Monday, July 13, 2026

Mabel and the Privy of Doom by Susan Kimmel Wright

Mabel and the Privy of Doom Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book:

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release Date: March 5, 2026

Mabel plans to bring the joys of volunteering to the masses…if she doesn’t fall victim to an ancient curse first.

Mabel has previously encountered dead bodies while volunteering—but she never imagined she’d run afoul of a legendary curse. Until now…

A university archeology team has come to excavate an old privy on the grounds of the Thompson estate, home of Medicine Spring’s first white settler. They hope to retrieve items of historic interest, but rumors of lost treasure and dark curses swirl around the project.

Mabel has joined the dig as a volunteer, despite her reluctance to touch anything collected from the ancient outhouse pit. It doesn’t take long however, before she realizes a few dirt-encrusted artifacts are the least of her worries.

She doesn’t believe in curses, but accidents and misfortune plague team members—including Mabel herself. She begins to wonder if there might be some truth in the old stories. When a body turns up on the site, it appears the curse has transformed from local legend to deadly reality. Will Mabel be its next victim?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan Kimmel Wright began her life of mystery in childhood, with reading. That led her to writing kids’ mysteries and eventually to Medicine Spring with Mabel. A longtime member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, Susan’s also a prolific writer of personal experience stories, many for Chicken Soup for the Soul. She shares an 1875 farmhouse in southwestern PA with her husband, several dogs and cats, and an allegedly excessive stockpile of coffee and tea mugs.

More from Susan

I suspect it takes a somewhat warped sense of humor to write a book called Mabel and the Privy of Doom. In fact, I’m afraid this entire series may someday be Exhibit A when my kids decide I need a guardian—but meanwhile I’m having fun!

Mabel and the Privy of Doom was a joy to write, combining my love of mysteries, screwball humor, American history, lost treasure, and ancient curses. It all started when I first learned about historic outhouses or privies.

I discovered the Homewood privy (c. 1801) in Baltimore on a walkabout near Johns Hopkins University. Part of the Declaration of Independence signer John Carroll of Carrollton estate, this handsome brick building has been well maintained over the centuries and has its own historic plaque! (No, not “John Carroll Sat Here!”) Yet another high-profile privy excavation has been performed in patriot Paul Revere’s back yard in Massachusetts in recent years.

Archeologists often learn a great deal from excavating old outhouses, just from examining objects thrown away or accidentally dropped in the privy pit. Even privy pits on humble farmsteads or in modest back yards reveal a lot about family circumstances and daily life. Artifacts such as old bottles, coins, and broken pottery commonly surface.

Growing up, I was fortunate(?) enough have an outhouse on our rural, western Pennsylvania family property. My father, a carpenter and cabinetmaker, built our house himself after returning from World War II. Because the work took a long time, he also built an outhouse for use during the construction period, before plumbing was connected.

My father (perhaps I got my wacky sense of humor from him) added a “Sanitary Inspected Restroom” sign on the door. It now graces the wall of our powder room.

The outhouse survived for most of my childhood. Because our water supply came from a spring that occasionally went dry during a summer drought, we were occasionally forced to resort to the old privy. Luckily, these occasions were rare and typically brief, but I’ll admit I prayed fervently for rain.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L, July 10

Texas Book-aholic, July 11

Simple Harvest Reads, July 12 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 13

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 14

The Avid Reader, July 15

Artistic Nobody, July 16 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 17

Guild Master, July 18 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 19

Holly’s Book Corner, July 20

Fiction Book Lover, July 21 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, July 22 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, July 22

Lily’s Corner, July 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book of the winner’s choice from my series, Mysteries of Medicine Spring!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/vkE9E/mabel-and-the-privy-of-doom-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, July 12, 2026

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE by EJ Ashmore

About the Book

Book: FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE

Author: EJ Ashmore

Genre: Biblical Fiction/young adult

Release Date: October 15, 2025

Sixteen-year-old Eliza has accepted life as a Hebrew slave in Egypt, never to be seen, heard, or loved. After all, she has it good, working alongside her sister for the wealthy Ameneten family. Though unworthy of love, she is free to love others, and she loves her master’s oldest son, Seti (unbeknownst to him).

Only when Moses returns to the land of Egypt to free his people is she emboldened to pray to the ancient God her mother used to speak of, and she prays for the love of Seti, but only if he first rejects his gods and falls for the Hebrew God.

As the God of gods hardens Pharaoh’s heart, He softens Seti’s and pursues him with a love Seti has never known, while also shining His face on Eliza who learns she is indeed worthy of love.

This is the Exodus as told from both Eliza and Seti as a love story between God and His people, God and Seti, and Seti and Eliza.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

EJ Ashmore, a mother, wife, and a nurse, only wrote for fun as a teenager. Once babies and college got in the way, she stopped, but she also no longer wanted to write unless it was for God. When her son was 15 and trying to grapple with why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, then punish him, she took to writing again. Best to show him rather than explain it. But then Joel Richardson’s SINAI TO ZION came out, and she fell in love with how the whole exodus and wilderness scenario was God’s love story- from pursuit, winning the love of the people, to betrothal, complete with a wedding supper which has yet to happen. It’s a literal play-by-play of the ancient Jewish wedding customs, but so is Christianity. Not only that, but human marriage was designed to reflect God’s desired relationship with His people.

This became EJ’s passion: to demonstrate this in a story for young people, as is to reach the average teenager who feels unworthy of God’s (or anybody’s) love.

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE comes from Exodus 9:16 and is EJ’s debut novel.

More from EJ

When Lisa Phillip’s son was 15 and trying to grapple with why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, then punish him for it, she took to writing. Best to show him rather than explain it. But then Joel Richardson’s SINAI TO ZION came out, and she fell in love with how the whole exodus and wilderness scenario was God’s love story—from pursuit, winning the love of the people, to betrothal, complete with a wedding supper which has yet to happen. It’s a literal play-by-play of the ancient Jewish wedding customs, but so is Christianity. Not only that, but human marriage was designed to reflect God’s desired relationship with His people.

This became Lisa’s passion: to demonstrate this in a story for young people, as is to reach the average teenager who feels unworthy of God’s (or anybody’s) love.

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE comes from Exodus 9:16 and is Lisa’s debut novel. Since there is already a well-known author by the name of Lisa Phillips, a pen name was chosen.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 8

Simple Harvest Reads, July 9 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 10

Artistic Nobody, July 11 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 12

Guild Master, July 13 (Author Interview)

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 14

Fiction Book Lover, July 15 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 16

The Bookish Ledger, July 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, July 17

The Bookish Pilgrim, July 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 19 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 20

Books Less Travelled, July 21 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, EJ is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/tMHcl/for-this-very-purpose-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, July 11, 2026

Freed by the Frontier by Sherry Shindelar, Denise Farnsworth, Susan F. Craft

About the Book

Book: Freed by the Frontier

Authors: Sherry Shindelar, Denise Farnsworth, Susan F. Craft

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: June 30, 2026

Three remarkable women find themselves caught between two worlds on the American frontier. A captive of the Comanche must choose between escaping to white society or her growing feelings for a rising war chief in 1850s Texas. A Georgia judge’s daughter flees an unwanted betrothal during the War of 1812, only to be captured by Creek warriors but protected by a mysterious brave. And in 1754, an English lady traveling the Great Wagon Road to become a music teacher discovers her carefully planned future may not survive her attraction to a protective frontiersman.

From quaint civilized towns to treacherous mountain passes and wilderness villages, three couples navigate cultural divisions, overcome past wounds, and face deadly dangers to discover that love knows no boundaries. But as war clouds gather and ancient tribal alliances shift, will their newfound relationships survive the coming storm? Or will the clash of worlds tear them apart?

Three unforgettable romances prove that God’s greatest blessings often come disguised as our greatest challenges, and that true love can bridge any divide.

Click here to get your copy!

Freed by the Frontier by Sherry Shindelar, Denise Farnsworth, Susan F. Craft is a collection of three stories about the wild frontier. These stories are fiction but are based on historical facts. These stories are based on characters from other books by these authors, if you haven't read the other stories, I am sure after reading these stories you will want to read them. I can't say I have a favorite of the three because I enjoyed each one. I have read the other stories previously.

I received a complimentary copy from the authors and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Authors

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2025 Maggie winner, 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty-one years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren. Connect with Sherry at sherryshindelar.com.

North Georgia native Denise Farnsworth, formerly Denise Weimer, has authored over twenty traditionally published novels and novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

Nationally acclaimed writer of inspirational historical romance, Susan F. Craft retired after a 45-year career in communications. A widow who was married 48 years to her high school sweetheart, she has two adult children, one granddaughter, and a granddog. A history nerd, she enjoys painting, singing, and sitting on her porch watching chipmunks dine from her bird feeder. She recently learned how to play the ukulele. Soli Deo Gloria

More from the Authors

Imagine a time when the U.S. not far from the coast was unsettled wilderness. Where brave settlers faced the challenges of isolation and nature as they established a toehold of civilization. Where multiple nations clashed in battle as they vied for control of land and waterways.

This setting seeded with inherent danger and wild beauty calls to those of us who write frontier historical romances from the 1700s and 1800s. Three of us from Wild Heart Books—Sherry Shindelar, Denise Farnsworth, and Susan Craft—came together to pen a trio of novellas, Freed by the Frontier. Each of our stories connects to one of our previous series, but each novella can be read independently. We invite you to journey with us back to rugged mountains, wagon roads, and frontier settlements.

