Blog Tour Interview + Giveaway- Saving Dr. Warren by Jeffery J. McKenna

ABOUT THE BOOK

Saving Dr. Warren … A True Patriot

Written by Jeffery McKenna

Publisher’s Synopsis: Patriotism Prevailed in…

  ✯ The American Revolution

  ✯ WWII

  ✯ 9-11

What About Today?

How do we share Patriotism with America’s Future?

The novel Saving Dr. Warren… A True Patriot answers that question through the eyes of a 14 year old boy.

Steve O’Dell loves to write and does it well. But as an eighth-grade student at Needham Middle School, his talent sometimes seems more an embarrassment than a blessing.

Then, on Veterans Day 2001, Steve’s award-winning essay propels him into an adventure twisting through Revolutionary battles and bloodshed. Thanks to the bizarre bequest of a manuscript and a musket ball from a long-lost family war hero, Steve’s journey with the Revolutionary War hero Dr. Joseph Warren begins.

A time-traveling talisman missing from the archives of one of Boston’s oldest historical societies takes Steve through portals of history, where he walks side by side with a real Boston patriot. He makes house calls with Dr. Warren on March 5, 1770, and stumbles onto the bloodstained streets of the Boston Massacre. From the killings of March 5 to boarding tea ships in 1773, Steve’s history book explodes to life as he helps Dr. Warren and forges a friendship with Boston’s True Patriot. Steve watches Dr. Warren launch Paul Revere on his midnight ride, and he helps Dr. Warren dodge British musket balls in the first battles of the War for Independence. With each adventure, Steve tastes the light that ignites The Revolution.

Steve will eventually convince others that the Revolutionary relic he was given really does open portals through time, but he faces his most difficult quest alone—saving Dr. Warren from the onslaught at Bunker Hill. Can he do it? And if he fails, will he ever return to this century?

Saving Dr. Warren…A True Patriot rips through the pages of history. From the Revolutionary War to the vanishing veterans of World War II, to the ashes of September 11, 2001, Saving Dr. Warren demonstrates to both old and young that patriotism, standing like an old oak tree on a grandfather’s farm, has and will endure.

Ages 11-15 | 366 Pages | Publisher: Jeffery J. McKenna | ISBN-13: 978-0999901205

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mXKR1x

Interview:

Where did you come up with the idea for Saving Dr. Warren?

 

Twenty years ago, my wife, and best friend, gave me a book for Christmas. It was titled Rebels and Redcoats: The American Revolution Through The Eyes Of Those That Fought And Lived It, written by George F. Scheer and Hugh F. Rankin. 

 

I was excited about the book. 

 

I love history. 

 

I remember where I was and the time of day when I read the first chapter. In a way, you could say that moment changed my life. It introduced me to Dr. Joseph Warren. It started a twenty-year quest to tell his story in an engaging and fun way for the toughest of audiences - teenagers! 

 

I learned that night that Dr. Warren sent Paul Revere on the midnight ride that started the Revolutionary War. I remember asking that very night, "Why have I never heard of him? I love American history. Why has his story seemed to have fallen through the cracks of history?"

 

What's a good lesson one would take when finishing the book?

 

I hope the reader will feel a greater appreciation for those that have sacrificed and those that are currently still sacrificing so much for us to enjoy the blessings of living in America. 

 

Oh, please know that I recognize the United States has faults. In book two of my three-part series, much will be explored of families struggling through some of our country's shortfalls. But,the United States is a beautiful and remarkable nation and has the ability to continue to improve. 

 

I'd like the reader of Saving Dr. Warren... "A True Patriot" to REMEMBER the United States is worth living for and dying for. I would like the reader to respect more, honor more, and REMEMBER more, those that have done just that. 

 

What's your writing process? Music? Snacks?

 

Long, tedious, torturous. It doesn't come easy. 

 

I get big bursts of ideas here and there. However, turning those ideas into a readable story is a painful process for me.

 

Time to write is a precious gift. I live a very busy life. I'm a father of four children, a partner at a law firm, and am very involved in my church and other community services. Finding time to write is not easy. Hence ... one book was twenty years in the making. :-)

 

What book would you take with you on a desert island?

 

The Bible. 

 

I love the Old Testament and New Testament stories. I've read almost all of them, but I've never read the Bible cover to cover. It is so deep and so expansive. I don't think I could ever get bored! 

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

 

Take the plunge today! 

Start early. 

Start now. 

 

I know all too well the insecurities and growing pains that come with trying to write your first novel. It's so easy to compare your work to other published authors and feel like you're not measuring up. When this happens, remember that "comparison is the thief of joy"—Teddy Rosevelt. That story you have inside of you is a story only you can tell. Listen to the critics; they're there to help you, but don't get discouraged by them. 

 

I wish you the best of luck, and may God bless you! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Mckenna resides in a peaceful Southern Utah town amidst the red rocks that make up National Parks like Zion and Arches. He loves mountain biking over the brightly colored sandstone that surrounds him, as well as new trails he finds when he goes on cross-country RV trips with his wife. Along with reading entertaining historical fiction novels, Jeff believes a great way to learn to love America is by exploring her beautiful landscape and visiting cities and states from sea to shining sea. 

Jeff’s love for his country is what has fostered his love for writing. Uncovering America’s history can be messy, but Jeff dives in with both hands to uncover what lies hidden in our nation’s past. He loves to reveal forgotten heroes and help them come alive for young Americans as they race through the pages of his historical fiction novel, Saving Dr. Warren… “A True Patriot.” 

Jeff would love to hear about the American heroes you’ve discovered as you’ve dived into history! 

For more information, visit https://www.jefferyjmckenna.com/

Visit Jeffery J. McKenna's website for plenty of free educational resources that have been created specifically for Saving Dr. Warren... A True Patriot. You'll find lesson plans, an essay contest, as well as information about author visits. This historical-fiction novel has been used in several middle school classrooms as a resource for both History and English teachers—it is a great educational tool for parents, librarians, and teachers.

DISCLOSURE

Per FTC guidelines, you must clearly disclose partnership with The Children’s Book Review and author Jeffery McKenna in both your blog post and all social shares.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a copy of Saving Dr. Warren … “A True Patriot,” autographed by Jeffery McKenna!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• A copy of Saving Dr. Warren … “A True Patriot,” autographed by Jeffery McKenna
• An original 1700’s musket ball

Two (2) winners receive:

• A copy of Saving Dr. Warren … “A True Patriot,” autographed by Jeffery McKenna
• 
  

The giveaway begins December 10, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends January 10, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Dec 10	The Children's Book Review	https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/	Book Review
Dec 11	Lisa's Reading	https://lisasreading.com	Interview
Dec 12	Life Is What It's Called	www.lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com	Interview
Dec 14	Life Is What It's Called	www.lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com	Book Review
Dec 15	Confessions of a Book Addict	http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.com	Book Giveaway
Dec 16	Barbara Ann Mojica's Blog	https://bamauthor.me	Book Review
Dec 17	icefairy's Treasure Chest	http://icefairystreasurechest.blogspot.com/	Book Review
Dec 18	The Lovely Books	https://thelovelybooksbookblog.blogspot.com/	Interview
Dec 21	Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom	http://wannabesuperheromom.blogspot.com/	Book Giveaway
Dec 22	J.R.s Book Reviews	https://jrsbookreviews.wordpress.com/	Book Review
Dec 23	Fairview Elementary School (Library)	https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/	Book Review
Dec 28	Library Lady's Kid Lit	https://janemouttet.wordpress.com/	Book Review

 

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Excerpt feat Giveaway—Layla by Colleen Hoover

 About the Book

Title: Layla

Author: Colleen Hoover

Release Date: December 8, 2020

Publisher: Montlake

Summary

When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.

Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.

This month bestselling author Colleen Hoover released her very first paranormal romance, Layla. Today Colleen shares one of her very favorite parts of the book and introduces the scene. Colleen, take it away! 

 

“Leeds and Layla have just met about an hour before this scene takes place. I wouldn’t say they experienced insta-love, but it was definitely an immediate attraction. Leeds is lonely and withdrawn from life, while Layla is the opposite. She’s over the top and fun and everything Leeds isn’t. He’s a musician who has never released any of his own music due to insecurities and doubt. But Layla lights a fire in him and uncovers the confidence about his music that he keeps buried.”   

 

 

Excerpt from Layla by Colleen Hoover

 

Layla leans in and I expect her to kiss me, but instead she whispers, “Play me something,” against my mouth. Then she moves to the couch and lies down. “Play something worthy of that piano,” she says. 

 

She crosses her legs at her ankles and lets one of her arms dangle off the couch. She runs her finger against the hardwood floor while she waits for me to start playing, but I can’t stop staring at her. I’m not sure there’s another woman on this planet who could make me want to stare at her without blinking until my eyes dry up, but she’s looking at me expectantly. 

 

“What if you don’t like my music?” I ask. “Will you still let me kiss you?” 

 

She smiles gently. “Does the song mean something to you?” 

 

“I wrote it using pieces of my soul.” 

 

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” she says quietly. 

 

I spin around on the bench and place my fingers on the keys. I hesitate for a moment before playing the song. I’ve never performed it for anyone before. The only person I’ve ever wanted to sing it for is my father, and he’s no longer alive. His death is the reason I wrote this in the first place. 

