THE TRACEVERSE SAGA

The Shattered Gate &

The Two Gates

by

ERIC R. SWANSON

Genre: Science Fiction / Genetic Engineering

Publisher: Eric R. Swanson, LLC.

Date of Publication Book 1: March 22, 2020

Number of Pages: 394 pages

Date of Publication Book 2: May 1, 2021

Number of Pages: 402 pages

The Shattered Gate

They selfishly pillaged Earth and made him a hybrid. Will his split nature spell the end of intergalactic abduction?

Half-human, half-Ceran, Micah Trace yearns for something more. Though the repetition and isolation of living as a body double for the King of Ceres is crushing, he’s grateful to be treated better than the other genetically engineered humans. But when he discovers the ailing plight of his ancestors, he heeds the calling and cleverly insinuates himself into a dangerous mission across the galaxy.

Fearing their plan to repair a failing transportation gate might lead to disaster, Micah uses his experience mimicking the king to steal the forbidden authority he’s assumed for so long. But with ulterior motives darkening the depths of space, he may not survive to see the centuries-old connection between the planets repaired.

Can the royal mimic win control of the ship before they’re lost to the vacuum’s void?

The Shattered Gate is the thought-provoking first tale in the science fiction Traceverse Saga. If you like character-driven action, high-tech military defense systems, and intriguing political powerplays, then you’ll love Eric R. Swanson’s interstellar adventure.

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The Two Gates

Born to serve. Trained to lead. Can a man of two species bridge the critical gap between his peoples?

2454. Micah Trace’s half-human heart races as his expedition approaches Earth. Taking leadership of a one-way-trip from Ceres, he fears the memory of a centuries-old mass abduction means they’ll face a hostile reception. And his desperate claim of a shared ancestry falls on deaf ears when the traumatized Earthers greet them with suspicion, capture, and interrogation.
With relations treading a knife’s edge, the offworld ambassador finally proves his genetic roots and convinces the nervous population to repair the stargate and reconnect their worlds. But some resent alien interference in the planet’s affairs, and Micah suspects that they may be willing to kill to ensure his mission’s doom.

Can the hybrid herald unite his two species before the past destroys their future?

The Two Gates is the thrilling second novel in the science fiction Traceverse saga. If you like complex interplanetary politics, stunning character revelations, and pulse-pounding action, then you’ll love Eric R. Swanson’s galactic tale.

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Watch the book trailer for The Two Gates

By Eric Swanson

Or click here to view on the author’s Facebook page

Eric Swanson was born in September of 1981 in Chicago, IL, and his entire life has been spent engrossed in stories. Growing up in a Minneapolis, MN suburb, Eric developed a deep appreciation for stories with a wide scope. From being frightened by Stephen King’s IT to being enthralled by Orson Scott Card’s Ender Wiggin stories, the written word of others grabbed Eric and often refused to let go… Even after he finished the first reading of a book. Several of his personal copies of favorite novels have endured many many readings. From an early age, Eric was a fan of all things science fiction with a leaning toward the dystopian and post-apocalyptic. The future fascinates Eric to no end, be that a realistic or wild-eyed and farfetched future. While he annually binges Battlestar Galactica (04), he dreams of worlds, people and happenings yet to be written. Eric lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, two children, and a pair of Goldendoodles. They sometimes Tweet for him…

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Synopsis

Scarlet’s life is pretty average. Overly protective mom. Great friends. Cute boy she’s interested in. And a father she’s never known – until she does.

When the FBI shows up at Scarlet’s door, she is shocked to learn her father is infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And now, he’s dying and will only give the names and locations of his remaining victims to the one person, the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.

Scarlet’s mother has tried to protect her from Lake’s horrifying legacy, but there’s no way they can escape the media firestorm that erupts when they come out of hiding. Or the people who blame Scarlet for her father’s choices. When trying to do the right thing puts her life in danger, Scarlet is faced with a choice – go back into hiding or make the world see her as more than a monster’s daughter.

Kate McLaughlin’s Daughter is a novel about trying right deadly choices that were never yours to begin with.

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Review

What would you do if you found out you were the daughter of a serial killer? And how far would you go to help find the rest of his victims? That is what Scarlet is faced with when the truth is revealed.

This new YA book is told from the perspective of Scarlet, Jeffrey Lake’s daughter. Growing up she had no idea who she was and it isn’t until he is dying of cancer that the truth comes out. Her mother did a great job of protecting her, but maybe too good of a job since she is blindsided by the truth and it turns her life as she knew it upside down. To make things worse, he has told the FBI that if they bring his daughter to visit him, he will reveal more of the women that they didn’t find that he murdered. What a quandary for Scarlet, does she help bring peace to the families that don’t know what happened to their daughters, or does she continue her life such as it is?

This book reminded me of a series by another author that deals with how the families of serial killers are perceived by others. If you look at what we see in the media today, people are presumed guilty just by association and that isn’t fair to the innocent. However, the media likes to stir up controversy so this really isn’t anything new.

I was very surprised at how many times Scarlet and her friends would smoke pot and get high. I realize she has an anxiety disorder, but she does have medication for that. But by the end of the book, I wondered if the anxiety was caused by her mother and the lengths she went to in protecting Scarlet. And the fact that her mother could smell it on her and just let it slide was surprising considering she ran background checks on everyone that came into their lives.

