Book Spotlight - Scavenger Hunt: A Novel by Chad Boudreaux + Giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SCAVENGER HUNT by Chad Boudreaux Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: SCAVENGER HUNT

Author: Chad Boudreaux

Pub. Date: January 31, 2023

Publisher: Morgan James Fiction

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 296

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/SCAVENGER-HUNT 

Blake Hudson just wants to serve his country well as a lawyer for the United States Justice Department—but when an unknown threat begins plotting his downfall, he must find who is setting him up before it costs him his life.

Scavenger Hunt is a suspense novel chronicling the plight of Blake Hudson, a Justice Department lawyer assigned to a clandestine counterterrorist group created to bypass onerous legal requirements. After the group mysteriously disbands, Hudson becomes the scapegoat and is transformed from hunter to hunted. As he searches for answers and attempts to piece the puzzle together, people are following him, trying to kill him. 

Written for fans of fast-paced thrillers, dry humor, political gamesmanship, and Clue-like twists and turns, Scavenger Hunt carves out a distinct niche best described as a hybrid of the Robert Ludlum classics and works by Brad Meltzer. Blake Hudson’s story addresses issues that have shaped recent elections and continue to frustrate interest groups and government leaders, while featuring the inner workings of the U.S. Department of Justice Building—arguably the most important and misunderstood agency in the federal government. Author Chad Boudreaux’s unique voice and page-turning storytelling packs a plot-driven punch that readers won’t be able to put down. 

About Chad Boudreaux:

Chad Boudreaux has a broad range of government, legal and corporate experience. Prior to serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he advised Secretary Michael Chertoff on almost all significant matters facing the newly established Department.

Before working for Homeland Security, Boudreaux served in several high-ranking positions at the U.S. Justice Department, where he was hired the night before the September 11, 2001 attacks. During his time at the Justice Department, Boudreaux focused most of his time on matters relating to terrorism and homeland security.

His career in the government lead him to write his debut novel, Scavenger Hunt, coming out January 2023.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of SCAVENGER HUNT, US Only.

Ends February 14th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/16/2023	Mythical Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/17/2023	Sadie's Spotlight	Excerpt/IG Post
1/18/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
1/19/2023	Pick a good book	Excerpt/IG Post
1/20/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
1/21/2023	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt

Week Two:

1/22/2023	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
1/23/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/24/2023	Fire and Ice	Review
1/25/2023	@reacing.late.into.the.night	Review/IG Post
1/26/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
1/27/2023	Books and Zebras	IG Review
1/28/2023	the book near me	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

1/29/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
1/30/2023	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
1/31/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
2/1/2023	@carlysunshinebooks	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
2/2/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
2/3/2023	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post
2/4/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review

Week Four:

2/5/2023	bookmama85	IG Review
2/6/2023	Brandi Danielle Davis	IG Review/TikTok Post
2/7/2023	@amysbookshelf82	IG Review
2/8/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/9/2023	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
2/10/2023	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review

Book Spotlight - The Sacred Meaning of Everyday Work by Robert H. Tribken + Giveaway

About The Book:

Title: THE SACRED MEANING OF EVERYDAY WORK

Author: Robert H Tribken

Pub. Date: January 31, 2023

Publisher: Faith and Enterprise Press

Formats: Paperback

Pages: 272

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon 

(An earlier version was published in 2021as Sacred Rhythm: A Christian Spirituality for Our 21st Century Work Lives by Robert Tribken.)

It’s time to engage problems and opportunities with a new sense of purpose.

Work can sometimes feel like a pressure cooker, with painful levels of stress, interpersonal conflict, and the risk of burnout. We can lose track of our goals and maybe even feel as though our work is pointless and going nowhere.

Developing a deeper sense of purpose will help us overcome these problems and perhaps even flourish in our work lives.

Many of us have a deep, intuitive desire to connect with something deeper than ourselves; for many, this means a deeper awareness of God and the divine mystery as we go through the week. And we have a closely related desire to contribute to the greater good and the well-being of other people through our work.

These powerful desires can profoundly affect our work lives if we let them guide us to our deeper purpose.

The Sacred Meaning of Everyday Work will help you find this new sense of purpose and deal with your challenges and opportunities with wisdom, strength, and courage.

The author offers practical insights from multiple sources, including the Bible, contemporary research, and experience in business. He invites you to consider these in light of your own faith or spirituality and your own work experience.

This book will help you:

• Find deeper purpose and meaning in your work and see its spiritual connection.
• Cultivate the character strengths like courage, integrity, and compassion you need to lead in a time of uncertainty.
• Overcome work-related problems like stress, burnout, and interpersonal conflict.
• Adopt short spiritual practices that help you relax, turn your attention toward God, and focus on the work at hand with new energy.
• Understand how your work contributes to the greater good and the well-being of other people.
• See how the values you bring to your work can encourage the teamwork essential for success.
• Learn what the Bible actually says about your work’s positive value and its contribution to human flourishing.

Your work is important for yourself, your family, your coworkers, and society as a whole. Finding its sacred meaning will help you work with a new sense of purpose.

 

About Robert H Tribken:

Rob Tribken has been in business for over four decades and is the founder of several businesses. Along the way, he has had to deal with many of the most difficult issues people face in their work lives. 

Over the years, Tribken became interested in the connection between faith, spirituality, and work. Several decades spent working in business combined with several years studying theology and becoming acquainted with organized Christianity convinced him that there is a great need to find better ways for churches to minister to people in the vocational aspects of their lives. He launched the Center for Faith and Enterprise to meet this need and help people experience a new sense of purpose, fulfillment, and effectiveness in their work lives. 

