already enjoy science fiction, this series could fall within your comfort zone, too.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 25

Because Fiction, March 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 27 (Spotlight)

Artistic Nobody, March 28 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 29

Blossoms and Blessings, March 30 (Spotlight)

Guild Master, March 31 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, March 31

Stories By Gina, April 1 (Spotlight)

Fiction Book Lover, April 2 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 2

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 3

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 4 (Spotlight)

Vicky Sluiter, April 5 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, April 6 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Books, Books, & More Books, April 7 (Spotlight)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/28yLK/firebreak-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: A Hundred Magical Reasons

Author: Laura DeNooyer

Genre: Biographical historical fiction, literary fiction, book club fiction

Release Date: January 7, 2025

Most fairy tales have happy endings, but is it too late for this one? After all, Mrs. Charlotte Rose Gordon, the disgruntled town recluse, is eighty-eight and has grown weary of fighting the dragons of her past—including the desire to clear her husband’s name of a 1918 crime.

Dragons of a different kind pursue Carrie Kruisselbrink.

During 1980, the summer of her private rebellion, Carrie defies parental expectations and pursues her café dream. While waiting for funding, she takes a job with Mrs. Gordon.

As Mrs. Gordon unfolds the story of her oppressive childhood and delightful friendship with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum, Carrie never expects to encounter her own fears and soul-searching.

In this modern-day fairy tale that weaves between 1980 and the early 1900s, Mr. Baum’s influence impacts each woman’s personal quests on a hero’s journey neither anticipates. Can Carrie and Mrs. Gordon find common ground in battling their respective dragons?

Excerpt from the Book:

Once upon a time, there lived a girl who didn’t know she was a princess, or that three dragons pursued her …

Chapter 1

May 28, 1980

Two weeks after college graduation with no diploma to show for it, Carrie Kruisselbrink stormed from her house like a prairie gale. Mom handed her an overnight bag, but Carrie left with an overstuffed suitcase. She wasn’t going back.

The storm started brewing in childhood, but this morning the temperature spiked as she emptied the dishwasher, her mother barking orders. As if Carrie hadn’t been responsible while away four years at college.

Mom chose that moment to pounce. She thrust a paper under Carrie’s chin. Skimming the list of elementary teacher positions, Carrie resisted the urge to rip it up and cast it to the wind. She had her own career goals.

She trudged upstairs to her bedroom and found respite among her overflowing bookshelves. But not for long. The room shrank, the headboard rattled as Mother barged in. Gusting at ninety miles per hour, she tidied Carrie’s desk. “Most teachers have contracts already.” In the updraft, Mother rearranged pens. “When will you mail more résumés?”

Missed an Excerpt? Go Here:

Excerpt One: https://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/a-hundred-magical-reasons-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Two: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/a-hundred-magical-reasons-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Three: https://www.fictionbooklover.com/posts/a-hundred-magical-reasons-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Four: https://www.guildmaster97.com/posts/a-hundred-magical-reasons-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Five: https://www.becausefiction.com/posts/a-hundred-magical-reasons-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Six: https://www.thebookishledger.com/posts/a-hundred-magical-reasons-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Seven: https://thequietbookmark.com/posts/a-hundred-magical-reasons-book-spotlight/

About the Author

Laura DeNooyer thrives on creativity and encouraging it in others. A Calvin College graduate, she is a teacher, wife, parent of four adult children, and an award-winning author of heart-warming historical and contemporary fiction. Her novels are perfect for fans of Patti Callahan Henry, Erin Bartels, or Amanda Cox. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking, drinking tea with friends, or taking a road trip.

About the Book

Book: Bernadette: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Twist

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy

Release Date: August 4, 2025

She’s supposed to be a small-town girl…

…He’s billed as America’s biggest heartthrob.

What could possibly go wrong? How about everything?

Tiny Bernie Sawrey is perfectly happy fixing carburetors until her stepmother ambushes her with a blind date. The catch? It’s with movie star Garrett Lomas, Bernie’s secret celebrity crush and the reason she’s haunted the drive-in alone her entire adult life.

There’s just one teensy problem: Bernie’s about as Hollywood-ready as a rusty muffler.

But when her dad’s garage faces financial ruin, suddenly playing Kokomo’s answer to the girl-next-door doesn’t seem so impossible, if it will help. How hard can it be to fake being normal for a few weeks?

Meanwhile, Gabe Lomas thought being his identical twin’s stunt double only involved driving race cars—not impersonating him at charity events in small-town Indiana. But when the movie studio execs set up the deal and Garrett’s fiancée says no way, Gabe trades his helmet for a fake smile and a very real problem.

The problem? Bernie Sawrey, all five-foot-nothing of her, with enough quirk and innocence to charm the grumpiest producer. That’s the problem.

Gabe is falling for her hard, only she thinks he’s his famous brother.

And she just might be falling for him too.

Now he’s caught between protecting his brother’s career and protecting his own heart. Because telling Bernie the truth might send her racing away—but not telling her guarantees he’ll lose her when she finds out.

Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana, where the cardinal in the sycamore knows that love—like a good engine—runs best when all the parts are genuine. A sweet, hilarious tale of mistaken identity, small-town charm, and finding love when you’re not even being yourself.

You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of secret twists, because sometimes the best love stories start with a little white lie and maybe a bit of motor oil.

Click here to get your copy!

Guest Review from Donna

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author and three-time Selah Award nominee, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty-plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy, as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

More from Jennifer

As I put this series together in my head, certain books were right there, laid out, easy to have a handle on them. But with Bernadette, I knew two things: she was a tiny spitfire, and the first line of the book had to be someone calling out her name. Why? Because that’s the way the Four Tops started the song that was my inspiration. Sort of. Actually, that is the only thing I used from the song.

