THE SERGEANT’S DAUGHTER by Teressa Shelton Official Blog Tour

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: She Writes Press (August 11, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1631527215
ISBN-13: 978-1631527210

Praise for THE SERGEANT'S DAUGHTER

“Shelton hails from an extremely dysfunctional family, but, miraculously, she survives intact. People in seemingly hopeless situations may take solace.” ―Booklist

As a little girl, Teressa’s father dotes on her and little sister, Karen, while mercilessly mocking her older sister, Debbie. Teressa thinks its Debbie’s fault―until she gets a little older and he begins tormenting her, too. Soon enough, his verbal abuse turns physical. Her sergeant father brings his military life home, meeting each of his daughters’ infractions with extreme punishment for them all. Meanwhile, their mother watches silently, never defending her daughters and never subjected to physical abuse herself. Terrified to be at home and terrified to tell anyone, Teressa seeks solace in books, music, and the family she can find outside of her home: a best friend, a kind neighbor, and a doting grandfather. At first cowed by her father’s abuse and desperate to believe that maybe, one day, things will change, Teressa ultimately grows into a young woman who understands that if she wants a better life, she’ll have to build it for herself―so she does.

You can purchase The Sergeant’s Daughter at the following Retailers:

        

My Review

This memoir is brutally honest and raw. Reading this brought emotions to the surface and a pain in the gut.

Teressa tells her story about being raised by a military father. Not only does she deal with all the moving and having to start school and searching for friends she can connect with, she reveals her family secret of the verbal and physical abuse.

This is difficult to read, and will rip your heart apart. However, I feel this was probably pretty common with the time and stress of the Vietnam War.....but still, that should never be an excuse.

Her timeline of events are detailed and descriptive. This memoir is hard to put down and a fast read...and shows how courageous the author is to share her story with the world.

Photo Content from She Writes Press

Teressa Shelton has lived in nine states and three countries. After graduating from Belmont University in Nashville, she embarked on a career in managing medical practices. She lives with her family in Springfield, IL. The Sergeant’s Daughter is her first book.

      

AUGUST 24th MONDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

AUGUST 25th TUESDAY Movies, Shows, & Books GUEST POST

AUGUST 25th TUESDAY Casia's Corner EXCERPT 

AUGUST 26th WEDNESDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW

AUGUST 26th WEDNESDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW 

AUGUST 27th THURSDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW 

AUGUST 28th FRIDAY Insane About Books REVIEW 

AUGUST 28th FRIDAY TTC Books and More REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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WHEN THE WIND CHIMES by Mary Ting Official Nerd Blast

Paperback
Publisher: Rosewind Books (November 17, 2020)
ISBN-10: 164548047X
ISBN-13: 978-1645480471

Praise for ISAN Series

"A stunning sequel! Mary Ting takes us once again into the inventive world of ISAN--one of intrigue and betrayal--but this time, with deadly consequences. A must read!" —Jonas Saul, Bestselling Author of the Sarah Roberts Series 

"Captivating from the very beginning, this sci-fi novel explores issues of autonomy and survival in a world where there are few remaining citizens after meteors crashed into Earth... this thrilling dystopian drama has a splash of romance and tons of action. The fast-paced chapters will engage reluctant readers and fans of postapocalyptic scenarios." —School Library Journal

"Addictive and impossible to put it down!" —Addison Moore, New York Times Bestselling Author

Kaitlyn Summers is heartbroken.

When she receives an invitation to spend Christmas with her family on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, she feels it may be the perfect medicine.

She throws herself into helping her sister’s struggling art gallery, even taking a temporary job for extra money by looking after a little girl from her nephew’s school. She also begins to paint again, something she’s been unable to do since her breakup. It’s tempting to stay on Kauai, but she has obligations back in Los Angeles.

Life gets more complicated when circumstances keep putting her close to Leonardo Medici. Not only is he drop-dead gorgeous, he’s a local celebrity. But Kaitlyn can’t shake the feeling he’s hiding something.

Should she believe the rumors that he’s romancing half the island’s single women?

Or is the random sound of wind chimes when he’s close-by a sign that an angel is near and the secret to her happily ever after?

You can purchase When the Wind Chimes at the following Retailers:

 

Photo Credit: Michelle England Delavara

Mary Ting is an international bestselling, award-winning author. She writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers around the world. Her books span a wide range of genres, and her storytelling talents have earned a devoted legion of fans, as well as garnered critical praise.

Becoming an author happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she had in high school. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, Mary retired from teaching after twenty years. She also had the privilege of touring with the Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book: No Bullies Allowed.

Mary resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two little dogs, Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Being a huge Twilight fan, Mary was inspired to make book-themed jewelry and occasionally gives it away as prizes to her fans.

