☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ with M.C.V. EGAN

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Idle Sadie Hawkins Mysteries Book 2 by Patricia C. Lee Genre: Amateur Sleuth Mystery

Some women run from trouble...others out-think it

Idle

Sadie Hawkins Mysteries Book 2

by Patricia C. Lee

Genre: Amateur Sleuth Mystery

Sadie Hawkins thought her toughest challenge was keeping her small freight business afloat—until her best friend, Tanya Woods, is arrested for murder. With the police convinced Tanya is guilty, Sadie attempts to prove her friend's innocence before it’s too late.

As Sadie launches her own investigation with her crew, they use their special skills and step outside the law to uncover dark secrets tied to StreetSmart; Tanya’s workplace that provides a support system for rehabilitated young adult offenders. While her search for the truth intensifies, Sadie and her associates find themselves in a dangerous web of betrayal, lies, hidden motives, and vengeance.

With her business at risk, her trust tested and best friend on the line, Sadie must rely on both her instincts and the loyalty of those around her as she strives to find the killer. However, in a world full of secrets, even friends can become enemies and the truth might be more than she can handle.

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First Gear

Sadie Hawkins Mysteries Book 1

In the heart of Texas, Sadie Hawkins' entrepreneurial dreams take flight when a golden opportunity lands in her lap: hauling antiquities. But when calamity strikes she finds herself not just fighting for her business, but for her freedom.

Determined to clear her name, Sadie dives into her own investigation, leaning on a motley crew of rehabilitated young adult offenders known as StreetSmart for support. Racing against the clock, confronting both her past and a deadly adversary, Sadie discovers that this mystery holds more than just her future - it holds her life in the balance.

Embark on a gripping journey with Sadie as she untangles the web of danger and deceit threatening to consumer her in this suspenseful mystery that will keep you turning pages.

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Pat is an Amazon bestselling author and playwright who has had a love affair with the written word since childhood, many times immersing herself in the stories of Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene. An active imagination gave inspiration to short stories and her first play as a teen.

Her full-length play, The Truth About Lies, was staged at a regional theatrical competition in 2006. She was selected as "One of 50 Authors You Should be Reading" in 2012. One of her novels achieved a finalist slot in the 2013 International Book Award Contest - fantasy category. And her Daughters of the Crescent Moon Trilogy garnered second place in the 2016 Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers Choice for Best Series. She is also the winner of the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Short Story contest for A Holy Night.

Although still in pursuit of a place truly called home, Pat shares her life with a husband and cats, all of which claim rule over the house at one point or another. Besides dreaming up the next novel, she enjoys traveling, baking, camping, wine, and of course reading – not necessarily in that order. And she believes chocolate should be its own food group.

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ABCs of Safe Web Surfing by C.D. Richardson

Essential Online Safety Tips for Your Child's First Device

Children's book, Digital literacy

Date Published: April 14, 2025

As a parent, teacher or guardian here is an excellent approach to introduce online safety essential concepts and guidelines for your children. Together, you can learn about responsible online behavior and the importance of protecting personal information.

As a kid, when you get your first device that connects to the internet, it's important to know there are special rules and tips to help keep you safe when you explore and have fun online.

Join AROC robot and friends to learn how.

Also by C.D. Richardson

Cyber Blues

By CD Richardson

April 6, 2025

Join AROC and her robot friends for an exciting day of dominoes! In this adventure, the robots explore important lessons about empathy and cyberbullying. Through kindness and compassion, they not only have fun but also learn valuable lessons together.

Amazon

About the Author

C.D. Richardson, a proud native of St. Thomas, USVI, brings over 15 years of experience in the tech industry to her work. She passionately integrates elements of her culture with technology through AROC Adventures.

In today's digital age, computer science education is more crucial than ever. It equips individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a technology-driven world. By learning to develop software and build new hardware innovations,

computer science students of all ages enhance their problem-solving abilities, critical thinking skills, and creativity, positioning themselves for success across various industries. Moreover, creators from diverse backgrounds are essential for reducing bias in the solutions of the future that impact us all. Embrace diverse representation.

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Friday, May 9, 2025

The Witch DNA Trilogy Book 1 by Sonja Gunter Genre: Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Urban Fantasy

Love. Magic. Danger.

Could these three words articulate distinct spiritual essences to fuse together?

Opaline’s Discovery

The Witch DNA Trilogy Book 1

by Sonja Gunter

Genre: Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Urban Fantasy

Love. Magic. Danger.

Could these three words articulate distinct spiritual essences to fuse together?

Bookstore owner, Opaline Lunn, facilitates a Speed Dating Event, in hopes of finding her soulmate. She meets attendee Detective Eamon Dayan, who wasn’t looking for love, but sparks fly at their first kiss.

Together they unearth Opaline’s powers which lead to the discovery that she has two sisters, and someone called The Ancient One who wants to kill them.

Unraveling a myriad of mysteries, with Opaline’s newfound ability to do spells, the soulmates must find her sisters by her twenty-fifth birthday to be able to confront the evil force and save all of them.

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I was born and raised in the cold and beautiful Minnesota, but I escaped to Illinois for seventeen years to raise my two boys, and now I call Florida home. My husband Andy, who’s always been my hero, has put up with my late night computer typing and endless stacks of papers with my stories on them. We have one furry friend as family: Chip, a sixteen year old ragdoll cat.

Life has been full of ups and downs, but I’ve made it through the hard times. I love to travel and go to Disney World to trade pins. I’ve been a bowler for many years, and you can catch me writing my next novel at the lanes.

I encourage you to check out my web site, www.sonjagunter.com for more info and don’t be surprised if I let my Norwegian heritage come through in my stories.

Go Vikings! You betcha!

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Ashes to Flames by Donna Simmons,

Nonfiction

Date Published: March 3, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

Childhood trauma leads to perseverance and personal growth in this empowering memoir.

Born into a world shrouded by multi-generational cycles of abuse and child marriages, Donna Simmons navigates a harrowing landscape of pain and betrayal, detailing the challenges that devastated her early years but ultimately did not define the person she became.

Through poignant storytelling, she shares both moments of despair and the small victories that fueled her resilience. Each chapter reveals the transformative process of healing and self-discovery, touching on the importance of embracing nature, finding solace in creativity, and connecting with a community. Ashes to Flame recounts a powerful, deeply personal, and transformative journey from the ashes of childhood trauma to the vibrant light of purpose.

About the Author

My name is Donna Simmons, and I’m a wife, mother, author, and avid advocate for breaking cycles of generational trauma and mental health recovery. As a Governor appointed member of the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Advisory Board and member of the Bakhita Empowerment Initiative Advisory Board, I work with public servants and providers across the state to support a reduction in juvenile system involvement and strengthening protective factors for high risk youth. My passion for this work comes from my direct experience as a child abuse survivor, involvement in a behavioral health facility when I was 14, and resulting grooming and exploitation by a 29 year old mental health professional who I was married off to as a child.

In my healing journey, I have recognized that true trauma recovery can only occur when we are willing to examine the generational cycles that keeps us bound in harmful patterns. My mission is to help others transform their trauma into purpose so they can break these cycles and reach their full potential as individuals and parents.

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Website

Facebook

Instagram- @transformingashes2flame

TikTok- @ashestoflame

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Elmer Kelton's The Familiar Stranger by John Bradshaw

A Hewey Calloway Adventure, Book 5

Western Adventure

Date Published: 12-03-2024

Publisher: Forge Books

Elmer Kelton’s Hewey Calloway, one of the best-loved cowboys in all of Western fiction, returns in this novel of his middling years, as he looks for work―but not too much work―in 1904 West Texas.Hewey Calloway had intended to pass straight through Durango, Colorado, en route to visit a friend several miles northeast of the city. He had left his home range about a year before, with a herd of young horses. It was supposed to be a relatively straightforward affair; deliver the horses, collect the payment, and return home with the money. Things got out of hand, however, and there he was in Durango a year later with plans to go north rather than south. Oh, well, he thought, he had always wanted to see new country.

It isn't long before his travels lead him to a cabin on a rainy night. There he meets a young man, sick as a dog, who weakly tries to send him off. And for good reason: the man has smallpox, and soon enough, Hewey catches the deadly disease. The man cares for him in turn, and it's just as he is feeling better that the man disappears. The next morning a Pinkerton detective turns up with posse, looking for a wanted bank robber.

