Friday, October 15, 2021

Review and Giveaway: My Cat is Blue by Sarah Sommer

Join Us For This Tour From October 5 to October 18

Book Details:

Book Title: My Cat Is Blue by Sarah Sommer
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 36 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Mascot Books
Release date: October 2021
Content Rating: G - Children's picture book featuring feelings of sadness and grief (loss of a pet), but no explicit content or language.

Book Description:

When someone you love is feeling down in the dumps, you try everything to help. But sometimes, you don't have the cure, and those blues can even become contagious. It just might be the unexpected that allows you both to shed your blues and move toward a bright and colorful future.

Buy the Book
Mascot Books
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
Chapters Indigo ~ Books-A-Million

My Thoughts:

My Cat is Blue is a very touching storybook of a child seeing and grieving with her pet cat at the loss of their pet dog. We lost our almost 10 year old German Shepherd this year and the suddenness of the loss and the heartbreak we felt as humans was keenly felt. However, we have a little teddy bear puppy who never experienced what suddenly she was experiencing. The loss of her best friend. And yes, she was blue and changed.

So we did what this book suggested (before I got this book) and brought her home another companion. Is everything better? No, there have certainly been some hiccups but I am hoping we are on our way. All of my kids read this book, even my adult children and yes it brought tears to all our eyes.

If you or your family have recently lost a pet, this is an excellent story to help understand what a child and even a pet may be going through with some helpful suggestions.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

JOIN SARAH SOMMER FOR AUTHORS ON ITOUR'S BROWN BAG LUNCH: OCT 8, 12 Noon (EST)

Meet the Author:

Sarah Sommer is an award-winning children's picture book author who blends her love for music, animals, and positivity in her books. Having trained in classical music and performed internationally as a professional clarinetist, rhymes and lyrics are an important part of her writing style. She is an advocate for animals, as seen in her work fostering German shepherds, and as a result, animals are always a central part of her stories. Sarah aims to include encouraging themes, such as helping others, in all of her narratives because we all need a little help sometimes.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ goodreads ~ instagram

Tour Schedule:

Oct 5 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
Oct 5 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Oct 6 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
Oct 6 - Kam's Place – book review
Oct 7 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Oct 7 - Pick a Good Book – book review / giveaway
Oct 8 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Oct 8 - Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – book review / giveaway
Oct 11 – The Adventures of a Traveler's Wife – book review / giveaway
Oct 12 – Lisa's Reading – book review / giveaway
Oct 12 - icefairy's Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
Oct 13 – From the TBR Pile – book review / giveaway
Oct 13 - The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
Oct 14 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway
Oct 14 - Laura's Interests – book review / giveaway
Oct 15 – Locks, Hooks And Books - book review / giveaway
Oct 15 - Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
Oct 18 – I'm Into Books – book review / giveaway
Oct 18 - Rajiv's Reviews – book review / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

MY CAT IS BLUE Book Tour Giveaway

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Review and Giveaway: Grace Under Siege Not a Love Story by Rene' Voland

Join Us for This Tour from September 27 to October 15!

Book Details:

Book Title: Grace Under Siege: Not a Love Story by René Voland
Category: Adult Fiction 18+, 286 pages
Genre: Psychological Fiction, Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Solomon' s Books Press
Release date: April 2021
Content Rating: Rated G. It has no explicit sex scenes, religious expletives or bad language

Book Description:

Grace, a newlywed in her 30's, discovers that her new life isn't exactly what she expected. Her husband Narcissus is a handsome, former special agent whose puzzling behavior follows a mysterious pattern. Despite Grace's best efforts, she finds it incredibly difficult to build a happy life with him. The ultimate revelation leads to a showdown with Narcissus. Grace believes the well-being of others depend on what she must reveal.

My Thoughts:

Grace is a woman who has been through much trauma on her way to finding a happily ever after. She is attempting to marry for the third time to a man that she wishes she had met from the very start. Her first marriage ended in heartbreak and her second ended with emotional wounds that are going to take a long, long time to heal. As she already feels that she is looking over her shoulder constantly making sure her ex-husband, Narcissus, is not around.

