Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Fighting the Promise by F. Allan Roth


F. Allan Roth likes to fly fish on the South Fork of the Snake River. He ties his own flies and builds his own bamboo fly rods and wooden boats. He also is an amateur mycologist, and enjoys hunting (and eating) wild mushrooms and berries.
As a graduate student, he taught English classes at Brigham Young University. After graduation, he moved to Ricks College (now called BYU-Idaho), where he taught for two years. After that, he moved to a nuclear research laboratory where he worked as a technical writer and editor for nearly thirty years. He and his wife, Jerelyn, live in Idaho. At last count, they have seven children, twenty-five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Allan Roth is an American author who writes LDS fiction and fantasy novels. Other works include A Missionary’s Musings on the Book of Mormon, available exclusively from Amazon.
Book Blurb
When the Chinese conquered America, the government gave up without a fight—but the people didn’t. Church leaders had cautioned church members that the collapse of their nation was the fulfillment of an ancient prophetic promise from the Book of Mormon. Fighting against the occupation, the brethren warned, would be the same as fighting against God’s righteous judgment on a nation ripened in iniquity. But when war came to their home, Bishop Stuart Holliwell and his family found themselves Fighting the Promise. This story was a 2018 Whitney Award nominee.
The Inspiration Behind the Story
The story that grew into Fighting the Promise started more than twenty years ago in a Sunday-school class. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (better known as the “Mormons”), and I was teaching about a prophecy from the Book of Mormon that says if the people of America ever became “ripened in iniquity,” the Lord would sweep them off the face of the land and give this land to a different people.
One member of the class laughed at that and said that such an event might have been possible in ancient times, but in these modern days the USA was far too strong for God to destroy. I thought about his comment for a while and decided to write a story that showed just how fragile our nation could be if we faced God’s judgement. That story, which forms the introduction to Fighting the Promise, was originally intended to be a stand-alone short story called “And the Home of the Brave.”
I never published that original story, but as the years passed, I realized that there was more to the story than I had written. I thought about how life-changing the fulfillment of prophecy would be to the people and families who might someday have to live through it. Since I live in Idaho, I imagined an Idaho family living through the upheaval of seeing their beloved government overthrown and their people destroyed. That family became the Holliwell family, and their story became Fighting the Promise.
It is a family-friendly story. There is no sex. There’s no swearing in it other than two cases of the word hell (once in its religious sense, and once in a jocular oath by an old farmer). Since there is a war involved, there is some violence, but violence is never the focus of the story and is never glorified. In most cases, the violence occurs “off-screen” so the reader does not need to see the blood and gore. Violence is consistently portrayed as unnecessary, evil, and something that should be avoided.
Reviews
"I couldn’t put the book down. At times, the action took my breath away, I fevered for the characters to make the right choices, anguished over the heartbreaks, was infuriated at betrayals. I lived the story. I could picture the scenes in my mind. Families divided, obedience in trials, love and forgiveness—it’s all there. Definitely a must-read!"

"What if you believed your church leader was called of God and received direction from Him. What if the United States was taken over by a foreign power. Would you choose to act the patriot and fight back to drive the intruders out and restore the constitutional form of government? Or, would you follow the church leader who warned in order to live and prosper, for the time the people must submit and obey the new government? This story followed a family where half followed the church leader and half joined the resistance. To me, both groups felt like they did the right thing. It was interesting how the story played out, and how it worked out for the family. Great story that held my interest"
Links
Amazon Purchase Link
Author Website/Blog
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Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Romantic Cozy Mystery by Gail Pallotta


Gail Pallotta is giving away a Kindle copy of Hair Calamities and Hot Cash. A winner will be picked at random and Gail will get in touch with you. All you have to do is comment and leave your email.

To enter more contests, visit Best of 2019

The story behind Hair Calamities and Hot Cash, a 2019 Category Finalist in Humor / Comedy and a 2020 Book Awards Nominee by TopShelf Magazine, begins many years ago. It started in a small town at the foothills of the North Carolina Mountains, where my mother ran a beauty shop. Her salon doubled as a meeting place where customers who knew each other discussed how to make the latest recipe, what to do about world affairs and everything in between, including family relations, births, deaths and weddings. Clients planned showers, graduation parties and get-togethers for new neighbors while hair flew.

Mostly townspeople showed up, and the spirit of the community overflowed. The residents had disagreements, but they didn’t hate those who thought differently from them. They had close friends, acquaintances, people they tolerated and those they kept at a distance. As in most small environments, they gossiped and could be nosey. However, when someone grieved for a loved one, suffered from an illness or any other crisis, prayers went up and casseroles went out no matter whether the person was a best friend or someone held at a distance. They all were God’s children. The walls of Mother’s beauty shop echoed the spirit of the community, and I wanted to bring it back.

Book Blurb: “A comedic romp from small town to big city in search of missing money, hair catastrophes, and love. A truly fun read” --Cynthia Hickey, author of the Shady Acres Mystery series.

What happens when a New York stockbroker crashes his car into Eve Castleberry’s North Carolina beauty shop...on the same day the young widow’s defective hair products are causing wild hairdos? Soon Eve finds herself helping the handsome stranger hunt the thieves who stole his client’s cash...and hot on the trail of two of the F.B.I.’s most-wanted criminals! Romance blossoms amid danger, suspense and Eve’s hair-brained plan to get back the money.

Reviews:  

A Five-Star Amazon Review:
“Things aren’t going right for the widow, Eve. Her hair products are faulty, and her clients are getting some quirky hair-doo results. What else can go wrong? Well, how about a broker, named Phillip, from the Big Apple, smashing his vehicle right into her salon? After the initial shock, Eve regains her composer and offers him coffee. Phillip obligingly aids her in swabbing up an overspill of soapsuds. Who would think love would be the verdict of this ‘hairy’ chain of events? The two pull together to find a missing large sum of money, as well as why Eve got botched hair products to begin with. Comical chaos flows effortlessly in this starry-eyed, humorous tale of misfortune surprisingly turning to serendipity. ‘Hair Calamities and Hot Cash’ is a fresh, cozy, romantic mystery by Gail Pallotta...every bit brilliant and complete with charm, excitement and wit.” --RJS

A Five-Bone Review from Spatzle Speaks:
“My mom adores alliteration so the title of this book tickles her fancy no end. Hair Calamities and Hot Cash is...full of adventure, comedy and suspense. Poor Eve Castleberry runs a North Carolina beauty shop. For some reason, this widow is finding her hair products are not doing what they are supposed to do with strange results. To top it off a New York stockbroker crashes his car into her salon and he’s on the hunt for criminals wanted by the FBI whole stole his client’s cash. Merry mayhem ensues and this is one delightful romantic comedy as the two work together to get the money and solve the riddle of what’s going wrong at her store. Writing witty comedy is an art and Gail Pallotta has it mastered in this novel. No cats or dogs but any book that makes my mom giggle is worthy of five bones!” --Spatzle

Buy Links:
Kobo 

Bio: Award-winning author Gail Pallotta is a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. Gail is a 2013 Grace Awards finalist, a 2017 Reader’s Favorite Book Award winner and a 2019 TopShelf Magazine Award finalist winner in the Humor /Comedy category. She has published six books, poems, short stories and two hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. To learn more about Gail and her books, visit her website at http//gailpallotta.com. 

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Cherished Romances by Colleen Reece


Best-selling Author Colleen L. Reece, 160+ published books with over six million copies sold, uses what she knows to lend authenticity to her novels. Her latest project is using her improved skills to revise out-of-print titles published more than thirty years ago.

Cherished Romances: Historical Series
Mystery, adventure, love, and inspiration

First two of six titles now available

In 1989, my novel, The Calling of Elizabeth Courtland, launched the Romance Reader flip book line. I later launched Barbour’s Heartsong Presents Book Club. Many award-winning titles followed. All are filled with excitement, suspense, laughter, and strong characters who face a multitude of challenges in order to find God, love, and happiness. They contain excitement, suspense, laughter, and tears. Characters learn that it is impossible to overcome adversity without God’s help.

Book #1, A Girl called Cricket. East is East and the West is Far Away. Haunted by tragedy and scandal, Charity Endicott and her millionaire grandfather leave Long Island in the 1920s. and search for peace on a Wyoming cattle/guest ranch. (Story based on author’s parents’ love and courtship.)

Book #2, Angel of the North. Can a life of service atone for a terrible wrong?
A remorseful young woman in the late 1890s seeks to overcome words spoken in a fit of anger. Words that drove away the man Evangeline Lawrence learned too late have captured her proud, rebellious heart. (Story based on true experiences of Colleen’s mother’s friend, who nursed in the Canadian wilderness decades ago).

#3, The Hills of Hope. World War I rages overseas and at home.  For Timothy Wainwright in the trenches. For Hope Farrell, facing banishment by a father obsessed with marrying her to a man she despises. A cry for help puts Timothy to the supreme test—and Spanish Influenza strikes fear into the hearts of those abroad and back home. Only God can heal bodies, minds, and souls. (True incidents from family members who lived during those heart-breaking days.)

#4, Legacy of Silver. War tears families apart. Silver Birches Plantation, Virginia, Civil War era. Silver Trevelyan firmly believes that God will drive the Northern aggressors from the South in short order. Zachary Stuart is a physician dedicated to saving lives. He refuses to join the Confederacy. Silver scorns him but when in danger, undertakes a tortuous journey seeking his protection. (Story includes incidents handed down by family members who served. Author’s father was from North Carolina.)

#5, Storm Clouds Over Chantel. Runaway bride seeks sanctuary in frontier Montana. Chantel Evans discovers her fiancĂ© is a scoundrel plotting with her stepmother to put her in a mental institution in order to claim Chantel’s inheritance. She flees from Boston, needing refuge. “Firebrand” Morgan wonders what will become of the Evans ranch if left to Chantel. It takes tragedy to turn hearts to God. (Research and visits to the “Big Sky” were invaluable.)

#6, To Love and Cherish. An embittered 1800s doctor hopes for peace in an isolated hamlet. “Dr. Luke” vows to never again practice medicine after betrayal by his fiancĂ©e and best friend. Yet how can he turn his back on Cherish Hathaway, victim of prejudice and superstition, after the moonshiner’s daughter saves Dr. Luke’s life? (Dad was from North Carolina, in the vicinity of the fictional town Stump Hollow and my long-held interest in medicine served me



Colleen is featuring me on her blog, as well. You can check it out at: https://colleenreece.blogspot.com/2020/01/prolific-author-brings-olden-days-alive.html

Monday, January 6, 2020

A Real Fire-Breathing Dragon in Colorado?

When the questionable cellphone photo of a flying black reptile is splashed over the internet, online news reporter Crystal Logan ventures to the small town of Winchester to find out just how real this alleged sighting is. If her suspicions are right, this could lead to solving a heartbreaking nightmare that has plagued Cryss for over a decade.

* * *

In the Black Sky Mountains of Colorado, Sheriff Derek Reaves has worked hard to maintain peace in his quiet, rural town.  Now thanks to a paranoid tourist who swears he spotted a fairytale monster, hundreds of crazy supernatural and alien seekers are flooding Winchester for their own encounter of the bizarrest kind.

Unfortunately one beautiful news lady is a lot savvier, nosier and tenacious than all the others.  If Derek doesn’t find a way to get rid of this enticing woman, Cryss Logan may very well uncover the dangerous secret Winchester has hidden all these years.

Which includes its own mysterious sheriff.

Addison Carmichael writes Paranormal Romance. His books are consistently on Amazon’s Top 100 best sellers list for Clean/Wholesome subgenre.  Addison said that it’s all about the romance, suspense and the story! He will not “cross the line,” but writes family friendly stories. Way to go, Addison!



This book is on discounted pre-order until its official release date on Feb 1st.  This is the first book in a 4-book series.