Spotlight and Giveaway: Unauthorized, a prequel novella by Sherri Wilson Johnson

About the Book

Book: Unauthorized, a prequel novella

Author: Sherri Wilson Johnson

Genre: Faith-Based Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Daisy Blackwood has always played by the rules. As a meticulous budget analyst in Nashville, she’s built a life of quiet routines and steady work—until one discovery shatters everything. She uncovers evidence of embezzlement at her firm and sets off a chain of events that leaves Daisy framed, frightened, and fighting to clear her name.

With her career—and freedom—on the line, Daisy finds an unexpected ally in Owen Mackenzie, a sharp-witted IT auditor who’s more comfortable behind a screen than in the middle of corporate chaos. As danger closes in, Owen steps out of the shadows to protect her, and a slow-burning connection sparks into something deeper.

Set against the soulful backdrop of Nashville, this heartwarming romantic suspense blends ”wrongfully accused,” “slow burn romance,” and ”protective hero” tropes into a story of courage, trust, and unexpected love.

As Daisy and Owen dig deeper into a dangerous conspiracy, they’ll have to risk everything—including their hearts—to uncover the truth.

* Unauthorized is the prequel novella to book one in Sherri’s The Silas Holcomb Legacy series, coming out in the fall of 2025.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Sherri Wilson Johnson writes romantic suspense from her home in Georgia where she lives with her husband, their two dogs and spoiled Bombay cat. Sherri loves spending time with family, vacationing at the beach, reading or working on her current work-in-progress. She dreams of a second home on some beach somewhere some day, where she can plot romantically suspenseful novels around the clock.

 

 

 

More from Sherri

When I started dreaming up the Silas Holcomb Legacy series, I knew I didn’t want to write about traditional heroes and heroines. You know the type—confident, charismatic, effortlessly brave. Instead, I wanted to explore the quieter, quirkier people we often overlook. The dependable coworker. The quiet thinker in the back of the meeting room. The ones who aren’t flashy or bold or naturally brave. The ones who doubt themselves more than they should. The ones who never imagined they’d find themselves at the center of a high-stakes mystery… or a love story.

That’s the heart of The Silas Holcomb Legacy series, and specifically the vibe you’ll feel in Unauthorized, the prequel novella. Daisy and Owen are the kinds of people who don’t usually get the spotlight—but should.

Daisy is a sharp-minded budget analyst working in the competitive corporate world of Nashville. She’s smart, driven, and meticulous—but doesn’t exactly stand out in a room. (Well, to Owen—the quiet, nerdy guy from IT—she does, but she doesn’t know that!) After the recent death of her estranged grandfather, she’s emotionally raw and not at all ready to play detective. But when she stumbles across an embezzlement scheme and someone tries to frame her for it, she’s forced to step into a role she never imagined: the one who solves the mystery.

And she doesn’t do it alone.

Owen is not your typical romantic lead—he knows more about server logs than small talk. He’s not suave, he’s not smooth, but he’s steady and loyal and brilliant in all the ways that matter. Together, they dig into the company’s secrets, unravel a trail of deception, and prove that you don’t need to be the loudest person in the room to change the story.

This story is about rising to the occasion, even when you don’t feel like the kind of person who’s supposed to save the day. It’s about finding strength when you’d rather hide. About realizing you were never a side character—you were just waiting for your moment to lead.

And yes, it’s about love that grows not from charm or swagger, but from courage and kindness. Daisy and Owen prove that sometimes, the least likely heroes are exactly the ones we need. Their journey is close to my heart, and I hope their story encourages readers to believe in their own quiet kind of brave.

And the most exciting part? This is the first book in a thrilling and mysterious new series that brings an estranged family back together. Will they stay together? Well, you’ll have to stay tuned for the rest of the series to find out!

I can’t wait to show you what’s next.

