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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Dec 15, 2021  
The special guest author today on my blog is Florence Byham Weinberg with a fascinating interview. Learn more about her historical fiction novel BEFORE THE ALAMO: A TEJANA'S STORY, and enter the giveaway to win signed copies of that book and her other historical fiction novel APACE LANCE, FRANCISCAN CROSS.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-before.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS FOR BEFORE THE ALAMO**
Emilia Altamirano, half Otomí Indian, half pure Spanish, is born in 1814, the year after the Battle of the Medina River, where her father fought as an officer in the Mexican Royalist Army. She grows up in Bexar de San Antonio unacknowledged by her father, raised by her Otomí Indian mother, and “adopted” as an unofficial ward by José Antonio Navarro, hero of the Texas fight for independence from Mexico. She learns to read, write, and acts as a page for the Ayuntamiento (City Council). She learns nursing during a cholera epidemic and later tends the wounded on both sides during and after the Battle of the Alamo. She survives, but as a Tejana, Spanish-speaking, and a loyal citizen of Mexico, she faces an uncertain future.
     
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Nov 13, 2021  
Check out a fantastic deleted scene from the Christian romantic suspense novel CROSSHAIRS by Patricia Bradley on my blog. Be sure to enter the giveaway to win a vinyl cling sticker, all the books in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series, and a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/11/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-crosshairs.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
When evil just won't quit, good must prevail.

Investigative Services Branch ranger Ainsley Beaumont wishes the visit to her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, was under better circumstances. When she arrived to investigate the murder of a pregnant teenager, she never imagined that she would become the killer's next target--or that she'd have to work alongside an old flame.

After he almost killed a child, former FBI sniper Lincoln Steele couldn't bring himself to fire a gun, which had deadly consequences for his best friend. Crushed beneath a load of guilt, Linc is working at Melrose Estate as an interpretive ranger. But as danger closes in on Ainsley during her murder investigation, Linc will have to find the courage to protect her.

The only question is, will it be too little, too late?
     
The Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet
Juno Dawson | 2023 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Firstly, I need to say how much I loved this.
Secondly, HMRC is a mess! The High Priestess is dead and her successor isn’t who anyone thinks she is, Theo’s powers seem to be dwindling, Leonie’s brother has disappeared and she needs to rescue him from Public enemy #1, and Elle’s marital problems take a rather drastic turn. Oh, and there are rather a lot of Witch-finders - and they are most definitely NOT good news. These men are Incels on steroids.

Everyone gets a say, with even a non-witch Prime Minister and his cronies getting a look in, and we learn about Luke’s backstory.

There’s a lot packed in to this story, but I didn’t feel as though any of it was rushed. Leonie’s trip to a long lost coven was fascinating and a bit traumatic (again, there’s a fair bit of trauma in this!)

But the main character in this (and I’m not going to say who it is!) is the real tour de force.

And the ending!!!!

I WILL be reading the third book, absolutely no question! I will be needing to find out how they will all deal with the small Lucifer problem…
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Sep 19, 2022  
Author Melissa Koslin visits my blog with a fascinating interview. Make sure you check out her Christian romantic suspense novel DANGEROUS BEAUTY! Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $25 BookShop gift card and print copies of Koslin's novels "Dangerous Beauty" and "Never Miss" - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/09/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-dangerous.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS FOR DANGEROUS BEAUTY**
What is the price of freedom?

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She's not a victim, she's a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she's determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers. But she can't stay safely in America--unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.

Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Instead, he becomes the key to Liliana's rescue. If he can keep his secrets hidden, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.
     
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Nov 29, 2022  
Sneak a peek at the contemporary Christian romance series THE SKY KING RANCH by Susan May Warren Fiction on my blog, and enter the giveaway for your chance to win the books in the series and a Northern Nights of Alaska necklace!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/11/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-sky-king.html

**BOOKS SYNOPSIS**
Sunrise: Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he’s headed home to the destiny that awaits him.

Sunburst: When former Navy Seal and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.

Sundown: Former Delta Operative Colt Kingston may not know the truth, but he sure doesn’t trust Tae, the woman who is caring for his ailing father at Sky King Ranch. Behind those beautiful blue eyes, he can tell there is a troubled–and smart–woman.
     
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Dec 19, 2022  
Read the first chapter from the Christian Western romance novel FINDING MY DESTYNEE by Natalie Bright & Denise F. McAllister on my blog. If you like what you read, enter the giveaway for a chance to win the full Rafter O Rancher series in eBook format!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-finding-my.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
True heart’s desire cannot be ignored.

Destynee Olsen has always done what her mother asked, but the road to stardom could mean leaving behind a piece of her heart.

Travis Olsen tries desperately to honor his vow to support his wife. Watching their son grow up without a mother is asking too much and his resentment builds. A marriage alone and single parenting is not what he signed up for.

The line has been drawn between a woman who has been told that her destiny to be a star is more important than she is and a cowboy who refuses to destroy his wife’s dream. Destynee and Travis have to decide what’s important. Can they discover the life they were meant to have at the risk of denying their own hearts?
     
The Windmill (The Windmill Massacre) (2016)
The Windmill (The Windmill Massacre) (2016)
2016 | International, Drama, Horror
6
5.2 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I spend a bit too much time on Facebook, of that there’s no doubt. As a result, I tend to pay attention to what movies my friends talk about. One such friend is horror author Edward Lorn, and one such movie that popped up in my feed because of him is The Windmill.

Set in Holland, The Windmill is a fun film that follows the traditional “haunted locale” story. Like most movies of this nature, viewers are presented with an abandoned building (the windmill), an old legend, and a supernatural being. In this case, the windmill is considered a gateway to Hell, courtesy of a miller that, after making a deal with the devil, ground the bones of his victims rather than flour. When a group of individuals embark on a tour of Holland’s windmills, what appears to be an every day, run of the mill (pun totally intended) attraction quickly turns deadly.

The Windmill‘s cast of characters fits several different roles, from the uppity doctor to the vengeful model and even the cliché mad woman with daddy issues. These characters remain true to their personality types and don’t tend to waiver, even as things continue to spin out of control, for which I am thankful – even though it means that they’re downright horrible people. The acting is fairly well done in comparison to a lot of available horror movies, too.

One of the things that did bother me about this movie was an extremely brief lack of continuity. At the point in which the tour bus breaks down in middle of the road, an incident occurs and the bus falls over. That isn’t altogether strange, aside from the fact that it appears to have been knocked over by a bird flying into the window. Whether that was intentional or not, I did find it to be a bit amusing. Since I don’t consider this to be much of a spoiler, I figured I’d simply point it out.

While The Windmill contains several elements of the slasher genre, it appeals more to the psyche via the use of the demonic haunting and vivid hallucinations that reveal the deepest, darkest secrets of its cast. It’s not the best film out there, but it is certainly entertaining in its own right and is undoubtedly worth the watch for a bit of cheesy horror fun. The title, also known as The Windmill Massacre, can be found on Netflix in the United States.
  
Do Not Become Alarmed
Do Not Become Alarmed
Maile Meloy | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Liv and Nora are cousins and practically sisters. They decide to take their families on a two week cruise down the coast of Central America. Both women cautious, they spend the first several days aboard the ship. When they finally decide to take an excursion, the men head for golf and the women take the kids on a zip line tour. This is when all hell breaks loose! From the bus breaking down, to six children going missing in a foreign country, this family vacation is definitely not going to plan. Told from the perspective of the children and the parents, as well other key characters that are introduced throughout, you dive deep into the story and it's hard to get drawn out!

This is the first book I've read by Maile Meloy, and I can't wait to read more! I think this is one of the very few times I have read a book with so many characters taking their turn to tell the story and not gotten confused by what is going on. The story flowed perfectly with the unbelievable around every turn.
 
I will say, not any of the characters in this story are likable, except for Nora's son, Marcus, but I don't think they need to be. You are still intrigued by what is going on and what is going to happen next. This does make you want to hug your kids a little tighter, if you have them. Tell them you love them no matter what and make you want to protect them even more than you already do. To me, this book was amazing and I highly recommend it!

Imagine, all your plans for the day going down the tube. Your tour bus breaks down, so you decide to wait at the beach while a new bus arrives. Then maybe you drift off to sleep while the kids are playing in the water near by. The kids are old enough to look after themselves and those who aren't, have the older kids to look after them. Now imagine waking up from what felt like just a moments rest, to find the children that were just there playing in front of you, have vanished. No where to be found no idea where they could have gone. What do you do, who do you call? You're in a foreign country and you opted not to get the international plan for you phone. Where are your children, and what is being done to them?