Scars of Sand and Soil by Jean Kravitz

 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: July 24th, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

 

What’s left of a man’s soul when everything he loves is taken from him?

 

It’s 1864, and Gabriel Cooper couldn’t care less about the civil war raging around him. Framed for crimes he didn’t commit, he’s been sentenced to a Confederate chain gang, where swampland justice rules and alligators prey on the unwary.

So when Colonel Robert Tremont rides into camp offering freedom in exchange for fighting on the front lines, Gabriel jumps at the opportunity. He thrives as a soldier, but the end of the war leaves him adrift.

Gabriel ends up in New Orleans, where he meets Simone Livingston, a fiercely independent woman with hidden scars of her own. Kept on a tight rein by her overbearing father, Simone only wants freedom—and the enigmatic Gabriel.

But Gabriel has unfinished business and a mind for vengeance. Will he be able to create a peaceful life with Simone or will his greed and thirst for retribution keep them trapped in a dangerous web of deceit—a web Gabriel fears can only be untangled with murder.

About the Author

As the quintessential queen of “what if,” Jean Kravitz channeled her active imagination to pen her debut novel, Scars of Sand and Soil. However, achieving her childhood dream of being a published writer was not a straightforward path.

Jean earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in human development and aging from the University of California, San Francisco. She went into clinical research in pharmaceuticals, but left her career when her children were born. Then, she picked up writing again, honed her craft, published articles in a small newspaper, and passionately immersed herself in historical research.

Jean has many interests, including reading, gardening, needlepoint, and learning new languages. She lives in Southern California and has a husband, two daughters, and two cats, Lenny and Penny.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Tik Tok

Thea by Genevieve Morrissey Genre: YA Historical Fiction

   

Poverty, prejudice, her mother’s addiction…in her quest for an education, 15-year-old Thea tries to navigate them all. But will a secret ultimately undermine her efforts?

Thea

by Genevieve Morrissey

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Oklahoma City, 1925

Fifteen-year-old Thea Carter lives in a small garage apartment—Thea’s seventh “home” in four years—provided by her alcoholic mother’s employer, the morose and enigmatic Dr. Hallam.

School is Thea’s refuge and she’s an excellent student, but the parasitic Mrs. Carter’s instability continually threatens her dream of getting a high school diploma. In an effort to keep her mother employed and the two of them housed, Thea secretly takes on much of her mother’s work while at the same time navigating adolescence, friendships, and first love.

Dr. Hallam, impressed by her drive and intelligence, becomes Thea’s unexpected ally, but in addition to wealth and position, the doctor also has a secret that could ruin him, and shatter his bond with Thea.

 

“Thea is a coming-of-age tale with a lot of heart and charm. Author Genevieve Morrissey has written a moving story about a young girl's journey of self-discovery…. Morrissey's characters truly leap off the pages….. It's a fantastic coming-of-age story for young adults and even older readers!”

– Reader’s Favorite Review

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Thea is the new historical novel by Genevieve Morrissey, author of the award-winning Marriage & Hanging and the popular Antlands science fiction series. She is an avid student of British and American social history who, through one of those strange little quirks of fate, spends most of her days talking with scientists. In addition to writing, Genevieve enjoys reading obscure books, travel, and solitude.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $10 giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Harm’s Way by Thomas M. Wing

  

Book 1 of The Sea Hawkes Chronicles

Historical Fiction/Nautical Fiction

Date Published: April 10, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

 

The man who fights for his family is far more dangerous than the one who fights for his king.

Colonial sea captain Jonas Hawke returns home to Norfolk after a year-long voyage only to have his ship and its valuable cargo seized by the British Royal Navy. As the royal governor further tightens the noose on trade, Jonas is thrust into the chaos of a growing rebellion. Desperate to support his family, he sets out to find work. When he is denied a commission with the newly formed Continental Navy, he outfits his own vessel as a private ship-of-war and voyages to the Caribbean in search of enemy merchant ships he can capture and friends he can trust.

But dangers multiply on the unforgiving sea. The Royal Navy reacts mercilessly to the threat posed by privateers like Jonas. How will Jonas fare now that he has boldly defied the King of Britain to preserve his family? And what will happen to his loved ones while he is away, engulfed in a war to oppose tyranny in the name of freedom?

 

 

About the Author

Naval Academy and Naval War College graduate Thomas M. Wing retired after thirty-two years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. He served more than ten years at sea and twenty-two years ashore in increasingly important tactical and operational billets. A dedicated sailor for half a century, he created the Continental Navy Foundation, served as its executive director, and commanded its brigantine, Megan D. 

He wrote In Harm’s Way from a desire to explore the topic of America’s early sea warriors and how they struck fear into the hearts of British shippers around the globe. Thomas’s award-winning first novel, Against All Enemies, was released in 2023 by Acorn Publishing. He resides in San Diego with his wife and daughter and a cat and a dog. Whatever free time he has is spent on the water.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Instagram 

Purchase Link

Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Downeyoshun by Art Young Genre: Recent Historical Family Fiction

  

A not-always-sentimental vacation to the '50s, '60s, 'and '70s. Bring your swimsuit.

Downeyoshun

by Art Young

Genre: Recent Historical Family Fiction

Sally Osterhoff is a genius. When she grows up, she wants to be a mathematician, a teacher, and a carpenter; and she plans to swim in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. 

 

Her mother has other ideas, and will emotionally and physically abuse Sally to fit them. After all, she only wants what is best for her child. But between her father trying his best, the family next door who practically adopts her, and her Aunt & Uncle down in Ocean City where she spends her summers, Sally just might have the support and love she needs to make all of her dreams come true.

