The Economy Always Gets Better by Nikki M Finlay, PhD

Dr. Nikki Finlay's

 

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

 

OF

 

The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times with Confidence

About the Book:

For those of us who forgot what we learned years ago or never had the opportunity to take an economics class, terms like recession, depression, tariffs, inflation, and gross domestic product can make our heads spin.

If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

In The Economy Always Gets Better, award-winning economist Dr. Nikki Finlay explains the economy in its simplest terms, making it easier to understand and giving readers the tools to approach even the most distressing economic information with confidence.

Dr. Finlay combines her knowledge and years of academic experience in this practical and accessible guide for anyone wishing to better their understanding of the economy. Using personal stories, useful metaphors, visual representations, and statistical data, she makes economics accessible to everyone.

Whether you’re worried about the current economic troubles or trying to figure it all out for the first time, The Economy Always Gets Better will leave you better informed and better prepared to thrive.

Publisher: Amplify Publishing 

AISN: B0GVVTV6K7

ISBN-13: 979-8891388826

Print Length: 240 pages

Purchase a copy of The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times

with Confidence on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org.

You can enter for an opportunity to win a copy of the book here. (Scroll all the way down to the bottom of that page. Opportunity ends August 30.)

My Review:

I have always considered economics one of those subjects like quantum physics. It would take years and an advanced degree to understand it. I really appreciate how Dr. Finlay explains everything in ways I was able to grasp. She challenges readers to explain the concepts to an eight year old so has made the information that clear.

I appreciate her helping me understand all the aspects of the economy, like pricing, inflation, unemployment and trade. She also clearly explains what the US government and the Federal Reserve do to regulate the economy and what is means to have an economy that is running well.

I recommend this book that takes a complex subject and explains it well.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Dr. Nikki Finlay is an economics educator and author of The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times with Confidence. She helps adults who feel intimidated by economics understand how it actually works in their everyday lives—without the jargon.

With over two decades of teaching experience at institutions including Clayton State, Georgia State, and Gwinnett Technical College, Dr. Finlay has worked with students of all backgrounds and experience levels. Her approach is simple, practical, and rooted in real-life examples that make complex economic concepts easier to understand.

Through her writing, Dr. Finlay translates topics like inflation, employment, and economic cycles into clear, relatable insights that help readers build confidence—not just knowledge—about the world around them.

She lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia with her husband of over 40 years and enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her children and grandson.

You can follow the author at: 

https://nikkifinlay.substack.com

www.linkedin.com/in/economics-for-the-rest-of-us

Amplify Publishing, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through WOW! Women on Writing. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Waters of the Deep by Jonathan Freed

About the Book:

What really happened “in the beginning”?

For centuries, Christians have wrestled to harmonize Scripture with science. Did God create the universe billions of years ago―or just thousands? Were the heavens and the earth formed in the same week, or is there a deeper story written between the lines of Genesis 1?

In Waters of the Deep, physician and researcher Jonathan Freed, MD, explores an evidence-based creation model that affirms both the authority of Scripture and the vastness of the cosmos. Building on the hydroplate theory and a close reading of the biblical text, Dr. Freed proposes the Old Universe / Young Earth framework―one that restores reason, reverence, and coherence to the creation narrative.

Written for sincere Christians who love God’s Word but struggle with the seeming conflict between faith and modern science, Waters of the Deep offers a compelling, scientifically informed, and biblically faithful vision of creation―one that strengthens confidence in both the Bible and its Author.

My Review:

Understanding how science and the Bible relate with respect to the universe has long interested me. How do we reconcile what the Bible says in Genesis to what Science has discovered about the Universe? How do we create a model that respects the authority of Scripture as well as integrates evidence from the natural world? Freed explores the previously proposed models and evaluates them.

He advocates an Old Universe/Young Earth Hydroplate Theory view. It allows for a universe billions of years old and an earth with life only thousands of years old. Water under the crust of the earth is key. The water is expelled at the Flood. A feature of this theory is that created beings, such as angels, could exist before the creation of the earth. The rebellion of angels and the introduction of sin could have happened during this time.

While I don't think his proposed theory answers all of the issues involved, I think it does get us to a place for serious consideration. This is certainly a book worth reading for Christians interested in the creation and science topic.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Jonathan Freed, MD, is a plastic surgeon from Auburn, California. He has been involved in Creation Science education for over 20 years. He has a passion for mission service having served as a short-term volunteer missionary in India, Central and South America, Africa and the South Pacific. Active in leading Bible studies, he is an elder in his church in Granite Bay, California and has served on educational and missionary boards.

