Silencing the Siren ~ Denise L. Barela

 

This is book 7 of the Even After Mysteries series, a Christian Historical Fairytale Mystery read. This book takes place in the 1900's era and on Cony Island, New York.  Andrew has fallen for Annabel, a mermaid from the freakshow.  However, his family is not willing to accept her for him and their family.  Andrew is used to getting what he wants and Annabel is no exception.  When the family makes a plan to get rid of her, soon she disappears and Andrew is determined to find her and find out what happened.  Can Andrew find her alive? Will he be able to make his family see she is more than a freakshow attraction?

I would recommend this book to those that like to read a drama, mystery, fantasy read.  It is part of the series, however, each book in the series is read as a stand alone, as each book is based on a different fairytale story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

 

About the Book

 Book: Silencing the Siren

Author: Denise L. Barela

Genre: Christian Historical Mystery, Fairytale

Release date: January 4, 2022

Andrew Grayson thought he had everything… until he met her.

The indulged son of wealthy parents, Andrew has always gotten whatever he wanted almost before he knew he wanted it—clothes, gadgets… even a car! What more could a young man desire?

Enter Annabel Thompson. Freakshow mermaid extraordinaire… in a wheelchair!

Of course, her beauty attracts him. How could it not? Add to that a kind heart, and Andrew can’t help but fall for her.

Annabel’s connection with the freakshow repels his parents and their society friends. They want him to sever all ties with her and his new friends. Oh, and marry the “right” girl with the “right connections.” But he won’t do it. He’ll defy them and marry his little mermaid.

When Annabel turns up missing, declared dead, things don’t add up, Andrew begins asking some difficult questions, the most important being, “What happened to the little mermaid of the Coney Island freak show?”

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. Silencing the Siren offers a retelling of “The Little Mermaid” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch the story unfold.

 Click here to get your copy!

 About the Author

Denise Barela’s passion for fiction, her faith, and general creativity define her life. In all things, she strives to glorify God, though especially in and through her writing. She has spent the past six years working for a publicity company and five years working as the head editor for a publishing company. With an MFA in Creative Writing and a Professional Writing certificate, Denise enjoys using her education and work experiences to help authors achieve their own writing dreams. When she’s not working away at her desk, you might find her reading a good book or following Alice down the rabbit hole…

 More from Denise

Hello Readers!

I’m so excited to share Silencing the Siren with you! This book was so much fun to write and research. I learned so many fun facts about old cars, old New York, and even doorbells!

Yes, you read that correctly. Doorbells.

These noisy items were such a novelty in the 1920s that they were often given as Christmas gifts!

Crazy, right?

I wanted both Andrew and Annabel to represent that feeling we have all experienced at least once in our lives. That feeling of not belonging. It looks different for each person, but it’s a uniting feeling.

Annabel will never be accepted by those outside her family, but they more than make up for that. Andrew is popular and well-off in society, but as he comes to know the Lord, he starts to feel that rift with his superficial friends and family. It’s with other believers, Annabel’s family, that he finds that deep relationship he desires. They are more than willing to provide.

This is the beauty of the body of Christ. When we are sick or in need, the body of Christ comes together to support you in that time of need and extend Christ’s love to all corners of the globe.

I hope you enjoy reading Silencing the Siren as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

CLICK HERE

When Dignity Came to Harlain ~ Rebecca Duvall Scott

 

This book is a Christian Historical, based on a true story book.  This book takes place in the 1900's in Kentucky.  This is the story of Anna and her journey of leaving Missouri with her family, to settle in Kentucky and her father becoming a coal miner.  When tragedy strikes Anna and her sister are having to be leave her mom and dad and stay with family friends.  Anna goes through many heartbreaks and turmoil's while trying to keep her faith and get back to her family.

If you want a book that takes you back into time and is about faith, family, redemption and God's love, then read this book.  It is a great book if you like historical stories that take you back into time.  Good afternoon read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

 

About the Book

 Book: When Dignity Came to Harlan

Author: Rebecca Duvall Scott

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: January 17, 2021

I made up my mind right then and there that I would just have to wade into this move like wading into a pond or lake I’d never seen before – slow and steady, feeling around for my footing and trying to avoid the sharp edges at the bottom that you never see coming.

***

News of what really happened to me – to us – spread through town like wildfire. It caught from one dry gossip tree to another and burned them to the ground with shame.

***

”Y’can do this, child – show ’em why I call y’Dignity,” my old friend winked at me.                

Skillfully written and sure to draw you in to its pages, When Dignity Came to Harlan is set in the early 1900s and follows twelve-year-old Anna Beth Atwood as she leaves Missouri with her family dreaming of a better life in the coal-rich mountains of Harlan County, Kentucky. Anna Beth’s parents lose everything on the trip, however, and upon asking strangers to take their girls in until they get on their feet, Anna Beth and her baby sister are dropped into the home of Jack and Grace Grainger – who have plenty of problems of their own. Anna Beth suffers several hardships during her time in Harlan, and if it wasn’t for her humble and wise old friend who peddles his wisdom along with his wares, all would be lost.

Based on a true family history, this is a story of heartbreak and hope, challenges and perseverance, good and evil, justice and merciful redemption. It exemplifies the human experience in all its many facets and shows what it means to have real grit.

Take the journey with us and see how, with the unseen hand of God, one girl changed the heart and soul of an entire town.

 Click here to get your copy!

 About the Author

Rebecca Duvall Scott is an award-winning author with titles holding #1 bestseller within her publishing companies long after release. Her first work was self-help memoir, Sensational Kids, Sensational Families: Hope for Sensory Processing Differences, which she wrote in the years following her son’s sensory processing disorder diagnosis and their family’s successful treatment plan. While her special-needs advocacy helping parents, teachers, and professionals better understand individuals with SPD has a large part of her heart, her roots have always been in historical fiction. Her long-awaited Christian historical fiction novel, When Dignity Came to Harlan, was based on her great-grandmother’s childhood, and Teaching Dignity continues the tender and heroic story. She looks forward to writing more in both the Dignity and Sensational Kids series.

In addition to writing, Rebecca enjoys family, church, educating her children at home, painting, and directing a local homeschool cooperative organization where she works hard to accommodate all special needs.

 More from Rebecca

From the time I was a little girl, my grandmother would gather me around her kitchen table – usually with homemade peach pies – and tell me stories of our forebears. I found the experiences of those who came before me to be both tragic and joyful, but most of all I found them worthy of being told and never forgotten. When I was 16, I started taking notes on everything my grandmother could remember about her mother (one of the humblest and most heroic of my ancestors) and as a senior in college, I turned in the first 70 pages of the manuscript based on her childhood, When Dignity Came to Harlan. I’ll never forget how on graduation day, my creative writing teacher shook my hand and said, “Rebecca, please finish the story.” It took years to finish my debut novel… I think because I had to grow up and develop a deep enough emotional well to do it justice… but finish the story I did. Little did I know, however, this bestselling and award-winning book, the one I was always meant to write, would be the starter of a new, yet powerfully old-fashioned, Christian historical fiction series!

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rebecca is giving away the grand prize package of signed copies of When Dignity Came to Harlan and Teaching Dignity, a handmade ornament, and popular early 1900s candy!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

CLICK HERE

Coercion at the Cow Palace ~ Caryl McAdoo

 

This is book 3 of the Cross Timbers Mystery series, a Christian Historical read.  This book is about the murder of the newspaper report that no one seems to have seen happen, while they were all in same place when it happened.  Morgan and Charity are determined to solve the murder, however, as usual you will be guessing who did it until the very end.  Will they be able to solve this?  What will the witnesses do to keep out of the couples book?  

If you liked the first 2 of the series you will love this one, it keeps you turning the pages and wondering who really is involved with the killing?  This is book 3 but can be read as a stand alone, the series are very short read, and you would enjoy starting from the beginning, but you don't have to.  This book takes you back into time, during the western days and is about forgiveness, mystery and a little humor.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

About the Book

 Book: Coercion at the Cow Palace

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Romantic Mystery

Release date: January 12, 2022

There’s more than a hundred witnesses in the room, but no one sees who shot the newspaper reporter. If not for an offhanded bet, Morgan and Charity would never have gotten involved; he’s not one to let a friend down. The truth of who and why DeeDee’s big engagement is wrecked might never be known if they hadn’t, and it still may not be if the Lowells can’t get the right man elected governor of Texas. Crooked civil servants and politicians who think they’re above the law thwart their every effort. It’s a historic mystery wrapped in redemption, love, politics, and coercion at the Cow Palace.

 Click here to get your copy!

 About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over sixty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen at YouTube. Sharing four children and twenty-one grandsugars (three are greats), Caryl and Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of fifty-three years, live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

 More from Caryl

I have so enjoyed writing these mystery stories with Morgan and Charity Lowell—from several books, but primarily LEAVING TEXAS, book four in the “Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga—as the wise and apt investigators! Of course, I have to throw in a little romance. I just can’t help it!

In COERCION at The Cow Palace, we take a little jaunt from Dallas over to Fort Worth and its Hell’s Half Acre. The city was incorporated in 1873, the year COERCION is set, but already acted as a hub for all the cattle drives coming north through Ft. Worth to the Kansas Railways.

I grew up in Dallas and really hadn’t known that much of Fort Worth’s history, so the research proved so exhilarating! Army General William Worth proposed a string of forts to protect Texas’ new settlers but died with cholera before seeing this come to fruition. His successor named the fort for him thirty years before our story.

