Falling from the Nest

 FALLING FROM THE NEST

Bobbie Candas

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GENRE: Historical Fiction

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BLURB:

Spring 1946--Following four years of war on the heels of the decade-long Great Depression,

Americans are finally feeling a sense of hope that begins sweeping the nation…

Jo-Jo Anderson feels that optimism too. Slipping the reins of her Iowa farming town, Jo leaves

to make her mark on the entertainment scene in Manhattan. Audiences are clamoring for new

musicals on Broadway, nightclubs are flourishing, and NYC is the beating heart of the radio

networks. After arriving, Jo-Jo quickly realizes that thousands of would-be stars are following

her same ambitions, making opportunities scarce, but her luck begins to turn when she hears

about Talent Jackpot.

Her twin, Sarah, finds success with her studies as a scholarship student at the University of

Iowa. But Sarah is adrift socially, finding it difficult to forge friendships. Her perfectly planned life

is upended when her hometown boyfriend announces he’s suddenly joined the navy. Sarah’s

top grades draw the attention of a crusty biology professor and after accepting his offer of a lab

position, her rigid lifestyle gets a lot more complicated.

This novel tells a story of unexpected change. The twins make their way through multiple

challenges with humor, ambition, and heartbreak but remain tied together by the bonds of

sisterhood, winding their way through the seedier backdoors of the entertainment business, and

into college dorm life and love nest apartments.

With the historical backdrop of the post WW2 era, Falling From The Nest, reads as a stand-

alone story but also serves as a sequel to author Bobbie Candas’ previous novel, The Lost and

Found of Green Tree.

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Excerpt:

The last of the audition line moved forward and I was suddenly thrust up on the stage of the

Imperial Theater. There were three lines of ten on stage, filled with nervous male and female

hopefuls auditioning for chorus line spots for a new Irving Berlin musical, Annie Get Your Gun. I

could smell my fear as it branched out within me in tingling connections from my frozen face

down to my feet. Feet that now felt like dead weights attached to heeled dance shoes whose

soles were glued to the floor. I’d arrived late and was in the last group of an open-call audition

and purposely nudged myself into the center of the middle line, hoping for a hiding spot. But

hiding is hard when you’re a leggy, five-foot-nine, pale blonde female in a string of short,

muscular dancers. Kinda like a spotted giraffe among the lions.

After lining up, our executioner and choreographer took about sixty seconds to show us a dozen

linking steps to an opening dance sequence. His arrogant face, slim body, and searching eyes

leaned back appraising the lines. “OK, boys and girls, this one’s simple. Think you got it?”

Everyone around me anxiously nodded yes.

No, I wanted to shout. Repeat please!

The orchestra in the pit began cranking out a tune, as the choreographer yelled out…”And a

one, and a two--knee up, kick left, circle back, hop, hop, knee up, kick right…” Then he

motioned for the music to stop.

An exasperated expression covered his face. “Ladies and gentlemen, these are the basics, the

easy connections. Let’s start again on three. And a one, and a two--knee up, kick left, circle

back, hop, hop…” He stuck his arm out, motioning again for the music to stop.

“Alright, first cuts.” His long arm and dismissive finger pointed to the guilty dancers. “Tall blonde,

center middle row, thank you. You…guy on the end, first row, that will be all. Back row, green

sweater, left side, you may leave.”

He sighed deeply, clapped his hands, and said. “Let’s go again, cue music…repeat.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I'm a Texas girl: grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin where I earned my

degree in journalism, and settled in Dallas where I raised a husband, two kids and a few cats.

My husband, Mehmet, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised who, but I'm a sucker

for a robust discussion.

For years I was involved in retail management, but in 2014 I refocused on my writing, taking

deep dives into the lives of my characters. When you can pry my fingers off the keyboard, I

enjoy entertaining, sharing food and drink with friends and family. I enjoy shopping, usually on

the hunt for apparel, with a special weakness for shoes, and will frequently jump at the

opportunity of an unexpected trip to a far-away place.

And I always make time for reading. I keep a stack of novels ready and waiting on my night

stand, with a few tapping their toe in my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m always ready

for a good recommendation.