 

I’ve never been nervous while playing Garrett’s songs onstage, but this feels different. This is personal, and despite the fact that there’s only one person in the audience right now, it feels like the most intense audience I’ve ever performed for. 

 

I fill my lungs with air and slowly release it as I begin to play. 

 

That night I stopped believing in heaven

I can’t believe in a god that cruel

Can you?

That night I stopped praying on my knees

But I don’t pray standing either

Do you?

That night I closed the door and closed the

window

I’ve been sitting in the dark

Are you?

That night I learned happiness is a fairy tale

A thousand pages read aloud

By you

That night I stopped believing in God

You were ours, he didn’t care, he

Took you

So that night I stopped . . .

I stopped . . .

I just

Stopped.

That night I stopped.

I stopped.

I just stopped.

That night I stopped.

I . . .

 

When I’m finished playing the song, I fold my hands in my lap. I’m a little hesitant to turn around and look at her. The whole room got quiet after I played the last note. So quiet—it feels like all the sound was sucked out of the house. I can’t even hear her breathing. 

 

I close the cover to the piano and then slowly spin around on the bench. She’s wiping her eyes, staring up at the ceiling.

 

“Wow,” she whispers. “I wasn’t expecting that. I feel like you just stomped on my chest.” 

 

That’s how I’ve felt since I first laid eyes on her tonight. 

 

“I like how it ends,” she says. She sits up on the couch and tucks her legs beneath her. “You just stop in the middle of the sentence. It’s so perfect. So powerful.” 

 

I wasn’t sure if she’d realize the intentional ending, but the fact that she does makes me all the more enamored of h

Colleen Hoover Q&A of new book Layla + Giveaway!

Q&A with Author Colleen Hoover

You have written in many different genres and always keep your fans wanting more. For Layla, you are dipping your toes into a paranormal story that has lots of secrets. How do you describe Layla without giving anything away? #spoilerfreezone 

What is supposed to be a short, romantic getaway for new couple Leeds and Layla turns into an extended vacation full of bizarre occurrences. But no matter how much Layla wants to leave, Leeds is more focused on finding answers for the unexplainable.

The paranormal elements in your story are faint...just a whisper...until they take over. What was it like adding another worldly twist to your writing for the first time?  

It was HARD. Super hard. I love using my imagination, but I also love realistic stories, so I found myself trying to pull back on things I didn’t feel were realistic. But then it got a lot easier when I decided to just make Leeds’s reactions sort of mirror what I would do orsay in those early moments. I put a lot of my own thoughts in Leeds’s character. He finds it hard to explain some of the things that happen, so his reactions are probably what my reactions would be at first. Until there was no room left for doubt, anyway. Then his actions veer very far from what mine would have been.

Love-at-first-sight is such a mundane phrase for what these two share. Their passionate relationship seems to move in fast-forward. What is it about these characters that make their connection so instantaneous?  

I knew where the story was going to go, so I needed their meet-cute to be believable, fun, and I wanted them to be a couple readers would root for. I probably rewrote that first chapter dozens of times,but I focused mainly on their banter. Sometimes we meet people we instantly click with on so many different levels. Leeds and Layla clicked with their sarcasm, their humor, their taste in music. And she read him without even knowing him. To Leeds that was special. I think he felt seen in a world where he’s often overlooked. 

It becomes somewhat of an inside joke between your couple that, before Layla, Leeds’ always wore a look like he was“dying inside.” The truth is that he was deeply unhappy before meeting Layla. How does she change his life? 

Leeds is lonely and holding back on his dreams because of doubts. Leeds sees something different in Layla. She’s carefree, fun and gives him confidence to follow his dreams. In a sense, I think she’s his missing puzzle piece. She fills the parts of him that are empty.  

Before Leeds, Layla doesn’t have a real direction in her life. What does this romance provide to her and why is she so grateful to have found her hero? 

Layla is fresh out of college, living with her parents and unemployed. Leeds’s career gives her focus, and being with him inTennessee got her out of a place where she probably felt useless and unproductive. 

Can readers expect more paranormal elements in your books moving forward?

I’ll never say never! 

***

About the Book

Title: Layla

Author: Colleen Hoover

Release Date: December 8, 2020

Publisher: Montlake

Summary

When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.

Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.

Author Biography

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including the bestselling women’s fiction novel It Ends with Us and the bestselling psychological thriller Verity. She has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance three years in a row—for Confess (2015), It Ends with Us (2016), and Without Merit (2017). Confess was adapted into a seven-episode online series. In 2015, Hoover and her family founded the Bookworm Box, a bookstore and monthly subscription service that offers signed novels donated by authors. All profits go to various charities each month to help those in need. Hoover lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.colleenhoover.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorColleenHoover/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleenhoover

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5430144.Colleen_Hoover

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/07c2363f263 

 Review: 

I went into this not knowing a thing about it. It’s Colleen Hoover so, why would I? Right? The only thing that I did know was that it would be a paranormal romance—I remember when she started talking about it. It has the usual Hoover you see in her books; great abd engaging writing, decent characters (kind of?), and a story like no other. She does well with writing unique books. 

