Category: Family

Indie Spotlight: Book Review of My Grief Jar by Deborah Waffle

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments

Indie Spotlight is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. Below see my review of My Grief Jar by Deborah Waffle. It is a memoir of a Mom who has lost her daughter, and how in the midst of her grief, she decided to help others.

BOOK REVIEW

My Grief Jar is the story of Deborah Waffle’s daughter, Kelsey, and her battle with constant pain and severe complications from Small Fiber Neuropathy. But it is also the story of Deborah’s journey after Kelsey’s death, as she sought to fulfill Kelsey’s wish that her Golden Retriever, Brody, become a therapy dog.

Deborah shows us Kelsey’s debilitating pain and her own grief in such an honest way. Her decision to honor her daughter by helping others and getting Brody trained as a therapy dog is admirable, and as I read her story, I could see it was the absolute best choice. She was able to visit hospital patients with Brody, bring them joy, and feel close to her daughter at the same time. The analogy of the grief jar is a powerful one–the grief stays the same, but the vessel holding the grief can grow, and helping others helped Deborah to grow. She and Brody became a source of joy for hospital patients and Deborah then became a writer, for this is a very well-written book.

I feel honored that Deborah asked me to share her book, her beautiful daughter, her walk through overwhelming grief, and her remarkable journey afterwards with Brody because, just maybe, somebody will see this post, read the book, and be helped by it as well. Highly, highly recommended.

I downloaded this book on Kindle Unlimited. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deborah Waffle taught second and fourth grade for 33 years and is now retired. She lives with her husband Marty, and their dog, Brody, in Broadalbin, New York. Deborah and Brody visit several different medical facilities once or twice a week as a therapy dog team. They recently celebrated their 50th therapy dog visit. Brody brings smiles to all the people and patients he meets.

PURCHASE LINKS

Click on the image below to purchase My Grief Jar. It is also available on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.

BEFORE YOU GO

Remember, if you read the book, please leave a review. Reviews help the author so much, because the more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it. The review does not have to be a masterpiece. Just a sentence or two about how the book made you feel will be perfect, and will make the author’s day. Please also remember to share this post with others so they will see this wonderful book.

Indie Spotlight and Review: The Empty Side Of Our Bed by Bill Beckett

BonnieReadsAndWrites16 Comments

**Indie Spotlight is my effort to help Indie authors share their books with others. You can help too by sharing this post with all of your social media followers. Together we can help Indie books succeed. Below is my review of an honest and very personal story of loss and grief by author Bill Beckett.

BOOK REVIEW

The Empty Side of Our Bed is Bill Beckett’s story of the loss of his beloved wife Bonnie to cancer, and his painful journey forward. Beckett makes it clear that there are no easy answers and no step-by-step guidelines to cope with losing the love of your life. Instead he shares his emotions from the beginning of his journey until the present. His description of heartache as an actual, physical pain is so real, and he describes the darker times when he was overwhelmed with the physical agony of it, along with the mental anguish. At the same time, he shares happy memories with Bonnie and stresses the simple moments that we should all embrace to the fullest, because they are the ones he misses the most. He shares how he has learned to live with grief, and he honors his late wife and his love for her.

This is a wonderful tribute to the author’s wife, and at the same time, a deeply honest story of experiencing grief and moving slowly forward.

I received a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bill Beckett is a former IT and digital forensics professional who turned to writing after the loss of his wife, Bonnie. He is the author of Love, Family, Cancer, a heartfelt account of their journey through illness. His current project, The Empty Side of Our Bed, is a deeply personal memoir about grief, healing, and rediscovering identity. Bill writes with raw honesty, offering comfort to fellow widowers and anyone navigating profound loss. He is a father, grandfather, and storyteller who believes in the quiet power of words to help us carry on.

PURCHASE LINK

Click on the cover to purchase on Amazon

BEFORE YOU GO

**If you read the book, please be sure to leave a review on Amazon. It helps Indie authors so much. A review does not have to be a masterpiece. Just a sentence or two about how the book made you feel will make an author’s day and help their books succeed.

New Indie Release: Parenting Against the Current by Josh Poteet and Matt Nations

BonnieReadsAndWrites1 Comment

Today is release day for Parenting Against the Current, a new book for Christian parents by Joshua Poteet and Matt Nations. A book description and buy links are below.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Parenting feels like a fight against the current—and that’s because it is. In a culture that’s drifting fast, Parenting Against the Current offers a clear, practical path to leading your family with faith and clarity.

If you’ve ever wondered how to guide your kids spiritually—or felt overwhelmed trying to do it “right”—this book gives you a hopeful, doable framework for making faith a natural part of your home.

Authors and pastors Josh Poteet and Matt Nations share real stories, simple tools, and a vision for reclaiming your role as the spiritual leader in your home. You’ll learn how to:

  • Resist cultural drift without living in fear
  • Build intentional rhythms that strengthen your family’s faith
  • Lead with purpose—even if you feel behind

Your kids will be led. This book helps make sure it’s by you.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Josh Poteet is the Lead Pastor of 180 Life Church in West Hartford, CT and Army veteran. He holds a Master’s in Theology from Liberty University and has been part of the Relational Discipleship Network for 10 years, leading discipleship trainings, both in the U.S. and internationally.

Josh regularly teaches on equipping parents, empowering disciples, training leaders, and helping families embrace their role as primary disciple-makers. His passion for family discipleship is shaped by his personal experiences as a father and his years of walking alongside parents as they raise up tiny disciples. He and his wife, Jennie, live in Connecticut with their two children, Lilla and Ezra.

Matt Nations is the Executive Pastor at Riverside Church in Fort Myers, FL, and a consultant with the Growmentum Group, where he helps churches align vision, strategy, and structure for greater kingdom impact. With over a decade of experience in church leadership, pastoral coaching, and organizational development, Matt is passionate about helping churches create intentional pathways for spiritual growth and mission-driven effectiveness. He has had the opportunity to lead discipleship training for many churches in the U.S. and around the world.

Matt’s heart for discipleship and leadership development is shaped by his own ministry journey and his commitment to seeing people grow in their faith and calling. He and his wife, Jess, live in Florida with their four children.

PURCHASE LINK

Click on the cover below to purchase on Amazon. Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read this book for free.

When We Could Not See The Moon

BonnieReadsAndWrites4 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

THE MESSAGE CAME AT MIDNIGHT

Jon and Tracy Willems had been counting the hours since they had heard from their daughter Hanna after her plane touched down in Egypt. As every parent knows, a message at midnight is never the one you want to receive.

Mom, give me a call when you wake up in the morning.

Only the message wasn’t from Hanna. It was from her younger sister, the last person Hanna had visited with before embarking on her journey to Egypt. Tracy did not wait until morning to make the call. She would not sleep again that night. She would not sleep well for many more.

When Jon and Tracy Willems’ daughter Hanna ventured across the world for what was supposed to be an exciting year of working abroad in Egypt, things quickly took an unexpected turn, and the family found themselves in the middle of a waking nightmare.

Falsely apprehended at customs for suspected drug trafficking, Hanna was placed in an Egyptian jail under unthinkable conditions with no tether to the outside world. As Jon and Tracy struggled to put together the pieces of where their daughter had gone and what horrible fate might await her, Hanna sat thousands of miles away in a crowded and filthy cell. So began Jon and Tracy’s fight for their daughter’s freedom. But they were not alone.

What could have easily been a story of a family’s hardship and terror is instead a story of God’s grace during their most trying days. At its core, When We Could Not See the Moon is about a family cast in darkness in the midst of an unimaginable situation. It’s a story of how faith united people across the world and worked through them to provide a guiding light throughout the journey.

Though names, locations, and other key elements have been changed or fictionalized to protect those who worked so fiercely to bring Hanna home, the Willems’ story is otherwise entirely based in fact. Encompassing the perspectives of parents Jon and Tracy Willems, sister Taylor, and Hanna herself, this harrowing true story captures all the defining characteristics of humanity: despair, distrust, and suffering but also faith, hope, compassion, and community. Dynamic and engaging with excerpts from the journal Hanna kept throughout this unbelievable series of events, When We Could Not See the Moon will speak to parents, people of faith, warriors for justice—and anyone who finds themselves lost in the dark, desperately searching for the light.