Sherri

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 21

Stories By Gina, October 22 (Author Interview)

The Mommies Reviews, October 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 23

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, October 24 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool , October 25

Simple Harvest Reads, October 26 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, October 27

Artistic Nobody, October 28 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 29

Guild Master, October 30 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, October 31 (Author Interview)

Devoted To Hope, November 1

Fiction Book Lover, November 2 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 3 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, November 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sherri giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d281/unauthorized-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blurb Blitz Tour and Giveaway: A Gilded City Trilogy by Jane Loeb Rubin

 A GILDED CITY TRILOGY

by Jane Loeb Rubin

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GENRE: Historical Fiction

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BLURB:

In the Hands of Women, (June 2023) takes the reader on an electrifying ride through the dawn of the 20th century, delving into the restrictive state of women’s rights, backroom abortions, the plight of immigrants to the Lower East Side of NYC and the prison system at Blackwell’s Island, all through the voice of a young OB/Gyn, Tillie’s younger sister, Hannah.

Threadbare, (June 2024) is a historical novel written as a tribute to Jane Rubin’s great-grandmother, Mathilda (Tillie), who died from a ‘woman’s disease’ in the early years of the twentieth century. It explores the ultra-conservative late Victorian era through a Jewish female character living among the poor, struggling to build a garment company and pushing back against antisemitic and misogynistic values dominating the time. She acquired wealth, only to have life upended by a cruel, unexpected challenge.

Over There (June 2025) brings four family members of Threadbare and In the Hands of Women, all doctors and nurses, into The Great War, each facing down authentic challenges of the period. Meticulously researched and crafted on four stages, the reader experiences the jarring reality of trench warfare, magnificent rise of the American Hospital in Paris, unimagined medical innovations owed to the dedication of healthcare workers, and the universal, frightening impact war has on children.

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EXCERPT:

Excerpt from IN THE HANDS OF WOMEN

I glanced at Nurse Hammond. Her head was bent to the wood floor, hands squeezed so tightly, I could see the white in her knuckles. The navy muslin dress worn beneath her white apron matched the dark circles under her eyes. I held back from the pack of students as they left the ward.

Nurse Hammond was at the end of her night shift, little time left to hear the full story.

“Nurse, were you in delivery during the twins’ births?” I whispered.

“I was.” She straightened her back, darting her eyes to the nursery.

I took a step closer to her. “Did anything unusual happen?”

After a lengthy pause, she rubbed her fingers, eyes downcast.

“Nurse Hammond, what happened?” I persisted.

“You know Adams, always impatient.” She turned her eyes from the floor then to mine. “He couldn’t stand the mother’s screaming and knocked her out cold with ether. Then he went in deep with the forceps, taking forever. I think he would have had more luck if he kept her awake and changed her position.” She took in a sharp breath. “But who am I to say? You can’t utter a word. I need my job. I’ve four children at home.”

I nodded, understanding. “You can trust me. Go home and get some rest.” I scurried down the hall to the nursery.

“Where’ve you been, Isaacson?” Dr. Adams barked as I walked through the doorway.

“My apology doctor, lavatory.”

Dr. Adams crossed his arms on his chest, haughtily shaking his head at the ring of men standing around the twins’ bassinettes. “See there, gentlemen? That’s what happens when women are allowed into the profession. Always needing to fix their hair.”

Blood shot to my face. How long would he get away with his negligence? I stifled my annoyance, while studying the infants. The smaller baby’s hand began to tremor.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author, Jane Loeb Rubin has won numerous awards including the Historical Novel Society's First Chapters short list for Over There, released May, 2025 by Level Best Books. She will be speaking at numerous Florida events as listed on her website.With an extensive healthcare background Ms. Rubin began writing in 2009 after a serious cancer diagnosis. She now has a four-book deal with Level Best Books (Threadbare-2024, In the Hands of Women-2023, Over There-2025, The Hat Trick-2026), following the fictional life of her great-grandmother’s family.

In the Hands of Women, (June 2023) takes the reader on an electrifying ride through the dawn of the 20th century, delving into the restrictive state of women’s rights, backroom abortions, the plight of immigrants to the Lower East Side of NYC and the prison system at Blackwell’s Island, all through the voice of a young OB/Gyn, Tillie’s younger sister, Hannah.