The story was told interestingly. First we are companions with Grace as she sees her counselor and they discuss what happened to her and how she can move forward. Grace not only had poor taste in men, but she also learns she needs to be very careful in the friends she picks as well. As the rest of her story comes out in a very non conventional way.

I was interested in how this story would evolve and it is well written and shows some of the hard, scary truths of being careful of who you trust. Definitely not a love story.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Buy the Book
Amazon
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

René is an author, playwright, poet and publisher/editor. She is a seasoned business owner, private coach and ministerial leader. Grace Under Siege is her debut novel. She and her spouse live in Georgia. She is a graduate of Georgia State University.

connect with the author: website ~ instagram

Tour Schedule:

Sep 27 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 27 - Rockin' Book Tours – book review / guest pot / giveaway
Sep 28 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Sep 28 - Viviana MacKade – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 28 - Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 29 –Sadie's Spotlight - book spotlight
Oct 1 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 4 – Kam's Place – book review
Oct 4 - I'm Into Books - book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 5 – Laura's Interests – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 6 – Leels Loves Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 7 – Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 12 - Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Oct 13 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
Oct 14 - Cheryl's Book Nook - book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 15 – fundinmental - book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 15 – Sadie's Spotlight – spotlight / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: A Warrior's Heart by Misty M. Beller

About the Book

Book: A Warrior’s Heart

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: August 31, 2021

Brielle Durand still feels haunted by the massacre that killed her mother a dozen years before. Vowing to never let it happen again, she’s risen to be the key defender for her people’s peace-loving French settlement living in hidden caves in the Canadian Rockies. When a foreigner wanders too near to their secret homes, she has no choice but to disarm and capture him. But now, what to do with this man who looks at her in a strange way and insists he can be trusted?

Hoping to escape past regrets, Evan MacManus ventured into the unknown, assigned to discover if the northern mountains contain an explosive mineral that might help America win the War of 1812. Despite being taken prisoner, Evan is determined to complete his mission. But when that assignment becomes at odds with his growing appreciation of the villagers and Brielle, does he follow through on the promise he’s made to his government or take a risk on the path his heart is leading him down? Either choice will cause harm to someone.

Brielle and Evan must reconcile the warring in their hearts, if they’ve any hope to find the peace the seek.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This was quite a different sort of book that takes a look at what a people will do to protect themselves from the outside world. The author takes a fictional look at what if there was a hidden civilization in the Rocky mountains that hid themselves from the rest of the world.

Brielle is a woman warrior who takes protecting her people seriously. They have only really dealt with evil from the outside world so this wanderer who has made a way to their mountain must be dealt with. Wounding her victim she takes him back to their home, in the caves.

For a lot of the story Evan is their prisoner and he is confined to the cave. However, the story unfolds as we get Evan's story for being there, it is the year 1812 and America is in war with England again. We also get the village story and Brielle's as well. There was action that takes place in the latter half of the book. Author Beller is great at atmospheric reads in the wilds of the mountains and you can certainly imagine the cold and the heat.

I found this book interesting as how cut off this people was. They did not even know of the geopolitical changes that had happened to the Americans or the Canadians. This story kind of read like a fantasy as well, though it is not, it was just the difference of the people.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty

A secret village living in hidden caves for a century…

One of the fun things about being a writer is letting your imagine run away with itself at times. In general, I’ve never considered myself a creative person. Not like my grandmother, who’s an amazing artist and decorator. She can look at something plain and normal and, with a little paint, create something truly beautiful.

But little by little, I’ve finally learned that just because I don’t feel creative like she is, I still have an imagination that can come up with intriguing ideas.

For example, I was listening to a historical podcast a few years ago that talked about the Vikings and the female warriors who would sometimes gain fame among them. As the hosts talked about the first Viking raids to North America, I started thinking… “What if one of those groups went farther west than any of us thought? What if they found the Rocky Mountains and lived there in a hidden community for centuries?” The thought took hold, and little by little, the idea for the Brides of Laurent series came to life.

I eventually changed the village to be a French settlement named Laurent. The village’s primary warrior was a woman named Brielle Durand, who’d worked hard to win her place as Le Commandant, leader of the Guards and Hunters. I love Brielle’s strength and wit, but also how real her personal struggles became as I wrote her character.

Add in a mountain man spy working for the United States government, and you have the secret for a romance with sparks to light up the mountain sky!

I pray you love A Warrior’s Heart, the first book in this new series. And keep an eye on some of the other characters in the book who might get their own stories soon!

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, September 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 30

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 30

An Author’s Take, September 30

Remembrancy, October 1

Bigreadersite, October 1

lakesidelivingsite, October 2

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 2

Joanna Bair, October 2

Inklings and notions, October 3

To Everything There Is A Season, October 3

Reviewingbooksplusmore, October 3

Wishful Endings, October 4

For Him and My Family, October 4

Mary Hake, October 4

deb’s Book Review, October 5

Life of Literature, October 5

Betti Mace, October 6

Blossoms and Blessings, October 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 6

Blessed & Bookish, October 7

Connie’s History Classroom, October 7

For the Love of Literature, October 8

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 8

Connect in Fiction, October 8

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 9

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 10

Through the Fire Blogs, October 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 10

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 11

Simple Harvest Reads, October 11 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 12

Pause for Tales, October 12

Live. Love. Read., October 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dc9/a-warrior-s-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Review: The Healing of Natalie Curtis by Jane Kirkpatrick

About:

She came to the West for rest . . . what she found was a passion.

Classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis can't seem to recapture the joy that music once brought her. In 1902, her brother invites her to join him in the West to search for healing. What she finds are songs she'd never before encountered--the haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories of Native Americans.

But their music is under attack. The US government's Code of Offenses prohibits America's Indigenous people from singing, dancing, or speaking their own languages. Natalie makes it her mission not only to document these songs before they disappear but to appeal to President Teddy Roosevelt himself, who is the only man with the power to repeal the unjust law.

Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick weaves a lyrical novel based on a true story that captivates to the very end.

My Thoughts:

I was not sure what kind of story I should expect when I started this novel. What I got was a mesmerizing story about Natalie Curtis, who was a real person and her efforts to help preserve Native American culture, specifically their music and songs.

I found this story to be fascinating, that Natalie had a had a breakdown in her career, enduring health problems, decides to go with her brother George out West and learn more about the tribes and help them if she could. Especially in regards to some very unfair laws that the government had set up to basically to get rid of their customs and individuality, instead of just absorbing their culture with the American one. These type of arbitrary rules reminded of how the English treated the Scottish.

I went along with Natalie on her adventure and saw how she was getting better. I enjoyed the respect and love that she and her siblings had towards their parents, even though their mother could sometimes be overbearing and protective. As a mother myself, I understood. This was an adventure I didn't know I needed into the pages of history of a little known woman named Natalie Curtis and traveled out west with her. Great author notes at the end as well.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author or contributor to thirty-nine books, including Something Worth Doing, One More River to Cross, A Name of Her Own, All Together in One Place, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road We Traveled, and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award and 2021 Silver award. They have been short-listed for the Christy, Oregon Book Awards, and the Spur Awards. A clinical social worker and former consultant to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Early Childhood programs, Jane now divides her time between Bend, Oregon, and Rancho Mirage, California, with her husband, Jerry, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Caesar. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: A Life Redeemed by Olivia Ray

About the Book

Book: A Life Redeemed

Author: Olivia Rae

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 16, 2021

Everyone has a secret, who can a queen trust?

Upon Queen Elizabeth’s order, Audrey Hayes travels to the borderlands of Scotland to learn where the fierce Laird Armstrong’s loyalties lie. Is he aligned with his mother’s English roots in support of the queen, or does he hold with the beliefs of his father, who wishes to see Mary of Scots on the English throne? The fate of Audrey’s family rests on her success in finding the answer.

After losing his lands in a wager and being betrayed by his kin, Gavin Armstrong entered a loveless marriage to obtain the funds to buy back his family home, Warring Tower. Now a widower, struggling against countless border wars, he is on the verge of losing his home and lands again. With few resources, he reluctantly makes another risky wager, one he cannot hope to win without trusting the secretive Audrey Hayes, a woman he suspects is an English spy.