BOOK REVIEW

This is a compelling story of a young woman who is falsely imprisoned, how she deals with her captivity, and how her family fights for her the whole time.

Told from the points of view of Hanna, her parents, and her sister, this book shows all sides of the fight to get her out of prison. Some entries from Hanna’s journal are also included. The book, in addition to highlighting the corrupt justice system of some countries, shows the faith of a family that leans on God in a dark time. Hanna’s experiences with the other prisoners and how they survived together are fascinating.

WHEN WE COULD NOT SEE THE MOON is well-written and conveys a strong message of faith through adversity. Recommend.

I received a free PDF of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE

Audiobook Review: A Certain Kind of Starlight by Heather Webber #MagicalRealism #SmallTowns #Alabama

BonnieReadsAndWrites11 Comments

AUDIOBOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

In the face of hardship, two women learn how to rise up again under the bright side of the stars in A Certain Kind of Starlight, the next audiobook from USA Today bestselling author Heather Webber, “the queen of magical small-town charm” (Amy E. Reichert)

Everyone knows that Addie Fullbright can’t keep a secret. Yet, twelve years ago, as her best friend lay dying, she entrusted Addie with the biggest secret of all. One so shattering that Addie felt she had to leave her hometown of Starlight, Alabama, to keep from revealing a devastating truth to someone she cares for deeply. Now she’s living a lonely life, keeping everyone at a distance, not only to protect the secret but also her heart from the pain of losing someone else. But when her beloved aunt, the woman who helped raise her, gets a shocking diagnosis and asks her to come back to Starlight to help run the family bakery, Addie knows it’s finally time to go home again.

Tessa Jane Wingrove-Fullbright feels like she’s failing. She’s always been able to see the lighter side of life but lately darkness has descended. Her world is suddenly in shambles after a painful breakup, her favorite aunt’s unexpected health troubles, and because crushing expectations from the Wingrove side of her family are forcing her to keep secrets and make painful choices. When she’s called back to Starlight to help her aunt, she’s barely holding herself together and fears she’ll never find her way back to who she used to be.

Under the bright side of the stars, Addie and Tessa Jane come to see that magic can be found in trusting yourself, that falling apart is simply a chance to rise up again, stronger than ever, and that the heart usually knows the best path through the darkness.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

Addie and Tessa Jane are half-sisters, but they barely know each other. Kept apart by the manipulations of others, they are both called back to Starlight, Alabama, when their Aunt Bean’s health worsens. Connected by the amazing Starlight field, a field created by a fallen star that glows with its own special auroras in the evening, Tessa Jane and Addie begin to grow closer. But secrets and a manipulative relative who wants the field for himself threaten to drive both of them away from Starlight once again, and for good.

I just love Heather Webber’s books. I adore small-town fiction, and that little touch of magic she throws in just adds that special ingredient to make the story even more fascinating. This one was no exception. The entire cast of characters comes alive, and I felt like a part of this town. As an added treat, a flock of starlings becomes an important character of its own. There are sweet romances and lessons learned throughout the book. Each chapter is headed by baking tips from Aunt Bean, who owns the town bakery. This is a story filled with heartache and disappointment, but also love. It is a lesson about family, and what makes a real family. It is a lesson about people, and how some can surprise, and others disappoint and even harm, whether they are related to you or not. I loved every bit of this magical story, and I can’t wait to read her next one.

The audiobook narrators, Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, did a great job of conveying all the emotions and portraying the varied characters in this special town.

A Certain Kind of Starlight will be released on July 23, 2024.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake) is the author of more than twenty-five novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book. She can be found online at www.heatherwebber.com and www.heatherblakebooks.com.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon | Audible |Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

Book Tour and Book Review: In The Blink of an Eye #Bookouture #KateHewitt

BonnieReadsAndWrites6 Comments

It only took a moment for everything to go wrong. A little girl is hurt, but who is to blame?

I’m so happy as I walk to pick up my seven-year-old son from the birthday party. It’s his first since we moved here, and I know he’s found it hard settling in. Just as I’ve found it hard to make friends among the mothers at the school gates. But as I turn the corner, my heart stops when I see an ambulance.

