Stories Under Starlight: Book Reviews & Tours

Friday, August 25, 2023

Fiction Review: COUNTDOWN by Lynette Eason

Synopsis: Flight paramedic Raina Price's past has marched back into her present--and it wants to kill her. With a stalker who knows her well determined to end what he started, US Marshal Vince Correlli vows to protect her at all costs--even if ends his career.

Review: Countdown by Lynette Eason follows flight paramedic Raina Price as she tries to move forward from her dangerous past. When the stalker she’s been so careful to hide from finally catches up with her, she realizes that her loved ones are in danger once again. U.S. Marshall Vince Corelli wants to help, and the closer he gets to Raina, the more he realizes that not only is his life in danger, but also his heart.

As the fourth installment in the Extreme Measures series, Countdown does not disappoint. I love this romantic suspense thriller from Lynette Eason and how she incorporates faith-based principles and beliefs. Both Raina and Vince each have things in their past they wish they could change. Raina struggles with trust, and Vince is trying to overcome past regrets. Their romance is realistic and slowly develops throughout the book. I enjoyed the pace of the story along with the suspense and danger. The different POVs from not only the main characters, but from the villains too really brings you into their world! Overall, a great read from start to finish! Can’t wait for the next Lynette Eason book!

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Lone Star Blog Tour: FACING THE ENEMY by DiAnn Mills Guest Post & Giveaway

FACING THE ENEMY

DiAnn Mills

Christian Fiction / Suspense / Romance

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Date of Publication: September 5, 2023

Number of Pages: 352 pages 

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When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt, unable to cope with the responsibility she feels over his death. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career as an English teacher at a local college, only to see her past and present collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that reads like an eyewitness account of her brother's murder, with details never revealed publicly.

Alarmed by Carson's inside knowledge of Trenton's death, Risa reaches out to her former partner at the FBI. Special Agent Gage Patterson has been working a string of baby kidnappings, but he agrees to help look into Carson's background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected as a string of high-value thefts have occurred at properties where security systems were installed by Carson's stepfather and children have gone missing. There's a far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are in danger.

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“Why Should I Journal”

Guest Post by DiAnn Mills

If you currently journal, then you understand the positive features of recording our emotions, thoughts, learning experiences, and adventures. My journaling has seen me through ups, downs, and everything in between. Looking back at what I wrote years ago often gives me a new perspective on personal growth.

For those who question if journaling could be an asset, the following may inspire you to begin.

Journaling benefits:

1. Builds healthier bodies. Stress is a proven factor in diagnosing many physical and mental ailments.

2. Develop good habits and discourage bad ones.

3. Encourages spiritual growth by recording how God is active in our lives.

4. Eliminates stress. Our lives are filled with tension that leads to stress and sometimes conflict. Journaling provides a way to vent those challenges.

5. Encourages us to express our emotions, positive and negative, in a healthy manner. Seeing what we feel in words garners a better understanding of ourselves and how we view the world.

6. Engages our mind and helps to improve memory and concentration.

7. Enhances a higher level of self-confidence with increased awareness of our surroundings.

8. Establishes better sleep patterns since we are not focusing on events that prevent rest.

9. Helps us develop better communication skills. Our vocabulary grows when we are conscious of the words used to describe our experiences.

10. Offers a creative form of expression that is private and intimate.

11. Provides a means to understand the world in a nonthreatening environment.

12. Shows areas in our life where we can rejoice.

Various kinds of journals are available to suit individual needs. A simple notebook may work for you, while others may prefer elaborate bullet journaling with multi-colored pens and highlighters. This is your journal, and adapting the type to our personalities makes the experience valuable and enjoyable.

Can you offer additional benefits to journaling?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion for helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

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Lone Star Blog Tour: WHISKEY ON OUR SHOES by Tonya Preece GIVEAWAY & REVIEW

WHISKEY ON OUR SHOES

Tonya Preece

Contemporary Romance / New Adult

Publisher: Champagne Book Group

Page Count: 238 pages

Publication Date: February 12, 2023

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Eva dodges the fans, media, and gossip that follow her supermodel mom and rock star family members by wearing disguises. After an aimless gap year, she struggles to figure out what she wants from life. She moves in with her famous guitar god brother in Austin while he recovers from a drunken stage stunt accident and tries to stay sober. When a hot Texas cowboy named Alex takes Eva by surprise, she risks her safety and security of anonymity by letting him into her unconventional life.

Alex is captivated by Eva and promises to protect her privacy. Yet he has a secret of his own—the fling he had with an older woman is fraught with scandalous potential for him and now Eva. He broke free of that mistake months ago, or so he thought. As things heat up with Eva, his old flame returns and won’t leave him alone.

Just when Alex thinks he has the reins on the situation, his ex teams up with a gossip reporter hell-bent on invading Eva’s privacy. The resulting exposé, with a sly spin on a recent encounter with his ex, is Alex’s worst nightmare, and Eva’s unsure what to believe. Can she face the world with Alex at her side or will she return into hiding?

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Whiskey On Our Shoes by Tonya Preece is a coming-of-age story about a girl named Eva, the secret daughter of a famous supermodel, and Alex, a down-to-earth college student from Texas. Both are not looking for love when they coincidentally meet through Eva's brother Lor, a guitar legend, who is recovering from an injury at his place in Austin, Texas.