As the two work together to save Warring Tower, their attraction to one another grows. But when Audrey finally gains the information she seeks for Queen Elizabeth, she realizes that the only way she can save her family is to betray the man she loves.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Queen Elizabeth is on the throne but there is still much palace intrigue and political maneuvering going on. The fights between Protestants and Catholics and the English and Scottish are still going on. So Audrey Hayes, with only her family to lose, is sent by the Queen to spy on a certain Laird Armstrong to see just where his loyalties lay.

They clash pretty much from the first moment they meet. He wants her gone, but she must desperately stay for her family. And as they dance warily around one another, there is much going on in the background.

I haven't read an author Rae book before and this is the second in this series. But this story was so good and she brought this dangerous time period alive for me. Romance and danger and witty banter in the time of Queen Elizabeth, what is really going on and what is the Queen's purpose? I look forward to reading the whole series.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Olivia Rae is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary inspirational romance. She spent her school days dreaming of knights, princesses and far away kingdoms; it made those long, boring days in the classroom go by much faster. Nobody was more shocked than her when she decided to become a teacher. Besides getting her Master’s degree, marrying her own prince, and raising a couple of kids, Olivia decided to breathe a little more life into her childhood stories by adding in what she’s learned as an adult living in a small town on the edge of a big city. When not writing, she loves to travel, dragging her family to old castles and forts all across the world.

Olivia is the winner of the Angel Award, Book Buyers Best Award, Golden Quill Award, New England Readers’ Choice Award, Southern Magic Contest, and the American Fiction Award. She is an Illumination Award Gold and Bronze medalist. She has also been a finalist in many other contests such as the National Readers’ Choice Awards, and the National Romance Fiction Awards. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

More from Olivia

My novel, A Life Redeemed takes place in 16^th Century England and Scotland. A very popular dish at the time was the meat pie. Back then making such a dish took a lot of time. My Grandmother made a similar dish with modern day ingredients that you can whip together in no time. Cheesy meat pie is a real family pleaser and a delicious bit of history.

Medieval Cheesy Meat Pie

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

1 – 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

¼ cup parsley

1 – 3oz. can chopped mushrooms (drained)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

2 packages (8 rolls) crescent rolls

3 eggs

Shredded cheese (mixed cheddar and mozzarella)

In skillet, brown beef, onion (drain). Stir in tomato sauce, parsley, mushrooms, pepper and oregano, then set aside. Unroll one package of crescent rolls, forming 12×6 inch rectangle. Seal edges and perforations together. Roll to fit in 9-inch pie plate, trim. Separate one egg and set aside the yoke. Beat egg white with remaining two eggs. Spread over half the dough. Spoon meat into shell, arranging cheese on top. Pour remaining egg mixture over cheese. Roll out second package of crescent rolls, sealing on top of pie. Beat remaining egg yoke and a tablespoon of water, brush on top of dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. If pastry gets too brown, cover with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Blog Stops

Pause for Tales, October 9

Labor Not in Vain, October 9

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 11

Genesis 5020, October 11

Bigreadersite, October 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 14

Texas Book-aholic, October 15

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 16

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 16

deb’s Book Review, October 17

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 18

Connie’s History Classroom, October 19

Mary Hake, October 19

Inklings and notions, October 20

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 21

For Him and My Family, October 22

Betti Mace, October 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away the grand prize packaged of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11fe0/a-life-redeemed-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, October 8, 2021

Review: A Midnight Dancy by Joanna Davidson Politano

About:

The best moments in dance are the unscripted ones

At their core, all theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most--and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater.

After a chance encounter with one of the ballet company's handsome dancers late one night, Ella is swept off her elegantly pointed toes. The dance they share and the promise he makes to her feel like a new beginning. Yet as she faces mounting challenges in the ever-shrinking ballet company, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the ghostly ballerina.

Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own disastrous end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the unyielding grip of the past?

My Thoughts:

Author Politano has such a way with words and sweeping the reader into the stories of her characters. This was a story that pulled me through it's atmosphere and had me turning to the pages to get to the answers that Ella Blythe and I both had need of.

Ella is a dancer. She has the skill and it is in her blood. From the first pages of the book I was swept into her world of dancing, the darkness of it, the conniving of others, and the dark side of it. Taking place in the late 1830's in London we get a very vivid picture of what it might have looked like to make it in the dancing world.

And oh, the secrets and hidden agendas and a bit of a mystery as we saw through the eyes of Ella, who was trying to find her place in this world. And the romance. I want to say this was a little bit of a Gothic tale for me, reminding me of times of the Phantom of the Opera. If you are looking for a bit of different read I highly recommend this lyrical one.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, and The Love Note. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone's story. She lives with her husband and their children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. You can find her at www.jdpstories.com.

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Postman's Lantern by J.C. Comerford

About the Book

Book: The Postman’s Lantern

Author: J.C. Comerford

Genre: Christian Children’s Fiction, Christmas

Release date: January 8, 2020

During a devastating Christmas Eve snowstorm, John the postman arrives at his last stop, at the steps of the Frost family. Here, he rediscovers a stowaway letter in his mailbag, not for his route. It’s a letter from a hospitalized grandfather, to a very special grandson. John feels obligated to make the delivery. His unselfish act of kindness leads him, and then the Frost family, on an unforgettable journey across a seemingly endless track of farmland. Little does John know what he’s actually carrying. The lantern he carries becomes a mystery that guides their way through astonishing events. They finally arrive at the Evans house, where they find themselves before an extremely sick boy, a mother’s pain, and the mystical workings of God.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

On a very stormy Christmas Eve night, a postman is trying to get a misdirected letter to a very sick little boy from his grandfather. Though this story isn't very long, it does pull the reader into the setting and takes us along this rough weather night as we walk alongside the characters in their worry and in their awe. There were also plenty of twists and turns and this story also showed how the community can pull together and help one another.

If you are looking for a quick read by the fireplace to get in the mood for Christmas, this might just be what you need. And as the season quickly approaches, I hope everyone receives just what they need.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

John Charles Comerford grew up playing hard, on the streets and fields of Washington Township, New Jersey. He attended Our Lady of Good Counsel Grammar School through 8th grade. He then jumped across the street to attend Westwood High School, where he soon began playing guitar and composing songs at the age of sixteen. Writing short musical stories would soon turn into a more involved field of composition, as he later attended Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ. Here, he developed a desire to become a paperback writer. While attending college, he took a job with the US Postal Service as a mail carrier and is still delivering, thirty years later. He is still a performing musician and a recording artist on itunes. He now resides in Pawling, New York with his wife Bridget and his son Jack.

More from John Charles

I was just a little kid at the time. The temperature outside was 93 degrees. I had awakened earlier that day, because it was a Saturday. I wanted to catch some early morning cartoons, instead of lying in bed, waiting for my dad to give out chores for the day. I knew it was going to be a hot one, and I dreaded going outside.

Before long, there I was slapping paint on the side of my house. Soon after, I was weeding and watering the front lawn before it reached into the 90’s. At about 12:00, I went inside to cool off. I ate some lunch and relaxed a bit, listening to the “Boston Pops” my dad had put on.

From a calm and collective state of mind, I was suddenly burdened by the noise of my barking dog, at the front window. I went to the front door and opened it wide. As I looked up, the mailman was looking down. His face was dripping sweat, and his uniform was soaked. He had a big smile and said, “Too hot to play today.” He laughed a bit and handed me the mail. I heard my mom and dad yell out “Thank you, do you need a cold drink at all?” He said “I’m all set but thank you.” He moved on, while adjusting that full bag of mail that he was carrying around his shoulders.

It was then that I decided I would never become a mailman. God, no, not this kid. That was no easy job.

14 years later, I was working for the post office, with a packed satchel around my neck, and a can of pepper spray, to boot. I was now walking that mile, in my old mailman’s boots. Many times I’ve prayed to God for help and to keep me from dozing off in trucks that reached 120 degrees inside. I prayed for help from dog attacks that would occur five times a day at least. I prayed for help from the pain you feel when it’s 30 degrees to 20 below and you’re soaked from rain. Your fingers are ready to fall off after being soaked from the rain or as they burn to the bone.

So I wrote my book, seeking the world’s attention to the mail carrier’s integrity, and a forever caring attitude to those who patiently await their arrival.