REVIEW - Moonlit Kisses

Looking for a new contemporary romance to read? I've got one for you in Moonlit Kisses by Debra St. James. 

I follow Debra St. James on social media and caught a post about this book. I snagged it on Kindle Unlimited a few days ago and started reading and what a delight! 

Molly's story made me want to cry (and smack a few people, too. I won't lie.), but while her story started out as absolute hell, where just as you thought, nothing more went wrong... more went wrong, she ended up making things better—if, for nothing else, through sheer force of will. 

It wasn't 100% enough, but... that's where Max enters into the story. A workaholic mechanic who owns his own shop offers her a job almost on the spot after she takes over his office and starts showing her worth in an office setting. 

Admittedly, one character got on my nerves because of the whole disrespected boundary thing. It was part of the story but pulled quite a bit away from the actual romance, something I'd like to have seen more of, but damn, if that happily ever after wasn't hard-won! 

This is the second in a series of romance novels that I'd love to read more of. While book 2, it worked perfectly well as a standalone novel. This is definitely an author I plan to get to know better. 

My Goodreads review: 

Moonlit Kisses is my first book by Debra St. James, an author I follow on social media. It's the second installment of the Kisses series but worked perfectly well as a standalone novel. 

Molly - poor Molly. She is a character who's been through hell and back and starts the story going through even more difficulties (This word being a GROSS understatement), but she's determined to start over. So, she takes what little she has and drives across the country to her mother's hometown. 

Discovered sleeping in her car after her first night in town, Max gave her a helping hand by way of a job and then, eventually, a place to live. The chemistry and steam from that point on was... *fans self... simply amazing! 

I just loved Max. Loved him! 

Once the romance was established, the story took on more of a women's fiction feel to it. I would like to have seen more of the romance itself but it all worked out for Molly, complete with a very happy ending for her and Max!

I enjoyed Debra's writing and definitely want to go back to read book 1 in this series. 

Learn more about Debra St. James and her books on her official website. While you're at it, you can follow her on Goodreads - Amazon - Bookbub

Take care and happy reading!

 - Heather 

A sassy bookstore owner - a smokin' hot firefighter - and three flirty septuagenarians. What more could you ever need? 

Don’t Call Me Sugar is a slow-burn, Grant’s Crossing Romance - where family and friends mean everything, and happily-ever-afters are guaranteed.

Don't Call Me Sugar is available on Amazon, where it's FREE on Kindle Unlimited. It will also be available in paperback by mid-August.

Add to your Goodreads TBR

Haven’t yet read Wayward Guilt, Heroes of Grant’s Crossing Book 1? No problem. Click here to find it in print and digital on Libby / Hoopla or online wherever books are sold - including Target and Walmart!  Happy reading! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

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Don't Call Me Sugar - LIVE!!

A sassy bookstore owner - a smokin' hot firefighter - and three flirty septuagenarians. What more could you ever need? 

Don't Call Me Sugar, my first contemporary small-town romance, is officially LIVE! I hope you'll visit Grant's Crossing and get to know Tara and Steve, along with all the other fun and lovable characters in this charming Midwestern town.

Official Blurb

📚 Tara 📚

After her father is injured in a serious accident, Tara Bailey puts her big-city life on hold to help her parents’ flailing business in her beloved hometown of Grant’s Crossing.

While there, Tara meets a motorcycle-riding first responder who sparks a fire within her she once thought lost.

Will this newfound passion be enough for her to stay and give love another shot?

🔥 Steve 🔥

Marine Corps veteran Steve Cook is starting a new chapter in his life. With his brother in rehab nearby, Steve finds himself drawn to the slower pace of life in this central Ohio town.

Shortly after starting a new job at the local fire department, Steve falls for a strong-willed shopkeeper who puts up walls as quickly as he breaks them down.

Will his perseverance pay off before she moves back to Chicago?

Don’t Call Me Sugar is a slow-burn, Grant’s Crossing Romance - where family and friends mean everything, and happily-ever-afters are guaranteed.