Threadbare, (June 2024) is a historical novel written as a tribute to Jane Rubin’s great-grandmother, Mathilda (Tillie), who died from a ‘woman’s disease’ in the early years of the twentieth century. It explores the ultra-conservative late Victorian era through a Jewish female character living among the poor, struggling to build a garment company and pushing back against antisemitic and misogynistic values dominating the time. She acquired wealth, only to have life upended by a cruel, unexpected challenge.

Over There (June 2025) brings four family members of Threadbare and In the Hands of Women, all doctors and nurses, into The Great War, each facing down authentic challenges of the period. Meticulously researched and crafted on four stages, the reader experiences the jarring reality of trench warfare, magnificent rise of the American Hospital in Paris, unimagined medical innovations owed to the dedication of healthcare workers, and the universal, frightening impact war has on children.

The Hat Trick, Ms. Rubin’s work in process (May 2026) transports her family characters into the mid-1920’s in the years before the Borscht Belt in Sullivan County, NY.

Ms. Rubin, a graduate of the University of Michigan (BS, MS) and Washington University (MBA), retired from a 30-year career as a healthcare executive to begin writing full-time. She lives with her husband, David, an attorney, in Northern New Jersey. Between them, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren. Ms. Rubin’s work is available at all on-line retailers, Indigo Books, select Barnes and Noble Book stores and upon request from Level Best Books.

Readers Favorite Review: http://www.readersfavorite.com/book-review/over-there 

Website: http://www.janeloebrubin.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janeloebrubinauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janeloebrubin/ 

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GIVEAWAY:

Jane Loeb Rubin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Trekking Toward Tenacity: Your Family's Roadmap to Stronger Mental Health by Chris Morris

About the Book

Book: Trekking Toward Tenacity: Your Family’s Roadmap to Stronger Mental Health

Author: Chris Morris

Genre: Parenting / Christian Living / Mental Health

Release date: September 24, 2024

Empower your children with the gift of tenacity through these practical, meaningful tools for their mental and spiritual health.

Trekking toward Tenacity walks through Psalm 139 verse by verse, discovering how we can help our children develop mentally healthy habits. The goal is to coach our kids to be more tenacious because we live in a tumultuous world. It can be hard to stay focused on God and on mentally healthy habits in that tumult, but this book gives concrete ways to help kids to do just that.

By teaching parents practical application steps to implement with kids of all ages, ranging from preschool to adolescent, this book will give them new tools to support their families in the quest for better mental health. It will provide rock-solid encouragement for parents who are stressed out and wondering if they’re making the right choices for their families. It provides counterintelligence against the onslaught of increased risks of mental health challenges for children and young adults today.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Chris Morris is a certified mental health coach dedicated to promoting understanding of mental health issues within the church. Because of a lifelong struggle with depression and suicidality, Chris became committed to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and encouraging others to seek after holistic health.

As a writer and speaker, Chris has shared his personal story and insights with audiences across the country, inspiring many individuals to take control of their own health, break free from poor theological teaching placed upon them, and seek the support they need. He has published several books on mental health, the most recent being Resilient and Redeemed. His work has been featured in a number of media outlets, including CrossWalk, The Mighty, and Fathom Magazine.

Chris is deeply committed to creating a more compassionate and supportive world and church for individuals living with mental health issues. Through his writing and speaking, he is a powerful voice for change and a beacon of hope for those in need.

More from Chris

I literally wrote the book that I wish I had 20 years ago when I was raising my kids. Being a parent today is tumultuous. Especially in a post-COVID world, mental health is a strong contender for the biggest challenges facing our kids. There are plenty of books out there that give us theories on how to raise our kids, and plenty of books that are full of devotionals to walk through with our kids, but shockingly few books dedicated to coaching our kids to have tenacity.

In my experience, tenacity might be the biggest difference maker between seeing our kids move successfully through life and floundering. It’s a given that challenges will come, whether those struggles look like not making the varsity basketball team or something more serious. We simply have to help our kids know how to walk through the missed opportunities and hard times that will inevitably come into their lives.