As he travels north, Hewey seems to run in with both the young man who tended to him, as well as the detective. But something seems off about the Pinkerton detective, and Hewey keeps his mouth shut. When he reuinites with his friend Hanley, they do everything they can to get to the bottom of the mystery that threatens both theirs and this young man's life.

Excerpt

At daybreak Hewey was tying up his bedroll, preparing to head out, when he heard a loud voice from outside.

“Hello the house! Whoever’s in there, show yourself!” The voice was commanding and not a bit friendly.

Hewey opened the door and stepped out onto the broken- down little porch. He saw better than a half-dozen riders arrayed in front of the cabin, all armed to the teeth. They were not pointing those guns at him, but they were all casually standing ready. That prompted a momentary urge to jump back inside and bar the door, tempered by a sudden recollection that the cabin door didn’t even have a bar.

“What can I do for you?” Hewey asked the man who appeared to be in charge.

“The name’s Murphy. I’m with the Pinkertons.” Hewey took an immediate dislike to the man who called himself Murphy. He dressed more like a town dude than a cowboy or lawman, but it was his manner that rubbed Hewey the wrong way. He had small, mean eyes that made Hewey mistrust the man instantly. Hewey had always felt he could read a horse by its eyes, and in his experience the same usually worked on a man.

“We’ve been trailing a bank robber for better than two weeks, and we received information that he was holed up near here. Maybe in this very cabin. For all we know, you’re him.”

“You got the wrong man,” Hewey replied, “I’m Hewey Calloway. But I suspect I might’ve spent some time with the feller you’re after.” Hewey explained how he came to be there and to become well acquainted with their quarry.

“Smallpox, you say,” answered the Pinkerton man.

About the Author

John Bradshaw is a native of the small town of Abernathy, Texas. He is an award-winning journalist with well over a thousand published stories. Elmer Kelton’s The Familiar Stranger, co-authored with Steve Kelton, is his first book.

Bradshaw attended South Plains College followed by Texas Tech University. He spent several years shoeing horses for a living as his writing career progressed.

While the desire to write books was always there, Bradshaw first pursued a career in journalism. He wrote numerous stories for ranching, horse and horseshoeing magazines.

Growing up, Livestock Weekly came in the mail once a week, as it does for most in the livestock industry. Writing for Livestock Weekly was always a goal, and in 2005 Bradshaw’s first story was published. It was a profile of Brownie Metzgar, a humorous cowboy still working in a feedlot while in his late 80s.

In 2007 Bradshaw accepted a fulltime position with Livestock Weekly. While with the paper he had over a thousand stories published, as well as enough market reports to give him permanent nightmares.

Horses have always played an important role in his life. The son of a horseshoer, he has spent a significant amount of time either on or under a horse. He still shows in both ranch horse and reined cow horse competitions.

He and his wife, Sara, live outside Abernathy. Sara owns an architecture firm, SK Architecture Group, and they raise Spanish goats, hair sheep and cattle.

In 2013 the couple had a stillborn son, Fox Joaquin Bradshaw. After several years of heartbreak they adopted an infant boy, whom they named Julian Boone Bradshaw. Boone died in his dad’s arms following an accident at the barn five days before his sixth birthday.

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https://mybook.to/ElmerKelton

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Thursday, May 8, 2025

Luna Court a Memoir

Nonfiction/Memoir, Adventure, Coming of Age, Drama

Date Published: March 24, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

"Life on the road was a dream. Destinations were shaping up to be cold, hard, complicated realities."

The call of the open road, the music that fuels them, and the night that changed everything... In the early 1990s, amidst the gritty allure of Southern California's burgeoning music scene, 18-year-old Denver finds herself at a crossroads. Her father has been missing for over a year, leaving behind a void that haunts her every moment. After high school graduation, Denver and her best friend hit the road for a transformative journey across the country.

About the Author

You might say Dandy’s lifelong pursuit of healing began in many places: with parents who both abandoned her in different ways; with the incredible cross-country road trip she embarked on as a teenager; or with a transcendent night in Washington D.C.

The truth is, healing is not about beginnings or about endings. It’s an invitation that beckons to every one of us.

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