 

Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights struggles, the Vietnam War, and the early Feminist movement, the story explores the power of found family, and how unconditional love can come from the least expected places. Downeyoshun is a not-always-sentimental vacation to the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Bring your swimsuit.

 

Praise about the book:

“Arthur Young will introduce you to a special world, East Baltimore, and its vacation spot, Ocean City, with his warm Downeyoshun.  Not that life is perfect – not all mothers are kind, and the VietNam war casts a shadow. But you’ll feel as if you’ve met new friends as you follow his characters through the challenges of growing up. In his skillful telling, the fabric of a family and a neighborhood comes to life. You may even find yourself becoming a Baltimore Hon!”

–Pamela Zerba, Contributor Atheists in America, Writer, Creative York Contest Winner

 

“Be prepared to fall in love with one of the most endearing literary characters of the century thus far. Ultimately, this is a book about family, the one you’re stuck with and the one you make. By the end, Sally will feel like part of yours. You will thoroughly enjoy your trip Downeyoshun.”

-Robert Akridge, Writer

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop.org * Bookbub * Goodreads

Art Young is a Baltimore-born U.S. Navy / Vietnam / Agent Orange veteran and cancer survivor. He was once a carny in a traveling gadget show, and has worked as a fire-extinguishing-system installer and serviceman, a brewery’s route delivery salesman, flexographic press operator, licensed boiler-plant engineer, and a storyteller. He much prefers the last. 

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $20 Amazon giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Victorian Locket by Elefair King

 

 

A Galveston Historical Mystery

 

Cozy Mystery

 

Sarah Anne Law, affectionately known to family and friends as Sam, was playing the stalking game with her cat when she inadvertently discovered a secret compartment in her haunted Victorian home. Not only did Sam find a hidden treasure, but she also realized that their playful game aroused a long-dormant spirit. Perhaps the newly awakened spirit and one of the more disturbing hauntings in her beautiful home were connected. Did a murder occur? As Sam followed clues to unravel the 125-year-old mysteries, she unveiled the true horrors of Galveston’s deadly and gruesome past.

 

About the Author

Elefair King, a native Texan, grew up in Houston. Retired, she now lives in The Woodlands, Texas. Married for 40 years, she has one son who lives nearby. Driven by her compassion to serve others, she founded several non-profit organizations as well as served on committees and boards of many local and regional charities. Elefair loves history, especially about her beloved Texas. She frequently stops along its country roads to read historical markers when seeking new adventures.

 

Contact Link

Website

 

Purchase Link

Amazon

The Seer by Raquel Y. Levitt

 

Historical Fiction/Paranormal Fiction

Date Published: March 11th, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

 

In 1890s Missouri, secrets are a matter of survival.

Clairvoyant Sarah Richardson screams as her older sister Katherine is forced into a straightjacket and thrust into a carriage bound for the St. Louis City Lunatic Asylum. She is devastated to learn Katherine has been blamed for her inadvertent role in an abused woman’s murder. Now, too frightened to speak up, she hides the truth that it should have been her in that carriage. 

Sarah’s mounting guilt becomes too much, and she heads to St. Louis, determined to regain her sister’s confidence and prove herself worthy of forgiveness.

While working to heal their relationship, Sarah meets a timid housewife who tries to hide her bruises. When troubling psychic visions of the woman begin to affect her, she sees an opportunity to atone for her past mistakes. Desperate to do whatever it takes to make things right, Sarah embarks on a perilous journey that may cost her everything—including her own life.

About the Author

Award-winning author Raquel Y. Levitt holds an MFA in creative writing and a master’s degree in English. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies and literary journals and reflect her passion for writing about strong women finding their voice and their power. She is a world traveler, an amateur nature photographer, and a collector of cool rocks. Raquel and her husband live, work, and play in the Texas Hill Country and Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The Seer is her debut novel.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Instagram

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

iBooks

Smashwords

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

When the Baby Is NOT OK: Hopes and Genes by Jennifer J. Brown Genre: Nonfiction Memoir

  

An Intimate journey that navigates today's most pressing women's issues.

When the Baby Is NOT OK:

Hopes and Genes

by Jennifer J. Brown

Genre: Nonfiction Memoir 

 What if the baby is not OK?

Out of nearly four million who get newborn screening each year, about 12,000 babies are diagnosed with a "rare disease" in the US alone. Jennifer J. Brown's daughters were two of them. It was in their genes.

As a student who thought about being a scientist first, and becoming a mother second, the news changed her life forever. This intimate memoir of pregnancy, childbirth and raising special kids revises the story of what to expect with hope. By turns heartbreaking and horrifying, educational and inspiring, here is a raw and remarkable journey of triumph and acceptance.

 

"Brown regales readers with raw vulnerability, sharing her heartbreaks, setbacks, and triumphs as she navigates unknown waters with two young ones in tow....Inspirational story that marries motherhood and science." - Booklife by Publisher's Weekly review.

 

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

J.J.Brown is a public health advocate and author of memoir, mystery, speculative fiction, noir fiction and poetry books infused with a passion for nature, science and family. Her fiction books address current medical, mental health and environmental issues. Her nonfiction works in health and medical education are published as Jennifer J. Brown, PhD in professional journals. She is a mentor for caretakers and people living with phenylketonuria, PKU, at the National PKU Alliance, NPKUA. When not writing, J.J.Brown enjoys time with her daughters, her companion rabbits Belinda and Maxi, and parakeets Sweety and Penelope. Originally from the Catskill Mountain region of New York State, J.J.Brown lives in New York City in the US.

 

Website * Bluesky * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$30 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway