Release Day Book Review: Wake-Up Calls by Mariah Stewart

 

When a woman finds she is heir to an aunt she had no knowledge of and more, she finds herself on the road to discovery as she delves into her family past and in the bargain finds where she belongs.

Available at Amazon

Release Date: May 1st, 2026

My Rating for Wake-Up Calls: 5 Stars and a Recommended Read

Kit Porterfield is stunned that an aunt she never knew existed left her everything, including a family house and property that is a mystery to her. Going to Maine to settle the estate as well as figure out what drove her aunt and her mother's estrangement, Kit finds family secrets, the lovely town of Tolerance and the people there as wella s the aunt she begins to figure out fromt he town who l oved her as well as her mother's life before the estrangement. But for Kit, her personal life is in freefall and as she navigates that, she finds herself again as she uncovers the secrets her mother was determined to stay buried. 

My Review of Wake-Up Calls:

Wow is all I can say after reading Wake-Up Calls by Mariah Stewart. This is an author who knows how to tell a story with multiple layers and storylines playing out within the background. I loved Kit and her relationships with her sister, Beth and kids, Abby and Nate. She is a strong woman who forgot that strength when dealing with personal setbacks and upheaval. What stays with me after finishing this the other night was how much growth Kit experiences as she navigates family secrets and personal issues that cause her to stand tall and take life by the horns. She is a delight to read as the reader journeys alongside her as she tries to figure out why her mother lied to her and get to know the aunt she never knew, Maxine Meadows. 

The story flows smoothly with a few twists I didn't see coming, populated with rich multidimensional characters that fairly fly off the pages of the book while I was reading Wake-Up Calls. It really kept my attention and had me reaching for it again and again as I really needed to see how this story ended. The characters are set in a setting of a little Maine town that is populated with rich secondary characters that added to my enjoyment of the book. Mariah Stewart delivers another wonderful woman's fiction book to her book  list with Wake-Up Calls and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. 

If you enjoy a rich storyline with characters that speak to you as a reader with a few twists you won't see coming then I highly recommend Wake-Up Calls as your perfect beach read book. Mariah Stewart delivers another stellar story that will steal your heart and won't let go of it.

Book Tour Stop/Giveaway: A Proof of Love

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

Interview with Merida Johns

Do you ever wish you were someone else? Who?

I kind of like who I am . . . I've had the good fortune of having a strong and loving family, good friends, and great careers. But if hard-pressed to be someone else, that would have to be the most papered pet in the world.

What risks have you taken with your writing that have paid off?

The greatest risk was to launch a career in writing women's fiction. I have written several nonfiction books and textbooks, as well as academic and research articles. But nonfiction is a different ballgame. As a nonfiction author, I was used to telling readers the facts—in fiction, the author has to develop a story and characters and show the reader, not tell them, what's happening.

The big payoff is being able to use my creativity, curiosity, and bravery in a different, fun way while still helping people become their best selves through storytelling.

What part of the writing process do you dread?

That's a tough question. I can honestly say, there's nothing I dread about the writing process itself. Writing allows me to create something new and provides an outlet to exercise my curiosity and creativity.

However, if you're talking about the "ancillaries" around writing, like securing an agent, landing a publishing contract, and marketing, that's a different story (sorry for the pun). In my nonfiction writing, I published with traditional publishers. But when I began writing fiction, I decided to hire a publication team (editors and designers), and self-publish through my own press. I didn't want to spend my creative time pitching to agents, trying to secure publishing contracts, dealing with attorneys, and afterward waiting years for publication after a manuscript was completed. So, I guess you can say, whatever I dreaded about the "writing process," I eliminated so I could spend my time on what I love and enjoy the most—writing stories that inspire readers to reach for the stars themselves.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

My guess is that most authors suffer from writer's block. In the research community, there's a diverse discussion about what writer's block is and its causes, including affective/physiological, motivational, and cognitive components.

That's pretty heavy "stuff", so I'll stick to my definition of writer's block as experiencing "a short slowdown in creativity" from time to time."

When I need to up my creative juices, I like to play with what ifs:

·         What if a character dies?

·         What if the character goes against community norms?

·         What if the character disappears?

·         What if the character has a secret?

·         What if . . .

Other techniques I use are as simple as "changing the subject" by doing something other than writing, usually taking a walk or knitting, and being present in the moment.

Tell us about your latest release.

A Proof of Love combines fiction with a memoir overlay. In 2024, narrator Katie Blake takes readers on a journey through the summer of 2009 with her nine-year-old self, living in Woodburg, a small Midwestern town, and shares the principles and influences that came with the personalities and people she wants to immortalize in writing.

In the Prologue, Katie writes about the inciting incident prompting her to write a memoir at twenty-four years old:

Shoulders slumped, she sips lemonade turned tart. "I should have kept a diary, she says. "Not to chronicle life's ups and downs, but to share stories about those I loved the most."

She gazes at that old maple tree and makes us a promise. "One day . . . I'll write about the special people in my life so you will know them, and they will never be forgotten."

But Gram went to heaven before her one day came, and her stories, told in her own words, are lost forever.

Fifteen years later, I've learned that one day's promise is not assured. Before it's lost . . . So, I'm seizing that one day to write about the special people in my life, so you will know them, and they will never be forgotten. This is A Proof of Love.

Though Katie's grandmother is "dead and gone forever" as she opens the story, the currents of Katie's life and their effect on family and community are shaped by the values in her grandmother's sayings, which live in THE Principles List Katie creates to direct her life.

But living up to THE Principles List and relying on its precepts to control her world turns out to be a "great disappointment." Katie learns that THE List can't resolve all life's contradictions, fix every problem, or help her at each "grim crossroad," especially when it comes to Ned Boomer, Woodburg's grumpiest man, and Rose LeMay, the town's enigmatic newcomer and a secret that binds the three together.

 

A fictional story with a memoir overlay as narrator Katie Blake reflects on life in small town America and the principles, influences, and big personalities she wants you to never forget.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, 2009, and the town gossips have their shorts in a twist about a mysterious newcomer who wears tie-dye, colorful headbands, clunky necklaces, and rings on every finger.“Who installs a ceiling fan on a Victorian porch?” cries Ned Boomer, Woodburg’s grumpiest man, and the town gossips concur, “She must be a hippie, witch, or maybe worse . . . a socialist.”

Hell-bent on preventing a neighborhood blow-up, precocious, nine-year-old Katie Blake launches a covert investigation to gather the truth about the enigmatic Rose. But when she discovers a decades-old secret binding her, Rose, and bad-tempered Ned Boomer, her world takes a turn.

Penning a memoir sixteen years later, Katie is forced to reconsider whether the real proof of love was in preventing a neighborhood war or finding friendship and comfort among three unlikely grief-stricken souls who should never be forgotten.

Read an Excerpt

Gram taught me to be independent, manage my anxieties, and have confidence in myself, showing me how to use my imagination to wiggle out of a jam or face the “grim crossroads” when confused or sad.

The first time I cried and lost it over a complicated computer problem, she said, “Be inventive, Katie! What can you do to calm down and think things through?”

We put our heads together to come up with ideas. Gram said she brewed herself a cup of tea when needing a break. Mom worked on crossword puzzles. Dad played solitaire. My one decadent delight was a FatBoy ice cream, and that’s how Gram and I hatched the plan of taking two ice cream sandwiches and hiding them under the frozen vegetables to create my private emergency stash.

“Close your eyes, breathe, take a bite, and replace the leftovers. No one will suspect anything. Our little secret. . .”

About the Author:

At heart, I am a storyteller who writes women’s fiction and stories of courage and discovery, showcasing the protagonist’s journey toward a more fulfilled self.

My passion is writing women’s fiction and exploring the human experience—how ordinary people tackle challenges, endure sorrow and betrayal, wrestle with doubt, and act on their aspirations to achieve flourishing lives. My insight into the power of fiction came during a conference call in late 2017 with a group of fellow life coaches. “What would it be like to help women and men achieve a flourishing life through storytelling?” I asked them.

After that phone call, I got started answering that question. The result was my debut novel titled Blackhorse Road, a compelling story of womanhood and the power of choice, gratitude, and forgiveness, published July 21, 2020, by Coffee Cup Press, followed by Flower Girl (2022), Flawless Witness (2023), and now A Proof of Love (2026)

Before embracing writing fiction, I was the author of health informatics and leadership textbooks. Later, I put my leadership experience to use as a leadership coach, focusing on supporting others to fulfill their leadership and economic potential. My range of nonfiction is available on my Amazon Author Page.

Substack: https://meridajohns.substack.com/
Facebook: https://meridajohns.substack.com/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/MeridaJohns
Website: https://www.MeridaJohnsAuthor.com

Book Blurb Tour Stop/Giveaway: Look Over Your Shoulder

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sharon Overend will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A haunting, lyrical exploration of family, silence and the secrets we inherit.

Years of avoidance and blame have left the McLaughlin clan fractured and ill-equipped to face the critical illness of one of their own. When long buried memories of a neighborhood child’s death while in their care resurface the family truly begin to unravel.

Told in alternating voices, Look Over Your Shoulder, reveals how secrets ripple through generations, and how healing begins when someone finally dares to speak the truth.

Read an Excerpt

ANNE

I slipped away. In slow motion, I raised one foot after the other, one step at a time, upstairs. My limbs now disconnected from my body, my head bobbing in a black fog, I drifted across the hall and toward my bedroom. I lay on top of the covers but dragged a throw over my hip.

The buzz of distant conversations crawled into the room, and my window shook each time the front door opened or closed. Knuckles rapped, an empty hanger slapped against the door panel, the buzz amplified, feet shuffled forward, a presence lingered, a hand touched my arm, a voice whispered.

“Mom.”

I said nothing until her feet shuffled back toward the door.

“I’m sorry,” I sighed into the pillow seconds before the hanger again rattled, and the hum of voices roared back into the room. I wasn’t sure whether I’d wanted her to hear me or not.

“For what?” She had heard.

“For resenting you.”

The weighty creak of floorboards, a car engine idling, a woman’s laughter, a child’s shriek, a toilet flush.

“You’re tired,” Marilyn said, now close enough to touch me. “Sleep.”

“You scare me,” I said, still telling the pillow, not her. “Your strength and your capacity for forgiveness are things I’ve never experienced before. But I have to know. Have you ever forgotten?” Shame had stalked me my whole life, a shadow dancing across my peripheral vision, now fully in view.

“We’ll talk in the morning.” She lifted the fringed edge of the blanket, pulled it over my shoulder, and tucked it beneath my chin. A blue spark of static electricity sprang between her fingers and my face.

About the Author:

SHARON OVEREND, is an award-winning author whose fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry has appeared in the Canadian, American and British literary journals and anthologies including Antigonish Review, Avalon, Descant, Grain, Matter of Time, Spirit of the Hills, Surfacing, Wild Words, Word Weaver, UK’s Dream Catcher, CafeLit, The Best of CafeLit and A Coup of Owls.

Sharon and her husband live on a 156- rural acre property in Ontario, Canada where she has found inspiration for many of her projects.

Website: http://www.sharonoverend.blog
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sharonoverend
Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/sharonoverend3971
Bluesky: http://www.Sharonoverend77.bsky.social

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/LOOK-OVER-SHOULDER-Sharon-Overend-ebook/dp/B0FR2P6SWY/ref=sr_1_1

Book Blitz Stop/Giveaway: A Wyoming Family Holiday by Virginia McCullough

A Wyoming Family Holiday: A Clean and Uplifting Romance
Virginia McCullough
(Back to Adelaide Creek, #5)
Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming
Publication date: October 28th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Can saving a town landmark…

Restore her faith in love?

When attorney Sloan Lancaster returns to Adelaide Creek to care for his father, he’s shocked at Winding Creek Rehab and Care Center’s run-down state. He considers moving his dad but is drawn to his high school crush Bethany, in charge of the facility’s restoration. Moved by Bethany’s community spirit and her adorable young daughter, Heidi, Sloan makes an anonymous donation to the center as the holidays bring them all closer. But when Sloan’s identity is revealed, Bethany pulls away, anxious about conflict of interest. Can she overcome her fears to embrace Sloan’s support—and build the loving family she’s always wanted?

From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.

Back to Adelaide Creek

Book 1: The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins
Book 2: The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming
Book 3: His Wyoming Surprise
Book 4: Finding His Wyoming Sweetheart
Book 5: A Wyoming Family Holiday

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Apple Books / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Sloan Lancaster raised the hood of his jacket and raced through the downpour, skirting the water overflowing dips and deep potholes in the asphalt parking lot. This, plus the rundown brick and wood exterior, was all he needed to conclude that the Winding Creek Rehab and Care Center was past its prime. Especially dreary was the aging paint job, once white, but now a dull, dirty gray. Sloan summed up his first impression of this facility in one word: neglected.

As he ducked into the hands-free revolving door a commotion in the lobby caught his attention. Women and men in scrubs or lab coats were pushing and pulling furniture across the carpeted floor, while a couple of burly guys in maintenance uniforms dragged an oversized tarp into the far corner of the room where rainwater ran down the wall.

Two women a few feet in front of him struggled to pull a couch across the middle of the lobby. He approached from behind and called out, “Wait, let me help with that. Tell me where you want it.”

A woman spun around. “Thanks. We can use the help.” Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Sloan?”

“Bethany?” He struggled to find his next words as he grasped the wooden armrest on one end. “I’d know you anywhere.” It was true. He hadn’t seen her since high school and she’d barely changed at all.

Not the time to ask a lot of questions. He made his early morning workouts pay off as he dragged the couch to the only empty spot on the other side of the lobby big enough to accommodate it. The space was already filled with a hodgepodge of tables and armchairs that had escaped the leaking roof and ceilings.

Bethany pushed the couch from the other end. Her expression turned serious as she straightened up and put her hands on her hips. “You’re here to see your dad, I assume. Medical transport brought him here a couple of hours ago.”

Her burgundy pantsuit and crisp tailored white shirt gave her a professional look in the style of the women lawyers at his firm. That led Sloan to guess that his old friend Bethany Hoover was an administrator in this place, where, for better or worse, his dad was now a patient. The worn out exterior and general disarray in the lobby weren’t filling him with positive feelings about that.

The opposite, in fact.

Author Bio:

A writer all her adult life, Virginia McCullough has had the opportunity to write the stories of her heart in her novels, including Girl in the Spotlight, the first book in her Two Moon Bay series for Harlequin Heartwarming. (Book 2 is scheduled for release in January 2018). Her award-winning romance and women’s fiction titles include The Jacks of Her Heart, Amber Light, Greta’s Grace, The Chapels on the Hill, and Island Healing.

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia has been lucky enough to develop her writing career in many locations, including the coast of Maine, the mountains of North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and currently, Northeast Wisconsin. She started her career in nonfiction, first writing articles and then books as a ghostwriter and coauthor. She’s written more than 100 books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell.

Virginia’s books feature characters who could be your neighbors and friends. They come in all ages and struggle with everyday life issues in small-town environments that almost always include water—oceans, lakes, or rivers. The mother of two grown children, you’ll find Virginia with her nose a book, walking on trails or her neighborhood street, or she may be packing her bag to take off for her next adventure. And she’s always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!

A Wyoming Family Holiday Blitz

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Discover Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery today!

 

Otherwise Engaged

Susan Mallery

On Sale Date: November 4, 2025

9780778387268, 0778387267

Hardcover

$30.00 USD, $37.00 CAD

Fiction / Family Life / Siblings

368 pages

 

About the Book:

A twisty, tender and wise look at how secrets can transform the powerful—and sometimes problematic—bond between mothers and daughters, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.

When Shannon gets engaged, her beloved mom, Cindy, is the first person she wants to tell—and the last. Cindy’s engaged, too, and has already hinted at a double wedding. The image of a synchronized bouquet toss with her mom fills Shannon with horror. She’ll keep her engagement a secret until Cindy’s I-dos are done.

Victoria has never been proper enough for her mother, Ava, so she stopped trying. She lives on her own terms and amuses herself by pushing Ava’s buttons. Ava loves but doesn’t understand her stuntwoman daughter. When a movie-set mishap brings Victoria home, Ava longs to finally connect.

Chance brings the four women together at a wedding venue, where a shocking secret comes tumbling out. Twenty-four years ago, desperate teenager Cindy chose wealthy Ava to adopt her baby—then changed her mind at the very last second. The loss rocked Ava’s world, leaving her unable to open her heart to the daughter she did adopt, Victoria. As Shannon and Victoria deal with the fallout from the decisions their mothers made, they wrestle with whether who they are is different than who they might have become.

 

Excerpted from Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery, Copyright © 2025 by Susan Mallery Inc. Published by MIRA Books.

How does the horse look?

Victoria Rogers pressed her good arm to her very bruised, almost broken ribs. “Dad, don’t,” she said, trying to stay as still as possible. “You can’t be funny. It already hurts to breathe. It wasn’t a horse.”

Her father frowned. “I was told you were thrown off a horse.” “I was thrown out of a truck.”

“Then how’d you get the black eyes?”

“The ground was a little bit pissy when I hit it and punched me back.”

There wasn’t a part of her that didn’t hurt. The good news was that now that the medical staff had determined she didn’t have a head injury, they were going to give her drugs to help with the pain. She’d already said she didn’t want any of that weak-ass pill stuff. She wanted a nurse to give her a shot of something that would work instantly and let her rest. Because in addition to the bruised ribs, requisite scrapes and contusions, she had a broken left leg and a sprained wrist. Her previously dislocated shoulder also throbbed, but that was kind of the least of it.

As she lay in her hospital bed, feeling like death on a tortilla, she had the thought that maybe stunt work wasn’t for her. Injuries came with the job, but this was the third time in five years she’d landed in the hospital. The first time she’d messed up, so that was on her, but the other two had just been plain bad luck. The incident with the truck had come about because one of the tires had blown, causing the however many ton vehicle to jump the curb—an action that had sent her flying up and over the side. Gravity, being the bitch it was, had flung her onto the sidewalk. Hence the injuries.

Her father studied her, his brows drawn together in concern. “None of this makes me happy,” he told her.

The incongruous statement nearly made her laugh. She remembered—just in time—that her ribs wouldn’t appreciate the subsequent movement and they would punish her big-time.

“Today isn’t my favorite day either,” she admitted, trying not to groan. “I didn’t wake up with the thought that I should try to get thrown out of the back of a pickup.” Although technically getting thrown out of the truck had been the stunt. Just not when it had happened and without warning or a plan.

“I’m worried,” her father told her.

“I’ll be fine.”

“This time.”

She winced, and not from pain. “Now you sound like Mom.”

Her father, a handsome man only a few months from his sixtieth birthday, brightened. “Thank you, Victoria. That’s such a nice thing to say.”

Given her weakened condition, she let that comment slide. Honestly she didn’t have the strength to deal with it right now, even though she knew her father understood exactly what she’d been saying. He was only pretending to not get it.

“If you’re going to act like that, you should go,” she said, then amended what could be construed as a catty comment into something more kind. Mostly because she only had the emotional energy not to get along with one of her parents, and her mother had already claimed that prize. “Besides, they’ll be bringing my drugs any second. I plan to surrender to sleep, so I’m not going to be very conversational.”

As if to prove her point, one of the nurses walked in with a syringe. “Ready to feel better?” he asked cheerfully.

“Yes, and let me say, you’re my favorite person ever.”

He winked. “I get that all the time.”

He slowly injected whatever the medication was into her IV. Victoria drew in a shallow breath as she waited to feel that first blurring of the edges of the pain. Modern medicine was a miracle she intended to embrace.

The nurse left. Milton took her good hand in his.

“I’ll let you rest,” he told her. “But I’ll be back later tonight.” He squeezed her fingers. “Tomorrow, when you’re released, I’m taking you home.”

Ugh. Victoria knew that her father wasn’t talking about the pretty condo he’d bought her when she’d turned twenty-one. Instead he meant the house where she’d grown up. The one where her mother still resided.

“I don’t need to move back,” she protested, feeling the first telltale easing of the pain. “I have a few bumps and bruises.”

“Along with a broken leg. And what about your ribs? You can barely move without wincing.”

“I have zero pain tolerance. I’m a total wimp.”

He frowned. “You’re tough and stoic. If you’re showing signs of pain, it’s bad. You’ll stay with your mother and me until you’re well enough to be on your own.” He pointed at her. “I mean it, Victoria. You don’t get a vote.”

Her father was rarely stern with her, so his sharp tone warned her he wasn’t kidding. And she knew from twenty-four years of experience that arguing with the man would get her nowhere. Milton didn’t take a stand very often, but when he did, he was the immovable object.

“I wish you loved me less,” she murmured, feeling a little floaty and stumbling over her words. “Okay, I feel drugs. Let me enjoy the experience of breathing without, you know, wanting to die.”

Oh, baby girl. You’ve always been difficult.”

“I know. It’s one of my best qualities.” Her eyes drifted closed. “Love you, Dad.”

“Love you more.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Come alone.”