It had a booming population of over five thousand—plus almost another thousand slaves—before the Civil War. Afterwards, during the reconstruction, its citizenship dwindled to less than two hundred in the 1860s, but the following decade with the arrival of the railroad in 1976 firmly established “Cowtown, ” Fort Worth’s famous nickname.

I loved setting these characters in this famous Texas town. It’s been said that  Fort Worth was where the West began! I say, “Let the fun begin as we figure out along with the Lowells who done it!”

Blessings, y’all!

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

CLICK HERE

Life Flight ~ Lynette Eason

This is book one of the Extreme Measures series, a Christian Suspense Mystery read.  Penny is an EMS helicopter pilot and has a critical patient on board, when she is forced to do an emergency landing, on a mountain.  The survival of her and the patient depends on her, she is determined to make sure both are safe.  She must depend on the help of FBI agent, Holt to assist her.  As they find themselves in a critical storm and having to find ways to survive, they soon find that they are also having to run from a serial killer that is in the same area.  Can the find help and keep running ahead of the danger?  How will they be able to get to safety?  

This is a book that you must leave time to sit and read as it is a page turner and will keep you reading until the end.  The suspense starts right in the very first pages.  I am a fan of suspense and this was a book I found myself unable to put down and had it's twist and turns until the very last pages.  Can't wait for book 2 of this series...........

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

Sunrise ~ Susan May Warren

This is book one of the Sky King Ranch series, a Christian Suspense Mystery read.  Echo a women that has been left to live out her life as a dogsledder and research guide in the Alaskan territory.  She has had her heartache in the past when Dodge her lifetime friend and former flame leaves Alaska to join the Air Force.  When Dodge is called back to Alaska to be the heir of Sky King Ranch, this is not what he wants to do in life, he is going to make the best of it and befriends Echo again.  Echo goes looking for a researcher that has ended up missing, she finds herself in danger.  Dodge is determined to go to her rescue and bring both back to safety.  Can he save them?  Do Echo and Dodge find more then being friends?

If you enjoy a good suspense and light romance read, then this is a great book to read.  It will keep you interested and cheering for Echo and Dodge to become more than friends.  Susan is a great writer that gives the reader to think that the book is going to be one way and then puts a few twist in to keep you reading. Looking forward to book 2 of the series. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

Crooked Paths Straight ~ Elizabeth Wehman

 

This is book 2 of the Newburg Chronicles Series, a Christian Historical Read.  This is a story of survival for the Baker family and those that lived in Michigan Territory lands during the 1800's.  As the families establish their housing and new way of life, they are endure hardships, loses and need to keep their faith.  Will they be able to keep God priority in their lives?  Will they survive the heartaches and overcome the hardtimes?

I would recommend that you read book 1 first as this book picks up where it left off.  You could read this as a stand alone, however, you will be missing alot of the who and why they are making this new settlement.  If you like a historical read, you will enjoy the series. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

About the Book

Book: Crooked Paths Straight

Author: Elizabeth Wehman

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release date: June 2021

This is a continuing story of the Baker family who settles in the Michigan Territory in 1833. Establishing the new settlement requires stamina, endurance, compromises with the natives, and most of all a strong trust in God and His provisions. Each character in Crooked Paths Straight is confident that their individual paths will lead to happiness and security, yet when trials arise…they soon realize that God’s path is best. This is the second book in the Newburg Chronicle series.

 Click here to get your copy!

 About the Author

This is Elizabeth’s sixth novel and her second complete historical which pulls out her love of research. Her books concentrate on Michigan history, especially in her county along the banks of the Shiawassee River. Elizabeth has lived in Michigan her whole life where she has raised three children and will soon welcome the birth of her first granddaughter. She loves capturing not only the early history of the state but the amazing aspects of living in the Great Lakes state.

 More from Elizabeth

After working as a newspaper reporter, I soon realized that the best part of writing articles was the research. When I began writing historical fiction, I realized it pulled in that element to the extreme. I then fell in love with history but especially the elements of searching through a cemetery for a specific character, finding significant paragraphs in a newspaper article about a particular family, and then sitting down to fictionalize the details I found. It was fun to mix history with fiction.

 

The Baker family, in the The Newburg Chronicles series, came to life in an era that doesn’t always get much attention in the historical fiction scene…the 1830s. This was the beginning of many small settlements in Michigan due to the opening of the Erie Canal. Settlers would travel the canal into Detroit by steamboat and then purchase oxen in the city to move inland. Often they’d only have a map with their property outlined and would then have to blaze a trail west and north to find that property to build a home and farm the land…often sight unseen.

 The trips inland were grueling and filled with many unknowns including Indians, rough river crossings, swarms of mosquitoes, and howling wolves. What they’d discover was a vast wilderness with trees to gird, cut, and use to build their homes. They’d then need oxen to help prepare the soil to plant crops. Daily chores were exhausting for not only the men but also the women and children.

How did they survive? How did families work together to establish a farm? Did they get help or were they all alone? If you enjoy learning about the early settlers of a new territory, The Newburg Chronicle series is for you!

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elizabeth is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of Crooked Paths Straight and also a $50 gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

 CLICK HERE

Free at Last ~ Marcel Becker

This is a true story book about the life of Marcel Becker, a memoir and biography life changing read.  Marcel tells of his life dealing with being homeless at the age of 15, addiction, crime, in prison, and how he struggled to get out of the troubles.  When his life seems like it will always be in and out of jail, he is awarded custody of his children.  What will Marcel do with having to be a responsible dad?  Can he stop the addiction and crimes?  What path does he choose?

This book is a wonderful inspiration to all of those that have loved ones making the wrong choices or if you are fighting addiction, crime and always making the wrong choices.  It is a quick read and makes you think about how you act towards others and the choices they make in life.  This is a great read for all ages that want to read a story about finding faith and making changes in your life that will be one of the best choices you can ever make.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

 

About the Book

Book: Free At Last

Author: Marcel Becker, with W.A. Fulkerson

Genre: Memoir/Inspirational

Release date: July 2, 2021

Abused and isolated, Marcel Becker ended up on his own at the age of 15, and his descent into the cycle of addiction, crime, and incarceration followed the typical pattern. He became, in his own words, a “prolific offender” – an outlaw biker, a criminal mastermind, and the sole target of a multi-agency federal task force. When Marcel received custody of his children, however, he knew he had to make a change or the consequences would fall on them. Breaking out of his old life was full of struggle, uncertainty, and setbacks, but it proves that anyone who is willing can find true freedom and escape the dark cloud of the ex-con.

A United States Congressman once called Marcel’s life a story “of redemption and triumph,” and so it is. 

Click here to get your copy! 

About the Author

Marcel Becker is a businessman, a designated community leader, and a motivational speaker. Once a five-time offender, Marcel turned his life around over twenty years ago, and since then has served on innumerable boards, political campaigns, and civil causes, finding great success in all of his endeavors. He is currently the Vice President of Propulsion Controls Engineering, a Job Force Motivational Speaker, has received several certificates of congressional recognition, has had two resolutions introduced in the California Legislature honoring his service to the community, and received a “Hero” award from California State Senator Joel Anderson for his efforts with the Second Chance Program.

Marcel shares stories of his life before and after taking the high road to success in order to encourage others to be the best they can be. He lives in San Diego, California.

 More from W.A.

If Marcel Becker sat down next to you in a coffee shop today, you would assume him to be a respectable, mild-mannered business man, and you would be right. What you would not think is, “I bet that guy has done time – and a LOT of it.”

And yet, he has. Marcel Becker was one of the most notorious criminals to come up from his neighborhood of Oceanside, CA during the eighties and nineties, when his activities landed him behind bars on federal charges five times. His activities also earned him a lot of scars, plenty of fear and admiration among the criminal class, and admission into one of the most dangerous biker gangs in the country. He’s done eighteen months of solitary confinement in a single stretch, been labeled a flight risk and an extremely dangerous martial arts expert, and the government tried to use his rival gang to illegally execute him. His nickname on the streets and throughout police precincts and prisons?

Flash. Because if you mess with him, he’ll knock you out immediately.

When Marcel talks about his past (and shows the newspaper articles to prove it), the experience is quite a rollercoaster ride.

To make a long and fascinating story short, at the height of his life of crime, Marcel became responsible for his two children, and he had to make a change fast. He started at the bottom as a grunt laborer on the docks, and eventually he rose through the ranks to become a majority owner of a ship repair company and a serial entrepreneur. Today, he is a titan of industry, a civil servant, a friend to mayors and senators, and a living testimony that anyone can turn their life around.

When I’ve expressed regret for a boneheaded decision I’ve made and some wasted time, Marcel reminds me that he spent his youth in and out of prison. If he focused on how terrible his mistakes were, he would never have done anything else. The message is, ‘If I can get past my mistakes, so can you. Move forward, hombre.’  I could give example after example like this – knowing Marcel is a real blessing, and he offers more than just interesting stories. He offers hope and encouragement, a reminder of God’s grace and the masterful plan of redemption awaiting us all if we will only turn to it.

You wouldn’t think that this man sitting next to you at a coffee shop was once tormented by an abusive upbringing, a brilliant master of crime, and public enemy number one.

But that’s sort of the point, isn’t it?

 W.A. Fulkerson, Co-Author of Marcel Becker’s memoir Free at Last: Trading a Life of Crime for Family, Faith, and Success in Business

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, W.A. and Marcel are giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an autographed copy of Free at Last!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

CLICK HERE