Straight Browsing from the Library; God's Surprising Way by S. Jeyran Main

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. S. Jeyran Main will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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God's Surprising Way: The Path to Lasting Joy, Healing, and Love guides readers into the upside-down kingdom of God, where human expectations are consistently overturned. In this transformative journey, the humble are exalted, the last are lifted, and true greatness is found through servanthood, surrender, and sacrificial love. Through Scripture, theological insights, and historical reflections-from Augustine and Luther to Bonhoeffer and Nouwen-readers discover how God's surprising ways cultivate lasting joy, deep healing, and authentic love.

Each chapter explores a distinct paradox of the gospel, demonstrating how humility, generosity, and obedience can transform relationships, communities, and personal faith. Practical reflections and prompts invite readers to integrate these principles into daily life-choosing forgiveness over resentment, service over recognition, and trust over control.

With accessible scholarship, devotional insight, and concrete application, this book reveals the practical power of God's reversals. It challenges conventional assumptions about success, power, and happiness, inviting believers to live counterculturally in alignment with Christ's teachings. God's Surprising Way is both an invitation and a roadmap: to encounter God's transformative presence, embody the values of the Kingdom, and experience joy, healing, and love that endure.

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Christianity begins with surprise! From the moment the Word became flesh, God has been showing us that His ways are not our ways. He made incarnate the Savior, not in a palace but in a stable. He was welcomed by shepherds first, the lowly, marginalized outcasts of society (Luke 2:8–12). Jesus continued to reverse our expectations throughout his life. He taught everyone that the last would be first, and the first last (Matthew 20:16), that the meek would inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5), and that greatness was about servanthood, not privilege or authority (Matthew 20:26–27). Everywhere he went, the crowds were astonished—they were forced to recalibrate their understanding of power, privilege, and God’s blessing.

This reversibility, what some have called the upside-down kingdom, is key to understanding the surprising way of God. Where we see strength, control, and recognition, He delights in lifting the humble, exalting the meek, and blessing the poor in spirit. This is what Augustine means when he observes, “In the wisdom of God, they are overturned, and what seemed to be less is more weighty than it seemed in the world” (Augustine 1998, 54). This is often the counterfactual logic of the kingdom: surrender as a means of power, weakness as a source of strength, and service as a path to greatness.

The scriptures are replete with examples of reversibility. Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, and ultimately rules nations and saves them from famine (Genesis 50:20). David, the youngest and least regarded son of Jesse, becomes the greatest king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:11–13). The disciples, though zealously devoted to Jesus, have to learn that glory comes through humility, self-denial, and love for others (Mark 10:42–45). Jesus Himself modelled the supreme example; the Son of God, made majesty incarnate, suffers and dies, allowing defeat to become eternal victory.

Inviting us into the upside-down kingdom is more than a theological concept; it also shapes how we perceive our lives today. Our human assumptions—about success, happiness, and significance—are misguided. While learning to honour God’s surprising way, we see that consideration for a fleeting bit of favour from others gives way to joy, that surrender to God’s will yields health, and that loving others sacrificially through humble service changes relationships.

The upside-down kingdom is an invitation to see the world through God’s eyes—a way to fulfill what Jesus says; a way where “the last are first,” the “lowly are received” and “the hidden thing of love and service” is of eternal weight. The Paradox of Joy, Healing, and Love

In the upside-down kingdom, joy, healing, and love often appear to be contrary to human expectations. True joy is not the product of achievement, recognition, or comfort; healing is not always immediate; and love is rarely transactional. Instead, the Christian life invites believers into a paradox: the more we surrender, serve, and humble ourselves, the more these blessings flow into our lives.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jeyran Main has spent years immersed in the world of books as an editor and publisher. She is the author of The Radical Realism of Jesus: A Framework for Living in the 21st Century and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Living in the Light of the Cross magazine. Through her platform, HeavenlyHarmonyHub.com, she provides resources that encourage thoughtful engagement with faith. Guided by a passion for seeking truth, Jeyran explores how God’s counterintuitive Kingdom wisdom overturns human expectations and invites readers into a life marked by joy, healing, generosity, and love.

https://jeyranmain.com/gods-surprising-way/ ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Straight Browsing from the Library: Laughing Through the Storm by Jane Rogers

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jane Rogers will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Diagnosed with epilepsy at 13, Jane's life took a wild turn full of seizures, specialists, and some seriously strange hospital adventures. But instead of letting it break her, she learned to laugh—at the chaos, the cringe, and even the curveballs. Laughing Through the Storm is a hilariously honest memoir about finding resilience, ridiculousness, and unexpected joy in the middle of life's messiest moments.