Facebook: Author Bobbie Candas: https://www.facebook.com/bobbiecandasauthor

Good Reads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8292457.Bobbie.Candas

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Bobbie-

Candas/s?3A283155%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ABobbie+Candas

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

Website: http://www.bobbiecandas@gmail.com

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

Enter here: 

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Review of BRIGHT MIDNIGHTS

  

 

BRIGHT MIDNIGHTS

LS Delorme

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GENRE:  New Adult Paranormal Romance Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

Amelie has always been different.

 

Most high school students find life challenging, but 17-year old Amelie has a lot more to contend with than typical teenage angst. Ever since she turned 11, others have been irresistibly drawn to her—with tragic consequences. Her only escape is at night when she flies to different times and places through her “dreams”. Her life begins to change when, on one of her flights, she meets Clovis, an alluring and mysterious young man who hides a secret.

 

As Amelie finds herself increasingly drawn to him, she learns his story, how it intertwines with her own and finally discovers how to live her life in the real world. Until her own secrets are revealed to the wrong people and that world turns upside down.

 

 

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Excerpt:

 

Amelie was startled out of this reverie by the sound of a twig snapping. Starting, she found herself not ten feet from a stag, staring back at her with wide black eyes. She heard a splash, and the stag was gone. When she turned, so was the boy. 

 

A cloud covered the sun, and the wind came up. The air around her crackled with energy. Something felt wrong. She scrambled to her feet and was beginning to back away when the boy leaped from the water and onto the bank just a few feet in front of her. He was crouched and “when his black eyes met hers, she felt her blood run cold. His form was human, but there was nothing human about his movements, or what was behind those eyes. He smiled and uttered a low growl.

 

Her body had her running before her brain—which was trying to tell her all this was unreal—could stop her. She sprinted toward the manor house, pulling up her wretched skirts as she forced her way through the long grass. Behind her she could hear the sounds of pursuit, but it sounded wrong. The cadence of the running didn’t sound like someone on two feet, but on four. She couldn’t see anyone, but she could see the grass being bent as something came at her. The manicured grounds of the manor house were only a few feet away. 

 

She had just thought she might make it, and be seen by someone, when she was hit hard from behind.

 

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Review:

Bright Midnights is a dark paranormal romance story. From the beginning of this suspenseful tale, questions are created. Amelie is different. She has a mysterious gift/curse that does strange things to other people. Still, this high school student does her best to manage. 

 

Amelie becomes more likeable as we get to know her. When she goes on spiritual adventures at night in her sleep, she meets the fascinating Clovis. Who is he? Over time, his secrets are revealed, and they do not always put him in a positive light. Amelie does not seem to care though because she is falling for him. Will she change due to her developing love for him? What will she become?

 

There are confusing moments in the book, but these do not detract from the enjoyment of reading it. Perhaps, if I had read the first in the series, this would not have been an issue.

 

The other worlds that Amelie and Clovis inhabit when together are quite interesting to read about. Also, when Clovis finds a way to be in Amelie’s world, serious trouble could happen. These two characters are well developed and are surrounded by secondary characters who help us to understand the protagonists. 

 

This is an emotion-provoking story that is fast-paced and unpredictable. Readers will have to decide if Amelie can trust Clovis. The suspense and action are interspersed with profound questions. This book touches upon love of different sorts and is a real page turner. I was glad to hear that the author is going to continue this story in another book. Bright Midnights has an ending that readers won’t be able to predict. 

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Lexy is the author of the “Limerent” novel series. She has also been a travel writer and author of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Hong Kong and An Expat Mom’s unofficial Guide to Disneyland Paris. She is an ex rock musician, ex science grad, recovering attorney and now an expat writer. Her love of writing stems from an eclectic life. As a navy “brat,” she grew up in various states across the US until her father retired to North Carolina when she was a teenager. As an adult, she has continued this “tumbleweed” life, having since lived in 3 countries, 9 US states, and 21 cities around the world. But, through all this change, her love of writing has been the one constant. Writing the Limerent Series allows her to use her unusual past to help create new worlds. Lexy now lives in Paris with her husband and two very cool sons.

 

Website:  https://www.lsdelorme.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lexyshawdelorme

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lexyshawdelorme

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexy-shaw-delorme-357830/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexy.delorme

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

Enter here:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4963

Follow the tour:

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Men of the 65th

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Talia Aikens-Nunez will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?

