Monday, August 17, 2026

Book Blast and Giveaway!: The Call to Authorship by Tim Lindsay

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tim W. Lindsay will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



Embrace the call to authorship: 10 steps to leverage the power of a book!

Books help people—they inform, inspire, and engage. Books are also a powerful force for those who write them. Publishing a book builds your authority, sharpens your thinking, and opens doors to media exposure, speaking engagements, partnerships, and more.

Despite the greater accessibility of publishing than ever before, many would-be authors hesitate. They get stuck with self-doubt or believe producing a book is incompatible with a busy life. They may start writing but don't finish. Or they finish but don't publish or market their books.

The truth? With a little dedicated time, consistent effort, and the right guidance, anyone can publish a book that changes lives for the better. And they should.

Put down your phone. Take the leap from consumer to creator!

This step-by-step guide will show you how to:
- Use a one-page tool to clarify your goals, target audience and plan.
- Craft an outline that drives your manuscript forward.
- Overcome mental roadblocks and craft habits to finish your first draft in months, not years—even with a busy schedule.
- Select a publishing model, refine your manuscript, and make informed design and distribution decisions.
- Employ promotional strategies to achieve goals that transcend royalties.

Become more than you are. Have courage. Commit to growth by authoring a book, strengthening your ability to serve. Write with purpose. Publish for impact!

Bonus for book professionals: Special content for book coaches, editors, and ghostwriters—those helping ordinary people become extraordinary authors.


Read an Excerpt

We live in an age of swipes, scrolls and soundbites, where attention is fragmented and surface-level engagement is the norm. In such a world, choosing to sit down and write is bold indeed.

Writing a book is an act of meaning-making. It’s how we wrestle with ideas, make sense of experience, and speak into the noise with words that are considered and enduring. It takes courage to believe that your words matter. It takes character to see them through and shape them into a book.

That journey often begins with a spark. Maybe you’ve been through something, built something, learned something—and now you feel the quiet tug: This should be a book.

But with that tug often comes hesitation: Who am I to write this? Will anyone care? I’ve heard those doubts from countless aspiring authors through my work at Tellwell, where we’ve helped thousands turn that first spark into a finished book. And I’ve watched them write anyway. What followed was often extraordinary.

For Cindy Cherry, that moment came unexpectedly. For years she resisted writing a book about her father, Don Cherry, the outspoken hockey commentator who became a household name in Canada. She feared a memoir about her dad might seem biased, or worse, opportunistic. But everything changed when a Google Alert lit up her phone screen: a news organization was praising the Western Hockey League for cutting ties with Don following what she calls “Poppygate,” and for erasing his name from an organ-donation campaign he had helped champion, raising nearly half a million dollars. This cause was close to Cindy’s heart. As a teenager, she had donated one of her kidneys to her younger brother.

She realized that the public narrative was being written in a way that dishonoured the man she knew and loved.

About the Author:


Tim Lindsay founded Tellwell in 2015. Since then, he and his team have guided some 5,000 authors, including entrepreneurs, professional speakers, coaches, consultants, experts, course creators, community builders, religious and nonprofit leaders, Indigenous organizations, athletes, influencers, and everyday citizens.

Website: http://www.Tellwellpublishing.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tellwellpublishing/
Tellwell - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tellwellpublishing
Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1834180422



Follow the tour and comment for more chances to win! 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Aug 17



It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date

Oh, golly, Miss Molly, it is Monday again! Hope you enjoyed your week. The Lil' Diva celebrated a birthday last Tuesday, and the Lil' Princess visited for a few days. It was nice to have both of them around. Work is still kicking my behind, and at this point, I am glad this isn't my first year in real estate, or there wouldn't be another one. SpongeBob states my feelings exactly. 


Managed some reading last week, and I hope to get some writing done this coming weekend. We will see how that goes. Here are a couple of photos:


Sunday night dinner


The Lil' Princess and us at her favorite place

As far as reading goes, I still need to write my review of The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller.


I didn't read The Eyes of River last week. 


Need to pick up Staged by Caitlin Rother this week. 


I started Massawa by Pam Weber on Saturday.


I am almost finished with Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DRPH.



Also need to read:







Upcoming Events

  • The Call to Authorship by Tim Lindsay - Aug 17 (Book Blast & Giveaway)
  • This Never Happened: A Call Girl in D.C. by Kent Heckenlively - Aug 19 (Spotlight)
  • Enheduanna's Song from the Sands by Ellen Rachlin - Aug 21 (Interview)
  • Evan's Stormy Voyage by Karen Charles - Sep 24 (Review at TC&TBC)
  • She Forgot She Was Free by Giselle Mascarenhas - Oct 14 (Review)


Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach

This week, I picked up A Castle Christmas by Jimmy Bennett at the local Goodwill for $2. 


Giselle Mascarenhas is touring with her book, She Forgot She Was Free. I will be reviewing this one.






Christmas Year Round

Journey through Christmases Past explores Christmas 1869 this week. You can read that here.


The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

I shared a book I will be reviewing in September at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. You can see that here.



Laura's Little Houses

Nothing new at Laura's Little Houses this week, but I am finally caught up on the Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Podcast. I am sure that will spark ideas. 

Off to bed before a final walk through this morning. Enjoy your day!

Monday, August 10, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Aug 10



It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date

Happy Monday! Welcome to my express version of this post, because it is almost 3 am, and I haven't made it to bed yet. Work is nuts, but life is good. Made some yummy food this weekend and took in a Red Sox game with the husband, who caught a fly ball in the grandstand. 

In my reading world:

My review of The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller is coming soon.


I didn't pick up The Eyes of River last week. 


I finished and adored Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. Check out my review here.


Need to get moving on Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked.


Massawa by Pam Weber is a book I have not yet started.


Also need to read:





Photo credit: Freepik


Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach

Grabbed His Treasured Bride by Patti Stockdale and Jody Hedlund as a Kindle freebie this weekend. 






Christmas Year Round

Celebrated Book Lovers Day on Sunday at Journey through Christmases Past. You can find that here.


The Children's and Teens' Book Connection




Laura's Little Houses

Curious what I think are the Five Most Traumatic Little House on the Prairie Episodes? Check out my latest post at Laura's Little Houses here.

That's it for me. Enjoy your Monday!

Sunday, August 9, 2026

Book Review: Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts

 


If you relish the enemies-to-lovers romance trope, you need to grab a copy of Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. 

It's a battle of the sexes when romance bookstore co-owner Alice Willoughby matches wits with romance-bashing shock jock Parker Black. Turned off from love and happily-ever-after stories by his romance novelist ex-girlfriend, he takes aim at the entire genre. Spirited debates and bookstore protests follow, but clearly the sparks are flying between Parker and Alice, making her wonder if her favorite enemies-to-lovers trope is playing out in real life. 

I think I have a new favorite novel by romance mastermind Sheila Roberts. I'm not even the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers stories, but this one is so well done, so entertaining, and so real that I enjoyed every minute of it. From Chapter 1 to the Epilogue, I didn't want Alice and Parker's story to end. 

In addition to Alice and Parker, Roberts created an entire cast of memorable characters that live within the world of HEA Books and station KWOW: Nola, Bettina, Lina, Scarlet and her husband Mark, Jenny Riddle, Jeremy Riddle, and Jay Barker leave you yearning for more of these characters. It's amazing when an author creates so many characters you love in one story, but Roberts pulls it off magnificently. If I could, I would go back and read Love on the Shelf all over again.

Fans of rom-coms, enemies-to-lovers stories, and second chances will want to dive right into Love on the Shelf

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MIRA
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 26, 2026
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Original
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0778305821
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0778305828

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Reasons I've Stopped Reading or Watching a Series

 


The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy Wednesday! It is time for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. This week's prompt is: Reasons I've Stopped Reading or Watching a Series.

In my world, it usually has to do with time. At this point, if I get to read five pages a week, I consider that a success. Other reasons include:

  • I've read one book in an existing series and have no hope of catching up
  • Don't enjoy the characters of a new series enough to continue
  • My genre preferences changed
  • What is happening to the recurring characters no longer interests me
How about you? Why do you stop reading or watching a series? 

Monday, August 3, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Aug 3



It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date

Welcome to August! Is it feeling like the year is passing too quickly? It sure is for me. Four closings expected this month, and two more anticipated for September if all goes well. Expecting three new listings between now and September as well. 

Other than work, I managed to squeeze in some reading time, planned all our meals for August, and moved my office down to the first floor — with the help of my other half, of course. It's not done yet, but I'm down here more than upstairs now. 

The Lil' Diva will celebrate a birthday soon, and the Lil' Princess is coming down here that week to spend some time with us. Life is good.

Here is a reading rundown:

Did not touch The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller, and I wonder if I will get to it. 


I didn't pick up The Eyes of River last week. 


Almost finished Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. 


Need to get moving on Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked.


Massawa by Pam Weber is a book I have not yet started.


Also need to read:





Photo credit: Freepik


Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach

Nothing new in the mailbox this week, thank goodness. I am so far behind on my reading. 

Upcoming Events

Staged by Caitlin Rother - TBD (Review)
Massawa by Pam Weber - TBD (Review)
Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - TBD (Review)




Christmas Year Round

Thought it would be fun to talk about some toy crazes for this week's Journey through Christmases Past. You can find that here.


The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I'm discussing the growing trend to return to print-based learning and handwriting. You can read that here.



Laura's Little Houses

I am working on an article about traumatic episodes of Little House on the Prairie. Doesn't that sound cheery?

That is it from my place on the planet. Catch up with you soon!