Carpenter's Son Publishing, 158 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison

About the Book:

When Babe―the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers―dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will.

Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she’d see again―along with the tensions, attractions, and unfinished business that once bound them together and broke them apart.

What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it’s Saturday. Again. And again. And again.

Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they’re forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago. Because maybe, just maybe, an endless weekend is exactly what they all need to save their own lives.

My Review:

This is an enjoyable novel that explores life and what one can do, how we experience grief. The characters are drawn lifelike. There is magical realism included as time repeats, like Groundhog Day. That provided time for contemplation of life and actions and the rebuilding of relationships. This book is a new twist on an old theme. It's entertaining but not spectacular.

St Martin's Press, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

The United States of Oligarchy by Casey Michel

About the Book:

A staggering examination of how America's wealthiest infiltrated the government and allied with dictators, transforming the U.S. from democracy to oligarchy.

For years, a small group of billionaires has amassed increasing power, steering American politics for their own benefit. Many of these figures are familiar. There’s Elon Musk, who has used his wealth to help place Donald Trump back in the White House. There’s Mark Zuckerberg, who has used his resources to transform America into his own digital playground. There’s Jared Kushner, who has used family connections to gain more political power than he ever dreamed of.

There is only one word to describe such extreme levels of wealth, avarice, and political control: Oligarchy. But the oligarchs are not working alone. From China to Russia to Saudi Arabia and beyond, many of these men have cultivated alliances with America’s most notorious adversaries, opening the doors for autocrats around the world to sink their teeth into the U.S. Placing profit over patriotism, they have transformed into vectors of influence for some of the world’s most repulsive dictatorships, all of whom are trying to create a world dominated by imperialism and tyranny. Connecting everything from the devastation in Ukraine to destruction in Gaza to destabilization in Greenland, these oligarchs have transformed American policy and American politics into their own private fiefdoms, regardless of what Americans actually want.

In United States of Oligarchy, Casey Michel illuminates a story decades in the making, from the earliest efforts to corral and combat American oligarchs, to the new crop of individuals monopolizing American democracy and making the world safe for dictatorship – all for their own benefit.

The oligarchs have risen, and are attempting to reign. The only question remaining is whether or not it’s too late to stop them.

My Review:

This is a frightening book. I was shocked at the power the wealthy have and how their influence has been detrimental to democracy. I was shocked at the revelation of the true cuts DOGE and Musk made and how cutting pro democracy programs benefited authoritarian countries like China. Many of the regulating and investigative agencies have been gutted, causing financial guardrails to be eliminated. Recent actions have opened the door to the US becoming an oligarchy with unregulated political funding by foreign powers through corporations and dark money groups.

Michal presents the information in a compelling way. The book is well written and well documented. The recent tax breaks for the wealthy and previous Supreme Court decisions allow the wealthy to accumulate so much and have so much power in politics, I wonder if democracy in the US will survive the next few years.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

I'm currently the Director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation, as well as a writer, analyst, and investigative journalist working on topics ranging from kleptocracy, illicit finance, dark money, foreign lobbying, and foreign interference to the legacies of Russian and Soviet colonialism.

I’ve testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on kleptocracy and oligarchs, and I received my Master's degree in Russia, Eurasia and Eastern Europe Studies from Columbia University's Harriman Institute.

St Martin's Press, 384 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Temperature Rising by Joel Burcat Blog Tour Book Review

 

TEMPERATURE RISING

by Joel Burcat

August 17 - September 11, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

 

A deadly secret. A dangerous game. How much is she willing to sacrifice to expose the truth?

Anna Freeman never expected a routine errand to change everything. But when the ambitious law student and environmental activist retrieves a harmless videotape on energy policy, she unknowingly steps into the heart of a ruthless conspiracy. Powerful lobbyists, corrupt politicians, and billion-dollar interests will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets buried—and now, Anna is in their crosshairs.

Before she realizes it, she’s pulled deep into the very system she once despised, embraced and seduced by those orchestrating the cover-up. They think she’s one of them. But Anna has other plans. Working undercover for The New York Times, she’s determined to expose the truth—no matter the cost. The only problem—she falls in love with the industry’s most trusted lobbyist.