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It was a frosty January morning in 1981 when I decided to make my dramatic debut in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. As the latest addition to the family line-up, I was a calm and easy-going baby, quietly lulling everyone into a false sense of security. Classic me— always setting up for a twist.

My dad worked for the Health of Animals, a branch of the Canadian federal government, as a veterinarian in Prince Edward Island. They were responsible for the control, prevention and eradication of certain animal diseases. As the district veterinarian for the entire province, he had responsibilities for the health and well-being of all livestock, from pigs and cows to chickens. His days were a mix of travelling to farms to test animals for serious diseases like tuberculosis and rabies; visiting auction houses to ensure only healthy animals were sold; attending meat-packing plants to collect samples; and making safety diagnoses to ensure that animals entering the food chain were safe for human consumption.

When I was two, my parents decided to move us to Riverview, New Brunswick, a town that became the stage for my happiest childhood memories. We lived on Hamilton Court, a little slice of suburban heaven with one particularly glorious feature: hills. Our backyard sloped gently, but our neighbours’ yards were even steeper, perfect for sledding. Every winter, kids from all over the neighbourhood would arrive armed with sleds, ready to turn those snowy slopes into the ultimate playground. We would shriek with laughter as we careened down the hill and tumbled into a snowbank. Gravity may have been our accomplice in the winter, but in the summer, it was the architect of our joy. My friends and I would roll down those same hills, giggling uncontrollably, dizzy from both the spinning and the laughter.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jane Rogers is an accidental expert in epilepsy, diagnosed at 13 and living with it ever since. She's spent over three decades navigating seizures, side effects, and hospital adventures with grit, sarcasm, and a solid sense of humor. Laughing Through the Storm is her first book—a tribute to resilience, ridiculous moments, and finding light in the darkest places.

She lives in Ottawa with her supportive husband, Pascal, and their two mischievous chihuahuas, Junior and Bailey.

Fun Fact: Jane once had a seizure during a comedy show— and still insists the comedian owes her one.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laughingthroughthestorm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jane.rogers.339999

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Straight Chatting from the Library: Victoria Weisfeld

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Victoria Weisfeld will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What is the favorite book you remember as a child?

Heidi. The version I had included beautiful color illustrations. I remember them still, though when I read it back then, the pictures always disappointed me because they were never exactly the picture I had created in my mind.

What is your favorite book today?

That depends on the genre, but if you’re asking about my favorite genre, that currently is political/espionage thrillers. Some stellar authors are taking over the mantle of the late John Le Carré, and a number of them are women. Favorite book: Demon Copperhead.

Tell us about your current book in 10 words.

American travel writer in Italy runs afoul of vicious gangsters.

What are you reading right now?

American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company (nonfiction, obviously, but quite an adventure); just finished The Impossible Thing, Belinda Bauer’s 2025 crime novel long-listed for the Booker Prize.

What books do you have on hold at the library?

Two genealogy books are due in on InterLibraryLoan; my library mystery book club is reading Havoc next month. I’ve already read and reviewed it, so I don’t need to reserve a copy.

E-Reader or print? and why?

Print, simply because between working on my own writing, my blog, and my book and theater reviews, I spend too much screen time already. Print is easier on my eyes. But if I’m reviewing a book that doesn’t yet have hard copies, I will occasionally read a pdf.

Favorite book you’ve read this year?

The two Leoni Swann books, Three Bags Full and Big Bad Wool. They have the utterly preposterous premise that a flock of sheep acts as the detective in solving a crime. I would never have predicted I would love these so, but she is so good at describing animal behavior, I was totally charmed.

When do you do most of your reading?

Usually in the evening and on airplanes. I may be one of the few people you know who looks forward to a five-hour plane ride! The hour-long ride from my town into Manhattan is another prime reading opportunity. I never go to any appointment without a book or magazine in hand.

Favorite place to read?

I read in our living room and in bed. It doesn’t matter very much where I read, you’ll always find two Siamese cats napping on me.

Do you loan your books? Keep books or give them away?