This book made me think about how I would handle myself if placed in the same situation. Would I meet my father to quell the curiosity I have about him? Would I do this for the victim’s families to give them closure? It would not be an easy situation because you have to be on guard when dealing with a psychopath.

There is some information about the killings and what Jeffrey Lake did with these women that is a little hard to read, but sadly, is not uncommon when it comes to serial killers. There are some sick people in this world.

I felt that this was a somewhat realistic view of teen life and how people treat those that they have presumed to be guilty even if you were only 2 at the time. I admired Scarlet for wanting to bring the victims out and have people remember them for who they were, not just that they were a victim of her father’s.

We give it 4 paws up.

About the Author

Kate began her career as Kathryn Smith, writing best-selling, award-winning historical and paranormal romances. Then, needing a bit of a break from straight historicals, she became Kady Cross, author of The Steampunk Chronicles from Harlequin Teen. This award-winning series led to The Clockwork Agents — steampunk romances for Signet Eclipse under the name Kate Cross. Finally, a new career in Dark Fantasy led to The Immortal Empire series for Orbit, written as Kate Locke.

Regardless of what name she goes by, Kate loves stories that put character first and enjoys exploring every side of the people she creates — even if it makes them less likable.

An up-rooted Canadian, Kate lives in Connecticut with her husband, Steve, and their pride of cats. When not writing, she enjoys reading, movies, makeup, and poking around abandoned asylums.

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Synopsis

Cassie O’Malley is a woman on the run when she when gets tangled up with a suspicious local sheriff and, on the spur of the moment, turns to a handsome stranger to get herself out of a tight spot.

Ted Wellman didn’t go to town to get hitched but that sweet girl with her big green eyes looked desperate. Suddenly he finds himself married to a stranger. No problem, his uncle’s a lawyer and everybody knows he’s in no emotional condition to settle down, not since the death of his brother put him on emotional lock down.

Much to his surprise, instead of helping get out of it, Ted’s crazy family seemed determined to keep him and Cassie together. What could they be thinking? That there is a chance of finally thawing Ted’s frozen heart?

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This book releases on 3/29/22, preorder it today!

Review

This is a rerelease of one of the author’s books that she wrote under another penname in 1997 called Love is the Answer. It has been updated to today’s times but the sweet southern romance checked several boxes including a little danger for Cassie.

Cassie has been orphaned while still a minor and was taken in by a couple. He is a scumbag but his wife is nice yet dying of cancer. Once Cassie is free of her obligation she strikes out on her own primarily because he has sold her to sex traffickers. I appreciated the little bit of the book that delved into this horrible world and was glad that Cassie was able to leave before any of that came to fruition.

Ted is living in his own sort of hell after his twin brother was killed in a car accident. He has never let himself move past that event until now. Even his own family couldn’t budge him in moving on with his life.

I thought the storyline was cute and found it comical that they had to get married to avoid Cassie being found out since there was an APB out for her saying she had mental issues. Shows you what sort of dirtbag she was living with at the time. I think Ted taking care of Cassie was what brought him out of his funk. However, Cassie has her own ideas and doesn’t need Ted to take care of her, but she does in a way. They are both young (20 and 21 I believe) and there is so much more to life than what they know. Thankfully, Ted’s family takes her in as their own and treats her well. I think Cassie fell for the family before Ted and I can’t blame her considering the last few years. They both have some growing up to do and what safer place than with each other.

The story isn’t long but it is as sweet as sweet tea and was a quick read.

We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author and RITA Finalist, Carolyn Brown, has published more than seventy books.  These days she is concentrating on her two loves:  women’s fiction and contemporary cowboy romance. She and her husband, a retired English teacher, make their home in southern Oklahoma.

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Synopsis

This memoir was written to honor my youngest brother’s influence over my life, the good, the bad, and the ugly of living with a Down Syndrome sibling. It tells the story of the children in my family, despite our parents’ frailties, remaining committed to each other through life’s many changes and separations. Who I am today is directly related to the who I needed to become.

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Praise

“As the intertwined life stories of the author and her brother Bruce emerge, the story takes on a new tone. Bitterness and rancor are replaced with a gentle kind of mellowness and a roaring-fire-on-a-cold-winter-day kind of warmth. This is underscored when the author writes that her plans for Bruce were “to open and enrich his world.” In the end, however, she realizes how being with Bruce “accomplished so much more.” She realizes how this “sweet small man” and “Bruce’s” capacity to love and to “just go on because there was no other choice” profoundly influenced her life. And how Bruce opened and enriched her world.

Oh, and the title? You’ll have to read the book for yourself to figure that one out. Flavored with gentle humor and tongue-in-cheek wit, Listen to Me isn’t a long read. At about 30,000 words, you can finish it in an afternoon. But the reflections and insights will reverberate much longer.”- Kristine, Pages and Paws

“This book is a touching story about the unconditional love between an older sister and her brother, Bruce. The prose is uplifting and inspirational, without the traces of ableism that can be found in other such works. The overall message is a plea to see people for who they are, not their diagnosis and aims to increase disability awareness.”- Laura Quinn, Laura Quinn Writes

“This memoir is exactly what I needed. It made me laugh and cry and helped me appreciate the people in my life even more than I already did. Bruce’s love for his family, friends, and favorite rock ‘n’ roll idols lives on through this book. His larger-than-life personality left such an impression on me; I can honestly say that I feel like I know him without ever having met him. I think about him from time to time and his essence inspires hope in me, showing me how precious it is to have an innocent view of life at any age.

This book means so much to me. Lynne Podrat is a true artist with her words and the life she created around the people she loves. Her tenacity and devotion to her family—and herself—is unparalleled. She is a badass. If I could just accomplish half of what she has, I would be happy.”-Sandi, Proof Reader Sandi 

Guest Review from Gud Reader

Not so often do you get a memoir so immaculately written and touching on a sensitive issue like Down syndrome. Listen to me: how my down syndrome brother saved my life is just that book that fits this bill. The book revolves around two siblings Lynne and her brother Bruce who was born with Down syndrome. Just like the guardian angel she is, Lynne ensures that her baby brother is included in part of the family while also vowing to always protect him at all times.

Throughout the read, we get to know the powerful and persuasive character of Lynne and how her brother fuels her motivation to fight for the motivation of the family. Unlike the norm of sibling rivalry, these siblings learn to stick and look out for each other thus cementing some unwavering commitment to each other.

Lynne Podrat does a marvelous job of cramming the book with practical advice, resources, and also some indispensable information with some uplifting personal stories woven in. On her part, the author struck the right balance to entertain and also inform while keeping the reader engaged to learn more about how to enrich the lives of souls with Down Syndrome and also how they can reach their full potential. A story about braveness, finding your voice, and being encouraged to reach your best potential despite the hurdles. Really glad I read it!

Excerpt

Brucie’s Kids

Bruce’s involvement in Special Olympics and sports in general continued to dwindle while waiting for his final diagnosis of kidney disease. He lost his love of swimming and running. The energy needed for these sports was just not there. It was so sad as he had earned many a gold medal for running in Special Olympics. However, one sport he was willing to learn was soccer. Why? Randy played soccer and during Sunday visits to my home, along with my parents, everyone would attend Randy’s games.

I use the term learn loosely. Bruce’s education began with volleys back and forth in the street in front of our house. Randy would gently kick the ball to his uncle, who finally figured out he needed to kick the ball back, not pick it up and throw it. We would listen to their conversation from the driveway. “Okay, Uncle Bruce. I will kick the ball and you kick it back, like this. No, no. Don’t catch it. Just kick it back, like football.”

“Football?” Brucie would ask. “This is not a football,” Randy clarified. Even at a young age, Randy had great patience and respect for Bruce’s unique learning and physical capabilities, never getting frustrated with the repetition of instructions and coaxing his uncle who often did get frustrated. “Oh, come on,” Bruce would shake his head, his face crinkling up. “I can’t do this.” And he would walk away, Randy chasing him down to convince him back. The two had their own special bond. Though Bruce loved his nieces Arielle, Robyn, and Jerica, and his great-nieces, Randy’s daughters Maddie and Emily, his number one fan was Randy, whose comfort level with him was amazing. While growing up and now during Christmas visits back up north, watching them debate music, best artists, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees acknowledges that I did a good job making sure my brother would be remembered as an integral part of this family, stamped on their hearts forever.

We set up trash cans, bicycles, and our large planters as borders so the ball would stay in bounds during play, allowing the space to grow along with Bruce’s developing ability. Eventually, my father, Big Bruce, and I created a goal post so a “real” game could be played, with my father as permanent goalie and Big Bruce and me taking turns as rotating teammate or opposing goalie. My mother, cheerleader for both sides, received Brucie’s infamous dirty looks if she wasn’t cheering for his side. “Oh no, you cheat!” Brucie would stalk off our court shaking his head and hand once someone other than Randy or himself scored. He would allow us to cajole him back to the game as we laughed and ran after him. He enjoyed this game just as much as the soccer game. By the time Jerica joined her soccer team, Brucie was a pro, insisting either Randy or Jerica be on his team. When asked why he wanted the kids, we were told, “They know how to play.” If Big Bruce and I scored, Brucie would then insist on both so he could beat us, still claiming we cheated and loving us to cajole him back. We had a soccer ball, baseball, and football at the house in a bag with his name, hung next to Randy and then Jerica’s bags for whenever and whatever he wanted to play. Their sports becoming Bruce’s sports. His enjoyment of playing with “his kids,” as he liked to call them. Wonderful to watch.

My only regret was not being able to teach him how to ride a bike. He could never master the balance no matter how much we supported his weight or modeled what to do. We ended up finally donating the small girl’s twenty-inch bike with training wheels to Goodwill. Of course, in true Brucie fashion, once the small bike was gone, he decided he needed to learn how to ride Randy’s 24-inch bike. I am five-feet-two-inches tall and weighed, at that time, ninety-eight pounds. Brucie, four-foot-ten inches, weighed one hundred and twenty pounds. Guess who he wanted to hold him as he tried to get on the bike? The scene was as ridiculous as you can imagine. Nonetheless, I had the bike leaned against me, trying to get Bruce to stand on the curb and swing his leg over the bar. When you look up the word klutz, bear this picture in mind. By the third time of falling over with my brother on top of me, with the family laughing too hard to help, I gave up. We couldn’t get Bruce or David to peddle a tricycle when they were younger, let alone now, so I finally conceded defeat. Not an easy task for me.

Bruce playing Soccer with his kids

About the Author

Lynne Podrat graduated from the Pennsylvania State University and then spent fifteen years in the Fashion Industry as an Assistant Buyer and Department Manager with Bloomingdales Department Store before returning to school to receive her educational degrees from Arcadia University and Gynedd Mercy.

A retired educator and Administrator from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania School District, she taught English, literature, composition, and history in elementary and secondary schools.

She has secretly been a writer and poet her whole life but has only recently chosen to share those talents with the world. Lynne now lives with her husband in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, spending winters dragon boating where her heart races and summers hiking the Rockies in Vail, Colorado where her heart sings.

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Giveaway

This giveaway is for 3 print copies, one for each of 3 winners, and is open to the U.S. only.

This giveaway ends on April 15, 2022 midnight, pacific time.

Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Synopsis

Mark never gave much thought to being adopted. He certainly never considered the possibility that the sixteen-year-old girl that had given birth to him might have gone on to marry his biological father and have three more children: Rachel, Benjamin, and Vincent. Full-blooded siblings that didn’t know his name, what he was like, or that he was struggling to start a family with his wife in Oregon. And none of them could have imagined how much their reunion would change each of their lives. Love & Genetics is the true story of a family discovering and rediscovering itself. It is a story of fear and love and an astonishing act that would salve old wounds and provide the foundation for a new family together.

Told from the unique perspectives of Mark and Rachel, this collaborative memoir explores family, adoption, surrogacy, and the search for one’s place in an increasingly disconnected world. It is intimate and engaging, humorous and poignant, and heartrendingly honest. Love & Genetics includes original correspondence and rarely-seen insights into the complex reunion of a biological mother and child, and a group of siblings who had no idea what they might find in each other. It’s a story of nature versus nurture and the challenges that surround both adoption and surrogacy. This story will resonate deeply with the many readers who have experienced adoption within their own families, those who have considered surrogacy or assisted reproduction, and with anyone who loves stories of real-life hope and heroism.

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Excerpt

Prologue (Mark)

This was not the first time I had been in the Calgary airport, but it was the first time in years and my first time as an International arrival. My flight from Portland, Oregon had only taken ninety minutes and hardly seemed worthy of the designation “International,” but the sign directing me to Customs and Immigration seemed stalwartly sure of it. My grey and tan North Face backpack was nearly empty. It had served me well since grad school and would continue to be my preferred carry on for many years to come, but with just my laptop inside, it felt too light for air travel and refused to ride as comfortably over my shoulder as it should have. I had a checked bag too, but that was largely empty also—just a change of clothes, some toiletries, and a good bottle of wine that I hoped to share. I wouldn’t be staying long, just the one night.

The morning plane touched down uneventfully and I was soon navigating the glass-walled maze of the international terminal. The myriad of signs and arrows were ostensibly guiding me toward customs, although the route clearly prioritized security over expediency. Fair enough. I readjusted my pack again, trying not to lose myself in thoughts of the day ahead. Through the glass I peered into the passing moments of other travelers— travelers already in Canada, travelers on the other side of the glass divide. I watched families trudge their way through the terminal with kids and bags straggling behind them. Lone adults passed time in a Tim Horton’s with a cup of coffee and a MacLean’s. Where were they headed on this Saturday morning? Where had they come from? Were they on time? Were they glad to be traveling? Were any of them worried about what they might find at their destination?

Airport customs was a small affair in Calgary; they must not get many international flights. There were only a half-dozen kiosks and only two of those were staffed by an agent that morning. But at 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday there was no need for any more. I paused at a high, narrow table near the back of the open room to scrounge through the second pocket of my backpack for a pen to fill out the blue and white customs form. Fortunately, I never cleaned my pack out completely, so there was always a pen, business card, or cough drop to be found in there when needed; I had, of course, double-checked for contraband before I left, knowing full well there wouldn’t be any, but it’s always worth being sure. My completed form in hand, I chose the kiosk on the left, the one with the woman agent and only one other traveler in line. After a rolling stop at the broad red line marked on the floor, I made my way to the side-counter of the kiosk, trying not to look nervous. It never helps to look nervous at a Customs and Immigration inspection. I reminded myself that I had nothing to hide here, I was not doing anything wrong. It was the rest of the day that I was nervous about.

The customs agent took my Canadian passport and opened it to the photo page. She looked me square in the eyes and then proceeded to size me up head-to-toe before returning her gaze to my hopefully anxiety-free face.

“Citizenship?” She began in a voice that was both friendly and tired, yet still held an undercurrent of authority.

“Canadian.”

I had just handed her my passport, of course I was Canadian. I suppose they have to ask, perhaps to get a potential perjury on record, or perhaps just to see who they can trick. But it did say clearly right there on the front cover: CANADA PASSPORT (and then again in French, of course, PASSPORTE). It even goes a step further on the first page, explicitly listing my citizenship as CANADIAN, in case the reader had somehow missed the lettering on the outside cover. I imagined that once in a blue moon someone answers the citizenship question “Italian” while holding a passport from Albania and that’s how they catch bad guys. The people who mess that one up must be extremely nervous-looking.

“Where do you live?” Her focus had now returned to her computer screen, which presumably listed all sorts of interesting details about my immigration credentials and prior travels.

“Portland, Oregon, in the States.” I had been living in the US for more than a decade and had had this same conversation many times while crossing back into Canada at various borders. I had learned from experience that it did not serve to rush to any explanations or caveats, just answer their questions directly and succinctly and they’ll get to the next part at their own pace.

“Why are you living in the USA?”

“I work for Intel Corporation there and live with my wife, who is American. I have a green card.” I had my proof of residency at the ready and it was halfway across the side-counter before she asked for it.

“What are you doing in Canada today?”

This was the question I had been bracing for. Except for Tina, my wife, I hadn’t told anyone why I was taking this trip: not my friends, not my job, not even my parents.

In that moment, my life as I knew it shrank from me and I felt utterly alone. But by law, here at the Immigration kiosk, I needed to be honest, and I had resolved to be plain about it. “I’m meeting my biological family,” I said.

The agent paused and turned to look back up at me, ignoring her screen for a moment.

“First time?” she asked with genuine interest. “Yes” was my spoken reply, although I was on the verge of tears and I’m sure that she could see that piece of my response as well.

“Well, you win the prize,” she said with a wry smile. She stamped my passport and slid my documents back to me across the counter. “Best story of the day. Go on.”

As I turned to head toward the baggage claim area, I heard her add “good luck.”

“Thanks,” I replied without turning back. I don’t know if she heard me. I meant it, but I was too busy holding on to my edges to care about properly completing the social nicety. It was strange, surviving that one moment of honesty and the agent showing herself to be an ally of my quest. It allowed me to breathe normally again and gave me a tiny flush of confidence. Within minutes the world was slowly sinking back into the normalcy of airport navigation and I found myself successfully continuing to put my feet in front of each other as I made my way through baggage claim and on toward the rental car pickup. Searching for the right numbered stall in the sparsely lit garage, I paused and felt the ground more solid beneath me than it had been in days. As I stood there, staring at the white Ford Focus in front of me, the customs agent’s prize comment ran through my mind again, and it made me wonder.

© Mark MacDonald & Rachel Elliott, 2021

About the Authors

Mark MacDonald lives in Beaverton, Oregon. He is an Adjunct Professor at Portland State University and a Principal Engineer at Intel Corporation and has authored more than forty scientific publications, for which he has received multiple awards, including the Martin Hirschorn Best Paper Prize from the International Acoustics Congress (2010).

Synopsis

Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves—or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?

After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.

After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancé is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.

They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.

Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!

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To read an excerpt of Counterfeit Love click here.

Review

This novel encompasses several genres that I enjoy reading: mystery, historical, romance, and Christian. All of these facets are wound together to create this enticing tale of a strong woman that isn’t afraid to go after what she wants no matter who stands in her way.

Theresa is a plucky young woman and I admire her courage and strength to continue with her life despite those that hold her back. She senses that her fiance, Edward, isn’t the right man for her and she is right for so many reasons. I won’t share those because it would give away too much of the plot. She also still loves Broderick despite his pigheadedness but he just might be the right man for her.

I loved the time period and the mystery of who is counterfeiting currency. There are so many possibilities and one of my suspicions held true. I love how the Secret Service is investigating this crime and has several people undercover to infiltrate the ring. However, there is one agent, Darlington, that is sent in to help speed things along that nearly blows it for everyone. It doesn’t help that he is abrupt, rude, and suspects Theresa of being the engraver.

Theresa and Broderick struggle with many things throughout this book from faith, trust, respect, and finding the truth. They are both given nudges along the way to find their way back to each other and to God.

This book is gritty and gets right into the trenches with the criminals, brothels, saloons, and so much more. But it adds to the richness of the background, characters, and storyline. I wouldn’t expect anything less and was glad to see that the author wasn’t afraid to show the seedy side of the times.

There were times when I read this book when I wondered if this was the 2nd book in a series because of the discussions about Theresa and Broderick’s past. It felt like this should have been a second book but it is not. However, it did not detract from the story and the author does a good job of explaining their past with each other.

Overall, we give this 4 paws up and look forward to reading more from this debut author.

About the Author

Crystal Caudill is the author of “dangerously good historical romance,” with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW. Counterfeit Love is her debut published novel.

Caudill says that reading and writing are part of her soul and have been since she first held a crayon. While she considered writing to be an escape from challenges and struggles and a way to keep her sanity, Caudill would come to recognize that God used it as a teaching tool. “The stories came through my fingertips, but they were marked with His fingerprints,” she shares.

As she delved into history and crafted her own stories of hope through danger, Caudill would answer the call to pursue writing as a career after her first writer’s conference. “My stories are still filled with danger, struggle, and history, but they are also permeated with the hope and love of Christ. I hope they are dangerously good. Good for the heart and for the soul.”

She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio.

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The Baby With Three Families, Two Countries,

And One Promise

An International Adoption Story

by

JULIE GIANELLONI CONNOR

Illustrated by Saman Chinthaka Weerasinghe

Genre: Children’s Fiction / Picture Book / Adoption

Publisher: Bayou City Press

Date of Publication: December 9, 2020

Number of Pages: 40 pages

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The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise is a children’s book designed to be read by parents to a child adopted from a foreign country. The story is first recounted from the perspective of the parents in the USA, who are very sad not to be able to have a child. The perspective then switches to that of the biological mother, who realizes that she does not have the wherewithal to raise a child. She makes the difficult decision to give up her baby. Next readers learn about a foreign adoption agency, to which the biological mother surrenders her child. The adoption agency identifies foster parents to take care of the baby temporarily. The foster parents give the baby a temporary name.

The parents in the USA begin researching international adoption possibilities and connect with the foreign adoption agency. The parents begin the adoption process and have to go to a school to learn how to be adoptive parents. When the foreign adoption agency matches the USA parents with the baby, the USA parents fly to the foreign country, where they meet the baby and the foster parents at the adoption agency. They find out that the temporary name given to the baby by his foster parents is one of the names they have selected for the baby. Their last requirement in the foreign country is to secure a visa for the baby from the U.S. Embassy.

With the baby’s visa in hand, the parents and baby return to the United States, where they are joyously greeted by their dog, their friends, and the baby’s new grandparents. When the parents tuck their baby in at night, they tell him his story—that he has three families, two countries, and a promise for the future to visit the country of his birth when he is older.

Amazon│ Bayou City Press

Praise

Children’s Picture Book First Place Winner, 2021 North Texas Book Festival Awards

“Clearly laying out some of the key reasons, factors, and steps in the emotionally complex process of overseas adoption, this book delicately explores the subject, making it a great launching point for conversations between parents and children.” Self-Publishing Review

“International adoption is a complex topic, but under the dual, in-depth focus of author Julie Gianelloni Connor and illustrator Saman Chinthaka Weerasinghe, the story comes to life to teach all ages about the emotional and organizational process involved in joining a child to new parents.” Donovan’s Literary Services

Sometimes parents don’t know how to explain adoption to younger children and this book explains it simply for children to understand. Not only does it explain adoption but it briefly discusses miscarriages and gives parents an opportunity to talk about that if it has happened to them.

There are many steps involved with an international adoption and even I learned something from this book regarding the process. It isn’t simple but that is why there are multiple agencies to help guide new parents through the process. There is even a section that talks about how Jeff and Jeanette had to take parenting classes before an adoption would occur. I liked this line from that section:

“You are the real, true parents of your adopted child.”

I think most adoptive parents know this, but it was nice to see it reinforced.

I don’t know how many adoptive parents will take their child back to the country where they were born, but what an experience that would be for him or her. They could understand their heritage of where they came from and blend that into their current life.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking to adopt a child to explain it to younger children.

We give it 5 paws up.

Julie Gianelloni Connor is an award-winning author and retired senior Foreign Service Officer. Her first book, Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, not the Hike, garnered no. 1 status on Amazon in both the category for new books on hiking and walking and the category for Spain and Portugal. It subsequently went on to win a silver medal in the eLit national competition as well as being selected as a finalist by Self-Publishing Review (SPR). She released her second title, a children’s book, in 2021. It has just won first place in the children’s book category at the North Texas Book Festival. The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise tells an international adoption story. Her short stories have appeared in four anthologies.

Julie is the owner and publisher of Bayou City Press (BCP) in Houston, Texas, which focuses on travel writing, Houston, history, and international affairs. Julie writes a weekly newsletter for BCP updating subscribers about activities. She founded BCP after spending 33 years as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service, first with the U.S. Information Agency and later with the U.S. Department of State. She had nine overseas assignments in seven different countries: Israel (twice), Paraguay, Guatemala, Indonesia, Colombia (twice), Malaysia, and Chile. In Washington, DC, Julie worked on a variety of matters, ranging from nuclear non-proliferation to narcotics control to women’s issues. She has one son and two cats, Halloween and Charles Augustus V.

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The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise!

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Synopsis

She thought she could trust him. Until she became his prey.

Devastated when she learns why and how a brutal home invader murdered her parents, Kayla and her best friend Martin follow clues through Paris and into the French countryside — only to end up in the killer’s lair.

After tracking a clue to a mysteriously familiar French rural town, Kayla and Martin fight an attacker who launches Martin from a speeding train. Kayla refuses to believe he’s dead and in her grieving realizes that he’s become much more than a friend to her. But she knows she’ll be the next to die if she gets caught at the train station, so she runs. And she keeps running, at last finding refuge in a homeless community.

Her new friends help her escape, but when she follows yet another clue, she runs straight into the grips of men who have chased her down since she left her home in Arizona.

Can Kayla and Martin survive their misplaced trust, or will they become the next victims? And will their love survive with them?

No One to Trust is the bone-chilling Book 2 in the Kayla Walsh Mystery Suspense series. Buy it now to learn Kayla and Martin’s fate.

Amazon

Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt

Kayla Walsh had never expected to leave the safety of witness protection to end up in an abandoned Virginia missile silo. But here she was, following her grandmother’s silver-haired boyfriend, Vincent, through a cold and musty underground parking lot. Dimly lit wall sconces gave the place an eerie aura that added to the goosebumps dotting her olive complexion.

Her best friend and former physical therapist, Martin, touched her arm; his hand felt warm and comforting. As he walked behind Vincent, his size dwarfed their host’s lean, six-foot-two frame. He leaned down to whisper in Kayla’s ear. “Are you sure about this? I’m getting bad vibes.”

A mere five-foot-two-inches tall, Kayla raked a hand through her sleek black hair and whispered back. “You could go back home to Arizona.” Looking up into the dark eyes above Martin’s wide nose, she hoped he wouldn’t abandon her to finish their mission alone.

He swallowed hard and shook his head. “We’re in this together.”

She stepped closer in hopes his body heat would quell her shivers.

Vincent stopped at an elevator and turned toward his guests with a smile that deepened the dimples in his cheeks. His blue eyes sparkled with pride as he pressed the call button.

Martin stopped beside Vincent under a light that reflected off his shaved head and put a green tone on his latte-colored skin.
She stared at a logo on the doors that identified Vincent’s operation as a security business.

“I thought my grandmother said you were a rancher.”

