Jean M. Roberts's Blog

Annie's Day
by Apple Gidley



Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Publisher: Vine Leaves PressPages: 300Genre: Historical Fiction / Women's Fiction

War took everything.

Love never had a chance.

Until now.

As an Australian Army nurse, Annie endures the brutalities of World War II in Singapore and New Guinea. Later, seeking a change, she accepts a job with a British diplomatic family in Berlin, only to find herself caught up in the upheaval of the Blockade. Through it all, and despite the support of friends, the death of a man she barely knew leaves a wound that refuses to heal, threatening her to a life without love.

Years later, Annie is still haunted by what she’d lost—and what might have been. Her days are quiet, but her memories are loud. When a dying man’s fear forces her to confront her own doubts, she forms an unexpected friendship that rekindles something she thought she’d lost: hope.

Annie’s Day is a powerful story of love, war, and the quiet courage to start again—even when it seems far too late.

Praise for Annie’s Day:
"Moving and enlightening..."

~ Deborah Swift, bestselling author
"This is a story of courage and love, and it lingers long after you turn the last page."

~ Caroline James, author, 5* Goodreads review

"I love the lyrical writing of this author. The descriptive prose and humor made this book a joy to read."

~ Louise, reviewer, 5* Goodreads review

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Apple Gidley

Anglo-Australian, Apple Gidley's nomadic life has helped imbue her writing with rich, diverse cultures and experiences. Annie’s Day is her seventh book.
Gidley currently lives in Cambridgeshire, England with her husband, and rescue cat, Bella, aka assistant editor.

Author Links:

Website • Facebook • Bluesky • Twitter / X • InstagramAmazon Author Page • Goodreads

 

TheDeserter by Wayne Turmel

 

AuthorWayne Turmel returns to his historical fiction roots after a brilliant forayinto urban fantasy. The Deserter is an intense story set in Algeria in 1908. Wemeet Gil Vincente in Marseille, France, running for his life, as he signs upfor the French Foreign Legion and immediately finds himself on a freighterbound for a port on the Algerian coast. This is not Vincente’s first foray intomilitary life as he served during the Boer Wars in South Africa. And the legionoffers him something he desperately needs in his chaotic life: order,structure, and regimen. He keeps his head down, trains hard and tries his bestto remain aloof from the men in his regiment, a mixed bag of Europeans runningfrom their own personal demons.

Turmel’spassion for this project is evident in the meticulous research and attention todetail. The descriptions of the Algerian towns, the forts, life in the FrenchForeign Legion drop the reader right into the action. What I really enjoyed wasthe character development as Gil and his squad mates face the harsh realitiesof war in a desert where the enemy included the unforgiving landscape and theblazing sun. When Gil is assigned to care for the mules on which the legiondepends, he bonds with the ornery creatures in a way he can’t with the men whomarch beside him. In the end, it’s his need for order that is his undoing in adramatic final scene.

TheDeserter harkens back to an earlier age of military historical fiction when therewas no glory in war, only survival. This is not a fun read, but it is grippingand I know I’ve got a good book in my hands when I want to start looking up detailsto learn more about the action. I would recommend this gritty book to lovers ofmilitary history, who fell in love with the French Foreign Legion and enjoy asuperbly researched tale.

Igive this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐stars

 

 

Noone call really see into the mind of a criminal, but author LeeAnne James get eerilyclose. Five Roses for Walter is book three in her Thin Blue Line series of storiesbased on real criminal cases, which include Justice for Loretta and The DustyRoad to Homicide, both of which are excellent.

It’shard to write about crime stories without giving away any of the plot, but FiveRoses for Walter is a chilling tale. The perp presents as a normal family manwith a wife and three children, lives in a quiet neighborhood, except he has adark secret. He has an underground bunker in which he keeps captive young womensometimes for years.

Whenone victim comes to the police with her horrible story, they have little to goon. Walter has the upper hand; how do the police find his hiding place and getjustice for the women who endure years of torture and rape at his hands?

Thisbook is pretty graphic and not for those who are triggered by violence againstwomen. It’s not a whodunit but a how do they catch him story that will have youthinking twice about walking alone. If you love true crime, give this one aread.

I give this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars!

Find it here on Amazon

 

MADDIE ~ A LITTLE GHOST WITH A SECRET

By Cindy J. Vanous

Children’s Age 6-8

Pages: 28

Publication Date: September 25, 2025

SYNOPSIS

In the enchanting ghost town of Terlingua, Texas, Maddie isn't your typical ghost. She's a friendly spirit on a heartfelt quest to discover her own special superpower just like the ones her parents and the other resident spirits proudly possess. As Maddie experiments with their ghostly gifts, she learns that each superpower is unique and can't be borrowed. Still, she holds close a passion that fills her days with whimsy and warmth, a secret hobby that brings back precious memories of time spent with her mom. Through her journey, Maddie uncovers not only her true talent but also reminds her ghostly family that the most magical gifts come from the heart.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cindy J. Vanous is a Texas children’s author who writes heartfelt picture books filled with vintage charm, hope, and imagination. Her stories, from a lost puppy at the North Pole to a little ghost in Terlingua, Texas, celebrate courage, belonging, and the magic found in everyday moments.

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Who doesn't love a cute ghost story! Maddie is a little ghost who lives in Teralingua, Texas, a ghost town, along with her parents and other ghosts! Every night, all the ghosts gather in the graveyard to play and show off their special talents, like catching stars or making monarch butterfly hugs and more. Everyone has discovered a unique talent it seems, except poor Maddie. Does she have one? You need to read it to find out!
This is a really cute story with a great message about individuality and finding what makes you special. The story is sweet and the illustrations are fun. I think children will enjoy the colorful pictures as well as the ghostly fun, while absorbing a wholesome message. The book has a Halloween vibe, with ghosts, pumpkins and jack-o'-lanterns, so it would be a great fall read, but I think it would be fun to read anytime of the year. 

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Pueblos Magicos by Chuck BurtonGenre: Travel Guide / MexicoPublished: October 2025Publisher: Bayou City Press

 

Despite living in Texasfor most of my life and spending four years parked on the Mexican border in DelRio, I am ashamed to admit I know next to nothing about Mexico and have neverventured more than a mile inside its borders. I was really intrigued by the descriptionof this book and amazed that an American in his seventies would undertake thisventure alone. But it is clear that the author is no regular tourist. He’s honedhis skills after a lifetime of remote travel on the cheap, spending monthsvisiting countries around the world.

The name of the bookintrigued me, Pueblos Magicos. What are they? The government of Mexicohas designated close to 200 towns the status of Pueblos Magicos, orMagical Towns. Most are off the beaten path and they were chosen for their cultural“richness, historical relevance, cuisine, art crafts, and great hospitality."According to the author the town ‘make you feel glad to be there.’

The author takes us to62 of these towns, grouping them by his top ten and by region. As a thrifty travelerwho is fluent in Spanish, he travels by the most economical means, by bus. Mostare very rural and see few, if any international tourists. In each town, Chuck describesthe town, the markets, historical sites, sites of interest, the hotel or Airbnb,restaurants and street food vendors. I was really amazed by the prices he paidfor hotels, often less than twenty dollars, and how cheap and wonderful thefood was.

I really enjoyed thisbook and the photos, regarding it more as an armchair travel guide to a world Iknow little about. While I would love to visit some of the towns he describes,I fear my lack of Spanish would be a huge roadblock to my experience. But foran adventurous traveler, I think this is a great jumping-off point to plan anenriching Mexican adventure.

 

 

Itwas a happy day when I found a new book by my favorite Australian author,Catherine Meyrick! Yeah. I’ve read all her books and really enjoy her writing.This one is called AND THE WOMEN WATCH AND WAIT; A Novel of the Great War. The ‘greatwar’ being WWI. 

Thisis the story of Kate Burke, a young woman who leaves her rural family farm tohelp her aunt manage her grocery store while her two sons are off fighting forcrown and country. The year is 1914. Kate, unbeknownst to her family, hasbecome engaged to the son of a neighboring farm, Jack. He’s dreamy, funny,smart and loyal. But he too has joined up for what they believe will be a six-monthfight.

Backhome, the women, mothers, wives, sisters, girlfriends, wait for word of theirloved ones. News travels slow; they might hear of a battle but not see thedeath list for many weeks. Letters can take months to arrive, if at all.

Asthe death toll rises and the years drag by, Patriotism wanes and wait becomes excruciating.Then to add to the misery, in the waning days of the war, the Spanish Flustrikes, killing millions.

Meyrickdoes an amazing job of portraying the war through the eyes of the women left towait. I knew this one was going to make me cry, and cry I did, multiple times.But I also found the resilience of the characters uplifting. I really enjoyedKate, Jack and Tom and Aunt Mary. Honestly, I could see this as a TV series, itreally is that good.

Abig five ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐stars from me!

Amazon Buy Link: AND THE WOMEN WATCH AND WAIT

                                                     

  Pillars of Creation

A Quest for the Great Name in a Nietzschean World

By Carlos Nicolás Flores

Literary Fiction, Coming of Age

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: 22 July, 2025

SYNOPSIS

Where is God amidst the mass graves, poverty, drug trafficking, and corrupt officials on the Texas-Mexico border?

Yoltic Cortez, a college dropout and aspiring writer in his mid-twenties, grapples with this question while living in an impoverished colonia. His bedridden father warns him to prepare spiritually for the challenges ahead by returning to their religious traditions and confronting the "Devil in the desert."

Encouraged by his mentor, the "Failed Poet," to pursue a literary career, Yoltic struggles to write his first book. His situation is further complicated when a young Mexican woman, fleeing the violence in northern Mexico, seeks his help.

In this Nietzschean world, a secular realm fraught with fear and loathing, where God has been declared dead, Yoltic's quest for redemption and wisdom unfolds. Pillars of Creation: A Quest for the Great Name in a Nietzschean World by Carlos Nicolás Flores offers a powerful perspective on the crisis at the Mexican-American border through the eyes of a gifted young Tejano.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A lifelong resident of the Texas-Mexico border, Carlos Nicolás Flores has much lived experience to draw from as a novelist. In Our House on Hueco, he portrays an impoverished family’s struggle to achieve the American dream. “This book feels like a classic to me,” states Naomi Shahib Nye. In Sex as a Political Condition, a satire of the cultural wars on the border, he reflects on the male condition at the end of the Cold War. In Pillars of Creation: A Quest for the Great Name in a Nietzschean (Atmosphere Press 2025), he portrays a young Chicano’s search for meaning in a world torn apart by violence on the Texas-Mexico border. According to Lily Andrews of Feather Quill Reviews, Flores “ably captures what it means to be stuck between cultures by showing how being Chicano isn’t just about language or heritage, but a constant tug-of-war between belonging and not.”

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REVIEW

Okay, I’m going to have to say it: the title of this book really put me off and the cover didn’t help much. But I was determined to give it a go and boy am I glad I did. Pillars of Creation: A Quest for the Great Name in a Nietzschean World by author Carlos Nicolás Flores is a gem of a book. 
Set on the Texas-Mexico border, Pillars of Creation is the story of a young Tejano man, Yoltic Cortez, trying to find purpose in his life as he struggles to write his first book. He also has to come to terms with his dying father who has tried to impart his Christian principles into his only surviving son, yet Yoltic has his own sometimes conflicting belief system and the two grapple over their differences. A mysterious young woman, Marfil, adds to the chaos of his life as she appears then disappears back into Mexico to tackle her own problems. 
Adding to his disillusionment are the abject poverty of the borderland, the drugs, which he uses, and the drug cartels, who run the Mexican side of the border with impunity and can reach into Texas seeming at will to wreak destruction. 
Beautifully written, the book reveals both the beauty and ugliness of the area. Vibrant descriptions of everyday life, rich relationships, and ties to the land. It also portrays a sense of stagnant hopelessness that clings to everything in the border region. 
The book is written in 2nd POV which is pretty rare these days, but I enjoyed it, probably for that very reason, but it really worked in this story and reads as if we, the reader, are the one being spoken to. I loved all the characters, Yoltic, Marfil, the Failed Poet, and the Jew. The book leaves you with a glimmer of hope that there will be a happy ending. 

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PARADE OF SECRETS

A Lane Hayes Mystery

By Kimberly Fish

Historical Mystery / Female Sleuth

Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing

Publication Date: October 31, 2025

Pages: 341

SYNOPSIS

Layers of history, suspense, and emotion.

March, 1948. Lane Mercer Hayes, and her husband, Zeke, have that post-war life that everyone envies. His winning record as a prosecutor and a scratch golfer, teamed with her finesse in a bookshop puts them on the list of up and coming leaders in Longview, Texas. That is, until Lane is exposed by Senate candidate, Lyndon B. Johnson, for the clandestine role she plays in a Black-owned security agency. Forced to face the cracks in her marriage and the boredom in her life, she can no longer be that “teacup of whiskey” that former Big Inch pipeline associates nicknamed her. Though newspaper headlines tout prosperity and development, Lane can’t get past the emptiness in her soul after the adrenaline rush of working for the Office of Strategic Services during the war.

Longview, Texas, is changing—from LeTourneau Incorporated bringing big manufacturing to the construction of Lake Cherokee and even the massively celebrated Gregg County Diamond Jubilee and the return of the popular Founder’s Day parade. So when an unexpected interview with R.G. LeTourneau appears to give Lane the opportunity to dust off her former OSS skills; she grabs it. To end the vandalism turmoil for LeTourneau, Lane steps out as a private investigator and encounters more than one death befalling families with secrets to hide.

With the clock ticking, Lane grows increasingly unconvinced she has the know-how to discover the truth or make peace with the sheriff who questions her every step. Time and pressure work against her in unraveling the mystery and restoring the good name of those who learned too late that they were innocent. Thankfully, in the course of the investigation, she discovers an unlikely ensemble of residents she can rely on, even when the future looks grim.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimberly Fish has been in the writing industry for over 30 years. An amateur historian and fan of cozy mysteries, she weaves history and mystery into her stories of women finding their grit and sweet second chances.

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REVIEW

First, I have to say that I’ve read multiple books by author Kimberly Fish, her HOME TO COMFORT series and loved, loved, loved them! So, I was really looking forward to reading this first book in a new series featuring Lane Hayes and it did not disappoint. It’s 1948 and Lane lives with her husband Zeke in Longview, Texas. She runs a bookshop, and he is a prosecuting attorney. We find out that during the war, Lane was a daring OSS officer in France, and she can’t quite leave that on-the-edge lifestyle behind, much to her husband’s chagrin. Oh, and she also has an escaped murderer looking for her. 
The story is pretty complex with lots of moving parts, a long cast of characters, and an intricate murder investigation woven into historical events. Many of the characters, from Lyndon B. Johnston, to the local businessmen and their wives are real which, as a history buff, I found very interesting. The author also explores the societal expectations of women in the postwar years, women who worked while their husbands were off fighting were now expected to revert to being happy homemakers, something Lane chafes at. I enjoyed Lane’s complex character and her relationship with her husband, as they work to define their roles and their marriage. 
The murder is intricately plotted, and I certainly did not guess where the investigation would lead.  The local sheriff is just as you’d expect him to be, unimpressed with the ‘little woman’ trying to do a man’s job. Lane has a few very loyal friends who give her a hand, and one is a nod to Fish’s Comfort books, which was fun. 
All in all, a very enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I recommend this book to readers who love a good mystery with a dose of history. I give this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐five stars. 

To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLParadeofSecrets on your preferred social media platform.

 

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HUMMINGBIRD MOONRISE

By Sherri L. Dodd

Paranormal Thriller / Fantasy / Magical Realism / Witch-Lit

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Pages: 304

Publication Date: October 9, 2025

SYNOPSIS

The past two years have taken their toll on Arista Kelly. Once an eternal optimist, now she has faced the darkness and must recalibrate what true happiness means for her. Meanwhile, Shane, her ex-boyfriend, is pulling all the right moves to help keep her sane from her heightening paranoia. But it doesn't help that Iris, her Great Aunt Bethie's friend, has disappeared.

Still, one additional trial remains. While searching for Iris, Bethie and Arista stumble upon a grand revelation in the eccentric woman's home. With the discovery, they realize their run of chaos and loss of kin may have roots in a curse that dates back to the 1940s-the time when their family patriarch first built Arista's cottage in the redwoods and crafted his insightful Ouija table.

This pursuit will not follow their accustomed recipe of adrenalized action, but the high stakes remain. Will the mysterious slow burn of unfolding events finally level Arista's entire world or be fully extinguished, once and for all?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherri L. Dodd was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first story for sale, about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. Shortly thereafter, her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. Since that time, she has worked corporate, married, raised two sons, and now writes full-time creating atmospheric paranormal fiction. Her debut novel – Murder Under Redwood Moon – shot straight to #1 on Amazon, holding firm as a Best Seller in the Occult Supernatural genre.

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Fell in love with thebeautiful cover - stuck around for the fantastic dual-time historical fiction/Western!This is my first time reading a book by author John Willingham and I hope itwon’t be the last.

The Last Woman is basedon the life of Frenchy McCormac. The story begins around the time of WWII,Frenchy is an old woman living in a ghost town and looking back on her life.She records her memories in a notebook starting in 1877 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,when she, Catherine McCain, was enrolled in a girl’s Catholic school. After aviolent encounter with a priest, she and a friend flee the state on a riverboatheaded north. Along the way, she learns to play faro and acquires the nickname,Frenchy. After a brief stint as a teacher in Arkansas, which also ends violently,she continues her journey with stints in St. Louis, Dodge City and finallyTascosa, Texas, the wildest Cowtown in the west. On her trail is the ReverendCampbell Harper who is hellbent on bringing her to justice, his own personaljustice.

During her travels,Frenchy befriends other women whose lives have set them adrift. And of course,she meets a rough and rowdy Irishman, Mick McCormac, who runs saloons andgambling dens, who woos her and together they set up business in Tascosa, whereshe spends the rest of her life, for many years, as the only resident of the town.

Willingham does anexcellent job of bringing these places to life, the sight, sounds and taste ofthe west. He fleshes the story with a great cast of characters. I reallyenjoyed learning about riverboat life along the Mississippi, and the dying daysof the ‘Wild West.’ Frenchy was a great character; smart, intrepid, kind,caring and a great friend. Her life was not easy, and she suffered abuse andviolence as many women did at that time.

I highly recommend TheLast Woman to readers who love historical fiction, a taste of the old West, andgreat stories in general.

I give this book 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