I don’t loan books out unless I don’t want them back. I read and review about 45 new crime books every years for the UK website crimefictionlover.com. I also read books outside the criminal. And every January, I pull all the books I’ve read the past year off the shelves, save one or two I want to keep, give a few away, and box up the others for the library book sale. Fingers crossed they find appreciative homes.

What would make you not finish a book?

It rarely happens. But poor writing is the deal-breaker for me. Writing is a craft, and it’s an imposition on people’s time when writers don’t work to improve it, can’t recognize when they need a good editor, and just (self-) publish because they can.

I hope your readers take the opportunity to read my new destination thriller, She Knew Too Much. I think they will find it a fast-moving story with touches of romance, humor, and a big dose of humanity. I welcome their responses. Thank you for inviting me to share these few words about what I love to read.

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Travel writer Genie Clarke arrives in Rome seeking inspiration, but her trip turns deadly when she overhears two mafia operatives discussing a secret "Project." Before she can escape, she's attacked and left for dead. Awakening in a hospital-alive but hunted-Genie finds the police unwilling to believe her. Only Detective Leo Angelini takes her seriously, uncovering ties between her assault, a murdered woman, and a powerful criminal network.

With the threat escalating, Leo moves Genie into hiding, where she becomes both key witness and prime target. Cut off from safety and unsure who to trust, Genie must outthink the conspirators determined to silence her.

From Rome's bright piazzas to its shadowed alleys, she faces a terrifying fight for survival-and an unexpected connection with the detective risking everything to protect her. She Knew Too Much is a lean, suspenseful psychological thriller about fear, courage, and the price of knowing too much.

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I crossed the one-way traffic to reach the Piazza del Popolo’s spacious central rectangle. People ambled toward one or another of the half-dozen streets that converged on the Piazza or to the steps leading up to the Villa Borghese Gardens, where I’d spent the afternoon. I was aiming for the Via del Babuino, street of the Baboon, which got its name from a particularly hideous sculpture. In a few blocks, that street ended at the Piazza di Spagna and the always-crowded Spanish Steps, a half block from my hotel.

On the far side, I again negotiated the circling rush of traffic and chanced a look behind. What the hell? The spiky-haired blond had crossed the first stream of traffic. Now he jostled through the crowd, coming straight my way. He was tracking me, and he didn’t care if I knew it. I was in trouble. And, if I didn’t want to believe my eyes, the hair on the back of my neck confirmed it. I picked up my pace, walking as fast as I could in my flimsy sandals.

Dozens of times I’d traveled the few blocks connecting the two piazzas. Now this familiar street radiated hostility, and the stones of the Sunday-shuttered buildings reflected no warmth. Surely something, some business, would be open. I sped past my favorite stationery store, the gallery whose owner I’d interviewed. Shut tight as oysters.

Why hadn’t I asked someone near the piazza for help? Could I have made myself understood? Would they have agreed to get involved? I shook my head in frustration.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Vicki Weisfeld is a Midwesterner (Go Blue!) transplanted to New Jersey. Her short stories have appeared in leading mystery magazines, including Ellery Queen, Sherlock Holmes, and Black Cat. Find her work also in a variety of anthologies: Busted: Arresting Stories from the Beat, Seascapes: Best New England Crime Stories, Murder Among Friends, Passport to Murder, The Best Laid Plans, Quoth the Raven, and Sherlock Holmes in the Realms of Edgar Allan Poe. She's a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, which awarded "Breadcrumbs" a best short story Derringer in 2017, and the Public Safety Writers Association, which gave a similar award to "Who They Are Now" in 2020. She's a reviewer of New Jersey theater for TheFrontRowCenter.com and crime/mystery/thriller fiction for the UK website, crimefictionlover.com.

Website: http://www.vweisfeld.com">http://www.vweisfeld.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Victoria-Weisfeld/author/B07J1X2B48
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6815763.Victoria_Weisfeld

Purchase: https://www.amazon.com/She-Knew-Much-Victoria-Weisfeld/dp/B0G56LHLLS/

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Straight Browsing from the Library: The Obscura Syndicate by Raven Storme

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Raven Storme will be awarding a signed paperback and book plate to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Lira was meant to die for the throne.

Cassian Vale was trained to be the blade that ended her.

But the moment he hesitates—one heartbeat, one breath—everything forbidden ignites.

Now the deadliest man in the Syndicate is the only thing standing between Lira and a prophecy that demands her blood. He should fear her. He should kill her. Instead… he can’t stop wanting her.