        

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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UNIVERSE OF TWO by Stephen P. Kiernan Official Blog Tour

 

Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (August 4, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062878441
ISBN-13: 978-0062878441

Praise for UNIVERSE OF TWO

“Rarely does historical fiction get everything so right as Universe of Two: compelling characters, faithful detail, a story packed with unexpected twists, and a sure, authentic voice that never wavers. In this novel of the dawn of the atomic age and its profound consequences, Stephen Kiernan leads us along a journey of conscience as complex and infinite as the science itself.” —Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Golden Hour

“Stephen Kiernan has pulled off the nearly impossible, reminding us by wrapping a war story in a love story that although we hold the power for our own extinction, we also have the power to redeem, heal, and save. The most tender, terrifying, relevant book you’ll read this year.” —Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family

“Based loosely on the life of mathematician and organ-maker Charles B. Fisk, this fascinating novel delves into the guilt and remorse that wracked him for his part in the development of the atomic bomb. . . . The two main characters are complex and flawed, but when they come together, their world is in harmony.” —Library Journal

“Kiernan recreates the zeitgeist of America leading up to the atomic bomb on a national and personal level: the eager anticipation of wartime’s end, the grimly fascinating science, and the growing sense of guilt and dread. Simultaneously tender and hard-hitting, this riveting story offers much to reflect upon.” —Booklist

"Universe of Two skillfully educates, entertains and enlightens as great historical fiction should . . . . Masterfully researched and exquisitely told." —The Patriot Ledger

From the critically acclaimed author of The Baker’s Secret and The Curiosity comes a novel of conscience, love, and redemption—a fascinating fictionalized account of the life of Charlie Fisk, a gifted mathematician who was drafted into Manhattan Project and ordered against his morals to build the detonator for the atomic bomb. With his musician wife, he spends his postwar life seeking redemption—and they find it together.

Graduating from Harvard at the height of World War II, brilliant mathematician Charlie Fish is assigned to the Manhattan Project. Working with some of the age’s greatest scientific minds, including J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, and Leo Szilard, Charlie is assigned the task of designing and building the detonator of the atomic bomb.

As he performs that work Charlie suffers a crisis of conscience, which his wife, Brenda—unaware of the true nature of Charlie’s top-secret task—mistakes as self-doubt. She urges him to set aside his qualms and continue. Once the bombs strike Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the feelings of culpability devastate him and Brenda.

At the war’s end, Charlie receives a scholarship to pursue a PhD in physics at Stanford—an opportunity he and Brenda hope will allow them a fresh start. But the past proves inescapable. All any of his new colleagues can talk about is the bomb, and what greater atomic weapons might be on the horizon. Haunted by guilt, Charlie and Brenda leave Stanford and decide to dedicate the rest of their lives to making amends for the evil he helped to birth into the world.

Based on the life of the actual mathematician Charles B. Fisk, Universe of Two combines riveting historical drama with a poignant love story. Stephen Kiernan has conjured a remarkable account of two people struggling to heal their consciences and find peace in a world forever changed.

You can purchase Universe of Two at the following Retailers:

        

My Review

Heartfelt in many ways, Universe of Two will take you on a journey through a time only our grandparents or great grandparents lived through, World War 2.  A time where courting was simple and respectful, while evil, pure evil consumes the whole world.

Brenda is a young woman living in Chicago with her mother. Her father and brother are off to war leaving them to run the family business.  

Charlie, A young man recruited to work on a project he is given no information on, is forced to move to New Mexico, shortly after courting Brenda.  Through letters, they try to keep in touch. 

After Brenda has deep guilt for the betrayal she did, she decides to put herself out there, and move to New Mexico to be closer to Charlie.

As Charlie and his fellow coworkers start to put the pieces together, they learn the truth of Project Y.

The guilt is powerful....emotions run in all directions.

I really enjoyed this story about a time you could call simple in some ways, yet hard core and devastating in others. These stories need to be told so they are never lost, even how traumatic and horrifying they may be.

A romance that proves that you can survive anything, this is a touching story.

Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan

As a journalist and novelist, Stephen P. Kiernan has published nearly four million words. His newspaper work garnered more than forty awards — including the George Polk Award and the Scripps Howard Award for Distinguished Service to the First Amendment.

Stephen’s newest novel, UNIVERSE OF TWO, will be out May 5, 2020. He is also author of the novels THE CURIOSITY (now in television series development), THE BAKER'S SECRET (a regional Indie bestseller), and THE HUMMINGBIRD. He has also written two nonfiction books, LAST RIGHTS and AUTHENTIC PATRIOTISM. His work has been translated into many languages.

Stephen was born in Newtonville, NY the sixth of seven children. A graduate of Middlebury College, he received a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He has chaired the board of the Young Writers Project, served on the Vermont Legislative Committee on Pain and Palliative Care, and served on the advisory board of the New Hampshire Palliative Care Initiative. He has spoken and consulted around the country about hospice, palliative care and advance directives.

A performer on the guitar since he was ten years old, Stephen has recorded 3 CDs of solo instrumentals, and composed music for dance, the stage and documentary films.

He lives in Vermont with his two amazing sons.

        

WEEK ONE

AUGUST 3rd MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

AUGUST 4th TUESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW 

AUGUST 5th WEDNESDAY Rajiv's Reviews REVIEW

AUGUST 5th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More REVIEW & GUEST POST

AUGUST 6th THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT 

AUGUST 7th FRIDAY Reading Adventures of a Book Dragon EXCERPT 

WEEK TWO

AUGUST 10th MONDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

AUGUST 11th TUESDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW 

AUGUST 12th WEDNESDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW
AUGUST 12th WEDNESDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT

AUGUST 13th THURSDAY BookHounds REVIEW & INTERVIEW

AUGUST 14th FRIDAY My Fictional Oasis REVIEW 

AUGUST 14th FRIDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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