Wichita Path Sacrifice by Sherry Shindelar

The frontier has always captured my imagination. It is a place of hope and hardship, new beginnings and trials, dreams and risk, and in my stories, a place where love is forged. My novella is the prequel to Texas Forsaken, Book One in my Lone Star Redemption series. Wichita Path Sacrifice tells the love story of captive Maggie Logan (Eyes-Like-Sky) and Dancing Eagle, a renowned Comanche warrior. The story is set in Comancheria in the 1850’s when the Comanches ruled the southern Plains and settlers entered the Texas frontier at their own risk. Years ago, the real-life story of Cynthia Ann Parker broke my heart. Cynthia was captured by Comanches at age nine, and lived with them for twenty-four years, married, and had children. When she was eventually recaptured by cavalry and Texas Rangers, she wanted nothing to do with the settlers’ world. Her heart belonged to the Comanche and her husband and children who were lost to her. Cynthia’s story had a sad ending that haunted me. I wanted to write a captive story with a happier ending, and that desire led to Texas Forsaken. The prequel, Wichita Path Sacrifice, inspired by the real-life stories of Cynthia Ann Parker and her cousin Rachel Plummer, is an enemy-to-lovers story of love blossoming in the midst of trials, when it seems all hope is gone. It’s a story of choices between paths. Love requires sacrifice. Eyes-Like-Sky and Dancing Eagle must decide how much they’re willing to let go of and risk if they are to claim the dreams of their heart.

Ofuskee Trail Surrender by Denise Farnsworth

Keturah Caldwell disappeared from A Counterfeit Betrothal, the first book of my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier series. Pledged to wed the hero of that novel, the daughter of a Georgia judge was abducted by thieves and sold to a war party of Creek braves. One of them, known as Wildcat, quietly protects her on the journey to his village in present-day Alabama. Keturah soon learns she has more in common with the adopted son of the micco than she would ever have guessed. When his cruel stepbrother turns his sights on Keturah and her younger sister, Keturah is forced to trust Wildcat in a marriage of convenience, though she vows to convince him to help them escape. They grow from enemies to lovers amid the War of 1812, as she learns that sometimes, greater blessings can come from abiding than from escaping.

Keturah also meets another captive, Susannah Moore, heroine of A Contrary Betrothal (formerly released as Bent Tree Bride), coming August 18 of this year.

Wagon Road Serenade by Susan F. Craft

An enemies-to-lovers historical romance, this novella is set in1754 on the Great Wagon Road spanning from Philadelphia, PA, to Augusta, GA. I wrote this novella as a complement to my three-novel Great Wagon Road series.

Elizabeth Stanton, her reputation marred from an injustice in London, seeks a second chance as a music teacher for a women’s academy in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She joins a wagon train, but scarred from her past, she vows never to rely on a man again. James Morgan, a widowed trapper, hears a vile rumor about Elizabeth and regrets agreeing to drive one of the academy’s wagons. To Elizabeth, James is another charming scoundrel. To James, Elizabeth is a tainted woman to be avoided. Both resist a growing attraction. James admires her willingness to help others. Her soft soprano voice fills the nights with a melancholy sweetness. Had he received false information and misjudged? Elizabeth tries to remain indifferent, but when he saves her and an orphan girl after Indians kidnap them, her heart softens.

Will his gentle treatment erase her misgivings? Can she trust him? Will their hearts reject discord and blend into a serenade of love?

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 11

Artistic Nobody, July 12 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 13

Texas Book-aholic, July 14

Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 15

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 16

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 16

Lyssa Loves Books, July 17

lakesidelivingsite, July 17

Guild Master, July 18 (Author Interview)

Books You Can Feel Good About, July 19

Cover Lover Book Review, July 20

Simple Harvest Reads, July 21 (Guest Review from Donna)

Holly’s Book Corner, July 22

Fiction Book Lover, July 23 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, July 24

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, the Wild Heart Authors aare giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/7zZDM/freed-by-the-frontier-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, July 10, 2026

The Escape Game (The Game Masters Book 2) by Gina Holder

About the Book

Book: The Escape Game (The Game Masters Book 2)

Author: Gina Holder

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 5, 2026

20 years ago, the world’s leading enigmatologist disappeared…

Demi Kayne, owner of a popular puzzle shop, has spent years searching for her father, who vanished without a trace. When she cracks the code he left behind, the trail leads her to a secluded mansion—and straight into danger.

Liam Shepherd, a missionary with a passion for puzzles, is desperate to find his missing sister. His investigation brings him to Silver Falls, where his path collides with Demi’s in ways neither of them expects.

Drawn into a deadly escape game designed by a brilliant and vengeful mind, Demi and Liam must unravel twisted riddles and confront buried secrets before time runs out. Losing could cost them everything. Their faith and each other may be their only means of escape.

Click here to get your copy!

If you want a novel that is strong with Christian faith then look no farther and pick up a copy of "The Escape Game" (The Game Masters Book 2) by Gina Holder. This book is about solving puzzles and escaping an extremely dangerous escape game house. The main female character believes she must earn God's love and the main male character is trying to atone for his past betrayal at age 14. I have thought about wanting to try an escape room after seeing people post about them on Facebook but this book has me thinking I don't want to try them. This book is fast paced and it kept me reading!

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

Gina Holder is a Christian award-winning author of romantic suspense and cozy mysteries filled with faith, intrigue, danger, romance, and epic twists you’ll never see coming.

She’s had an infatuation with books for as long as she can remember. She loves sharing uplifting messages from God’s Word and introducing readers to new and new-to-them authors on her blog.

When she’s not writing, Gina enjoys playing the piano, cooking, reading, watching Hallmark mysteries, and solving “escape room” puzzles. She loves growing in her craft as an author. She published her debut novel in 2017. Gina lives in Wyoming with her husband and daughter.

More from Gina

The Book I Almost Gave Up On

When I turned in the first full draft of The Escape Game last September, I hated it.

Not in a playful, self-deprecating way. I really, truly hated it.

I had that awful, hollow feeling in my stomach. The one that whispers, This isn’t good enough. You aren’t good enough. Why did you ever think you could pull this off?

Honestly, I believed this book was beyond my abilities.

And it was.

But I forgot I have Someone on my side who can do all things.

Back in 2022, this story idea was supposed to be simple. A shorter novel inside a collection. I had a fun premise, a few intriguing characters, and a basic plot: a second chance romance with the two main characters locked in a deadly mansion.

Easy peasy, right?

Wrong.

I realized the story needed space to breathe, so I wrote something else for the collection, and put this story back on the shelf until the right time.

Fast forward to 2025. The Escape Game was proposed as book 2 of The Game Master series.

I started writing. Characters pushed back. They wouldn’t talk. Inside my head, there was silence.

Some books flow. This one fought.

I wrestled with tone and pacing. I rewrote entire sections only to delete them again. Scenes that sparkled in my head fell flat on the page. I second-guessed everything.

My heroine was supposed to be the faithful Christian girl who wins the bad boy to the Lord.

She wasn’t.

And my hero? He was all wrong.

So, I did something terrifying.

I replaced him.

Completely.

I created an entirely new character—Liam Shepherd.

On the surface, Liam was perfect—kind, protective, devoted to the Lord, close to his family. Every Christian girl’s dream.

But fiction doesn’t work that way. Perfection isn’t compelling.

I asked God to show me Liam’s wound.

When it came, I cried.

No, I bawled like a baby.

Liam wasn’t abused. He didn’t come from a broken home. He had love and stability. Then tragedy struck, and he faced a choice.

He chose wrong.

And it haunted him.

But the troubles were far from over.

This wasn’t just a tricky plot or a stubborn manuscript.

This story touched some deep places in my own heart—places I didn’t expect to have to revisit. Writing it meant digging into tender, uncomfortable emotions, facing truths about fear, grief, and courage that I hadn’t fully confronted. It hit a little too close to home.

Some days it felt less like writing fiction and more like surgery.

And surgery is exhausting.

By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t excited. I was just tired. I turned it in because it was due, not because it felt finished.

Then the editing began.

If drafting this book was wandering through a dark forest, editing was finally being handed a flashlight. Sentences tightened. Motivations clarified. Scenes I thought were essential were cut, and others grew stronger. What felt hopeless started to feel possible.

Slowly—painfully at times—the story started to come into focus.

My editor asked hard questions. I rewrote the entire book. (Not completely, but it felt like it.)

Each round of edits chipped away at the parts I disliked and revealed the story underneath—the one I’d been trying to tell all along.

Somewhere along the way, something unexpected happened.

I stopped hating it.

More than that, I started to like it.

Everything clicked. The story finally had the depth—and the heart—it had been missing.

And now, sitting on the other side of the process, I can honestly say something I never imagined saying last fall:

I’m proud of The Escape Game.

Not because it’s perfect—no book ever is—but because it represents persistence. Growth. The courage to dig into hard places and stay long enough to find the heart of the story.

And that heart is what I hope you feel when you read it.

What started as a small, simple idea grew into something deeper than I expected. Something that required more from me than I thought I had to give.

And in the end, it became something God and I built together.

This book reminded me of something important:

We’re all first drafts.

God is shaping us, molding us … and we fight back. We look at our lives and wish things were different. We replay our wrong choices. We feel regret, frustration, and fear.

Sometimes, we even hate what we see.

But hating your draft doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

It just means God isn’t finished yet.

And sometimes, the stories we struggle with the most end up being the ones we’re proudest to hold in our hands.