She’s the girl marked for sacrifice.
He’s the weapon shaped to obey.

Together, they become the spark that threatens to burn Obscura to ashes

As Lira’s power awakens and the throne tightens its grip, their desire becomes its own kind of danger—raw, consuming, and impossible to survive untouched. Enemies hunt them. Shadows follow them. And the kingdom whispers one truth:

If Cassian doesn’t ruin her, she’ll ruin him.

A dark, seductive story of prophecy, power, and a love so intense it could topple a kingdom.

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“You shouldn’t look at me like that,” Cassian said.

I didn’t stop.

“How should I look at you?” I asked, stepping closer, close enough to feel the heat rolling off his body. “Like a monster?”

His jaw clenched. “Like someone who can ruin you.”

I smiled. “You already have.”

His hand came up fast, pinning me to the wall—not violent, but unyielding. His body crowded mine, every inch of him a warning I ignored willingly.

“You don’t understand what you’re inviting,” he murmured.

“I understand exactly,” I said, fingers sliding into his coat, finding the steady thrum of his heart. “You don’t touch things you don’t intend to keep.”

His breath stuttered.

“Say that again,” he said.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

That was the moment he lost control.

His mouth crushed to mine, all restraint burned away, and the world narrowed to breath, skin, and the terrifying certainty that neither of us would walk away unchanged.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Raven 🐦‍⬛ Storme writes dark, smut-heavy romance for readers who crave obsession, power struggles, and secrets whispered in the dark. Living in Pennsylvania, she’s been married for fourteen years and shares her life with fourteen dogs—because calm has never been her aesthetic. Her debut series, The Obscura Syndicate, dives into forbidden desire, shadowy loyalties, and characters who blur every moral line. Raven believes love is messy, passion is dangerous, and the best stories live in the dark.

Website: http://Ravenstorme.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@raven.storme
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ravenstormeauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smut.luvin.books

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Obscura-Syndicate-Dark-Gothic-Romance-ebook/dp/B0GH2HS8PW/ref=sr_1_1

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Straight Chatting from the Library: Kirsten Weiss

This post is part of a virtual book tour orgnaized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What is your reading comfort zone?

I love cozy mystery novels and the supernatural—particularly gothics. I don’t like gross-outs or gore. And I’m not a fan of horror, which typically ends on a bad note. There’s enough of that in the world! I want to read hopeful endings (which is why I write cozy mysteries, where the villain is always brought to justice).

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

I love Stephen King’s writing, so he’s my one exception to my “no horror” rule. That man just knows how to write, and I learn so much from reading him—about how to draw out suspense, about plotting structures, and about character.

How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Lately, not much! A lot of book critics seem to be post-modernists, and I just don’t enjoy post-modernist writing. It seems to have a lot of awful characters in big cities doing awful things, because “it’s more realistic.” Well, maybe it is more realistic. But I can read about those people in the online news, and they are not who I aspire to be. It’s a fallen world, but I want to read about honorable characters fighting for good things – or at least about people who are trying to be honorable.

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I’m careful with it. I try to give honest reviews, and to be objective. This means letting people know what reading experience they’ll get from the book without giving anything away, and recognizing that the elements I don’t like, other people may love.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

Right now I’m working through Osweald Beara by Colin Gorrie. It teaches you to read old English in the form of a story. In each chapter, the vocabulary and language gets progressively more challenging. Reading it is like decoding a puzzle, which as a cozy mystery writer (and reader) I love.

Here’s how it works. The author suggests you first read the chapter and just try to get a sense of it. Then study the vocabulary list at the back of the chapter and re-read it until you’re comfortable before continuing on. And then, when you get to the point you’re about to give up, go back to the beginning and read it all to inspire yourself with how far you’ve come. It’s a fun and fascinating way to learn a language. So the answer is old English!

Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Adaptations are tough. You inevitably have to leave things out, and the page doesn’t always translate to the screen. But Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings was remarkable. He and the actors obviously loved and respected the material. They did a wonderful job. I’ve heard they’re talking about doing a remake, and I can’t understand why. It’s perfect.

> What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Hm. This is a good question, but I don’t have an easy answer. I do DNF books. In fact, recently I DNF’d a highly acclaimed bestselling urban fantasy novel, because it was one of those “everyone is awful and doing awful things” books. I didn’t care what happened to the so-called heroine. Also, the activities described in the book were ugly, and I didn’t want them in my head.

Supposedly, when you read something or see it on film, the subconscious doesn’t recognize that it’s fiction. If this is true—and I think it is—then it’s critical to curate one’s reading. I’ve got enough issues, without adding horrors to my subconscious that aren’t even real!

What do you think? Does our subconscious know the difference between fiction and reality? What does it mean for our media diet?

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>BR>

A killer stalks her sister.
A mysterious painting holds the key.
Can Maddie unravel the mystery before Melanie meets a deadly fate?

When Maddie and Herb attend a curation class at the upscale Domus Vinea museum, the mood turns darker than a gothic portrait after Maddie’s opera-singing sister, Melanie, discovers the museum director’s body. Now, with a cunning killer targeting Melanie next, Maddie must act fast.

Racing against time, Maddie and friends investigate a gallery of suspects, including a dashing vintner with a haunted painting that may hide a deadly secret. If Maddie can’t crack the case, and fast, her sister’s life could end in one fatal stroke.

A Deathly Display, the latest in the Paranormal Museum series, blends quirky sleuthing, small-town chills, and paranormal thrills with a dash of humor. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries!

Grab A Deathly Display and start reading this hilarious whodunit!

For readers who crave a cozy mystery about a woman finding belonging through small-town wine-country sleuthing and the gentle absurdity of everyday hauntings. Perfect if you like breezy pacing, light supernatural quirks, and warm humor over gritty tension—think vintage charm, quirky neighbors, and just-enough chills to keep pages turning without losing sleep. Book 11 in the series.

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Stuffing the brochure into the pocket of my navy hoodie, I walked to the window. The gentle blues of twilight streamed through it, making a trapezoid on the museum’s wooden floor.

A narrow, carved piece of wood stuck out beneath the sill. There appeared to be two wooden hinges at its base. It was another door. Curious, I pried the top open.

The slender strip of wood popped off the wall. I caught it before it could hit the floor and froze, squatting, door cradled in both hands. Horrified, I gaped at the piece of carved wood.

“You broke it,” Herb hissed. “You broke the house on our first visit!”

“I didn’t break it. It fell off.” Frantically, I tried to work the door back into the hinge.

“What are you doing?” Bran asked from behind me.

Heart pounding, I spun to face him and hid the slim little door behind my back.

“Are you hiding something behind your back?” Bran cocked an eyebrow. Now, he looked like an angry Roman general, the trimmed stubble on his jaw more threatening. Not even his jeans and blue button-up eased the effect.

I blinked, sweating. He’d caught me like a kid elbow-deep in a cookie jar.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries, and now a Tarot guidebook that’s a work of experimental fiction. Her heroes and heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.

Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

Website: http://www.KirstenWeiss.com
Twitter: http://www.x.com/SBPM_Museum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenweissauthor
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kirstenweissauthor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KirstenWeiss-Writer
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243649538-a-deathly-display

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4p2g97b
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/4nIZMuW
B&N: https://bit.ly/4oL69zv
Google Play: https://bit.ly/43i6bWH
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3WDUrtY
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-deathly-display-a-small-town-murder-mystery-a-perfectly-proper-paranormal-museum-mystery-book-11-by-kirsten-weiss
Universal Book link: https://books2read.com/u/3J1MPQ

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Straight from the Library: Love, Life and Mother Nature by James C. Glassford

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. James C. Glassford will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture in the lonely shore,
There is a society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but nature more.
– Lord Byron

These poems reflect the healing powers of nature both without and within. It can amaze you and comfort you, rejuvenate and rehabilitate you— if you let it.

Discover its powers—read on!

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Summer Sunrise

Sunrise in the mountains is a majestic and moving sight

It undresses the cloak of darkness and brings the world light To the east a rosy blush begins as earth embraces the dawn Curtains of night are lifted and its shadows soon withdrawn

Tendrils of light steal down the cavernous canyons tall Like fingers of liquid lava running down a volcano wall

Caressing the cliffs and painting a sheen on their snowy faces An artist’s hand and a pastel palette touching many places

Tree by tree tree the forest takes on a new found tinge The seas too are painted from their centre to their fringe

A kaleidoscope of colour as you watch the masterpiece unfold With subtle grace and beauty like an alluring dream untold

Rays of sunlight kiss the soft belly of the fluffy clouds Brushing them with chameleon colours endlessly endowed The world awakens in the sun’s tender soft-hued glow, Each ray a promise, a new day of heartfelt hope to sow.