Trying to stay out of the spotlight, but not wanting to stop living life, Eva takes a leap of faith and starts dating Alex. But, Alex has a secret and it's one that he is not very proud of. Dating an older woman when you're barely an adult is not something he wants to share about his past- nor the fact that this woman still wants to get back together with him even though he has blocked her every attempt. But, Eva seems different and maybe she is someone he can finally trust with his heart. Eva is new to relationships, having to hide who you are and traveling in disguises is not a way to live. But, Alex is different from the rockstars and famous people she's met over the years. Eva is afraid to trust anyone outside her circle of friends and family. She's hoping Alex can keep her secret and her heart safe.

Eva and Alex's story was very touching and the romance was written realistically. Young love starts out very unsure and tentative, but quickly develops as each person starts to trust. Eva's hesitancy to be with Alex intimately showed how hard it was for her to trust someone because of how she has seen the relationships in the music industry come and go. She didn't want to be with someone who would leave her in a few months. Preece did a good job bringing Eva out of her shell slowly. She was very different from her mother and didn't want anything to do with fame. The author also showed the vulnerability of Alex and how much he wanted to genuinely love someone. He was sweet with Eva and never wanted her to do anything she didn't want to do. He also didn't want to pressure Eva in any way. Alex's heart was finally learning to love again and he didn't want to ruin things between them.

The family drama was there for both Eva and Alex. I like how Preece gave more depth to the characters through the family problems that they each had to deal with. Eva, not knowing who her real father is, while also dealing with a mother who is very controlling, self-centered, and who doesn't express much emotion. Alex, on the other hand, has a to deal with a black sheep brother who can't keep himself out of trouble. On top of this, he has to manage college and an ex-girlfriend who is beyond determined to get back together with him.

I liked how Preece showed the reader how easily misunderstandings can get out of hand rather quickly. It's was hard for Eva to trust Alex because of this. In addition, the manipulation of the media and the lengths they will go to get a story is a really sad reality for children of the rich and famous.

Overall, Whiskey On Our Shoes is an emotional love story with themes of young love, trust, and forgiveness. This book is New Adult and there are explicit scenes later in the story, so it would be more age appropriate for ages 18 and up.

4 Stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tonya Preece writes romance and contemporary young adult fiction and incorporates music into all her books in one way or another. She lives near Austin, TX where she’s a small business manager for a forensic engineering firm. She and her husband enjoy traveling, live music, wine, and spoiling their fur babies.

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Monday, May 1, 2023

Lone Star Blog Tour: BLIND TRUST by Natalie Walters REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

BLIND TRUST

The SNAP Agency Trilogy, Book 3

Natalie Walters

Christian Fiction / Suspense

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: April 11, 2023

Number of Pages: 320 pages 

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Lyla Fox knows she has a reputation at the SNAP Agency for impulsivity, but when she receives a threatening letter from a man she helped put in prison, she can't stop herself from going all in to find out why he's coming after her. Unfortunately, she's going to need the help of the one person who questions her reckless choices more than anyone else.

Explosives and weapons specialist Nicolás Garcia agrees to help Lyla in order to keep her safe, but her recklessness continues to be a major concern, especially when her investigation into a conspiracy puts a target on her back. Dealing with bombs is dangerous. Working with Lyla is proving to be just as treacherous -- to both the mission and his heart.

Natalie Walters closes out her SNAP Agency series with a bang with this nail - biting story of a deadly government conspiracy, an unlikely couple, and an ending that will leave you breathless.

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Blind Trust by Natalie Walters is the 3rd book in her SNAP Agency series and it does not disappoint! In this last installment, we follow agents Lyla Fox and Nicolas Garcia's suspense-filled love story through danger and dark secrets. Lyla and Nicolas have worked together at the SNAP agency for years, but Lyla has a tendency to make impulsive decisions that seem to keep putting her in harms way. After an incident involving a crooked doctor that nearly got her shot, Nicolas doesn't trust himself to work with Lyla at the agency anymore. His feelings for her are starting to become a liability in regards to his decision making and believes time away would be best for both of them. But, ghosts from Lyla's past are determined to comeback and haunt her in more ways than one. This causes Lyla to have a target on her back and she'll need Nicolas now more than ever.

I love romantic suspense thrillers just like Blind Trust! I knew from the first chapter that this book was going to be hard to put down! From start to finish, Blind Trust will keep you wondering what will happen next! I really enjoyed the slow-burn romance between Lyla and Nicolas. It was very realistic and kept you rooting for them throughout the story. It never felt forced and you could see their relationship develop and grow from co-workers/friends, to something much more. Walters also does a great job with the different POVs in this book. You get to see Lyla and Nicolas's internal conflicts and feelings, but you also get to see what's going on with other side characters that are pivotal to the overall plot of the story. It really helped in getting a better picture of what was happening, rather than the story being told only through Lyla and Nicolas' eyes. Characters from the previous two books also come out and are there to help. Blind Trust is a Christian romantic suspence novel, and there are themes of trusting in God to get you through the difficult times in life, love, and work.

Overall, I really loved reading Blind Trust. One of the aspects I loved most is that you never really could predict what would happen next. You don't have to read the first two books before this one; however, you will see characters from the previous books in this story. So if you want to know thier stories first, I recommend starting with book one. I just love Walters writing style, it's so easy to get absorbed in the pages of her stories. Blind Trust was a definite page-turner and I can't wait to read the next Natalie Walters series!

5 Stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Natalie Walter s is the author of Lights Out and Fatal Code, as well as the Harbored Secrets series. A military wife, she currently resides in Texas with her soldier husband and is the proud mom of three. S he loves traveling, spending time with her family, and connecting with readers on social media. Photo credit Emilie Hendryx Haney.

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