Friday, September 11, 2026

Spotlight and Giveaway: Letters to the Editor by Paul Michael Garrison



About the Book



Book: Letters to the Editor

Author: Paul Michael Garrison

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Release Date: November, 2019

Writing is hard. Editing is murder.

Editor Nathanael Carver has made a career out of exposing corruption and publishing people’s dirty secrets. From his hate mail, it seems one of his high-profile enemies wants revenge. But the person with murder in mind may be someone closer to home.

Carver enlists the help of Kate Baxter, a police detective with problems of her own: disapproving parents, sexist coworkers, and a smoking habit she can’t seem to kick. The support of her tribe and ample time at the gun range help to keep her sane. As her personal life and the case bleed together, Kate gains insight into Carver’s world, keeping her eye on those closest to him. Kate is on the cusp of progress when Carver, against her advice, drops the case—only to be viciously attacked. Now it’s Kate’s turn to drag everyone’s dirty secrets into the light, but not before at least one body hits the floor.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Originally from the Midwest, Paul Michael Garrison has spent roughly half his life in Upstate South Carolina. His published novels include Letters to the Editor and its sequel, The Lies People Publish. He holds degrees in publishing, theater, and creative writing (MFA). He has written for the stage, and his short fiction has appeared in The Windhover, Quantum Fairy Tales, and Heart of Flesh. Paul Michael frequently performs with the Greenville Shakespeare Company. Whether on stage or in writing, he enjoys the art of becoming someone else.

 

 

 

 

More from Paul

The Creation of Kate Baxter: Meeting the Detective of Letters to the Editor

How do you come up with your characters?

It’s one of the most frequent questions I (and probably a lot of authors) get at book events. Some authors talk about their characters as creations, while others insist their characters come to them fully formed, gradually revealing themselves to the writer. As with most writing philosophies, I personally tend to fall in the middle.

But I can tell you that Detective Kate Baxter in her trademark trench coat did not spring from my imagination fully formed like Athena from the mind of Zeus. Several thoughtful factors came into play during her creation.

The Mystery Came First

For many novelists, the character comes first, but Letters to the Editor began with the mystery. I imagine that’s common for mystery writers. It was an idea I’d had for some time, just simmering in the back of my brain.

It wasn’t until I signed up for a novel-writing class that I decided to actually flesh the mystery out and put it down on paper. So, if I was going to write a classic mystery, I was going to need a detective.

The Professional Detective

Cozy mysteries can be great fun, but in a series (and they usually end up as series) I find the trope of the amateur detective who constantly stumbles into one mystery after another a bit strained. Requiring a high suspension of disbelief, it works best in comic, here-we-go-again scenarios.

I wanted to create a world that felt more grounded and to leave the window open for my detective to come back (which she did in The Lies People Publish). And that’s one reason Kate serves on the Fulton Springs Police Department.

The Girl Next Door

I recall feeling bombarded at the time by burned-out detectives, whether in literature, film, or television. The investigator whose life is an unholy shambles, who’s nursing a substance abuse problem (usually alcohol), whose family or private life is completely shattered. I kept seeing these broken-down characters, and they just depressed me. I struggled to relate to them in any way. With their addictions and psychological damage, I questioned how legitimately they could function in everyday life, let alone track down murderers and other criminals.

I wanted a more relatable detective, not a beleaguered trainwreck nor a genius human computer of the Sherlockian variety. I wanted someone who, even if you couldn’t relate to her directly, you could imagine her living next door.

When an interviewer referred to Kate as a bit of a hot mess, I must admit I got defensive for a moment. And then I realized that she probably is—the way all of us are in the right light. She struggles with her relationships and goals and with living out her values and beliefs as most thoughtful people do.

When I began the novel, I had a female friend who was a police officer. Kate is not based on her, but I won’t deny that my friend (and her stories) inspired some of Kate’s characteristics, her tribe of friends, and even a few anecdotes that worked their way into the story.

Midwestern Woman of Faith

While I live in the South, I grew up in the Midwest. At the time of writing, I felt I could more accurately capture the Midwestern sensibility than a Southern one, both for Kate’s character and the setting in general. Plus, my publishing background (I was a book editor at the time) was going to inform the novel’s setting, and the Chicago metro area seemed a more likely representative of that world.