I also wanted to introduce my readers to other places I remembered in Kokomo during the 1970s. I’d only been to the Kokomo Speedway once, and all I could remember was that it was loud. It was my one and only date with a longtime friend who had been an on-again, off-again boyfriend of my best friend. After we moved to Arizona, I had a chance to go back home for a few weeks before my senior year. Cheryl and Jim were no longer an item, but I’d been friends with both. Jim asked if I wanted to go to the races and I agreed. Can’t remember if we took his motorcycle or not, but I did ride with him once or twice on that trip. The funny thing is, we knew we were better as friends, and especially with the long distance between us, that was all either of us wanted. We remained friends for many years before we lost contact—I got to meet his wife and daughters, and he met my husband.

About the time I was starting this book, as the plot ideas were coming together, one of my sweet sisters from our Bible study group succumbed to cancer. Debbie was a sweet light, and I wanted to honor her. I asked her family if I could use her name in the story and they agreed.

Finally, I think every girl remembers the first boy to ask her to go steady. The thing is, I’m not sure who it was. From kindergarten through fourth grade, I went to school with the Richardson twins. Both were sweet and funny. Mike was the more outgoing, Mark was quieter.

I remember one time going to their house and making Christmas ornaments from straws after we learned how in school.

One day I got a phone call. I’d learned to tell them apart in person, but on the phone, not so much. I got asked to go steady. My dad had already informed me that ten-years-old was too young, so I blamed it on Dad and declined.

A few minutes later, I got a second phone call. Again I was asked to go steady and had to say no. The thing is, I never knew who asked first!

After that year we moved across town though I kept in touch with my friends. It was only about two-three years later that I learned Mike had died from an accident. It wasn’t my first intro to death, but it was concerning someone my own age.

It’s been almost sixty years since I last saw Mike Richardson, but I still remember him with fondness. Another reason I had twins in this story. If only I knew which twin had asked me to go steady first.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 27 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 28

Texas Book-aholic, March 29

Blossoms and Blessings, March 30 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Blogging With Carol, April 1

Stories By Gina, April 2 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, April 3 (Guest Review from Donna)

She Lives to Read, April 4

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 5 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 5

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, April 6

Pause for Tales, April 7

Books, Books, & More Books, April 8 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/iwo6B/bernadette-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Ministry

Book: My Prayer Ministry (in daily blog form)

Author: Anita Higman

Genre: Daily Scriptures, Prayers, and Questions for Pondering

My latest endeavor is not a book, but a prayer ministry in blog form, which is entitled, JourneyWomanPrayers. Please feel free to drop by my website at anitahigman.com and check out my free miniblog of daily prayers, scriptures, and questions for pondering. If you would like to receive future prayers straight to your inbox, you may subscribe to them on my website.

About the Author

Anita Higman—an award-winning and bestselling author from Texas—has authored or coauthored fifty-plus books, and she has a BA in the combined fields of speech communication, psychology, and art. A few of Anita’s favorite things are fairytale castles, antiquing, exotic teas, gardening, being with her family and friends, and, of course, her daily visits with Jesus.

Anita’s latest endeavor is a prayer ministry entitled, JourneyWomanPrayers. Please feel free to drop by her website at anitahigman.com and check out her free miniblog of daily prayers, scriptures, and questions for pondering. If you would like to receive future prayers straight to your inbox, you may subscribe to them on her website.

Featured Prayer

The Goo Went Airborne

Be completely humble and gentle;

be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

Dear God, I screamed at my child today. As You know, the whole debacle started when she accidentally dropped a saucer of prune puree. The brown goo splattered all over the highchair, the floor, the curtains, me, and even the ceiling! My little one giggled, and knowing the long cleanup, I screamed. And then we cried together. Good grief.

The house is clean again, but I am so sorry, Lord. Show me how to be humbler, gentler, and more patient with my family.

Questions for Pondering…

What are some other good Bible verses about patience?

When did I keep my cool in a similar family situation, and did the rest of the day feel more blessed rather than stressed, even with the extra cleanup?

The Goo Went Airborne – Anita Higman

My Thoughts

I think this is an important prayer for those moments where things beyond our control go awry and cause frustration. These are moments where we can leave a lasting impact on those around us by keeping calm and cool while trusting God for the rest!

More from Anita

Beginnings….

Some might wonder why I chose to start a prayer blog entitled, JourneyWomanPrayers. Well, I guess you could say I fell off a cliff. Not literally, but sometimes the tumult of these past few years has felt like a wild freefall—a crazy journey—and the world still feels that way!

As I see ongoing global chaos, violence, fear, and loneliness, my prayer life has become more raw and real than ever before. I no longer come to the foot of the cross with a list; I come with a soul ready to listen. Since sometimes it’s hard to know truth from lies in our world, I’m hungrier than ever for God’s truth. As I watch the culture collapse, social media explode, and our nation divide, the need becomes greater in me for those quiet waters and green pastures—and those daily visits with Jesus. He will lead me to what is tranquil, genuine, and hope-filled—what is redemptive, miraculous, and eternal.

And then I thought, “I wonder if these ongoing prayers would resonate with anyone else?” And so, that it is how JourneyWomanPrayers came to be born. Please join me, and together we will pray, and we will dance this sacred dance with God…

Anita Higman

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 20 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 22

Blossoms and Blessings, March 23 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, March 24

Artistic Nobody, March 25

Stories By Gina, March 26 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, March 27

Fiction Book Lover, March 28

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 29 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 29

The Bookish Ledger, March 30

The Quiet Bookmark, March 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Anita is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://gleam.io/Ubd8Z/my-prayer-ministry-in-daily-blog-form-celebration-tour-giveaway