If you haven’t read my historical fiction/romance, Lubelia Alycea: One Hundred Years, please check it out today. I promise you will not be disappointed. It is purely fiction but based on my grandmother’s indomitable spirit and personality. It rings true there only.
I wrote this book from my heart because it was dedicated to and in memory of my grandmother who lived to be 100.5. She was a formidable woman, stubborn, funny, dedicated to her family, and supportive of me. I wish I could have shared this book with her. I know she would have loved it! Miss you Avoa! (Avoa mean grandmother in Portuguese.)
Lubelia Alycea leaves her native country of Madeira, Portugal to travel to her new home – America.
This is the story of how a strong, resilient young girl grows into a formidable woman. She must survive many tragedies in her lifetime, separation from family, sickness, death, betrayal, and a lost love. Will she find happiness and a new love in her life?
Will she be strong enough to face the storms ahead and still keep her family together? Will the secrets in her life destroy her and all that she holds dear?
Even though this is purely fiction with a lot of embellishments, there is some truth in that I put a lot of my family into the story as characters with different names of course. It was fun to see some of them read this and try to guess which one they were. It’s been a while since I read it myself and couldn’t remember all the names to share with them if they were right or wrong in their guesses. I had to look back at my notes.
If you have a grandmother who would love this book, please share it with her. You don’t have to be or have a grandmother though to enjoy this read. I plan to read it again to relive the life of this indomitable woman just for fun. It was fun to create it too with my grandmother in mind. I think she was cheering me on when I did it! Ha!
Here is a book trailer to enjoy that will pique your interest, I hope!
Here is what other readers are saying about this book.
I always listened to my grandmother’s stories of her life and gleaned a lot of background for my book. If you have a grandmother or grandfather, please listen to their stories even if you have heard them many times over. You can learn so much from their lives and experiences which will make you appreciate your life now because of their sacrifices and efforts.
Sometimes a book you write or read stays with you a long time. This book has done that for me. I cried, laughed and felt the pain and losses of Lubelia even if it was fiction. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did writing it. I would love to hear your thoughts in reviews.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued kind support of me and my books. Your reviews keep me inspired to continue to write. I thank you for your efforts to spread the word about my work. God bless you.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
How Far is Heaven is the book you have been looking for, but keep the tissues handy. You will definitely need them. This story will make you keep your children closer than ever.
Writing this was difficult because it involves the kidnapping of a young child and the loss of a spouse. These are two very difficult losses for a wife and parent to handle. I found it difficult to create this scenario. As a pantser I didn’t know how this story will end until my characters pushed me forward.
Parker and Priscilla Wilfork are happily married with two children. Life seemed perfect and peaceful until Parker goes on a business trip and does not return. Priscilla finds her world turned upside down when she searches for answers to how and why Parker disappeared.
One night Priscilla has a dream that Parker is an angel. Does this mean that Parker is now dead? After two years and no sign of Parker except in her dreams, Priscilla makes the decision to tell her children that their father has gone to Heaven.
Priscilla tries to get their lives back together until one day Deanna disappears too. Now Priscilla must go on a quest to find her daughter before it’s too late. She fears her daughter’s disappearance might be connected in some way to her husband’s. Can Priscilla go on with her life if she loses Deanna too?
With the help of a handsome police Sergeant, Blake Furelli, they work together to try to find Deanna and solve the mystery behind Parker’s disappearance. During this trying time, Blake, who suffered a loss of his own, feels drawn to the ethereal beauty of Priscilla.
If you haven’t read this story yet, I hope you will check it out soon. I would love to hear your thoughts in a review. Here are what others have said about this book.
How Far is Heaven
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please keep the reviews coming. They are a perfect way to spread word about my work to others. I appreciate your efforts and value your opinion.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of April of 2024. Here are the 7 books I read and reviewed forApril. I might have read even more if I didn’t have a few WIP. But I always seemed to have a WIP! That fact never stops me! I hope you enjoy reading these reviews.
I love sharing my eclectic reads in this Jemsbooks Segment, Books Read in the Month. I hope you will get a chance to look over these books soon. Thank you for your kind support of my work and that of my fellow authors.
If you are an avid reader, as I am, please review the books you love on Amazon or wherever you purchased them for others to enjoy your reviews. Reviews are one way for readers to know about an exceptional book. We indie authors love to receive reviews and appreciate the efforts of readers to do them. Once again, I thank you for your kind support of me and my books and for supporting my fellow authors too.
When I wrote these reviews I rated them on Amazon, Goodreads and sometimes Barnes & Noble. I did not include the ratings here though. It is best to share my thoughts with you about how I felt about the book without the rating. Ratings can be deceiving at times.
We all feel differently about books. Sometimes we love them, sometimes we like them and still other times we may dislike a book. Some others are so memorable they take our breaths away! While still others are sweet, sensitive, and enjoyable reads that we soon will forget. But all these books I have reviewed were lovely reads as you can see from my reviews. I hope you enjoy my reviews and that they help you decide what will be your next read.
The Spy Coast is an enjoyable read and a wonderful first installment of The Martini Club. I loved the characters who were varied, intriguing, and well-seasoned retirees.
The author takes the reader on a wild chase as the main protagonist, Maggie bird, a former spy tries to settle down in the village of Purity, Maine, away from her past which continues to haunt her. Her neighbors are her closest friends from her past life and support her even though she does not want them to endanger their lives for her when someone in Maggie’s past finds her and puts her life in danger once again.
Maggie cannot ignore the summons from a person who she once worked with but at the same time she fears that this person will only draw her in and bring back other dangerous individuals who will not leave until she is dead.
This was an intriguing story that kept me riveted. I look forward to the next book in the series and highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a mystery.
Otherwhere is an intense, psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat with each new development. The main protagonist, Joelle Lawton wants a simpler life without all the issues of a cheating husband, a job that threatens her safety and children who don’t respect her. When she is kidnapped she realizes that her life wasn’t so terrible after what she is now suffering through.
The main themes of this book are psychological abuse and human trafficking; unfortunately, two frightening issues prevalent in society today. Joelle suffers at the hands of an insane maniac.
I found this to be a disturbing and depressing story but could not stop reading until I found how what would happen to Joelle. it must have been difficult for the author to write about these subjects without feeling depressed.
I still enjoyed the story but was relieved when I finished it.
One Summer is a different kind of genre for Baldacci. I was swept away by the way he wrote about love in such a beautiful and moving way, evidence that there are many layers to his writing talent. I felt as if I was reading a novel by Nicholas Sparks.
It was an emotional and touching story that brought me to tears repeatedly throughout the book. This is definitely a book designed for women. That is probably why others did not like it. I, for one, was uplifted by how articulate Baldacci was about family, love and emotions.
It was refreshing to read about love, family, and all the problems and struggles that happen in life and how a family overcomes these moments and somehow struggles to survive as long as there is love, for love can triumph in the end.
I highly recommend this beautiful story!
The Exchange follows The Firm which was a popular book at the time. It’s been awhile since and a hard act to follow even though this story did hold my attention until completion.
This book focuses on lawyers and all the wheeling and dealing they do in their everyday world. The main protagonists, Mitch and Abbey, the two characters who are in the first book, carry the story along when a female lawyer is kidnapped from the same firm. Mitch’s job is to do everything he can to get her back. Abbey is pulled into this plan by the kidnappers, much to the dismay of Mitch.
There is danger for everyone involved, and plenty of violence and deaths surround the situation. Money is behind it all and Mitch must work some miracles in order to get it in time.
This was an interesting story but I did enjoy the first one more.
The House of Wolves is a mystery involving the wolf family whose business is football with all the problems that come with it. When the patriarch Joe Wolf dies he leaves his football team and business to his daughter instead of his three sons. This causes dissension amongst his offspring that could lead to death.
There are many suspects in this mystery that could possibly be behind the problems that keep cropping up to deter the new owner of the team, Jenny Wolf. It seems that there are others who do not want her to succeed in managing the team and will do anything to ensure that she fails. When one of her brothers dies, she feels that she is without any support and that no one can be trusted.
A different genre for Patterson but one that Lupica knows well. This was an interesting story even though the ending was a little flat but the strong female protagonist is what drove the story forward and kept my interest.
The Girls on Chalk Hill is a shocking thriller of a mystery with Detective Lexi Bennett at the helm of a horrific murder investigation involving a serial killer.
Lexi has had a great loss in her life, her triplet sister, and can sympathize with the family who have suffered a double loss losing two of their daughters, also triplets, leaving one still missing. Lexi cannot rest until she finds the missing girl and puts the murderer behind bars, for she believes he may be the one who also kidnapped her and her sisters, killing one of her sisters.
This is a gripping and unforgettable story that I could not put down. This is the first book in this series. I avidly look forward to the next book by this creative and talented author.
Windflower is back again in this new addition to the Winston Windflower Mysteries. Reading this series is like taking a deep cleansing breath and feeling relaxed and happy while visiting with Windflower and his family and workmates.