I start to run. My son, is all I can think. I have to find my son.

As I race into the garden, desperately searching for my blue-eyed little boy, a fellow parent turns to me, her finger pointed. The words out of her mouth make my blood run cold.

“Your son did this. This is your fault.”

Surely that can’t be true? My son can be difficult, but I’d know if he was capable of hurting someone… Wouldn’t I?

As a little girl is lifted onto a stretcher, I feel my world come crashing down. My heart cracks in two for this poor child, her devastated family. Because there’s no coming back from this. An innocent girl has been hurt. My son is being blamed. But I’m his mother, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find out what really happened…

A totally gripping and emotional novel about trust, female friendship and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Susan Lewis.

BOOK REVIEW

This is a compelling story that shows the power of words, and how they can hurt. It shows the consequences of making assumptions and excluding people based on what you think you might know. And through almost every single character, it shows how appearances can be deceiving. The characters are well developed and are woven together into a story of an elementary school where status matters and everyone gathers around the “perfect Mom.” And it shows the people left on the edges, those who do not appear to be as unflawed as the clique of Moms that presides over the school.

My only slight criticism is that the story moves a little slowly in the beginning. But the power of spoken words, and how they can cause catastrophe whether they are true or not, is so well laid out here that it makes this book an important read.

my rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.

I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X (TWITTER)

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Thank you to BOOKOUTURE for the opportunity to read this book.

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Book Review: Kinfolk by Sean Dietrich #Alabama #1970sfiction #smalltownfiction #SouthernFiction

BonnieReadsAndWrites14 Comments

Alabama 1970s. When Nub Taylor decides to initiate a drunken car chase in Park (temporarily renamed Papk), Alabama, he ends up in the hospital next to 15-year-old Minnie Bass, who has just lost her mother due to suicide. Theirs is an unlikely friendship, for Nub can’t even stay sober long enough to have a relationship with his actual daughter, Emily, who has just received a terminal cancer diagnosis. In a series of events that can only happen in a small town, Nub applies to be Minnie’s foster parent. But there are secrets that are about to be revealed that will change everyone forever.

I started this at night and finished it the next morning. I loved it so much that I gave it ten stars, even though my rating system is based on five stars. Because it was just that good, and I felt like breaking my own rules. This is an amazing story of love, forgiveness, redemption, and second chances. The Southern small-town cast of characters–good, bad, and judgmental–is a delight. Throw in bullies, organized crime, and a mysterious protector, and this is a book you won’t want to put down. I laughed and sobbed. That’s how good this was. I want to read everything this author has ever written. Apparently Sean Dietrich has written 31 books, so I have 30 to go.

If you love Southern Fiction, read this! If you love Small Town fiction, read this. If you love redemptive stories about found family, read this! If you want to laugh and cry, read this. Read it. You won’t be disappointed. I loved it so much I’ve already preordered the audiobook.

I received a free copy of this book from Harper Muse via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Kinfolk will be released on November 14, 2023.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (FROM HIS WEBSITE)

Sean Dietrich is a columnist, novelist, and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Southern Living, Reader’s Digest, Garden and Gun, The Tallahassee Democrat, the Birmingham News, and The Mobile Press Register. His column appears in newspapers throughout the U.S. He has authored fifteen books and is the creator of the Sean of the South Podcast. He also makes appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER (X)

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | AUDIBLE

Three One-Line Reviews

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

I’m going to do something different since I’m trying to catch up after work, travel, and other commitments put me behind. Here are three one-line reviews. If you click on the cover, it will take you to the Amazon link. Enjoy.

This mashup of fantasy and alternate history brings so much magic and action to the story that the reader will not be able to breathe, much less stop reading.

This is a heartwarming story that is a good comfort read as Cleo, the 50ish owner of a bakery, starts really living her life after divorce.

Barbara Jenkins shares the real story behind the famous walk across America she took with her former husband, Peter, and the unvarnished truth is a lot more interesting than the media portrayal.

I received all three of these books from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Indie Weekend: Growing A Top-Notch Family Tree by Nancy Blodgett Klein

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie Authors with marketing. Marketing is probably the biggest task authors have, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this far and wide with your social media followers. Below please see my review of Growing A Top-Notch Family Tree: With Stories From Its Branches by Nancy Blodgett Klein.

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

This two-part book gives advice to genealogists about specific steps to take to grow a great family tree online, with details about what to do and what to avoid to have the best possible tree for current family, future generations and the wider community to enjoy. It includes details about three different online sites, Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage. It also discusses the importance of DNA testing and DNA matching with relatives to help you verify your findings.

The second half of the book shares interesting stories about family tree members, including famous ones like Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins, colorful characters from the Stewart/Stuart family of Scotland, and “troublesome” women relatives like Elizabeth Woodville of England, Elizabeth Hutchinson, from Massachusetts, and fancy dresser Thomasine Boyes, a British immigrant to Massachusetts and wife of Rev. Francis Johnson, a popular Puritan minister.

This book is designed to be both educational and entertaining for anyone interested in genealogy, be they new to the subject or an experienced master.

BOOK REVIEW

This is a fantastic resource by Nancy Blodgett Klein for anyone who wants to explore their ancestry, especially if you use Ancestry.com and other online resources. I have used Ancestry.com for years, but I learned so much from this book that is going to enhance my experience there. Nancy points out many mistakes and pitfalls that I recognized at once as things I have done, and she shares tips and tricks that I never discovered on my own that I am now eager to try out.

While sharing the best ways to use online resources, Nancy also shares fascinating stories from her own family history, which includes many famous people, and tells you the best ways to discover your own stories. The addition of DNA to ancestral research is also explored, and Nancy tells us the best way to use that DNA to discover hidden secrets.

Whether you are new to genealogy or have been doing research for years, this book will inspire and help you along the way.

I downloaded a copy of this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (IN HER OWN WORDS)

Nancy Blodgett Klein

My latest book is Growing a Top-Notch Family Tree: With Stories from its Branches. Published in 2023, this is a non-fiction work for lovers of genealogy. Torn Between Worlds was my first novel while Life Lessons was my first non-fiction work. Both were published in 2021. In 2022, I published What’s So Special About Spain, a travel book for children. I worked as a journalist for 15 years in Chicagoland, starting out as a police reporter in Chicago. I also worked for the American Bar Association Journal, writing hundreds of articles on political, social and legal topics. Later on I was a public school teacher, including to many students from Mexico. I now live in Spain.

I received a bachelor’s from Tulane University in philosophy and a master’s in journalism from Boston University. Later, I earned a master’s in education from Roosevelt University. I am a member of two book groups and one writers group.

Nancy’s Blog

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK

BEFORE YOU GO….

*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

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Audiobook Review: Bright Lights, Big Christmas

BonnieReadsAndWrites4 Comments

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

Kerry and her brother Murphy head to New York City during the holiday season in order to sell Christmas trees from their family’s farm. While there, they are staying together in a tiny trailer by their Christmas tree lot. Kerry is between jobs and uncertain about her future, but new friends and new opportunities are just around the corner.

This is a wonderful holiday tale about making friends and letting others help you. The characters are all endearing in their own way, even the grumpy Heinz. Kerry’s romance with Patrick is a nice touch, but Patrick’s son Austin steals the show. The broken-down trailer the siblings are staying in has a name–Spammy–and it is almost a character of its own. Their older friend, the irritable and closed-off Heinz, has a lot of secrets to tell, and his story is revealed in a heart-touching way. There are also hints of sabotage as someone is trying to keep Kerry and Murphy from selling their trees. The reader is immediately transported to New York City during the Christmas season, and the Christmas spirit is evident throughout the book. This is a fun and joyful holiday read.

Kathleen McInerney does a great job portraying all of the characters in the audiobook version.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels (including The Homewreckers; The Santa Suit; The Newcomer; Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Ladies’ Night; Christmas Bliss; Spring Fever; Summer Rental; The Fixer Upper; Deep Dish; Blue Christmas; Savannah Breeze; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia. After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.

She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in three restored beach homes. Mary Kay is also an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo