BOOK JUNKIEZ

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | February 4, 2025 · 5:00 am

Ivory Bones Blitz

The Lewis Chessmen Murders

Historical Mystery

Date Published: February 4, 2025

Publisher: Briarstone Press (sarawinokur.com)

Ancient chess pieces. A centuries-old diary. And a modern killer closing
in.

When Icelandic forensic geneticist Brynja Pálsdóttir,
haunted by her family’s dark legacy, is drawn into the search for the
missing Lewis Chessmen, she becomes a pawn in an assassin’s deadly
game.

A centuries-old diary, written by a woman abducted during the brutal
Barbary pirate raid on Iceland in 1627, lands on her desk. Brynja soon
realizes the woman’s story may hold the key to finding the priceless
medieval artifacts.

As Brynja digs deeper, she becomes the target, surrounded by
deception and unsure of whom she can trust: the NYPD colleague hiding her
own motives, the sculptor whose family lays claim to the chessmen, the lover
she has spurned, even her own assistant.

As the past and present collide, betrayal, loss, and survival transcend
time and place.

Ivory Bones: The Lewis Chessmen Murders is a gripping blend of Nordic noir,
historical intrigue, and murder mystery, where ancient secrets and modern
dangers force Brynja to face a dark, inner truth before the assassin makes
their final move.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | February 3, 2025 · 5:00 am

There’s Something About You, Olivia Bennet Blitz

There's Something About You, Olivia Bennet banner

Historical

Date Published: 11-26-2024

Two women. Two generations. A lifetime of secrets…

Sydney, 1989. When a secret trunk belonging to her enigmatic mother is
delivered, Olivia Bennet’s safe and predictable world is thrown into
disarray.

Inside the trunk, long-buried secrets tell of a different life that is
totally foreign to shy and unadventurous Olivia. Secrets she’s certain
her mother intended to stay hidden.

For the first time, Olivia has hope of finding answers about her father,
and along with it, her identity. But only if she has the courage to face who
she truly is.

Sydney, 1964. Amidst the vibrant backdrop of multicultural inner Sydney,
Rosemary Benito plans to leave behind her painful past and embrace the
freedom her new home offers.

While her exotic beauty attracts unwanted attention, if she works hard
enough in her new country, Rosemary can become whatever—and
whoever—she wants. She just has to make sure her old life
doesn’t catch up with her.

Neither woman can change their pasts. But if they’re brave enough,
they both have the power to determine their futures…

A poignant family saga full of love and loss that spans two generations.
There’s Something About You, Olivia Bennet, reveals the tender bond
between mother and daughter, the undeniable ties that bind generations
together, and the importance of belonging.

About the Author

Valerie G. Miller is an Australian author celebrated for her dual timeline
historical fiction, weaving heartfelt narratives that resonate across
generations. Rooted in her Italian heritage, Valerie brings rich cultural
nuances to her stories, crafting tales that celebrate family, resilience,
and the deep human need for belonging. Her short stories explore the
intricacies of human connection, capturing the tender moments that bind
people together and create a sense of home in each other’s hearts.

In addition to her writing, Valerie is training to become an accredited
book coach, sharing her passion for storytelling and supporting aspiring
writers on their creative journeys.

Originally from Sydney, Valerie now calls Brisbane home, where she lives
with her husband, daughter, and a lively household that includes her dog and
two cats. A lifelong lover of storytelling, she earned her Master of Letters
in Creative Writing in 2021, further honing her craft.

Valerie is never far from her next story, always keeping a novel and a
notebook tucked in her bag, ready to capture inspiration wherever it
strikes.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | · 5:00 am

Love’s Home Run Blitz

Romantic Women’s Fiction

Date Published: February 3, 2025

Love isn’t a game… or is it?

Melissa Hendrickson is tired of being a good sport, one of the guys. She
wants to find love and settle down in Lilac Lake with the man of her dreams.
She thinks she’s found the man, but he doesn’t know she exists.
After she runs into Ross Roberts, her next door neighbor and former
professional baseball player, during a charity softball game, he requires
her help. She’s more than eager to make amends for causing him to have
knee surgery. Then, a fire destroys her family restaurant and her job as
chef there. She’s forced to think about a lot of changes in her life,
including finding the right man for her.

A spinoff book from the Lilac Lake Inn series, a sweet second-chance,
small-town romance. Another of Judith Keim’s books with strong women
facing challenges and finding love and happiness along the way.

About the Author

Judith Keim, A USA Today Best-Selling Author, is a hybrid author who both
has a publisher and self-publishes. Ms. Keim writes heart-warming novels
about women who face unexpected challenges, meet them with strength, and
find love and happiness along the way, stories with heart. Her best-selling
books are based, in part, on many of the places she’s lived or visited and
on the interesting people she’s met, creating believable characters and
realistic settings her many loyal readers love.

She enjoyed her childhood and young-adult years in Elmira, New York, and
now makes her home in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and their adorable
dachshund, Wally, and other members of her family.

While growing up, she loved the idea of writing stories from a young age.
Books were always present, being read, ready to go back to the library, or
about to be discovered. All in her family shared information from the books
in general conversation, giving them a wealth of knowledge and vivid
imaginations.

Ms. Keim loves to hear from her readers and appreciates their enthusiasm
for her stories.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | February 2, 2025 · 5:00 am

Vaccines & Bayonets Virtual Book Tour

Fighting Smallpox in Africa amid Tribalism, Terror and the Cold War

Historical Memoir

Publisher: Audiobook Empire

Narrator: Claudia Dunn

Run Time: Estimated 9.5 hours to 10 hours

Step into the heart of a turbulent era with Vaccines & Bayonets, a
gripping historical memoir that chronicles one woman’s extraordinary
journey through Africa. In this vivid recounting, Bee Bloeser unveils the
raw reality of her family’s part in the mission to eradicate smallpox,
revealing the triumphs and trials faced along the way.

As a young wife, Bee Bloeser followed her husband, Carl, to Africa, driven
by ideals and a sense of duty. In Nigeria the ravages of civil war and the
plight of starving Biafran children captured global attention. Amidst the
chaos, she witnessed the horrors of smallpox and leprosy, yet found moments
of beauty in the vibrant local culture.

Their journey continued in Equatorial Guinea, a nation newly independent
but plagued by the terror of a brutal dictatorship. In this land where
secrecy shrouded the people, Bee Bloeser confronted a world far removed from
her idealistic expectations. Forbidden from forming connections with locals
and surrounded by a landscape of oppression and suspicion, she documented
her experiences in hidden notes, capturing the essence of a desperate
struggle.

Through her eyes, listeners experience the intense battle against a
relentless virus and against tyranny. This memoir is not just a story of
medical triumph but also a poignant reflection on humanity’s capacity
for courage—the indomitable spirit of those who risk everything for a
better future.

EXCERPT

Cami Hensley · Vaccines & Bayonets Audiobook Sample

About the Author

Bee Bloeser has lived and worked in Africa, the Middle East and Native
American nations with her husband’s global public health work and her
career in speech-language pathology. An award-winning author, she is a
sought-after public speaker on topics related to her historical memoir. She
lives and writes in California.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | January 31, 2025 · 5:00 am

Secretary of Faith Virtual Book Tour

Political thriller, Dystopian theocracy, Corporate Oligarchy

Date Published: October 31, 2024

Publisher: ‎Rebel Island Press

Lies, fear, and the Holy Bible are the country’s undoing in K.C.
Boyd’s second, dystopian tale, a story that all too closely resembles
an America in which Project 2025 rules. Vividly depicting the present-day
racism, greed, and religious hypocrisy, Secretary of Faith serves as a
cautionary warning to Project 2025.

After an orchestrated victory, the newly elected President redefines the
country by changing its name to the United Christian States of America.
Next, he reduces the traditional number of seats in his cabinet to four, and
adds a fifth, the Department of Faith, appointing his lifetime mentor,
Christian Hillcox, as its first ever Secretary.

The rule of law is no more. Sanctioned by the administration, violent mobs
take to the streets. Media is state-run; neighbors inform on neighbors;
loved ones vanish, never to return. When a natural disaster strikes the West
Coast, an already well-organized Resistance emerges and Secretary Hillcox
finds himself in a battle to maintain both the administration’s
narrative and his own position through evermore frightening means.

In a showdown between Good and Evil, the question is—will citizens
rise to the occasion and save the Republic?

EXCERPT

Soon, citizens were given permission to assault anyone who wasn’t white and obviously straight, turning violence into a form of recreation, a way for the masses to release their tension. The constant drumbeat of fear must be maintained, no matter the cost.

About the Author

After twenty years of visiting megachurches in Ohio and across the country,
attending various ‘Values Voters” conferences, and watching untold hours of
televangelists preach the ‘Word’, K.C. Boyd decided to use her flare for
fiction to share the dangerous truths she saw. As human beings have always
responded to story, Boyd felt the need to communicate the grave danger we
face-particularly from religious extremists who now stand arm in arm with
genuine fascists-through story.

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