With every step she takes, the danger intensifies. Lies mount. The deeper she infiltrates, the harder it becomes to save herself and her friends from the ultimate outcome. When the threats turn personal, Anna faces an impossible Will she risk everything—her career, her relationships, her friendships, even her life—to bring the truth to light? Or will she be silenced before she has the chance?

Temperature Rising is an electrifying political thriller packed with pulse-pounding suspense, forbidden romance, and high-stakes deception. As Anna races against time, one thing becomes clear—some secrets are worth killing for.

Praise for Temperature Rising:

"A timely and poignant thriller of political machinations, threats and lies. I enjoyed Temperature Rising, it heats up quickly and burns hot."
~ Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Selling author

"Burcat’s sharp execution offers plenty of surprises. The timely boardroom intrigue offers plenty of thrills. An intriguing conspiracy tale that finds fresh energy in familiar power struggles."
~ KIRKUS Reviews

"Original, deftly crafted, compelling, and a wild ride of a suspense thriller from start to finish."
~ Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review

My Review:

The events in this novel may be set decades ago but they could be happening (again) today. That climate change is caused by human action has frequently been opposed, especially by the oil and coal industries. Burcat does a good job of fleshing out that controversy in an entertaining and informative novel. I learned a great deal about lobbying and fundraising and suppressing scientific studies.

This novel revolves around relationships more than suspense. One issue is the possibility of letting personal relationships get in the way of revealing the truth. A romantic relationship may temp one to be less than honest. There is also the issue of possibly losing one's career as a result of doing the right thing.

There is a short burst of suspense near the end and many times I held my breath to see how an event would work out but in general, the plot moves along at a steady pace. This is a very good book to read right now, considering the current US administration's actions toward energy production and international efforts to control climate change.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Book Details:

Genre: Political Suspense Thriller
Published by: Milford House Press
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Number of Pages: 289
ISBN: 979-8888193587
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Sunbury Press Bookstore

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 40

A familiar sound awoke Anna.

Click-click-click.

The sound floated through her head. It stopped. Then it began again.

Click-click-click.

Anna sat up with a start.

Silence.

She went to the door and held her breath.

Nothing. Just the humming and buzzing from the electrical systems. A clock ticking down the hall.

Slowly, she tiptoed to Connor’s office. She stood behind a stack of file cabinets and looked. Dim light leaked under the door. Anna froze.

Anna wanted to run away, but she slowly walked closer.

It was dark. No steel balls clicking. The only light at this end of the floor was from the streetlights.

She calmed herself as she realized that the streetlights cast a glow into the window near Donna Russell’s desk. She hoped that was the light she saw.

“Mr. Connor?” Anna whispered.

Silence.

She lightly tapped on his door.

“Mr. Connor?” she said more loudly.

Quiet.

Slowly, Anna tried the knob.

It was locked, but not pulled shut all the way.

She was sure it had been locked tightly when she tried it before.

She pushed the door open. The room was dark, illuminated only by the streetlight from outside. The desk was empty except for Newton’s cradle.

It swayed back and forth, the way it did as it was coming to rest. Conservation of momentum. Conservation of energy.

Anna gasped. Why was it moving?

“Mr. Connor?” she said more loudly. She looked around the office.

No reply. She quickly looked behind Connor’s big leather chair. Nothing.

“Mr. Heftig?”

Silence.

Slowly, Anna turned and looked behind the door. She felt a creeping sensation on her back. The fine hair on her neck stood up straight.

Nothing.

Slowly, she continued turning to survey the entire office. Then she jumped. The air conditioner clicked on and a woosh came through the vent. A mountain range of goosebumps rose on her bare arms.

She looked at the desk. The Newton’s cradle was swaying in the breeze. She held her hand over the toy. The AC blew directly onto it. Just enough to make the balls click together quietly. They swayed in the breeze from the vent. Together. All five balls. Had this always been the case? Was the office so noisy during the day that she hadn’t noticed the quiet sound?

Anna took a deep breath, backed out of the office, and pulled the door until it clicked shut.

As she returned to her office, she glanced at the clock. It was 4:15. She was fifteen minutes late to meet Dread.

“Oh crap.”

Anna shot down the hallway to the freight elevator. It seemed to take forever to come to her floor. As the door closed she remembered something and stuck her hand into the narrow opening, pushing the rubberized safety bar and making the door open. She ran to room 2-Y and used her key to get back inside. She grabbed the beat up briefcase from the corner, the one with SOF stamped on the side, and ran back to the elevator.

The elevator slowly descended to the basement. No matter how many times she pressed the button, it went at the same annoying speed. She worked her way through the maintenance room and placed the cardboard into position at the door. She put the briefcase in the corner on the loading dock. Then she hustled to L Street and looked up and down. No Dread. No people. Not even a taxi.

The air was chilly and Anna regretted forgetting to put on her sweater, which was draped on her chair in her office. She walked up and down the street and didn’t see any sign of Dread anywhere. She looked at her watch; it was 4:20.

“Damn. Damn. Damn.”

Finally, a pair of headlights approached on L Street. The car was moving slowly. A big, dark green SUV, a Suburban with an extended back, pulled up and stopped. The driver wore a flannel shirt and had a beard. Anna thought she recognized him from the bar in New Jersey. He smiled pleasantly at her.

Anna smiled at the man.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Anna. Sorry, I was late.”

“Hey there, Anna. Call me Jack. Don’t matter to me, baby.”

“Did it take you a while to get here?”

“Hours. Been looking for you for a while.”

“Sorry. I fell asleep. Are you ready to do this?” Anna said.

“Never readier,” the man replied, smiling. He patted the passenger seat.

“You can pull into the alley over there.” Anna pointed. She started to open the door.

“Sure, if you say so.” The man craned his neck to see the alley. “Is that where it’s at?”

“Yes. That’s where it’s at. Where’s Dread?” Anna asked, looking around.

The man made a face. “I’m past dread, baby, unless you’re with the cops. What do you charge? I’m just looking for some quick head. I can give you twenty bucks. We can do it in the back of my Suburban or right here on the front seat. Whatever works for you.”

Anna recoiled from the man. “Oh God,” she said. She hopped out and retreated to the nearest doorway. The man watched her through the open window.

“Hey, come on, baby,” he called. “We can do it quick. I promise. I’ll give you twenty-five bucks.”

Finally, he slowly moved on when another vehicle pulled up behind him and flashed its lights. A pickup truck.

Anna waited in the darkened doorway until the window of the pickup opened. It was Dread.

“Hey, Anna, hon, we thought maybe you gave us the wrong info when we talked. We were here at ten of. This is the third time we’ve circled around the block.”

Anna opened the door and got inside. Her hands were shaking.

“Calm down, hon. We got this. You look sick. Here, this will help.” Dread handed her a brown paper bag.

Anna wondered what variety of alcohol Dread had in the bag. She hoped it was vodka.

“You want a cookie?” Dread asked. “They’re chocolate chip. I baked them myself.”

“You bake cookies?” Anna broke into a smile.

“You got a problem wit’ that? Camden County’s junior baking champ in twelfth grade. I’ve got the blue ribbon at home to prove it.”

Anna finally laughed and opened the bag, releasing the smell of brown sugar, vanilla, and chocolate. The cookies were huge and smelled glorious. She took a piece of cookie from the bag. In fact, it was scrumptious. “Oh God Dread, these are yummy!”

Dread smiled her smile and Anna directed her to the alley and told her to back in. Another pickup truck backed in behind them.

“That’s Max,” Dread said, keeping her hands on the wheel and pointing with one finger. “One of my boys with the Devils. I borrowed this truck from another guy, and Max agreed to come down with me. We convoyed all the way here. Did I see you talking with someone in an SUV?”

Anna nodded. “Yes. I thought it was one of your guys. It wasn’t. He thought I was a hooker.”

Dread was twisted around her seat as she backed into the alley, and she put her foot on the brake and looked at Anna. “I can see that. A little skinny, maybe, to earn a good living. Not nearly enough meat up top. But most guys aren’t picky at 4 a.m. What did he offer you?”

“Twenty bucks for a B.J.”

“Twenty? At this time of night, poor horny dude was probably desperate. You should have held out for forty.” Dread cackled, a long drawn-out laugh. After a moment, Anna laughed too.

They slowly backed into the alley, all the way to the dumpster. Anna hopped out first. As soon as her sneakers touched the ground, something didn’t seem right. She immediately went to the place where the documents had been hidden.

They were gone.

***

Excerpt from Temperature Rising by Joel Burcat. Copyright 2026 by Joel Burcat. Reproduced with permission from Joel Burcat. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Joel Burcat is an award-winning novelist and retired environmental lawyer whose thrillers blend high-stakes suspense with real-world issues. He is the author of Drink to Every Beast, Amid Rage, Strange Fire, Reap the Wind, and Temperature Rising, as well as the historical novel Whiz Kid, co-written with his late father, David S. Burcat. His books have earned multiple honors, including Readers’ Favorite Gold and Silver Medals, a Kindle Book Reviews Semi-Finalist award, and recognition from PennWriters and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Finalist). Drawing on more than forty years of environmental law practice, Burcat now writes full-time from central Pennsylvania.

Catch Up With Joel Burcat:

JoelBurcat.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @JoelBurcat
Instagram - @joelburcattheauthor
Threads - @joelburcattheauthor
X - @JoelBurcat
Facebook - @JoelBurcatAuthor

 

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

 

 

A Hot New Chance to Win!

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Joel Burcat. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

TEMPERATURE RISING by Joel Burcat | Gift Card

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I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones

About the Book:

I was fifteen when I became a murderer.

After a hack gone tragically wrong, a teen girl is given an ultimatum: accept a harsh prison sentence or leave her old life behind, adopt a new identity, and use her talents in the service of a covert government agency.

Three years later, the newly-named Augusta Pine has become a skilled wraith, one of the Identity Security Division’s secret operatives. She has no home, no family. Her only friends are her coolly professional handler and a snarky sentient AI spybot. So when Augusta is sent to Portland for her next assignment, she seizes the chance to glimpse her beloved grandmother and rents the apartment next door.

But what begins as a little nostalgic stalking quickly turns into a fight for survival. With her quick wit, tech savvy—and help from an unexpected ally—Augusta must race against the clock to stay one step ahead of a band of deadly cyberterrorists.

Unfolding through a suspenseful narrative interspersed with case-file excerpts, this is a pulse-pounding novel about identity, connection, and justice.

My Review:

A fun futuristic read for youth. The plot moves fast and would be of interest to youth who like spy novels and lots of super technology, like AI. The characters are interesting. Augusta is a tough girl and there is an exciting terrorist attempt that she must thwart. Potential readers should know it contains foul language.

Balzer & Bray, 410 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

A Guided Gratitude Journal by Donna Wyland Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: A Guided Gratitude Journal

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: Nonfiction/Christian Guided Journal

Release Date: September, 2025

What would you change in your life if you could? Scientific and faith-based research prove that gratitude is the key! 5 minutes a day/7 days a week/7 weeks. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET. CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Let today be the day your new life begins! 

Click here to get your copy!

 

My Review

We know gratitude is a healthy emotion but how does one establish a habit of expressing it? This book is a great encouragement to do so. It contains thoughtful devotions and quotes as well as thought provoking questions. Wyland has good insights, such as balancing gratitude and dreaming. “Being grateful for all things, accepting what is, is one of life's greatest gifts. That's not to say we shouldn't dream and work to make those dreams come true. The secret to living the life we want is by loving the life we have.” (78)

The format of the book provides plenty of space to record answers to the gratitude prompts. There are 56 pages of additional space to record gratitude thoughts after the 126 pages of her guiding readers to gratitude. I really appreciate her practical information, such as how to be grateful when things are not going well.

We are admonished to be thankful. This inspirational and practical book will help us get on the road of regularly expressing gratitude.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author

Donna Wyland is an award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction, and picture books. Her most recent gift book, Last Best Year – A Short Guide to a Grateful Life – is a Golden Scroll Award Winner, and her picture books, ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus and Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts were both Readers’ Choice Award Finalists.‘Twas the Night Before Jesus also won the Illumination Award Silver Medal and Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts was the Christian Indie Award winner for picture books.

Though she began a career in financial planning, God interrupted those plans and called her to write more than twenty years ago. Donna responded, “Yes, Lord,” and today has numerous books, essays, and blogs attributed to her name.

In the future, Donna hopes to continue writing guided journals to encourage and inspire people’s faith and confidence in God and themselves. As a Certified Christian Life Coach, Donna learned the value of asking powerful questions. Through her guided journals she hopes to lead readers to greater clarity, peace, and purpose as they read, consider, and reply to the questions asked.

Donna is grateful for her husband, four grown daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. She and her husband currently live in Southwest Florida, but her passion for travel frequently takes her to other states and countries around the world. Only God knows where she will live in five years. Thankfully she has a husband who says he will follow her wherever she goes.

More from Donna

What would you change in your life if you could? Scientific and faith-based research prove that gratitude is the key! 5 minutes a day/7 days a week for 7 weeks could change your life. Let today be the day your new life begins!

This journal was inspired by God and written as a result of many personal losses in my life. As I tried to move toward healing, I felt like I was still walking under a dark cloud each day, faking happiness and joy as I went about my responsibilities as a wife, mother, and grandmother. I was still hurting and desperately wanted to know why. That’s when I did a deep dive on the topic of gratitude and discovered its tremendous power to heal.

I pray that this journal becomes a legacy of readers’ journeys to joy, emotional and physical health, peace, and a thankful way of life. God knows you and sees you. He is excited to hear your praise and watch you grow into a gratitude-filled man or woman of God who lights the world on fire simply by being your wonderful, beautiful, joyful self.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 22

Texas Book-aholic, August 23

Simple Harvest Reads, August 24 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 26

Its Mama Safe, August 27

Guild Master, August 28 (Author Interview)

The Vine and The Branch, August 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 29

Fiction Book Lover, August 30 (Author Interview)

Book Looks by Lisa, August 31

Cover Lover Book Review, September 1

Devoted to Hope, September 2

Mary Hake, September 2

Artistic Nobody, September 3

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/tkOYA/a-guided-gratitude-journal-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Black Gold Secret by S F Baumgartner

About the Book:

A dead rig. A buried secret. A conspiracy that refuses to stay underwater.

Reporter Gemma Klein is supposed to be covering storm damage after Hurricane Tanya. The assignment should be routine: document the wreckage, talk to officials, and file another disaster follow-up before the news cycle moves on. Then an anonymous package points her toward Blackwater Rig Three, an offshore drilling platform with a violent past and a twenty-five-year-old explosion no one wants reopened.

Salvage operator Luke Mercer wants nothing to do with reporters, especially one asking questions about the accident that killed his father. Blackwater has already cost his family enough. But when Luke finds a hidden case inside the wreck, the old disaster stops looking like a tragedy and starts looking like evidence.

What Gemma and Luke uncover is bigger than one rig and older than one storm. Missing records. Shell companies. Offshore accounts. Insurance documents. Government filings. A powerful energy group with the money and reach to bury a fraud beneath layers of paperwork, legal threats, and convenient accidents. The deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes that Blackwater was never just a failed platform. It was part of a larger conspiracy built to protect fortunes, erase liability, and silence anyone who got too close.

The proof is scattered across damaged files, hidden ledgers, forgotten claims, and people who learned long ago that asking questions can ruin careers or end lives. Gemma follows the records. Luke follows the wreck. Together, they begin to trace the money trail from an offshore disaster site to a cover-up that was never supposed to surface.

Now evidence is disappearing. Witnesses are being pressured. The wreck itself may vanish before Gemma can prove what happened. Luke knows the sea, the rig, and the cost of trusting the wrong people. Gemma knows how to spot a lie, chase a source, and turn a hidden record into a public reckoning. Neither of them can expose Blackwater alone.

Black Gold Secret launches The Mercer Files, a clean action-adventure conspiracy thriller series where the treasure is not gold, jewels, or lost artifacts. The treasure is proof: records, ledgers, claims, archives, and buried evidence powerful people tried to erase.

My Review:

This is another good thriller from Baumgartner. The plot moves along quickly. Her writing includes no extra character ruminations or lengthy descriptions. For me, that meant I did not always clearly understand the action. Much of the plot takes place close to an underwater and damaged oil drilling rig, something with which I am unfamiliar. The lack of extensive description meant I sometimes did not comprehend the full scene.

The dialogue is snappy and moves quickly. The character development is not extensive but is sufficient to enjoy the ongoing relationship development. There is a back history to Gemma, a previous reporting mess she was involved in. I would have appreciated a little more background information on that.

This is a good novel for readers who like a tightly written novel with a fast moving plot and nearly continuous action. 

You can read my review of the short prequel, The Last Shift and get the link to download it here.

About the Author:

S.F. Baumgartner crafts fast-paced Christian suspense thrillers, weaving tales of complex characters, secretive operatives, and relentless agents. Her gripping storytelling has earned acclaim, with Living Secrets and Forgotten Secret—Books 1 & 2 of her Mirror Estate series—named Top Picks in the thriller & suspense categories, respectively, at Killer Nashville, and Tangled Secrets—Book 3 of Mirror Estate series—won couple of awards in the Christian Indie Awards and the Incipere Awards. When she’s not plotting her next twist, she’s binge-watching crime TV shows, like NCIS or playing with her cats. Fans of James Patterson’s style, especially those who appreciate short, punchy chapters, will find much to love in her work.  And as always, her books are all clean.

FB Publishing, 190 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through BookSirens. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)