P.L. Jonas's Blog

I haven't posted in quite sometime and that's because I've been writing and READING! Instead of creating an individual post for each of...

I've just re-released my beloved romantic time travel adventure with a new title, newly designed cover, and re-designed print book interior. If you haven't read the earlier version (Our Eternal Souls) the new eBook version will be ON SALE for the first time EVERYWHERE, starting Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 at ONLY $.99 for the eBook.

Book Description

A Powerful Love Spanning Many Lifetimes

For readers of Until the End of Time, Cloud Atlas, My Name is Memory, Time and Again, and A Stitch in Time

On pre-historic Earth, a utopian culture of hybrid aliens/humans live peaceful forever lives, until a global change will destroy their continent and everyone on it.

Xenia and Yonan, married for four hundred years, are still deeply in love. They refuse to let that love die. Because their human DNA allows their souls to reincarnate, the couple uses alien technology and travels to future lifetimes, to ensure they meet and fall in love again.

As their doom looms closer, they fear they will not succeed.

Get the eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, and many others by clicking on this Link https://books2read.com/u/3Jq5AJ

For Print Book on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP32JMQD

I really enjoyed Amy Craig’s latest book, Starlight Motel. Her protagonist, Kada is a strong independent woman who takes on family responsibility even though it waylays her personal goals. This decision causes a lot of stress for her, especially when she meets a potential “man of her dreams.” Dane rides in on horseback and he seems to want to stick around. Kada faces the “Should I stay, or should I go” syndrome. I love the banter between them and the other colorful characters who make up the cast of this warm and funny (and steamy) romance set in the desert outside of Palm Springs.

In Starlight Motel, Amy Craig tells a fresh story of love, family, and conflicting ideals between Kada, the strong and independent motel manager, and the commercial farmer, Dane. Intense sparks fly in this contemporary love story that is filled with a delightful cast of characters to keep you entertained.

Heat Level: **

Release Date: August 26, 2024

Buy on Amazon

Whirlwind: The WWII Adventures of MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen by Karen Brees is filled with intrigue, adventure, and a bit of the cozy mystery element which explores the plot of Hitler's attempt to steal valuable artworks from Britain during WWII.

The story follows coolheaded MI6 agent (spy), Katrin Nissen, as she and her husband John pursue leads via the direction of Winston Churchill.

Brees’s intelligent narrative, peppered with humor, delivers an engaging story through multiple viewpoints and locations.

I have not read the first two books, yet. However, I found this third installment a satisfying standalone.

I highly recommend this book.

Now available on Amazon

A funny lighthearted and steamy romance

Another laugh-out-loud RomCom from Maggie Preston, Book 1 of her Hearts of Louisiana Series. I love how she writes humor and the opening page had me in stitches. It's also a great second-chance romance too. Wonderful characters and an intriguing storyline in a small-town setting. This is the second book in this series I've read.

Available in ebook

Paperback

Check Out my Review of Book 3, Love and Misfortune go Here

A funny lighthearted and steamy romance

Another laugh-out-loud RomCom from Maggie Preston, Book 1 of her Hearts of Louisiana Series. I love how she writes humor and the opening page had me in stitches. It's also a great second-chance romance too. Wonderful characters and an intriguing storyline in a small-town setting. This is the second book in this series I've read.

Available in ebook

Paperback

Check Out my Review of Book 3, Love and Misfortune go Here

This book would not let me put it down. I had recently seen the 2023 Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer. So, when I read Tangles I quickly realized it came as a timely addition to this piece of American history showing the other side of the creation and production of the atomic bomb which affected innocent employees and their families on the U.S. home front.

I became very engrossed in the plot reminiscent of the films The Summer of ‘42 and Erin Brockovich.  Smith-Blum’s writing style placed me in both timelines.

A fast-paced read, I admit in the beginning I was confused by the two different timelines, but once I caught on, everything fit together nicely. The reverse May-December love story pulled on my heartstrings and I cared about the characters and all they went through. I try to avoid stories with spousal abuse, but those chapters were handled well without needing too much detail, which I appreciated.

Overall, it was a thoroughly engaging read about a part of history I didn’t know about.

Available on Pre-Order on Barnes & Noble and soon on Amazon

As I prepare for the release of my newest novel, Sea of Doubt, Book 2 of The Roth Saga, I step back to look at the process and what inspired some of the writing of this book.

Why Did I choose the California Coast and San Francisco Area as the setting for this book?

I lived in California during the late 70s to early 90s, in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. My time in the Bay Area impressed me the most. I loved the weather, the cool winds, and the fog. The city is diverse with a colorful and exciting collaboration of cultures, the trolleys, and Fisherman’s Wharf.

On a Spring Break during my college days, I visited a cozy little town south of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay. It was delightful and impacted me to the point I’d never forgotten it. It was the inspiration for the fictional town of Starlight Bay in my book. I lived in the East Bay south of Oakland and visited San Francisco more times than I can count in my lifetime. It is one of my favorite cities in the world that I’ve traveled. It was fun for me to write scenes in the city and surrounding areas.

My writing is influenced by places I’ve either lived or visited. Just like in the first book of the series, Hall of Deception, my travels to Plymouth, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard inspired me.

Researching for my book:

Research and studying history has always been a hobby. When I started writing historical fiction, I had the skillset built in. I grew up in the 50s and 60s. The era is a part of my past.

For Sea of Doubt, which takes place in 1960, researching the locales spurred my imagination. I learned of many local icons that no longer exist, such as Skateland and golf clubs. Creating a scene in the past that is realistic and pulls my readers into the story is very important to me.

“P.L. Jonas uses every line of description and dialogue to set the scene in Sea of Doubt. Details like saddle-shoes and the Twist combine with language—the slang and the manner of speaking—to evoke the 1960s.”

– S. M. Stevens, award-winning author of Beautiful and Terrible Things

When a review comments on that aspect of my writing, I know I've succeeded.

I am excited to share this next chapter of the Roth Family, Hugh, Dee, and Ellen and hope you check it out and enjoy the journey.

Pre-Order Sea of Doubt

A Story that Will Hold Your Attention to the Very Last Page

Lycette’s second book, The Committee Will Kill You Now, a prequel to The Algorithm Will See You Now, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading last year, took me on another surprising and at times shocking tale based on fact.

There are three main stories: Noah the main character, an intern in 1992, discovers his late father’s involvement in a committee set up in the 1960s that made life-and-death decisions for patients; The second story that drives the reader to turn the pages as quickly as possible, is Noah’s anxiety over a mistake and his fear of being fired; and another story of how the sudden death of a co-worker has affected him and the rest of the medical team.

Various themes are addressed, medical ethics, coverups, survivor guilt, and the struggles of women doctors in a male-dominated field. Not to mention a budding romance and a surprise ending!

Lycette skillfully creates a believable medical world and complex characters that will hold your attention to the very last page. I highly recommend this book.

Available Now! Get Book

Other books by J. L. Lycetter reviewed on this blog: The Algorithm Will See You Now

Another on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspenseful drama by Cam Torrens. SCORCHED is a complex and intriguing murder mystery/art heist set amid a dangerous forest fire in the Search & Rescue theme of this Tyler Zahn series.

Torrens has proven once again to masterfully write an emotionally charged page-turning story with compelling characters. I love the main character, Tyler, as he struggles with his demons and self-doubt, yet charges ahead to always do the right thing. A true hero.

I highly recommend this book and the series. But hold on to your hat … there’s more of Tyler Zahn yet to come. I can hardly wait!

Pre-Order Here

Publication Date: August 29, 2024

Other Books in this Series reviewed in this Blog: Bk. 1, Stable; Bk. 2 False Summit