His soft chuckle was the last thing she heard.

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778387267

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/otherwise-engaged-susan-mallery/1146329150?ean=9780778387268

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/otherwise-engaged-original-susan-mallery/21831943?ean=9780778387268

Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781488234927

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Otherwise-Engaged/Susan-Mallery/9780778387268?id=9291789850619

Target: https://www.target.com/p/otherwise-engaged-by-susan-mallery-hardcover/-/A-93825000#lnk=sametab

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Otherwise-Engaged-Hardcover-9780778387268/12368102155?classType=REGULAR&from=/search

Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/otherwise-engaged-a-novel/9780778387268.html  

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/otherwise-engaged-26

AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/otherwise-engaged/id6714475620

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Susan_Mallery_Otherwise_Engaged?id=jvUjEQAAQBAJ

 

 

About the Author:

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that shape women's lives―family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations," and readers seem to agree―40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. She’s passionate about animal welfare, which shows in the many quirky animal characters she has created. Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband and adorable poodle. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

 

Social Links:

Website: https://susanmallery.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanmallery

Instagram: https://instagram.com/susanmallery

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/susanmallery/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/susanmallery

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-mallery

Mailing List: https://susanmallery.com/join-mailing-list.php

Discover Behind the Mirror by Bridget Budd today and Giveaway

Behind the Mirror
Bridget Budd
Publication date: July 1st 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Behind the Mirror is a powerful, character-driven novel about emotional healing, generational trauma, and the courage it takes to stop performing and start living your truth.

Sometimes, the hardest person to face is the one behind the mirror…

Julie Sloan was shaped by abandonment early in life—left behind by the people who were supposed to love her first. In the absence of emotional safety, she became what the world rewarded: high-achieving, self-sacrificing, and always performing. Through four marriages, she searched for stability while suppressing her deepest fears—that she was unworthy of lasting love, and too broken to be fully seen.

But when her fourth marriage nearly collapsed, something shifted. It wasn’t betrayal that broke her—it was the quiet realization that she had never truly lived for herself.

What followed was a reckoning: with her past, with the roles she had played to survive, and with the parts of herself she had long silenced.

Now, years later, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist named Laura wants to profile Julie’s nonprofit work—an organization devoted to helping women heal from emotional wounds. But what begins as a success story takes a deeper turn as Julie reveals the story behind the story—the one she’s never shared publicly. The one about how she abandoned herself first.

For readers drawn to novels about inner child work, identity, and spiritual awakening, this deeply personal journey will leave you both broken open and quietly restored.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Audible / IngramSpark

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EXCERPT:

Julie Sloan had everything she thought she wanted—success, love, stability—but beneath the perfection was an exhaustion she couldn’t name. In this scene from Behind the Mirror, she begins to see the quiet cost of performing her way through life.

I had and have everything I had dreamed of. This gorgeous house, an indoor pool, a home gym, a massage room, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. Plus, I drive a super-fun and sporty Porsche 718 Boxster in Carmine Red … Nothing beats the top down on the glorious sunny days we have here.

But I was perpetually unhappy and had no idea why.

Did you notice that all those things I listed as being everything I dreamed of were external? None of them reflected satisfaction from the inside out. I was living from the outside in. Even as recently as ten years ago, I was stuck in that familiar pattern of thinking that I wasn’t worthy whenever someone did something kind for me.

… I was perpetually chasing the next goal, the next fix, the next thing that might finally make me feel whole. What I couldn’t see then was that the exhaustion I felt wasn’t from doing too much—it was from being someone I wasn’t.

I had mastered the art of performing for love, of polishing every rough edge until there was no “me” left underneath. The burnout wasn’t from my schedule; it was from the story I kept trying to live up to.

It’s strange, really, how easy it is to confuse performing with being alive. But when the performance ends—when the lights go down and the applause fades—what’s left is silence. And in that silence, I finally started to hear something truer than all the noise: myself.

Author Bio:

Bridget Budd is the author of Behind the Mirror, a debut novel that blends literary storytelling with therapeutic insight.

After more than twenty-five years in corporate sales, she stepped away to explore the emotional patterns beneath her success—and the cost of always holding it together.

Her work lives at the intersection of fiction and healing, drawing from her background in trauma-informed coaching, somatics, and holistic health. Bridget writes and speaks about identity, self-worth, and the shift from performing to presence.

Often described as “fiction with emotional teeth,” her stories are crafted for deep feelers, recovering perfectionists, and anyone quietly exhausted from chasing “enough.”

She divides her time between Marco Island, Florida, and Marvin, North Carolina, with her husband and two opinionated dogs.

Website / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!

Behind the Mirror Blitz

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Book Review: The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts

 

Three Women find they're living next door to a fiction version of The Rear Window movie in Sheila Robert's The Man Next Door.

My Book Rating for The Man Next Door: 4 Stars and a Recommended Read.

Buy Sheila Robert's The Man Next Door at Amazon

Zona never thought she would be back living with her mom, Louise, but here she was, newly divorced and having no choice right now after her gambling addicted ex-husband lost her daughter's college fund and all their savings to boot. She's determined to put her daughter through college, every clipped coupon savings to boot.

Louise didn't have a broken leg on her bingo card on the single

s cruise she was looking forward to but at least there's eye candy next-door in the form a ahunky new neighbor who is around her daughter's age and a mystery that surrounds him and the house he lives in. When the woman he was having a screaming argument goes missing, imaginations fly or so Zona hopes for her mother's sake at least.

My Book Review for The Man Next Door:

Sheila Roberts delivers a fun take on the movie The Rear Window in her new book, The Man Next Door and it delivers all the fun aspects you expect with this author's books: a fun storyline with just the right amount of heat and mystery, a romance...maybe, meddling family and drama that seems to lurk int he shadows. I love this author's books as it gives me so much fun and laughter with her many different characters to fall in love with, a backdrop of unique settings that give her books a fresh feel to them and a fast paced storyline that leaves you eager for more with each page flipped. The writing is top notch with this author's classic storytelling on display within the pages of The Man Next Door and lots of fun characters to root for. 

Meet Zona and Louise. A mother and daughter who have had life throw them curveballs one too many times and now Zona is back living with her mom, Louise, after divorcing her gambling addicted husband and Louise is laid low by a broken leg that happened on a much anticipated Senior Singles Cruise. When a new hot neighbor moves in next door, Louise is determined to see what she can find out ala the rear window and chaos happens when she spies on some incidents that may see suspicious to her but may have some real bening reasoning behind it. I love Louise Zona and Zona's daughter so much. These three generations of women had me cracking up and the emotional growth they all go on within The Man Next Door was a perfect blend of family drama, maturity and more. The characters are well written, multidimensional and you can't help but root for them till the very end of the book.

The Man Next Door is a fun and wildly entertaining story that takes the movie premise of The Rear Window and turns it on its head with a quirky bunch of characters, some wild imaginations and a true crime marathon that stokes those said imaginations into a fever pitch. If you haven't read one of these author's books before, I highly recommend The Man Next Door to get your imagination wet and fall in love with characters that will fairly have you laughing from page one to the very last page. I can't wait to see where this author goes next for her next book.

Tour Stop/Giveaway: The Goodbyes by Helen Gillespie

 

Welcome Helen Gillespie today to the Reading Nook as we chat about their book, The Goodbyes and make sure to enter the tour wide giveaway as the author is giving a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. The tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions and check out all the tour stops HERE. 

Interview with Helen Gillespie

Tell us about your latest book, who are the main characters and what we can expect when we pick it up.

The Goodbyes is a story about Dianne and Mel leaving school life and entering a life away from the adults who raised them. During the story Dianne unravels while juggling her final year of college and watching her mother slowly lose her battle with cancer. Michael, a charming but deceptive man, enters her life for a short time while Mel, a young restaurant worker and adoptive daughter of restaurateurs, befriends and supports Dianne for the long haul. Although not having a “birth family” surrounding them, older adults step in until it’s their turn to say, ”Goodbye.”

Obviously, Dianne and Mel are the main characters, but others take a main character role as the story unfolds. Katrina, Dianne’s mother, has the initial role as a main character, but other characters follow when she is no longer able to fulfill the role.

There are many twists and unexpected turns until the very end. Buckle your seatbelt. There’s turbulence ahead. 

Taking the story from a concept to a published book is a long and involved process. How does that usually work for you?

The Goodbyes was a longer and more involved process than I anticipated when I first started the adventure. Looking back over many years, the characters kept revealing themselves while the devil of procrastination kept smothering them. Perhaps that was for the best. Many people I met since I began writing had personality traits that I was able to assign to my characters. Hopefully, my sequel will not take as long. 

Which of your books would you recommend for readers to choose first if they’re new to you and your books?

Most definitely, my first book, my only book right now. {smile} If an industrious reader can dig down into the Internet, they may find news articles that I’ve written for the Huntsville Times (Huntsville, AL) or The Daily Press-Leader (Farmington, MO) 

We are very curious about your writing process.  What is a typical writing day like for you?

Typical writing day:

Watch the news. Get angry. Identify a need for an escape. Grab coffee and water. Sit at the magic desk. Escape reality by punching computer keys, except when the dogs need to go in, or out, or in, or out. 

What trope have you not written yet but want to?

I’m not sure if I have enough time left on earth to write a historical novel about my mother’s family emigrating to Cuba from Spain. That would take many years of dedication and research. 

How do you approach character development in your stories? Do you have any specific techniques or methods that you find particularly effective?

I watch people. Even when mindlessly scrolling, I stumble upon implausible yet interesting stories, and I read “AITA” from Reddit. Some of the videos presented are pure garbage, while others introduce human behaviors I never considered. I take notes and incorporate these behaviors into my writing, even if it’s just for fun. 

What do you believe sets your writing apart from others in your genre, and why should readers choose to read your books?

As much as possible, I try to present characters with realistic behaviors, albeit sometimes they are exaggerated. 

Can you discuss any upcoming projects or books that you're currently working on? What can readers expect from your future works?

I’m working on a sequel to The Goodbyes. I’m not sure of a working title for it yet. The sequel will mostly feature the same characters, with some taking on more prominent roles.

THE GOODBYES

Author: Helen Gillespie

GENRE: Women’s Fiction

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Struggling with becoming an adult in a small mid-western town, Dianne must confront family secrets, deception, and discovery during her last year of college. As she cares for her ailing mother, her world begins to unravel and she is challenged to navigate through lies, friendships, love...and murder.

 

Meeting the wrong person makes it possible for her to recognize the right ones and to find the strength she needs to survive. Realizing that she is responsible for her own destiny, she learns that to say hello to a new life, she must first say goodbye.

 

Excerpt One:

 

All living creatures hold secrets for basic survival. Humans keep secrets to preserve their image, hide their misjudgments, or protect those they care about. Only in the safest conditions, absolute trust or vulnerability, can humans feel safe divulging their secrets, laying bare their hidden selves. 

 

Katrina England and her husband did not keep secrets from Dianne or indulge in the usual childhood fantasies of princesses or fairy godmothers with her daughter. Even Santa Claus was introduced from a historical perspective rather than as a magical elf. The Englands were doting parents who disciplined their daughter when necessary and answered her questions honestly, only withholding information that surpassed Dianne’s maturity. Yet, despite this philosophy, Katrina did hold a few secrets, one very close.

 

As Dianne approached adulthood, Katrina began to share these secrets. By then, Dianne’s father had died, leaving the two women to navigate life together as a family with no other relatives living close by. Katrina often grappled with the lifelong weight of a childhood secret and her secret of late, a terminal cancer diagnosis. Both became weightier as her cancer took hold. When Dianne began dating the MegaMart store manager, Katrina’s concern of her daughter’s future turned to worry.

 

Dianne, nearing graduation while dealing with her mother’s illness, found herself facing unexpected challenges. When Michael D. Glossen entered her life, her challenges became problems. Oddly, she met “Michael D” when a cream rinse emergency arose.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Throughout grammar school and college, Helen Gillespie loved developing story sketches or full stories but kept them hidden within herself. That creative spark proved valuable in unexpected places, first on assignment as a musician in the US Army, and after leaving the Army, when she earned a degree in elementary education. After reentering the Army in 1981, she put pen to paper, or rather, “fingers to an Olivetti.” She officially learned the art of journalism to serve the Army, but it quickly became a personal passion. Interviewing fellow soldiers, exploring their jobs and personalities, and publishing useful information for the military community formed the basis of her skill and enjoyment. Those years of thought, training, education, and experience laid the foundation for crafting her first novel, The Goodbyes.

 

Social Media

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565442142189

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hgillespie/

Website:  https://www.helengillespiewrites.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hgillespe/

 

Personal Social Media

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/helen.gillespie/