The Sargent is on a new case and pulled into his former position as his supervisor sees the need for Windflower’s expertise in solving crimes and catching the perpetrators in his calm and polished manner. He and Tizzard, his former employee, work together to bring some closure to drug problems and murders that are linked.
I love the food and recipes that Windflower uses throughout the book along with the different quotes of famous writers that added meaning and substance to each scene.
Mike Martin created another enjoyable book in this Windflower Mystery Series.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please remember to post reviews of books you love or not. We authors thank you and appreciate your efforts to spread word about our work.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
If you love short stories that will keep you turning pages, please check out An Angel Among Us.This is a short story collection of 15 stories in different multi-genres all with a twist that will leave you wanting more.
A collection of short stories that covers several genres including romance, grief/loss, mystery, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal. This book is dedicated to a courageous friend who passed this year. The first story is specially created for her and is the inspiration for the title of this book.
I wrote this book and dedicated to a friend who passed several years ago from breast cancer. She truly was an angel among us. I hope if you haven’t read this book yet that you will check it out soon and discover the intriguing stories. These stories are quick reads and can be enjoyed when you don’t have enough time to begin a full-length story.
Here is what others are saying about these stories.
I hope you will enjoy reading these stories as much as I enjoyed creating them. They may leave you wanting more. I may one day wrote another collection.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please remember to review books that you love or not. Authors will appreciate your efforts and be thankful that you are helping to spread word about their work.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I published my first children’s book in 2013 and now I have 22 books for PS-Grade 3. If your children love animals then they will enjoy Jemsbooks in fun rhymes as they learn important life lessons. These books have won multiple awards from Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards, Mom’s Choice Awards, and Top Shelf Awards for which I am honored and grateful.
Please consider giving books to all the children on your list for all occasions. There is nothing better than to see a child’s eyes light up when you give him/her a book – even more so when you read the book to them. You are giving them so much more than you could ever imagine, e.g., you spark their imagination, heighten their creativity, lift their spirits, increase their vocabulary, open up a whole new world to them, enhance their health and wellbeing and encourage them to love reading. The gift of a book is worth more than gold to our children, grandchildren. Keep reading and gifting books to children. Let’s bring up a generation of readers and thinkers. Thank you for your support!
I know how important it is that children have books that will inspire, fascinate and encourage them to read more every day. I am a mother and grandmother and I strive to create stories to teach children valuable life lessons that encourage them to be kind to others, respect elders, accept differences, help others in need, friendship is important and family matters. If you read my books to your children you will see all these family values instill in each story.
Our children are the most important people in our lives. It is our duty to instill in them these valuable lessons that will take them through their life to help them become strong-minded, considerate and kind grownups who will make a difference in this world.
See what other readers are saying about Jemsbooks children’s books.
Clarence Henry the Hermit CrabDrystan the Dragon Book 1Jesse the Precocious Polar BearClarence Henry the Hermit CrabMake Believe Book 3Make Believe Book 4
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please review books that you love or not for authors everywhere. We will be grateful for your efforts and appreciate your input.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I have really enjoyed writing this series and look forward to completing the final book in the series. Of course, if the main character, Branyrd, wants to continue with another story, who am I to refuse her?
If you haven’t read this series, please begin with book 1 to get a feel for the character and her personality and how she matures. I guarantee you will fall in love with this sweet angel! Everyone who has read this series has fallen in love with her. This is a heartwarming, sweet and inspirational series that will give you hope in tough times that we are not alone.
This is not a children’s book. Branyrd is a different kind of angel. She has a difficult time being understood because of her habit of getting into all kinds of trouble and for her unacceptable language. Angels are not supposed to swear.
This angel must earn levels to be accepted by the LORD. She is presently at Angel Fourth Class and must ascend to Angel First Class in order to be given a mission to travel to Earth to help a human in trouble.
Once she reaches Angel First Class, she is given a mission and travels to Earth to help a battered woman and her child. Since she is so new to the ways on Earth, Branyrd is accompanied by her Guardian Angel Benedicto, Angel First Class on High, who guides and advises her.
Branyrd doesn’t know what she will do or how she will complete this mission. She must show her strengths and succeed, or she may be demoted. What she finds on Earth is not what she expected. It certainly is nothing like Heaven. There are dangerous people but also those who she will miss dearly when she must leave.
Branyrd goes on another mission to Earth, this time she has been enlisted to help a homeless vet and his young son. The Angel goes out of her way to put things right for Lucas and his son, Ezra. She finds it difficult through with the influx of empathic messages and feelings that threaten to overload her. Will she be able to help Lucas get his family back together and find his way to recovery after suffering from PTSD?
Branyrd is a funny, sweet, strong, resilient and capable Angel who is not afraid to take on the toughest tasks, who strives to pave the way for those in need, who creates change and makes a difference in the lives of others that enables them to find their way forward to a good life.
When Branyrd visits a homeless community, she meets with the mayor to work out a plan to solve the problems the homeless have there. Will others stop her from helping those in need? Will Benedicto be there in case she needs his intervention? Will Branyrd be able to break free from the connections she has made when it is time for her to leave Earth and return to Heaven?
Branyrd is on another mission which may be the toughest one so far. She has been sent to a troubled island in the South Pacific that is being attacked by the fellow islands in the archipelago. Her mission is to rescue some children from an orphanage during the attacks.
She is escorted, once again, by her Guardian Angel, Benedicto, who is there as counsel and aide as she completes her mission. What Branyrd finds there is devastation and heartbreak as she tackles the mission, this time one of love for the children and the rest of the islanders who have lost family and homes.
There are many obstacles that stand in her way and danger for the children and others as she must rescue not only them, but also another island that is in danger of sinking.
Read what others are saying about this series:
Branyrd 1 gif (7)Branyrd Book 1 gif (6)Branyrd Book 1 gif (5)Branyrd the Angel 2Branyrd the Angel 2Branyrd 2Branyrd 3Branyrd 3Branyrd 3
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please keep those reviews coming and I will keep writing to provide more entertaining reading for your pleasure.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
My husband did another cover for Search for the Medallion: Gateskin Chronicles Book 3 which I like even better than the previous one. Here is a reveal of the new cover. What do you think?
I am still editing but hope to finish soon after I receive notes back from all my beta readers. Still waiting for two more to respond.
The blurb will be shared when the book is officially published. I have one more thing to do – copyright the story, and then onto publishing an eBook and paperback. There are many facets to publishing a book. Most of the work is yet to come – marketing, selling, and promoting my work. Sigh! It should be simple for me after 45 previous books, but it’s not. I learn something new each time I complete a new story and have to go through this process again.
Watch for this book coming soon! I hope if you haven’t read any of this series that you will begin with book 1 and LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN!
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please keep reading and I will keep writing. Reviews are welcomed and appreciated.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
Look no further – Hunting Mariah and Mariah’s Revenge is the series to read next. I guarantee that you will be hooked from page one of each book and not be able to put either book down. Please begin with book 1 though in order to get the feel for the characters. Book 2 will continue the story where book 1 left off.
Writing this series was terrifying for I didn’t know how it would end. The killer haunted my dreams each night until I completed the book. I only wrote the sequel because some readers wanted to know more about Mariah and what happened next. I was relieved when I completed the series for the killer left my dreams and I could once again sleep in peace.
If you haven’t read this series, I hope you will enjoy the suspense, mystery, and heart-stopping scenes that will keep you turning pages furiously to find out what happens next.
AUTHORSDB FIRST LINES CONTEST – FINALIST!
An insane killer, obsessed with blood and death, seeks revenge with those he perceives wronged him. He is now on the loose. His next victim may be Mariah.
Mariah has lost her memory. Will she remember what has transpired in her past? Can Mariah escape this deadly killer’s grasp. Will she finally be safe? Will the killer be apprehended?
AUTHORSDB FIRST LINES CONTEST – FINALIST!
This book begins where the first book, Hunting Mariah, left off. This suspense/thriller/crime novel will keep you turning pages as the tension grows. There will be twists and turns and some surprises. Many of the same characters will be in play to give support and encouragement to Mariah along the way. A new man comes into Mariah’s life that reminds her of someone she wants to forget. He threatens to bring back the horrors that she and her family once endured. While the one she wants to forget suffers from a horrendous attack that puts his life in jeopardy. Mariah must draw on her strength and resilience to survive danger at every turn. How much more can Mariah endure? How far will Mariah go to protect her family?
Couldn’t put the book down. Every page had a new turn in it. I just couldn’t figure out why these detectives kept missing out on catching this psycho. Real thriller and would definitely read the next one by J.E.SPINA
Check out these book trailers for a taste of the excitement and suspense of this 2-book series!
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please review books for hard-working authors everywhere. Your efforts will be appreciated and welcomed!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
My latest WIP is in the final editing stages. This is the most difficult part of the whole process of writing and my least favorite too. This has to be done no matter what. I will complete it soon, I hope.
Please check out this series and begin with book 1 in order to learn about the characters and get into the storyline. There are myriad characters but I do have a complex list of them in the front of the book. There are some surprises in this latest book that will continue into the next one.
This is Book 1 of a fantasy series that will have six books in all. In this book learn about the three children of King Gateskin and his wife, Queen Solinara. The children have had powers since they were quite young..
Serena was three years old when she learned of her power to move objects with her mind. Her brother, Simon, can fly and their sister, Catalina, can become invisible or blend into her surroundings. They live with their parents in Sovorotskina, the Land of Light.
With these powers comes responsibility. The children must try to use their powers for the common good and responsibly to help others. The three children befriend a Sprite named Spindle who accompanies them on their adventure. Along the way they meet up with their aunt and uncle, their mother’s brother and his wife, Wizard Hotenfaran and Fairy Procelina. The group must travel into the evil land of Parotovina, Land of Darkness, to save King Gateskin, who was kidnapped, and also rescue some of the descendants of their friends and fellow Sovorotskinans who were captured and taken by the Evil Ones. These descendants have been waiting a long time to be free to return to the villages of their ancestors.
The children have many trials and adventures along the way. Will they be able to rescue their father and fellow Sovorotskinans without endangering their own lives? Will the evil King Kaposkaran and his Queen Beregina stop Serena and her siblings from being successful or will they turn Serena and her siblings to their dark ways?
The adventures continue in this addition of Gateskin Chronicles. Many new characters and creatures are introduced. Spells abound with magic all around. Many visitors come to Sovorotskina looking for asylum from the evil King Kaposkaran of Parotovina. Will King Gateskin accept them all or even be able to trust them not to be spies for the evil King?
Serena uses her powers to assist when wolves come their way. Other creatures are also about and threaten the safety of the village.
Kaposkaran finds himself in trouble when his village is attacked by creatures. Will he turn to Gateskin for help? If he does, what will Gateskin do?
There is a spy about in Sovorotskina. Will the spy be discovered and somehow stopped from undermining the magic of King Gateskin and his family?
Creating this series has been an adventure in itself. It takes a lot of energy, creativity and stamina to keep track of the characters that keep popping up and pushing their way into the story. I am reining them in and curtailing their progress from infringing on my time. I do not want to have a thousand characters before the series ends, if I can help it! Yikes! I know how difficult it is to keep track of a story if there are too many characters. I am doing my best to keep the characters to a minimum in each book so that the readers will not be too confused. Many of the characters who were in the other books will not be mentioned in this one or the rest of the series.
I will begin the next book in this series after I complete Book 4 of Branyrd the Angel Series which will complete the series. Sometimes I need to break away from one genre and pick up another to stay fresh. Also, the angel series is a much quicker story to write and still give me time to pick up book 4 of the fantasy series and complete it before the end of 2024.
My goal for this year was four books but I will hopefully complete three. I always put a lot of pressure on myself which I know I shouldn’t do, but can’t help it. Sigh! I feel that I have to keep plugging along since I want to get as much accomplished during my lifetime as I can. Who knows how many years we have on this Earth? I will fill my time with productivity as much as I can.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. I hope you are enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed creating it. Please don’t forget to review books for all the hard-working authors who are waiting to hear your thoughts. We appreciate your efforts and value your opinions.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
The weather is getting better but still cool but nice to take a walk around the neighborhood. This week I have been dog-sitting my daughter’s labradoodle. She is the sweetest dog and having her forced me to get out and walk every day instead of exercising on my gym equipment.
Everything is coming alive now and I wanted to share these photos with you from our walk. There is so much beauty around us if we only take the time to see it. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding and the grass is greening up, everything awakening from a long winter’s sleep.
I’ve been missing this since I haven’t walked outside for a while. I usually exercise inside on my equipment. It was lovely to out, thanks to my grand puppy! She forced me to do this. Thank you, Bailey! Love you! She has since been picked up by her family and we are both missing her. I will miss our walks and cuddles but not picking up the poops. Haha!
I hope you enjoyed my photos as much as I enjoyed talking them on our walk. Thank you for stopping by to read this post. Come back again soon. I am working on finishing up the editing of our latest WIP. Watch for it coming next month.
I pray that you are enjoying the season you are in wherever you live and that you are staying healthy. Keep walking and enjoy every day as if it were your last. Who knows what will happen. All we can do is thank God for every day HE gives us. I do.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
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