Don't Call Me Sugar is available on Amazon, where it's FREE on Kindle Unlimited. It will also be available in paperback by mid-August.

Add to your Goodreads TBR

ARCs still available at Booksprout

Take care and happy reading!

 - Heather 

Haven’t yet read Wayward Guilt, Heroes of Grant’s Crossing Book 1? No problem. Click here to find it in print and digital on Libby / Hoopla or online wherever books are sold - including Target and Walmart!  Happy reading! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Join my Leaux Cay Readers on Facebook

COVER REVEAL - Don't Call Me Sugar

 "WELL? ARE YOU GOING TO KISS ME OR NOT?"

🔥 DON'T CALL ME SUGAR - A GRANT'S CROSSING ROMANCE 📚

AVAILABLE JULY 25 - PRE-ORDER: https://a.co/d/0iDwCguF

ADD TO YOUR TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204551067-don-t-call-me-sugar

ARC READERS: DM me if you want to join my street team for Don’t Call Me Sugar.

📚 Tara 📚

After her father is injured in a serious accident, Tara Bailey puts her big-city life on hold to help her parents’ flailing business in her beloved hometown of Grant’s Crossing.

While there, Tara meets a motorcycle-riding first responder who sparks a fire within her she once thought lost.

Will this newfound passion be enough for her to stay and give love another shot?

🔥 Steve 🔥

Marine Corps veteran Steve Cook is starting a new chapter in his life. With his brother in rehab nearby, Steve finds himself drawn to the slower pace of life in this central Ohio town.

Shortly after starting a new job at the local fire department, Steve falls for a strong-willed shopkeeper who puts up walls as quickly as he breaks them down.

Will his perseverance pay off before she moves back to Chicago?

Don’t Call Me Sugar is a slow-burn, Grant’s Crossing Romance - where family and friends mean everything, and happily-ever-afters are guaranteed.

 - Heather 

Haven’t yet read Wayward Guilt, Heroes of Grant’s Crossing Book 1? No problem. Click here to find it in print and digital on Libby / Hoopla or online wherever books are sold - including Target and Walmart!  Happy reading! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Join my Leaux Cay Readers on Facebook

TEASER - DON'T CALL ME SUGAR

SNEAK PEAK!  Pre-order Don't Call Me Sugar at Amazon today! 

Official Blurb coming soon! Pre-order on Amazon today.

*****

No part of Don't Call Me Sugar was created by generative AI. This was 100% my own creation.

Thanks, and happy reading! 

 - Heather 

Haven’t yet read Wayward Guilt, Heroes of Grant’s Crossing Book 1? No problem. Click here to find it in print and digital on Libby / Hoopla or online wherever books are sold - including Target and Walmart!  Happy reading! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Join my Leaux Cay Readers on Facebook

Harold Addison Scribner - Radioman, Third Class, US Naval Reserve

 Today is May 27, 2024. Memorial Day.

Congress passed a bill in 1971 that was signed into law to make Memorial Day always on a Monday so the Federal holiday could be a three-day weekend. I've read as well that Memorial Day parades are far less common these days than they used to be and that people now view Memorial Day as a day to honor all dead, not just those who fell in service to our country. I figure that if men and women are willing to put their lives on the line to preserve the best of our nation, then at the very least, they deserve their own day of honor, though they're deserving of being remembered the other 364 days as well.

Below are pictures of my Great Uncle, Harold Addison Scribner, who served in the Navy and my grandfather, Harvey E Scribner, Jr, who served with the Flying Tigers in WWII. 

Uncle Harold fought in the Pacific Theater in WWII as a radioman in the Navy. He didn’t make it back from WWII - Pacific theater. I never got the chance to meet him. 

On the night of Feb 16, 1945, the American naval vessels were in the area of Corregidor Island outside of Manila. Uncle Harold was on a large landing craft support vessel known as the Mighty Midgets. Around 230 AM, his craft was struck by a Japanese torpedo and started taking on water. A minute later, they were hit a second time and had to abandon ship.  Of the roughly 75 men serving on board, only 16 survived.  

Two large landing craft support vessels were sunk that night. Another was rendered dead in the water in a battle that lasted only a very short while but most likely seemed an eternity to the men in the water struggling to survive.

Like so many other brave sailors, Uncle Harold went down with his ship in February 1945. For several months, he was listed as Missing in Action since his shipmates saw him in the water after they were hit, but not after.  

 

This is my grandfather, Harvey E. Scribner, Jr. (or, as we called him, GG). Like his ancestors six generations earlier did for the Revolutionary War, he and his brother served the American cause.)

An Army man, he served with the Flying Tigers in WWII in the Pacific Theater. Though a changed man upon his return, he at least came home from the war. 

My grandmother, who moved in with her in-laws while GG was in the war, told me once how she remembers hearing a blood-curdling scream from Mamaw (GG and Harold's mom, Ella Scribner) one day after the mail came. Because he was still classified as MIA, she'd received the letter first from his shipmates rather than from the War Department itself.  

Nanny (my grandmother) said that kind of scream could only mean one thing.  

Uncle Harold was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, and his name is on a monument at Fort William McKinley in Manila, Philippines.

Harold Addison Scribner: Radioman Third Class, U.S. Navy Reserve

Remember him. Remember his sacrifice.

Side note: A few years ago, I found the website www.mightymidgets.org, which is the website of the organization created to remember and honor the men who served on the Naval landing crafts during World War II.  I contacted them and sent them a few pictures of Uncle Harold.  They asked my permission to forward my Email and pictures to some of the men who served on his same boat.  To my utter surprise, I received a letter not long after from someone who served with and remembered my uncle.  

Such brave men.

Side note #2: Learn more about Uncle Harold's Mighty Midget. 

Silver Stars, Commanding Officer, LT. Harold W. Smith USNR (16 February 1945 at Mariveles P.I.) - Purple Hearts (25-WIA, Mariveles, P.I.)

LCS(L)(3)-1 Class Landing Craft Support (Large)(Mark3):

Laid down, 2 June 1944, at Albina Engine and Machine Works Inc., Portland, OR.

Launched, 20 July 1944

Commissioned USS LCS(L)(3)-49, 31 August 1944, LT. Harold W. Smith USNR in command

During World War II USS LCS(L)(3)-49 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LCS(L)(3) Flotilla One, CAPT. R.E.Arison USNR;LCS(L)(3) Group One, LCDR W. I. Hunt, USNR;LCS(L)(3) Division Two and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates

Manila Bay-Bicol operation Subic Bay and Grande Island, 31 January 1945 Mariveles-Corregidor, Mariveles Harbor, 14 to 16 February 1945

Final Disposition, sunk, at Mariveles Harbor, Leyte, P.I., 16 February 1945

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

My thanks go out to all who have served our nation, and my heart goes out to all those who face their losses firsthand. 

Take care, 

- Heather 

Find me online! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Heroes of Grant's Crossing Series

Wayward Guilt - Safe Now - End of a New Life - (Nov 25) Available for Pre-order

 

Grant's Crossing Romance

Don't Call Me Sugar - (July 25) Available for Pre-order 

IT'S LIVE! Safe Now - Heroes of Grant's Crossing Book 2 is LIVE!

Safe Now, Heroes of Grant's Crossing Book 2 is officially live! 

Some secrets can’t be kept.

Some people can’t be protected. 

Some brothers can’t be stopped.

I can't wait for you to meet brothers Steve and Nick in Safe Now, my follow-up novel to Wayward Guilt. 

Safe Now introduces a new character, Steve Cook, who has always taken care of his little brother, Nick, both growing up and again, after Steve is honorably discharged from the Marines. Their story takes you all around the Midwest, from St. Louis to Chicago, Iraq, and Afghanistan, back to the Midwest to Detroit, and finally, to Grant's Crossing, Ohio, where Steve is finally able to settle down with his new, found family. Scroll down for links to for more details. 

Order your copy today:  https://books2read.com/u/3Jn15P

Add to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153463380-safe-now

Receive a bonus epilogue when you sign up for my newsletter: https://www.hmsbrown.com/p/newsletter-sign-up.html 

Official blurb below.

Growing up in a small town outside St. Louis, Missouri, Steve and Nick Cook struggle to balance their own aspirations with their strict parents’ desire to mold their sons into a picture-perfect and obedient family. 

But when Nick is outed, their parents make life worse for both. Steve promises to get his little brother somewhere he can live without fear, even if that means delaying his own dream of becoming a Marine. 

When fate intervenes, Steve takes Nick far from their childhood home to live with extended family. Believing he is safe, Steve finally enlists and serves multiple deployments in the Middle East.

With Steve fighting for his country, Nick risks the only safety he’s ever known to set out on his own. When Nick disappears, Steve vows to do what the local authorities can’t—setting out on a new mission that takes him across the Midwest, from Chicago to the seediest neighborhoods in Detroit and Columbus, to find him. 

Now, living in a community of friends who don’t hesitate to share his burdens and with a family willing to share his pain, can Steve complete one more mission and save his brother before it's too late? 

*****

No part of Safe Now was created by generative AI. This was 100% my own creation. CW: Domestic violence, religious homophobia, violence, interrupted sexual assault, brief drug use by a tertiary character.

Receive a bonus epilogue when you sign up for my newsletter: https://www.hmsbrown.com/p/newsletter-sign-up.html 

Thanks, and happy reading! 

 - Heather 

Haven’t yet read Wayward Guilt, Heroes of Grant’s Crossing Book 1? No problem. Click here to find it in print and digital on Libby / Hoopla or online wherever books are sold - including Target and Walmart!  Happy reading! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Join my Leaux Cay Readers on Facebook

COUNTDOWN: 1 day to go for Safe Now - Heroes of Grant's Crossing Book 2

"We'll take care of your dad." Steve wasn't sure what he meant by that, but he had plenty of ideas, some of which were even legal. 

1 more day to go until Safe Now - Heroes of Grant's Crossing Book 2 hits the shelves. Pre-order your copy today! 

Pre-order Safe Now: https://books2read.com/u/3Jn15P

Add to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153463380-safe-now

*****

Some secrets can’t be kept. 

Some people can’t be protected.

Some brothers can’t be stopped.

Growing up in a small town outside St. Louis, Missouri, Steve and Nick Cook struggle to balance their own aspirations with their strict parents’ desire to mold their sons into a picture-perfect and obedient family.

But when Nick is outed, their parents make life worse for both. Steve promises to get his little brother somewhere he can live without fear, even if that means delaying his own dream of becoming a Marine.

When fate intervenes, Steve takes Nick far from their childhood home to live with extended family. Believing he is safe, Steve finally enlists and serves multiple deployments in the Middle East.

With Steve fighting for his country, Nick risks the only safety he’s ever known to set out on his own. When Nick disappears, Steve vows to do what the local authorities can’t—setting out on a new mission that takes him across the Midwest, from Chicago to the seediest neighborhoods in Detroit and Columbus, to find him.

Now, living in a community of friends who don’t hesitate to share his burdens and with a family willing to share his pain, can Steve complete one more mission and save his brother?

*****

No part of Safe Now was created by generative AI. This was 100% my own creation. CW: Domestic violence, religious homophobia, violence, interrupted sexual assault, brief drug use by a tertiary character.

Newsletter: https://www.hmsbrown.com/p/newsletter-sign-up.html

Wayward Guilt - Heroes of Grant's Crossing Book 1: https://books2read.com/u/38WRM7

Picture not mine. Edits are.

Thanks, and happy reading! 

 - Heather 

Haven’t yet read Wayward Guilt, Heroes of Grant’s Crossing Book 1? No problem. Click here to find it in print and digital on Libby / Hoopla or online wherever books are sold - including Target and Walmart!  Happy reading! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Join my Leaux Cay Readers on Facebook