In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.

Read an Excerpt

The Borinqueneers successfully defended the 1st Marine Division’s retreat, but they soon realized this was only part of a much larger withdrawal of UNC [United Nations Command] troops. As the retreat continued into mid-December, news came that the enemy buildup had accelerated. Chinese and North Korean forces were gathering and converging on Hungnam. The UNC’s worst fears were coming true: they were losing ground in the war.

They had to accelerate their plans in response to protect their troops and evacuate the Korean refugees that had fled to Hungnam. They ordered troops to board ships, division by division, and sail south to Pusan… Meanwhile, the 65th and the 3rd Infantry Divisions would hold the main line of resistance, providing enough cover for everyone to make it safely out of Hungnam…With each withdrawal, the enemy continued to push the Borinqueneers and the 3rd Infantry Division.

…They were exhausted from several days of fighting…The soldiers of the 65th were some of the last to leave Hungnam. They were hurried and squeezed tightly onto the final boats. Finally, they could rest and relax. Once they left, the military would destroy the port so the enemy could not use the equipment and facilities against them.

…After they loaded onto the final ship and set sail, the dynamite detonated. The soldiers looked back and watched the port explode…everything – erupted in smoke and flame.

About the Author:

Talia Aikens-Nuñez writes chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction for children. Her daughter inspired her to write her OMG Series of books about an accidental little witch. She and her husband live on a river in Connecticut with their daughter and son.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War-ebook/dp/B0BNT3ZRZQ/

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PLAYING ARMY by Nancy Stroer

  

 

PLAYING ARMY

Nancy Stroer

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GENRE:  UpLit / domestic war

 

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BLURB:

 

It’s 1995 and the Army units of Fort Stewart, Georgia are gearing up to deploy to Bosnia, but Lieutenant Minerva Mills has no intention of going to war-torn eastern Europe. Her father disappeared in Vietnam and, desperate for some kind of connection to him, she’s  determined to go on a long-promised tour to Asia. But the Colonel will only release her on two conditions—that she reform the rag-tag Headquarters Company so they’re ready for the peacekeeping mission, and that she get her weight within Army regs, whichever comes second. Min only has one summer to kick everyone’s butts into shape but the harder she plays Army, the more the soldiers—and her body—rebel. If she can’t even get the other women on her side, much less lose those eight lousy pounds, she’ll never have another chance to stand where her father once stood in Vietnam, feeling what he felt. The Colonel may sweep her along to Bosnia or throw her out of the Army altogether. Can you fake it until you make it? Min is about to find out.

 

 

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Excerpt:

 

I sucked in my gut and forced the top button of my BDU trousers through the hole. Pounds never melted off me like they did in the diet pill commercials. As I wrestled with my body’s ill-fitting container the latrine door opened and two pairs of boots tromped in. Specialist Pettit’s voice floated over the sound of running water. “Not to be mean or anything, but female commanders are the worst. And Lieutenant Mills is the absolute worst. I worked for her for two years in Personnel and she ragged on me the whole time.”

 

Whoa, shit. Enemy inside the wire. I stopped breathing altogether and leaned so close to the stall door my eyes crossed.

 

“Hey, now.” That was Lieutenant Logan, my replacement at my old job. Female soldiers carved their hierarchies along different lines, never straight down the military ranks, and new alliances were being tested. Would Logan stick up for me, officer to officer? “It’s a short-term thing. She won’t be here long.” Instead of reproach, Logan’s voice was edged with mirth. “The colonel needs a body in that chair until a real commander comes in, and now that I’m here, Lieutenant Mills is over strength. She’s the body.”

 

My face grew hot. Real commander? Body? I clamped my lips shut against the urge to burst out of the stall, roaring. I imagined inhaling the entire room then blowing them away with the release of my torso, all tightly packed plastic explosives and buckshot. These two, Logan especially, had no freaking clue.

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Nancy Stroer grew up in a very big family in a very small house in Athens, Georgia and served in the beer-soaked trenches of post-Cold War Germany. She holds degrees from Cornell and Boston University, and her work has appeared in the Stars and Stripes, Soldiers magazine, Hallaren Lit Mag, Wrath-Bearing Tree, and Things We Carry Still, an anthology of military writing from Middle West Press.