Only thing I didn’t care for, for the majority of the story was Leeds. I had a tough time connecting to him and even wondering why he did the things he did. So this is a review for those who don’t like him, his story is somewhat redeemable in the end. I wouldn’t say I completely love him in the end, but he was tolerable. 

Layla was cool. I liked how quirky and free-spirited she was before everything that happened. There was a big twist that wasn’t really a twist to me. I don’t know if it’s because I read so many PNR and mysteries and thrillers, that this just didn’t really completely ‘wow’ me. I knew the twist from the moment that incident happened in the beginning of the book. 

There’s so much more to say about the story but eh, I say go in blind haha. I will admit one night when I reading, I got really creeped out and had to stop reading. Then I dreamed about the book! That’s the power of Colleen Hoover, I guess. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own. 

Review— The Bookworm's Guide to Faking It (The Bookworm's Guide #2) by Emma Hart

 

Publisher: Emma Hart

Published: December 2, 2020

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: E-ARC

Rating: 4 stars

THE BOOKWORM’S GUIDE TO FAKING IT,an all-new, side-splittingly hilarious second chanceromcom from New York Times bestselling author, Emma Hart is LIVE!!!

 

BLURB →

What I expected on Saturday morning: Books.

What I got on Saturday morning: my ex-best friend and first crush in front of me.

 

Let it be known that I, Holley Stuart, do not give a single rat's behind about pro baseball's star pitcher Sebastian Stone.

I definitely don't care that he's standing in my bookstore.

Nor do I care that he seems to have forgotten about the last time we saw each other--senior prom, when he both humiliated me and broke my heart, albeit unknowingly.

Now, he needs a date to his sister's wedding.

Don't ask me how I ended up being it, because I have no idea. But that's the least of my problems.

His grandfather is adamant we're dating, and Seb isn't in a hurry to convince him otherwise, so I have no choice but to go along with it.

The problem? The only thing I've ever faked is... well, you know.

I've definitely never faked my feelings for someone.

And judging by the way I feel whenever Seb looks at me, it doesn't look like I'm starting now...

Review:

“But it wasn’t real.

 And it wasn’t a dream. 

This right here was a nightmare.”

Let me start off by saying that I liked this and thought it was both entertaining and fun to read. I have to get something off my chest though! 

I liked Saylor (I’m just going to get that out of the way) because she was the only one I felt called Holley out on her shit. Holley agrees to go as a date to a wedding with Sebastian, her ex best friend/heartbreaker, and if I truly believed she didn’t want to go with him then that’s one thing. But all she ever did was whine and complain even though she’s clearly not over him or what happened at prom all those years ago. It got old fast. 

 Don’t even get me started on the fact that Holley acted like a bitch to Sebastion from something he did almost a decade ago!! Again, Saylor saved the day by telling her to get over it and get over herself. Thank you! To be pissed from something that happened so long ago is just dumb. I could understand a year or two going by and still being mad. Any more than that, then you’re just a bitter, salty bitch. No other way to put it! 

You may think I hated the book based on that little rant but rest assured I liked it. It was funny and yes, romantic. I loved the fact that I felt a connection to Holley when it came to being a bookworm. Once we got passed the prickly stage that I didn’t like, I definitely felt an appreciation for her that I didn’t have in the beginning of the book. 

Especially when it came to finally opening up. Sebastion and Holley as a couple was magical to see. I may have a slight weakness when it comes to baseball players and booknerds. So maybe I’m also a little bit biased. 

Overall, if you’re looking for something light and romantic,  then this is the one for you. It has the fake dating trope I love so much and the hero could be pretty swoony. 

 

One-Click Today!

Series Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gDoUlk 

TBR: http://emmahart.pub/TBGTFI-GR

Amazon US → https://amzn.to/3eFnxlb 

Amazon UK → https://amzn.to/3dqG1UT 

Apple Books → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTFIapple 

Nook → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTFInook 

 

About the author:

Emma Hart is the New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author of over twenty novels and has been translated into several different languages. She first put fingers to keys at the age of eighteen after her husband told her she read too much and should write her own. 

Four years later, she's still figuring out what he meant when he said she 'read too much.'

She prides herself on writing smart smut that's filled with dry wit, snappy, sarcastic comebacks, but lots of heart... And sex. Sometimes, she kills people. (Disclaimer: In books. But if you bug her, she'll use your name for the victims.)

 

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