My writing instructor called Kate “a church-going detective,” which made me laugh a little. If, in forming Kate, I was reacting against the broken-down detective, I was also reacting against the portrayal of Christians in the arts. There seemed to be two extremes: in Christian fiction, the Pollyannaish Christian who lived a sanitized version of life, and in mainstream literature, religious hypocrites and wackadoos. I realize that may be a tad reductive, but that’s how it felt. Why couldn’t we have something a little more authentic, more fair, more nuanced?

While not necessarily tackling a spiritual journey, I wanted to show Christians in real-world, everyday contexts. I know some readers may find Kate’s faith alienating, but no reader is going to agree or sympathize with every character they read. That’s only natural. But as I researched the genre, I found mainstream novels with detectives with all kinds of worldviews, so why not a mainstream novel with a Christian detective?

Introducing Kate Baxter

These influences formed the initial skeleton of Detective Kate Baxter, but they don’t begin to paint the entire picture of the character she developed into—the insecurities and challenges she faces as a single woman; her love for her friends, her pets, and classic literature; or her belief that the best therapy is found at a gun range. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Letters to the Editor and meet her yourself.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 10

Leslie’s Library Escape, September 11

Vicky Sluiter, September 12 (Author Interview)

Book Looks by Lisa, September 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 14

Texas Book-aholic, September 15

For the Love of Literature, September 16 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, September 17

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 18

For Him and My Family, September 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 20

Lily’s Corner, September 21

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 22 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, September 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 23


Giveaway



To celebrate his tour, Paul is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book and its sequel!!

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

https://gleam.io/XImFE/letters-to-the-editor-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Spotlight and Giveaway: Drandar and the Quest for Redemption (Book 2) by Terrie Hellard-Brown



About the Book


Boo
k: Drandar and the Quest for Redemption (Book 2)

Author: Terrie Hellard-Brown

Genre: Middle School Fantasy Chapter Book

Release Date: June 15, 2026

What do you do with an enemy who tried to destroy you?

Drandar didn’t expect to find the answer in a dungeon.

Seaton the knight betrayed the king, hunted Drandar, and lost. Now he’s locked up and miserable — and somehow, Drandar can’t stop thinking about him. When Drandar was ready to give up, Seraphina and the fairy believed in him anyway. Maybe Seaton needs the same thing.

The king has a different idea. He’s sending both of them on a quest to find the kingdom’s greatest treasure. Together. Whether they like it or not.

The problem? Drandar isn’t sure he trusts Seaton. And the quest is harder than either of them expected.

Drandar and the Quest for Redemption is a story about second chances, unlikely friendships, and discovering that the greatest treasure isn’t always what you went looking for.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Terrie Hellard-Brown is an award-winning author, speaker, and missionary with over thirty years of experience as a teacher and homeschool mom. That time at the classroom and kitchen table convinced her of something she writes into every story: every child’s journey matters, and no one is too far gone for redemption.

Terrie works with families — especially mixed-needs families (those raising both neurodivergent and neurotypical children) — to disciple their kids and build a peace-filled home culture. She hosts two podcasts focused on equipping parents to raise the next generation to follow Christ with their whole hearts.

She holds a BA in sociology and psychology, an MA in education, and is currently pursuing her DMin.



More from Terrie

Forgiveness, redemption, purpose, trust, truth – these are so important for children to grasp early. Those are the motivation and foundation behind the Drandar the Dragon series.

Drandar and the Quest for Redemption is the second book in the Drandar the Dragon series of chapter books. It picks up where book one ended, but it also can stand alone on its own as long as readers begin with the understanding that Drandar is a knight in a Medieval, fantasy kingdom.

I began writing these stories for my daughter who is autistic because I saw such potential in her and God’s blessing in her life, yet I watched her struggle with doubt and fear. (She is also the illustrator for the series which is exciting for both of us).

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, September 3 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 3

Texas Book-aholic, September 4

Vicky Sluiter, September 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 6

Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, September 7

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 8

Fiction Book Lover, September 9 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 10

The Bookish Ledger, September 11 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Pilgrim, September 11

Artistic Nobody, September 12

Guild Master, September 13

Books, Books, & More Books, September 14 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, September 15

Blogging With Carol, September 16

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Terrie 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/hFZiv/drandar-and-the-quest-for-redemption-celebration-tour


My Review

Drandar and the Quest for Redemption is the second installment from the Drandar the Dragon series by Terrie Hellard Brown. I loved this sweet story. It is full of adventure and action. Even though I am not the marketed age for this book, I still adored meeting Drandar and learning some valuable lessons along the way. 

Drandar and the Quest for Redemption is illustrated by Rachelle Brown. Their pictures sprinkled all throughout the book. They are beautiful and vibrant, making a perfect addition to the story. 

I am going to give Drandar and the Quest for Redemption five stars. I highlyr recommend it for readers between the ages of eight and twelve and who love to read fantasy fiction. I would love it if there was a another book to be added to the Drandar the Dragon series. 

I received a digital copy of Terrie Hellard Brown's Drandar and the Quest for Redemption from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea - Maliachi The Minor Prophets by Karen Westbrook Moderow



About the Book


Boo
k: The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi The Minor Prophets

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Non-fiction, Bible Study

Release Date: February 19, 2026

Are you overwhelmed by the evil and suffering around you?

In the time of the Minor Prophets, evil seduces and overpowers God’s people. The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi tracks what happens and why. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal, group, or homeschool Bible study.

As God’s disobedient people race toward destruction, the prophets do all they can to stop them. The sins and problems they address still plague us today. But their visions of a day when God deals with Satan and makes all things new gives us hope. Evil is a reality we cannot escape apart from God’s grace. If we have drifted, the prophets show us the way back. If we are holding to the Lord, they show us how to endure dark times with optimism and purpose.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

 

 



 

 

 

More from Karen

Throwing Jonah Overboard

Jonah is a minor prophet with a big story. The tale of a runaway prophet who is swallowed by a big fish is the perfect analogy for many of life’s upsetting circumstances like the one my minister friend is experiencing.

He had to report his boss for ongoing unethical behavior. The church leaders listened and are now verifying facts, a process that could take weeks. In the meantime, the board asked my friend to stay in his role and submit to his boss with kindness and respect while they decide how to proceed. Because he loves the Lord, the church, and its leaders, he wants to comply. Yet he feels like he’s been thrown overboard. How can he maintain a good attitude while working daily under someone who has hurt him and the ministry so deeply?

I immediately thought of Jonah. God commanded him to go Nineveh and warn people of coming judgment. Jonah did not want to go. For good reason. The Ninevites had raped, pillaged, and burned their way through his home territory multiple times. So, instead of obeying, Jonah boards a ship heading the opposite direction. But the Lord sends a violent storm that threatens to sink the ship. When the crew cast lots to see who brought this calamity on them, the lot falls on Jonah. He tells them to throw him overboard and they will be saved. Not wanting to take a life, the sailors delay but ultimately toss him into the sea.

We may identify with Jonah if our choices have put others at risk. Or perhaps we’ve felt like the sailors, caught in the consequences of someone else’s action. In my friend’s case, his courageous decision to speak up intensified a storm already brewing. Now he bears the brunt of it.

Storms take us to the depths. The discomfort of tense relationships can feel as confining and foul as the belly of a whale. But Jonah’s story gives us a needed perspective. The crisis was never just about the prophet. As the pagan crew wrestled with fear and guilt, God was working in their hearts. After He calmed the sea, they offered sacrifices and made vows to Him. Jonah’s crisis led to their salvation and proved a major theme of Scripture—God is in control.

In the book of Jonah, God doesn’t reveal truth through the words of the prophet but through the man’s pitiful example. His life is a mirror. We see his rebellion, his anger, his submission (of sorts), his obedience (of sorts), and see ourselves. The contrast between us and Jesus couldn’t be sharper. The Father sent His Son into enemy territory too, but Jesus didn’t run. He loved us. Died for us. Saved us. And now He calls us—just as he called Jonah—to rescue others.

We are God’s messengers and He will reveal Himself through us one way or another. So we should not be surprised to find ourselves in situations where our survival depends on Him. Being thrown overboard does not mean abandonment. It’s the opposite. Whether we jump or are tossed in by others, we fall into the hands of the living God. Jonah 1:17 says, “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah.” That fish—as scary as he must’ve been to Jonah—saved him from drowning. It’s often the same for us. The dark place looming before us can be our deliverance.

Jesus used the story of Jonah to describe His death and resurrection: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). Unlike Christ, Jonah was guilty. Bad choices got him to the point where sacrificing himself was the only way to save his shipmates. To his credit, he went willingly. And at that moment, Jonah became Christ-like—choosing death so others could live.

God’s plan always includes others. In the vortex, they too will make choices that affect their character and eternal destiny. But whether we or those in the boat with us act out of honor, necessity, or maliciousness, God remains Lord of the storm.

As it rages, God may call us to return to the very ones who hurt us and show them the mercy Christ showed us. We may sit in the belly of the whale for a season engulfed in grief or confusion. Yet even that dark space has its blessings. Jonah used his “time out” to confess his need, express gratitude, and commit to obeying the Lord. We can do the same.

One of the many lessons in Jonah is this: God never gives up on us. He will track us to the end of the earth—not only to restores us to Himself but to make us effective messengers. He wants everyone around us to know that Jesus saves, that He is sovereign, and that there is no cause for fear. “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Ps. 135:6). Even if life throws us overboard, we are never abandoned. Never adrift. God is in control and our lives are in His hands.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 8

Lots of Helpers, September 9

Girls in White Dresses, September 9

Simple Harvest Reads, September 10 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

Texas Book-aholic, September 12

Artistic Nobody, September 13 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 14

She Lives To Read, September 15

Guild Master, September 16 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 17

Fiction Book Lover, September 18 (Author Interview)

Because I said so adventures in parenting, September 19

The Bookish Ledger, September 20 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, September 21

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Karen 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/0YRWn/the-bible-companion-book-9-hoseamalachi-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Ballerina's Bargain by Lorri Dudley



About the Book



Book: The Ballerina’s Bargain

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: September 8, 2026

A burdened earl. A determined ballerina. Saving the theatre was part of their bargain. Losing their hearts wasn’t.

London, 1815

Emmeline Laurent has survived by grace and grit. After her parents’ execution in France, she has learned to live unseen as a humble ballerina instructing young pupils in a small London theatre. When whispers spread that the Danforth Theatre may be sold to an unscrupulous buyer, Emmeline fears not only for her livelihood but for the safety of her impressionable students. With no time and no options, she does the only thing she knows to do: leap into a moving carriage and bargain with the new lord who holds their fate.

Grant Atherton, the Earl of Quincy, has inherited the crushing weight of duty along with a failing theatre, an arranged engagement, two younger sisters to usher into society, and a mountain of his father’s secrets. Selling the Danforth is the only way to save his family from ruin. The last thing he needs is a beautiful, infuriatingly determined ballerina turning his careful plans upside down.

But when Emmeline’s hidden past begins surfacing and the danger circling the theatre proves far deadlier than either of them realized, Grant must choose between the life he planned and the one God may have been preparing all along.

For fans of Roseanna M. White and Jen Turano — a sweeping Regency romance about the grace found in surrender, the courage it takes to trust, and the God who makes a way when every door seems closed.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household.

 

 



 

 

 

More from Lorri

Many young girls dream of growing up to become a ballerina. There is a romantic whimsy to the airy skirts, graceful movements, and illusion of defying gravity as dancers balance en pointe and extend their limbs with such elegance that they seem almost infinite. While modern audiences often associate ballet with beauty and enchantment, behind the heavy stage curtains of Regency England’s opera-ballet lurked a darker reality.

Many of the ballerinas came from impoverished families struggling to put food on the table. Girls trained from a young age, long before the onset of womanhood, and were expected to endure grueling hours of rehearsal despite blisters, sore muscles, and bleeding feet. For some, ballet offered a better alternative for a working girl than scrubbing floors and emptying chamberpots as a scullery maid, laboring as a laundress near scalding water and hot presses or cleaning dangerous cotton machinery in a mill.

At least the stage held the possibility of applause—if the performance was well received. If it wasn’t, audiences could be merciless. Performers might be shouted down, heckled off the stage, or pelted with food. Fights occasionally erupted among patrons in the pit or upper gallery, while disreputable men gathered in the front row of what was known as Fops’ Alley in hopes of catching a scandalous glimpse of the ballerinas’ ankles.

Their wealthy counterparts could become a ballerina’s sponsor, gaining special access to backstage rooms where they could ogle the dancers and receive in-person introductions after a performance. These men were known as protectors, though the title was a misnomer. In exchange for a ballerina’s exclusive attention, they offered gifts the young women could scarcely afford themselves, like new ballet slippers, ribbons, bracelets, or other trinkets.

While saving the theatre and its ballerinas from these so-called “protectors” forms the premise of The Ballerina’s Bargain, the novel doesn’t dwell on the darker details of these backstage arrangements. Instead, it focuses on the heroic efforts of its protagonists to spare the young ballerinas from a wretched fate. However, the tension of what may happen should they fail lingers in the wings throughout the story.

Enjoy!