 

She’s a teacher and a trainer, and an adjunct faculty member of the Ellyn Satter Institute, a 503(c) not-for-profit that helps individuals and families develop a more joyful relationship to food and their bodies. Playing Army is her first novel.

 

Social media links:

https://twitter.com/Nancy_Stroer

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49311942.Nancy_Stroer https://www.facebook.com/nancy.stroer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-stroer-86213089/

 

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

A randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.

 

Enter here:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4902

Follow the tour:

https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2024/04/fs-nbtm-tour-playing-army-by-nancy.html

 

STELLAR HEIR

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted.

He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others, which was a boon, considering he was just a derelict scavenger.

That was until forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves, and they’ll stop at nothing to take it back. What initially appears as a boon swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it's a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands.

Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion.

An action-packed space opera, perfect for science fiction fans of Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey.

About the Author: Scott Killian grew up in California where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened and his obsession with the macabre began. Story telling, in any form, is his greatest passion.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scott.E.killian
Twitter: https://x.com/authorsekillian
Email: saltnsulfurpublishing@gmail.com
Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/9f595cbdc394/author-scott-killians-newsletter
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DF1RLYLB

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Review of CERTAIN SENSIBILITIES

  

 

CERTAIN SENSIBILITIES

Sondra Rice Newman

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GENRE:  Women's Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Elizabeth, a retired librarian, alone and unable to care for herself, is resigned to spending her remaining days in a nursing home.

 

Not long after her arrival, her vitality is awakened by Cary, a young attendant. Elizabeth discovers that his interests in literature, art and the way of life of a gentler era are in step with hers.

 

When Cary eyes a framed photo of a young Elizabeth standing with her horse, attractive and vivacious, he is drawn to her as he’s been to no other woman.

 

Haunted by memories of a domineering mother who forced her into a loveless marriage, she is nevertheless a romantic who still believes in love.

 

This uncommon liaison leads to a deep devotion that transcends all boundaries. Despite their vast difference in age, Cary’s tender warmth inspires Elizabeth to make a new start in life.

 

 

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Excerpt:

 

“Since then, we’ve never looked back. And I’ve never been happier or more fulfilled. I love this man with all my heart and soul.

 

“And you can put this in your story, too. If I were his age today, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off him.”

 

Mackenna briefly broke into a smile upon hearing the last comment, then regained her composure and continued with her questions.

 

“I’d like to ask you, Elizabeth, if you often think about your mortality and how you deal with this issue.”

 

“I take it one day at a time,” she replied. “I’m not focused on it as a regular thing. I go about my daily work, which keeps me very busy, and Cary and I take lots of time-outs to enjoy sunsets, the garden, movies—or just being with each other.

 

“When I do think about it, I don’t envision a hereafter where we might meet again someday. Instead, I know in my heart that what we feel for each other now will continue to exist, but in a different form. It will be out there somewhere in the universe in time and space—alive and powerful. It's the kind of love that will last forever.”

 

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Review:Sondra Rice Newman has written a tender and highly unusual romance in Certain Sensibilities. Cary, a man in his thirties, is a health care worker when he meets the intriguing Elizabeth, an eighty-nine-year-old woman. He sees a picture of her in her twenties. They strike up a conversation and discover that they are fascinated with each other. They become closer and closer until the situation becomes romantic.

 

Readers will wonder early on in Cary’s and Elizabeth’s relationship about a few pertinent things concerning romantic couples. This creates suspense. 

 

The cast of characters is well-drawn. Not only are the leads interesting, but the secondary supporting characters are as well. They have good stories of their own to tell. Readers are sure to love them all.

 

The story unfolds in a gentle way. It is not an action-filled tale but rather one filled with the day-to-day activities of a very unconventional couple who must deal with how people see them. The author has done a good job of making this situation believable. One is sure to remember this story for a long time.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

In love with reading since childhood, Sondra began writing poetry early on.  She later contributed columns for a weekly newspaper in Ohio.  

 

A native of Michigan, Sondra attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.

 

She brought out her first novel, Silver Dreams, in 2006 (Robert D. Reed Publishers).

 

Sondra lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband, George, a retired newspaper reporter.  

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Enter here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4964

Follow the tour:

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