Trekking Toward Tenacity does just that. We walk through Psalm 139 verse by verse and pull out practical, meaningful tips, tricks, and conversations to have with our kids to help them develop resilience. News flash: there’s no magic potion we can give our kids that gives them bounce-backability. Instead, this is found through conversation about life and God.

My favorite part of this book was writing the age-appropriate activities in the center of each chapter. Instead of only giving you theology or child psychology data without any practical application, Trekking Toward Tenacity includes specific activities you can try out with your kids. There’s obviously no guarantee that these ideas will work, but I can tell you that they worked for other kids. These are pie-in-the-sky concepts, but activities that have been tried in the real world.

If you’re looking for a book that will arm you with skills to coach your kids on how to develop tenacity in their lives, this is the book for you!

Blog Stops

Its Mama Safe, January 16

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 17

A Reader’s Brain, January 18 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, January 19 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 19

Artistic Nobody, January 20 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, January 21

Aryn the Libraryan, January 22

Back Porch Reads, January 23 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 24

Simple Harvest Reads, January 25 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 26

Fiction Book Lover, January 27 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 29 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Chris is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Amazon gift card, a copy of Trekking Toward Tenacity, and a free Audible copy of my previous book Whispers in the Pews: Voices on Mental Illness in the Church!!

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

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54132/

My Review

Trekking Toward Tenacity: Your Family's Roadmap to Stronger Mental Health by Chris Morris goes into detail of Psalm 139. It is broken down into thirteen chapters. Each chapter includes a verse from Psalm 139 followed by commentary and ends with some questions for the reader to answer, and other verses from the Bible to read and / or memorize. I thought it was a good book that had some good insightful tips that I could use in my own life and parenting. 

I am going to give Trekking Toward Tenacity: Your Family's Roadmap to Stronger Mental Health four stars. I would recommend it for readers who are looking for different perspectives on faith based parenting and mental health. 

I received a paperback copy of Chris Morris’ Trekking Toward Tenacity: Your Family's Roadmap to Stronger Mental Health from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Endangered Refuge by Sherri Wilson Johnson

About the Book

Book: Endangered Refuge

Author: Sherri Wilson Johnson

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Release date: August 2, 2022

He wants to protect her. She wants to protect him. A powerful man with dark secrets may kill them both.

Undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agent Dallas Heath has infiltrated one of the largest big cat illegal trading rings in the States. Now he must unearth vital evidence to bring down kingpin Mitchell Avery before the next litter of cubs crosses state lines. Multiple failed attempts have cost Dallas time and progress, and now he’s threatened with being pulled off the case. The clock is ticking for this seasoned officer. It doesn’t help that a life which includes deception and being apart from the only woman he’s ever loved makes him doubt if undercover work is for him.

Special Agent Elyse Bradford has spent the last three months undercover living next door to Mitchell Avery posing as a woman of great means and vying for an invite to one of his big cat auctions, to which only the most serious and authenticated buyers are invited. If only she could confide in her best friend and fellow agent Dallas, maybe he could help her devise a plan before her cover is blown.

If they’d been assigned to work the case together, they’d have already brought Avery’s organization down. But Dallas is working undercover somewhere too. Since they can’t share the details of their missions or their locations with each other, the former partners—torn apart by assignments too many times—must find another way.

After a strange twist of events propels them together again, hope’s flame flickers…until word spreads of a mole—either in Avery’s organization or within the USFWS. And now neither one knows who to trust. Can they even trust each other when they’ve been apart for so many years?

On a backdrop of Mobile Bay on the Gulf coast, Dallas and Elyse fight to save endangered tigers, keep their covers intact and bring down an enemy whose reach is far beyond what anyone imagined. After tensions rise and tempers flare—coupled with lies and manipulation from all around—they could lose everything they’ve worked for. Including each other.

Will they succeed on their mission without ripping apart their shot at a future together?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Sherri Wilson Johnson is an Inspirational Romance novelist and graphic designer. She lives in Georgia with her husband and their two dogs, and they are empty-nesters. Sherri loves spending time with family, vacationing at the beach, curling up with a good book or working on her current work-in-progress. She dreams of a second home on some beach somewhere some day, where she can plot romantically suspenseful novels all day and night.

Follow Sherri on Instagram and Facebook plus on Amazon and Bookbub. Find out more about her on her website: http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com

 

More from Sherri

For as long as I can remember, I have been in love with Bengal tigers. As a young girl, I even tried to adopt one. In actuality, the “Adopt a Tiger” call was a call to sponsor one in a zoo. Sadly, my family wasn’t financially able to do that, but my love for tigers continued until…well, I’ll let you know if it ever stops. I’ve jokingly said that I will own a captivatingly beautiful tiger with a precious pink nose when I get to heaven. It’s not at all impossible, right? I mean, if the lion and the lamb will be friends, surely my afterlife-self can own a tiger. I’ve put in a request, so we shall see. The fact that I’m allergic to cats won’t hinder me then either!

 

Every year when we go to the local State Fair, I always make sure I’m there at the right time to see the tiger show. For $5, you can feed them by putting a piece of meat on the end of a stick. You can’t actually pet them or anything like that, though. I became aware a few years ago of the abuse these amazing creatures go through just by being carted around from town to town, put on display, made to perform. And the “pet a cub” opportunities are more harmful to the babies than you can imagine. When they get too big for the petting zoo, what happens to them?

 

Out of my love for tigers, I began researching to find the answer to that question. Out of that came Endangered Refuge, a reunion romance filled with mystery and suspense. Many of you have probably heard of television shows that give you a behind-the-scenes look at big cat sanctuaries only to discover later that they are fronts for trafficking them and selling their parts on the black market.

 

Here is where my hero and heroine enter. Special Agents Dallas Carter and Elyse Bradford are both undercover with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services working to shut down a big cat trader. Best friends since college, their work often takes them to different places around the country, but their physical separation never seems to separate their hearts. When they run into each other on the secret mission, neither one knowing that the other has been assigned to the case, sparks fly. But they aren’t always good sparks. Because someone is killing to protect a secret, it’s up to the two agents, posing as socialite Vivian Chandler and cat handler Dakota Heath, to expose the person who exploits these amazing creatures, so all power struggles and personal opinions must be set aside.

 

This is book four in my Jeopardized Reunions series, which is set in the Mobile Bay area of Alabama. This particular story is set in two places on the bay, in the Gulf Shores/Fort Morgan area and on the Fish River, which separates Fairhope and Magnolia Springs (the setting of book three in the series, Unfortunate Homecoming).

 

I hope you will consider checking out Endangered Refuge and the other books in the series, all set on Mobile Bay and all written as standalones. The common thread? They are all reunion romances. So while my characters have a past that tore them apart, they have the promise of a future.

 

I’d love it of you’d follow me on social media and join my subscriber list. I’m always excited to hear from readers!

 

Places you can find out more about legitimate big cat sanctuaries:

Carolina Tiger Rescue: https://carolinatigerrescue.org

Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary: https://crownridgetigers.com

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 12

Simple Harvest Reads, August 12 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 14

deb’s Book Review, August 15

Betti Mace, August 16

Aryn the Libraryan, August 17

Inklings and notions, August 18

For Him and My Family, August 19

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 20

Sara Beth Williams, August 20

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 21

An Author’s Take, August 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 23

Truh and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 24

Blogging With Carol, August 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sherri is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 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 the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/20a84/endangered-refuge-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review 

Endangered Refuge is part of Sherri Wilson Johnson’s Jeopardized Reunions series. I have had the pleasure of reading other books in the series already released and was looking forward to reading this one. I enjoyed taking a trip to Mobile Bay in Alabama and meeting up with Dallas and Elyse. It was full of mystery, suspense, action, danger, adventure, romance, and faith. I read it in one sitting, which was time well spent. 

I am giving Endangered Refuge five stars. I believe readers who enjoy reading clean suspense will want to pick this one up. I look forward to reading the other books from the Jeopardized Reunions series to see where else Sherri Wilson Johnson take her characters to next. 

I received a digital copy of Endangered Refuge from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.