Blog Stops

Devoted Steps, September 19

The Lofty Pages, September 20

Books Less Travelled, September 20

Devoted To Hope, September 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 21

She Lives To Read, September 22

Texas Book-aholic, September 23

Melissa’s Bookshelf, September 23

Fruitfully Planted, September 24

For Him and My Family, September 24

Sydney Schmied Books, September 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 25

Connie’s History Classroom, September 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 26

Simple Harvest Reads, September 27 (Guest Review from Donna)

Sylvan Musings, September 28

Leslie’s Library Escape, September 29

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, September 30

Cover Lover Book Review, September 30

Holly’s Book Corner, October 1

Pause for Tales, October 2

To Everything There Is A Season, October 2

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Lorri 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/aa58y/the-ballerinas-bargain-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Spotlight and Giveaway: Until I Knew You by Tanya Eavenson



About the Book



Book: Until I Knew You

Author: Tanya Eavenson

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: April 21, 2026

Photographer Jacob Michaels has spent his life running, from foster homes, from emotional attachment, from anything that asks more of him than a fleeting moment through his camera lens, except for Clay Logan, his one true friend and the only person who ever saw past the walls.

Olivia Logan lives in a world of color and quiet, expressing through art what words cannot, and Clay understood her without explanation, offering a steady presence in a world that often feels overwhelming.

But when a hiking trip ends in tragedy and Jacob returns alone, everything changes, and Clay’s final request becomes Jacob’s new reality: take care of Olivia, protect her, don’t walk away.

Now her legal trustee, Jacob steps into a life he never intended. Bound by grief and a promise neither asked for, he and Olivia are drawn into a fragile closeness they don’t know how to navigate.

And perhaps God isn’t finished mending what was never meant to be broken.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Tanya Eavenson is an award-winning Christian romance novelist who writes heartfelt stories of love, faith, and second chances.  To date, she has written thirteen fictions novels and seven craft books for new writers. Her historical romance The Rescue, from the All Roads Lead to Texas series, won the 2018 Cascade Award, and the series has gone on to be a finalist for several awards.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family or curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee, chocolate, and a good book.

 

 



More from Tanya

“If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism.”

Some stories come from imagination . . . and others feel gently placed on your heart for a reason. Until I Knew You is one of those stories.

At its heart, this is a story about grief, love, and healing, but also about the quiet ways God works in our lives, even when we do not fully understand what He is doing. Jacob and Olivia’s journey was never meant to be easy, but it was always meant to lead somewhere meaningful.

Olivia was a character I approached with a lot of care. I truly wanted to do this right. Along the way, I had the privilege of speaking with several people who have worked closely with autistic children and adults. They were so generous with their time, answering my questions and sharing their experiences, and I am incredibly grateful.

“If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism.” Patricia’s words stayed with me and shaped how I wrote Olivia. Every individual is unique, and it was important to me that Olivia reflect her own voice, her own experiences, and her own way of seeing the world.

There is a moment in this story where Olivia observes a black widow, something many would fear or turn away from, but she sees beyond that fear and recognizes that even it was created with purpose. Not random or a mistake. That realization reflects something deeper woven throughout this story, that each of us, no matter how we are seen or misunderstood, was created with intention and for a purpose.

I wrote this story to the best of my knowledge and ability, with respect, care, and a genuine desire to honor both the beauty and the challenges within it. My hope and my prayer is that you not only enjoy this story, but that you also find something meaningful within its pages.

Here’s a short excerpt.

Olivia

It happened so fast. Clay didn’t make it. Clay is dead.

I could still feel the heat of Jacob’s breath against my face, his nearness burning my skin. I wanted to scream, How dare you! Leave me be! But his words rushed through me, painfully churning their way through my heart, touching the deepest parts of my innermost being, and I felt them there for a moment, but it was the fear of being without Clay that clenched my throat.

I struggled to make sense of it all, to breathe, and by some miraculous power I’d been able to hold myself upright, but the moment Ellie made Jacob leave the house, my knees buckled, and I hit the floor so hard pain radiated up my right side.

I gasped. The air forced into my lungs caused my body to crave more. The pressure in my chest grew. Please, Lord. I can’t. Breathe.

It happened so fast.

Clay didn’t make it.

Clay is dead.

[Insert Guest Post Picture 1 Here]

[Insert Guest Post Picture 2 Here]

Blog Stops


Simple Harvest Reads, September 2 (Author Interview)

Books Less Travelled, September 3

Artistic Nobody, September 4 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 5

Guild Master, September 6 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, September 7

Fiction Book Lover, September 8 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 9

Pause for Tales, September 9

The Bookish Ledger, September 10 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, September 11

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 12 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, September 13

Books Less Travelled, September 14 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 15


Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Tanya is giving away the grand prize of a $45 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/TcQZ8/until-i-knew-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Book Blast and Giveaway: Duke du Jour by Petie McCarty



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



She’s waiting in the past . . . He belongs in the future.

Jared Langley, present-day Duke of Reston, tumbles into an abandoned fountain on his ducal estate and is pelted back in time to the year 1816. There, Reston servants and local villagers think him a dead ringer for his namesake and rakehell ancestor—the seventh Duke of Reston, gone missing at the Battle of Waterloo. Unfortunately, Seven got mixed up with French spies out to assassinate the Duke of Wellington, and an unwary Jared ends up in their crosshairs.

Lady Ariana Hart has loved Jared Langley, the seventh Duke of Reston, since she was twelve years old, until the night the rogue broke her heart. Given up for dead, her rakish neighbor makes a miraculous return from Waterloo. Only Jared shows up a changed man and reignites all the feelings Ariana had long ago buried.

Jared is in a race against time.
His tasks?

Waylay the suspicions of his quirky servants and neighbors
Get to Wellington before the French spies do
Fix his fountain–before Seven shows up–so Jared has a way home
And definitely do not fall in love with the irresistible Lady Ariana . . .

Second Edition


Read an Excerpt

The library door crashed open, startling them both and sending them a full step back from each other. A flame-haired siren stalked through the door.

Jared had torn free from Lady Wilder, but he gaped guiltily in a frozen stare, incapable and unwilling to break eye contact with the siren who had burst into the library. He wanted to keep staring and lose himself in those amazing emerald green eyes, made even greener by the rich color of her gown.

The young woman was tall and slender, with smooth, sleek curves at her hips and breasts. Strands of red-gold curls had slipped free of her pale-gold bonnet with its sassy emerald-green trim and curled enticingly around her cheeks, marked by two bright flags of color. He felt his own cheeks flush hot when those amazing green eyes shifted downward and spied the traitorous ducal staff in full salute, then snapped back to glare at him.

“I brought your dog,” the flame-haired siren said flatly. “I feared you would forget to come for Harry. He missed you.”

An enormous mass of black fur bounded into the library and sent the squealing Lady Wilder back to Jared’s side. The immense dog promptly knocked them both to the floor.

The siren frowned her displeasure and headed for the chaise to make herself comfortable.

“Get him off! Get him off!”

Lady Wilder’s high-pitched shrieks almost burst Jared’s eardrums. He rolled her off him and reached for the dog’s collar. The massive black hound danced away, totally unaffected by Lady Wilder’s shrieks and slaps, and managed to squeeze in a few sloppy licks between her swings at the dog’s head, which would have been funny if Jared’s ears did not ache.

“Come here, boy!” Jared barked as he scrambled to his feet.

“Don’t you dare hurt him!” the siren shouted.

“You did that on purpose, Ariana! You little witch!” Lady Wilder screamed.

Ariana? What a perfect name for the flame-haired beauty.

“Don’t you yell at me, Lucilla Tartley! I am not responsible for Harry’s lack of taste,” Ariana shot back.

So Lady Wilder was Lucilla. Who was Harry? The dog?

Jared tried the name, and the black dog bounded over to him.

“I am surprised Harry even noticed you, now that Jared’s home,” Ariana told Lucilla.

Jared glanced down and noticed the dog sat patiently at his side, but only because his finger was hooked in the dog’s collar. Good Lord! The canine knew he was not the real Jared—or rather Seven. This could be a problem.

About the Author:




Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—"The Most Magical Place on Earth"—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said goodbye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time.

These days, Petie spends her time writing new tales for her Cinderella series, her new The Watchers series, sequels to her Regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and more contemporary romance standalones, along with her two previous releases—Any Fin For Love and Ambush in the Everglades.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who makes a cameo appearance in Christmas Watch, Book 2 of The Watchers series.

Visit Petie at her website, www.petiemccarty.com, to get to know her, learn about her current projects, and discover her other published works.

Website: http://www.petiemccarty.com
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Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Du-Jour-Petie-McCarty-ebook/dp/B0H99Y9Z2Z.