“I have several businesses, dear.” Vincent entered the elevator. “My grandson runs the ranch. At my age, this business is easier on my tired muscles and bones.” He stepped into the elevator and waited for them to join him.

She tried to smile while clinging to a handrail during a high-speed descent farther underground. The sleep-deprived fog in her brain took her thoughts in a morbid direction. The tremble in her knees threatened to reveal her discomfort. Hoping to tamp down her growing unease, she bit the side of her mouth and supported herself against the wall.

“I’m looking forward to sleeping on the plane.” She hoped the words would coax her thoughts away from what brought her to this refurbished missile silo. After being chased down a dirt road by two guys who kept yelling things she couldn’t hear, a magnet attached to a helicopter had whisked her car to a metal platform. Her stomach stayed behind when the platform swished down to a parking lot where Vincent met them.
Beyond Bizarre. And nerve wracking. Rubbing her arms, she wished for a sweater despite the summer heat outside this frigid silo.

“I could use a nap, too.” A wobble in Martin’s unusually quiet voice amped up her anxiety.

The elevator door opened to another hallway with concrete walls lit by more sconces. A young man in tight jeans and black-framed glasses waited for them outside the elevator. Vincent introduced him as his assistant, Alex, who extended a hand that felt even more chilled than Kayla. She figured she’d get there if their stay in that creepy building extended beyond the few minutes she expected.

Alex’s bored expression made her wonder if his administrative duties were as mind-numbing as hers were when she worked for her grandmother at the Arizona home for abused women and children.

Vincent put a hand on Martin’s shoulder. “Kayla told me last night that your attacker at the Lincoln Memorial tried to slice your throat. Our nurse practitioner is waiting to treat the wound. Alex will take you.”

Alex led Martin down another hallway, leaving her feeling small and vulnerable. She stretched to make herself seem bigger as Vincent turned to speak to her.

About the Author

Karen Randau authors fast-paced stories with intricate plots, lots of action, and a dash of romance told from the point of view of a female amateur sleuth. She lives in the mountains of Arizona with her multi-generational family.

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Synopsis

A young woman embarks on a dangerous journey to bring a killer to justice.

Kayla is newly-engaged and excited to break the news to her parents during a visit for winter break before her final semester at Princeton. As she enters her family’s living room, a home invader shatters her life forever, ruthlessly killing her parents and putting her in a coma.

Two years later, she still remembers nothing of the attack, just that she kissed her fiancé goodbye before opening her family’s front door. Her fiancé thinks she’s dead and has moved on.

A suspicious house fire convinces Kayla it’s time to dump her witness protection program to embark on a dangerous quest to bring the murderer to justice. She and her best friend Martin follow clues that take them from the mountains of Arizona to Washington, D.C., straight into the killer’s lair. Will Kayla succeed in her quest, or will she and Martin fall victim to the ruthless assassin who stole everything Kayla loved?

Nowhere to Hide is the explosive first book in the Kayla Walsh Mystery Suspense trilogy. This fast-paced read is one you won’t want to put down from beginning to end. If you like the suspense of Willow Rose and the plot twists of Kendra Elliot, you will love Karen Randau’s clever, nail-biting Kayla Walsh series.

Get Nowhere to Hide now to meet Kayla and her gang of quirky characters.

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Excerpt

Kendra McGee wouldn’t have entered her family’s home if she’d paid attention to the sound of a gate closing nearby, or if she hadn’t discounted the shadow that briefly appeared then ducked back into the darkness. She was too focused on her fiancé as he kissed her goodbye in the dim glow of the living room light shining out the window.

“See you tomorrow,” he whispered.

Her heart was so full of love she thought it might burst. Sounds, shadows, and the possibility of danger were the furthest things from her mind. All she saw was Brandon and the romantic glow the inside lights threw onto the dusting of snow coating Dad’s prized flower beds.
She ignored her father’s muffled voice inside the two-story home where she’d grown up.

When the living room light went out, Brandon pulled her into his arms and whispered, “Aww, wasn’t it nice of your parents to give us privacy before we separate for a whole day?” He gave her a passionate kiss that made her tingle all over.

“I’ll miss you.” She skimmed her hand across his cheek.

He cupped her face with his cold hands, gazing into her eyes with his that went from hazel to green to brown, depending upon his mood. They darkened as he leaned down to kiss her again. When he pulled away, he let her shiny black hair cascade through his fingers. “I love you.”
He backed down the steps to the sidewalk and blew her a kiss with both hands. He was so dramatic, part of what she loved about him. She hoped he’d keep that characteristic after they married and opened their medical practice together.

As she watched his taillights disappear around the corner, she touched her lips and closed her eyes to savor the memory of his tingle-producing kiss. With a sigh, she gazed at the Christmas lights up and down the street. They made coming home from Princeton for winter break feel magical.

This was going to be a good visit. Mom and Dad would be so excited when she showed them the ring Brandon had given her.
Dad groaned inside the house. She wondered if he’d cut himself while serving the apple pie, a tasty ritual her parents had devised for the monthly return of their only child. With a smile and a carefree hum on her lips, she turned to the door.

Despite being twenty-two and about to become a med student, she loved everything about coming home. The violet walls of her childhood bedroom. Cooking fancy meals or shopping with Mom. Gardening or some other project with Dad. It was even better when Nana, Dad’s fun-loving Irish mother, joined them for church, camping, or a night on the town. She wished with a twinge of grief that Mom’s Cherokee mother wasn’t too sick to visit anymore.

She dug through her purse for the house key, grumbling to herself when she couldn’t find it. They must have known she was home since they turned out the light. She tried the knob.

Given the paranoia that had plagued her parents through the last few years, it should have alarmed her that the handle turned easily. Instead, a spark of anticipation put another smile on her lips and made her mouth water at the thought of the dessert awaiting her.
When she pushed the door open, the kitchen light threw two strange silhouettes against the wall in the dining…

It took a moment to realize the heap under the table was her father. She dropped her purse, suitcase, and coat and took three steps forward. He reached toward her. “Kendra, no.” His arm flopped down. His voice was so weak it scared her.

“Dad?” She looked around. “Mom?” She started to run to her father, but he rasped, “Kendra, no.”

The curtain on the kitchen door swayed, bringing her attention to a handprint near the knob. Blood? A stranger pushed the door open, and a beam from the kitchen cast an eerie glow on his dark goatee but not the rest of him.

About the Author

Karen Randau authors fast-paced stories with intricate plots, lots of action, and a dash of romance told from the point of view of a female amateur sleuth. She lives in the mountains of Arizona with her multi-generational family.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Amazon * BookBub * Instagram * Pinterest

Synopsis

’Dragons in the Clouds’’ is an epic adventure that takes place in the land of Albian during a time when Dragons were alive and freely roamed the land.  The people during this time were being devoured by a particularly vicious species of dragon. To protect his people, the ruling King finally orders the total annihilation of all living dragons. A powerful wizard, named Merlinus, who is a friend to the king, does not agree with the King’s order. Merlinius knows all Dragons are not what they seem. So he does what he must to protect a family of dragons that he has befriended. To protect his dragon friends, Melinus performs the spell of weightlessness and tells the dragons to fly up and to hide in the cover of the clouds.  An unforeseen ability of the dragon’s weightlessness spell is that a Dragon’s fire now looks like lightning to the people below, and their roar is like that of thunder. Melinus tells the dragons to live within the clouds and to only come down at night to eat.  Merlinius’ apprentice wants his master’s power and has grand ideas of his own. He has a plan for evil dragons that he has hidden deep within a mountain cavern. Now enters a young boy, who has befriended a very young dragon. The two suddenly find themselves caught between the King’s order and a battle that has begun between two species of dragons. A battle ensues that will determine control of the skies above the Kingdom of Albian.  As a result, Merlinius’ apprentice’s plan has consequences that may bring the Kingdom of Albion and perhaps the very world we live in today, to a devastating end.

Amazon

Excerpt

Inside the laboratory, the two wizards were still battling. David was startled by a loud crashing sound made by a large cabinet that Merlinius magically sent flying toward Odious. Odious ducked and scrambled behind some knocked over tables, causing Merlinius to momentarily lose track of him.

“Where are you? You coward!!” shouted Merlinius.

Odious jumped up and threw a crystal rock at Merlinius, hitting him in the head. Merlinius screamed in pain as he fell hard to the floor. David, seeing that Merlinius had taken a severe hit, immediately went to him to help him get back on his feet. Odious ran to retrieve the mallet he had lost earlier. Seeing David helping Merlinius, Odious went after him to try to scare him off. But brave David didn’t run. Instead, he started throwing bottles at Odious. While many of the bottles hit the wall behind Odious, some hit their mark, slowing Odious down considerably.

Outside, in the sky, Zindetha was in hot pursuit of Rago and was gaining ground, getting closer and closer. Zindetha thrust his large wings harder and harder as he zeroed in on Rago. His eyes grew bigger with excitement as he was almost upon his target. 74 David Blair Rago, seemingly running out of gas, began to slow down. Zindetha could almost taste his breakfast, his mouth watering with anticipation. Suddenly, Rago veered downward toward Merlinius’ castle, tucking his wings for maximum speed. Zindetha was angered by this unexpected burst of Rago’s pure will to survive, helping him to streak downward at incredible speed.

“You can’t get away!!” Zindetha roared, as he also tucked his wings for maximum speed downward.

Once again, he started to close in on Rago, this time at a much faster rate. Rago swiftly changed direction in hopes of eluding his capture. Rago is now heading straight for the castle, while Zindetha, oblivious to his direction of flight, is focused entirely on Rago. Zindetha failed to realize that he was headed straight for the castle wall. Rago spied a small porthole, difficult to see, but possibly big enough for Rago to fit through. The smaller dragon soared in the direction of the small porthole. Zindetha, still oblivious that he was headed for the wall, followed in full pursuit of Rago. At the last minute, Rago tucked his wings as tight as he could and shot right through the castle porthole. But foolish Zindetha, like a runaway train, collided horribly into the castle wall. The crash brought boulder-sized bricks down on top of Zindetha, practically covering the large dragon. Zindetha lay immobile on the ground. Seeing Zindetha hit the wall and collapsing, the other meat-eating dragons took flight and started circling above Merlinius’ castle.

About the Author

David Blair – Growing up, I was captivated by the show ‘’The Twilight Zone”. The supernatural was/is so interesting to me. I started my storytelling at the young age of 14. I wrote, directed, and starred in a student film called ‘’Destination Destiny’’.  What a great experience that was for me. My most favorite and influential writers would be Rod Sterling and Charles Dickens, The story, “A Christmas Carol” lives within me all year round.  All my work has a paranormal feel to it.  In my thirties worked as a production supervisor for EnterAktion Studios.

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