From darkness to light, there is a magical transition A celestial ballet in a splendid and stately exhibition The wind seems to whisper softly dispelling all fears As a chorus of songbirds add their comforting cheers

The sun ascends faster now as purples turn to gold Bringing its welcoming warmth and dispelling the cold The sky is suddenly ablaze with the early morning light Finally vanquishing the demons of the daunting night

Enjoy Nature’s peace and grandeur as it percolates within Let your heart be touched and feel a solemn serenity begin Cast aside your worries, your troubles and your woes
As renewal begins and a blissful energy soon flows

  MEET THE AUTHOR

I am a retired physician who has been blessed with the opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring places on earth: Vancouver Island. Throughout my life I have remained intimately connected to nature. I consider it an alternate classroom and a timeless and thought-provoking teacher. It has taught me many enduring life lessons.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240661898-love-life-and-mother-nature
Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1834182123

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Straight Reading from the Library: Candle in the Wind by Kim

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kim Baccellia will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What if you discovered everything you’ve been taught is a lie? For most of her life, seventeen-year-old Espie Hernandez’s world revolved around the Branch of Thomas, a cult-like haven in what’s left of a war-ravaged America. Their ruler, Reverent Father, keeps them safe from the Others, those outside the compound who wish to harm them. Espie questions what she’s been taught and finds herself banished from the compound. She's thrust into the harsh world beyond their walls with the mission to prove the Others actually have a plot against them. When tensions escalate, Espie must figure out who to trust before everything she loves is torn apart.

READ THE REVIEW

In this intense distopian novel, readers are left contemplating several compelling questions: Will Espie find the answers she seeks beyond the confines of her community? Will she be reunited with those she loves? And what trials and revelations await her outside the rigid world she has always known? These unanswered questions sustain a steady sense of suspense, encouraging readers to press on to the final pages to witness Espie’s pursuit of truth.

I was thoroughly immersed in the vividly imagined world of Candle in the Wind. The novel’s world-building is particularly strong, lending depth and credibility to the story.

Espie’s journey feels both authentic and thoughtfully rendered. Her fear of the outside world does not disappear the moment she leaves the compound; instead, it lingers, shaping her choices and adding emotional weight to each decision she makes. The narrative offers a nuanced exploration of indoctrination—how it forms identity, and how unsettling freedom can be when one has been conditioned to fear it.

Raised within a cult, Espie’s gradual discovery of the truth creates significant internal conflict. Her character development is especially effective: she begins as a devoted follower of her community’s leadership and ultimately emerges as an individual capable of independent thought and self-determination. The pacing of the novel is equally well executed. With frequent action—bombings, gunfire, and physical confrontations—the story maintains momentum and is difficult to put down.

The central theme of truth is woven throughout the narrative. Within the cult, truth is defined solely by the teachings of the Reverent Father. As Espie is exposed to the world beyond the cult, she comes to understand the extent of the deception that shaped her upbringing. The community’s darker history is gradually revealed, and Espie’s pursuit of truth ultimately guides her decisions and her growth.

I sincerely hope this novel is followed by a continuation, as Espie’s story—and the world she inhabits—feels far from finished.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Kim Baccellia is the author of five fantasy/paranormal young adult novels, Crossed Out, Crossed Fire, No More Goddesses, Goddesses Can Wait, and Earrings of Ixtumea.

Kim has had many jobs. She was a bilingual teacher; homeschooled her son; served on her local RWA charter board; a Cybil’s panelist; and even read the slush pile for an agency.

In her free time, Kim loves long walks, yoga, watching psychological horror movies, and reading lots of books that she loves to review for YA Books Central.

A member of Women’s Fiction Writer’s organization, Kim is currently putting the finishing touches on a historical set in 1943 Italy. She also is working on a historical with a Utah suffragette loosely based on her own ancestor Lucy Clark. Kim lives in Southern California with her husband, son, and cockatiel Damon.

Author Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B007OXDNAU/about
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/862733.Kim_Baccellia
Website: http://www.kim-baccellia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kbaccellia
Bluesky: http://ixtumea.bsky.social/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baccellia/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ixtumea/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Candle-Wind-Kim-Baccellia-ebook/dp/B0DMKWVSJP/ref=sr_1_1

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