Spotlight and Giveaway: Blue Jean Bayou by Janis Jakes

About the Book

Book: Blue Jean Bayou

Author: Janis Jakes

Genre: Contemporary Inspirational Romance

Release Date: June 12, 2026

After Jenna’s father dies, she travels to his cabin in the Texas Piney Woods to oversee the remodeling and ready the property for sale. She’s surprised when the contractor is a childhood crush – now a handsome man with a heart of gold.

Their friendship reignites, bringing the possibility of more…but at a price. Jenna, a business owner, loves the bustling streets of Manhattan. Creed, a military veteran with a hero’s past, finds refuge in small-town living.

When Jenna learns her father led a secret life, her world turns upside down, and she suspects Creed knows more than he’s telling.

As the truth about her father emerges, Jenna faces the secrets hidden in her own heart and must choose: a life of high heels and high rises or a meandering bayou with the man she now loves.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Janis Jakes is an author of multiple contemporary and historical inspirational romances with an emphasis on courageous men, strong women, Texas sunsets, and happily ever after.

 

 

 

 

 

More from Janis

Texas is known for its vastness and cities like Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. While those cities are great, there’s something about a small Texas town that stirs the heart and evokes a sense of community.

 

When I wrote Blue Jean Bayou, I wanted Shelton’s Cove to be one of those small towns that every reader would want to visit—where they’d find hundred-year-old farmhouses, wooden bridges that clack under the weight of vehicles, country diners where chicken-fried steak is standard fare, and salt-of-the-earth folks who look after their neighbors.

 

I also wanted characters who embody the Texas nature I know so well: brave men with strong faith and a staunch work ethic, and women who face life’s unexpected twists and turns with strength.

 

My ultimate hope is that readers get a true sense of the town and enjoy meeting the characters who call Shelton’s Cove home. This is Book 1 of the three-book Small Town Texas Series.

 

A little backstory nugget: The café in Blue Jean Bayou is named Myrtle’s Café after my late grandmother. She could cook like no one’s business—her meringue is legendary!—so it only seemed right to give the café her namesake.

Blog Stops

Devoted Steps, July 27

Simple Harvest Reads, July 28 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, July 29 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 30

Guild Master, July 31 (Author Interview)

She Lives To Read, August 1

Fiction Book Lover, August 2 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 3

The Bookish Ledger, August 4 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 5

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 6 (Author Interview)

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, August 7 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, August 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 8

Stories By Gina, August 9 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janis is giving away the grand prize of a $75 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/N6cAK/blue-jean-bayou-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Bounty Hunter's Bride by Janis Jakes

About the Book

Book: The Bounty Hunter’s Bride

Author: Janis Jakes

Genre: Christian Fiction

Release date: June, 2021

Bounty hunter Luke Lancaster brings the best of both worlds to his work—the tracking skills of his Comanche father and the marksmanship he learned from his missionary grandfather.

When Luke is hired to track down a young man wanted for murder, he assumes it’s a routine capture, but he’s taken on a wild ride when he discovers that the accused is actually an innocent school teacher who knows too much for her own good.

Determined to uncover the truth, Luke sets out to keep himself and Billie alive while bringing the real outlaws to justice. As they race across Texas, Luke falls more in love with Billie. But could a schoolteacher ever want a half-Comanche bounty hunter? Does Luke stand a chance or is he just her ride to freedom?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Janis Jakes encourages women through inspirational fiction and non-fiction. She is a Texas native with a penchant for winding country roads, faded jeans, street tacos, and fiery West Texas sunsets.

 

More from Janis

It wasn’t unusual to find dime-store western novels on my grandfather’s nightstand. As a young girl, I poured through the yellowed, dog-eared pages. There was just something about the characters—resilient women, courageous men, and hardened outlaws—combined with the rugged terrain and inevitable showdown—that drew me deeper into every story.

In writing The Bounty Hunter’s Bride I wanted to capture the western element while creating faith-filled characters facing an uncertain future. Billie and Luke confront relentless peril with true western grit—finding victory over past regret and love as big as the Texas sky.

Hidden Facts: Billie is named for my mother, who passed away unexpectedly when I was still in high school; she was in her late thirties. The boy’s ranch idea came from a Christian boy’s ranch less than ten miles from my home. And, the early scenery depicted in the story is from my neck of the woods and the land I adore—West Texas.

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, April 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

Texas Book-aholic, April 25

Of Blades and Thorns, April 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 26

For Him and My Family, April 27

deb’s Book Review, April 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 29

Connie’s History Classroom, April 30

Simple Harvest Reads, May 1 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Labor Not in Vain, May 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 3

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 5

Vicky Sluiter, May 6 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 6 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janis is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of The Bounty Hunter’s Bride!!

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/1d0b2/the-bounty-hunter-s-bride-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

The Bounty Hunter's Bride is a wonderful debut for author Janis Jakes. I adored this book. It was a fun and quick Western read that had me right from the start. I loved the interactions between Billie and Luke and taking this journey with them. It was entertaining to keep reading to find out how it would all end for them both. The element of faith and inspiration was another wonderful plus to the story. 

The Bounty Hunter's Bride will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy clean historical fiction. I sure hope Janis Jakes releases another book soon. She has definitely proven her talent. 

I received a digital copy of The Bounty Hunter's Bride from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.