Tribken’s educational background helps him explore the connections between faith, spirituality, and work. He earned an MBA from The Harvard Business School and an MA in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Tribken is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Faith, Work, Economics, and Vocation at Fuller. He has also spent considerable time researching positive organizational psychology and has incorporated findings in his writings. 

Tribken has led retreats, taught classes, led groups engaged in contemplative practices, and spoken on the subjects of spiritual practices, connecting faith and work, business as a calling, and the role of business in ending poverty. In addition to his work with the CFE, he has been involved with several other non-profit organizations dealing with the connection between faith and work. In past years, he has served as a volunteer Chairman of the Board of Partners Worldwide, a board member of the Max DePree Center for Leadership, and an advisor to entrepreneurs. 

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE SACRED MEANING OF EVERYDAY WORK, US Only.

Ends February 18th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/30/2023	Mythical Books	Guest Post/IG Post
1/31/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Guest Post/IG Post
2/1/2023	The Momma Spot	Guest Post
2/2/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
2/3/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Spotlight/IG Post
2/4/2023	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt

Week Two:

2/5/2023	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
2/6/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/7/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
2/8/2023	@carlysunshinebooks	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
2/9/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
2/10/2023	Fire and Ice	Review/IG Post
2/11/2023	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Three:

2/12/2023	the book near me	Review/IG Post
2/13/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post

Book Review - Gauntlet (Arena, #2) by Holly Jennings

 

 

There is a secretive new virtual reality game that promises to challenge gamers. The game will not only bring together the best players but, it promises unimaginable fame and wealth. The new virtual game learns and adapts each time the gamer makes a move and it pushes the gamers to their limits.

Kali Ling is the first female captain and the younger team owner. She is used to defying the odds and taking on challenges head on. As the competition progress, Kali finds her confidence and determination wavering especially, faced with scandals and pressure from the media and her sponsors.  Kali finds that if she and her teammates are to survive the game, they will need to put everything on the line.

This book is the second book in the series but, it could be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the first book in the series but, didn't really care so much for this book. I felt that the plot kind of dragged in some points and then was rushed in other place while, most of the action happened towards the end of the book. I thought there was going to be another book to continue on the series with how the book ended but, it seems that the series is completed. I felt that the book had too much going with too many plots and too much filler especially, with Kali's lack of ability to manage her responsibilities, and not enough action.

Book Spotlight - City of the Dead (City Spies Book 4) by James Ponti + Giveaway

About The Book:

Title: CITY SPIES: CITY OF THE DEAD

Author: James Ponti

Pub. Date: February 7, 2023

Publisher: Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/CITY-SPIES-CITY-OF-THE-DEAD 

In this fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls.

Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series of cyberattacks hits key locations in London while the spies are testing security for the British Museum, it’s clear that Kat’s skill for finding reason in what seems like randomness makes her the perfect candidate to lead the job.

And while the team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt and the ancient City of the Dead to discover who is behind the attacks and why, Kat soon realizes that there’s another layer to the mystery.

With more players, more clues, and involving higher levels of British Intelligence than ever before, this mission is one of the most complex that the group has faced to date. And it’s also going to bring about a change to the City Spies…

 

Grab the rest of the CITY SPIES BOOKS now!

 

Book Trailer:

About James:

JAMES PONTI (he/him/his) is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy– nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway Details:

1 lucky winner will receive a finished copy of CITY OF THE DEAD, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One: 

1/23/2023	Mythical Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/23/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
1/24/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt
1/24/2023	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/25/2023	Log Cabin Library	Excerpt
1/25/2023	Kim"s Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
1/26/2023	Blog Write. Read. Live	Excerpt/IG Post
1/26/2023	Lifestyle of Me	Review
1/27/2023	YA Book Nerd	Review/IG Post
1/27/2023	onemused	IG Post

 

Week Two:

1/30/2023	Nerdophiles	Review
1/30/2023	Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog	Review/IG Post
1/31/2023	Wanderingwitchreads	TikTok Review/IG Post
1/31/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
2/1/2023	@ChristenKrumm	IG Review
2/1/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/2/2023	Book-Keeping	Review/IG Post
2/2/2023	@bookmama85	IG Review
2/3/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
2/3/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review

 

Monday, February 7, 2023 at 6:00pm CT

Virtual launch event hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)

In conversation with Kelly Yang (author of NEW FROM HERE and FINALLY SEEN)

 

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 7:00pm ET

In-person event hosted by Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA)

In conversation with Laurel Snyder (author of ORPHAN ISLAND and CHARLIE & MOUSE)

 

Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 6:00pm ET

In-person event hosted by Malaprop’s (Asheville, NC)

In conversation with Alan Gratz (author of REFUGEE, GROUND ZERO, and TWO DEGREES)

 

Friday, February 10, 2023 at 5:00pm ET

In-person event hosted by RJ Julia Booksellers (Madison, CT)

In conversation with Lauren Tarshis (author of the I SURVIVED series)

 

Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 3:00pm ET

In-person event hosted by Books of Wonder (New York, NY)

In conversation with Sayantani DasGupta (author of THE FIRE QUEEN series), Chris Grabenstein (author of DOG SQUAD and THE SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE), and Karina Yan Glaser (author of THE VANDERBEEKERS series)

 

Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 2:00pm CT

In-person event at St. Louis Public Library hosted by The Novel Neighbor (St. Louis, MO)

In conversation with George Jreije (author of SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA)

 

Monday, February 13, 2023 at 7:00pm CT

In-person event hosted by Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers (Minneapolis, MN)

In conversation with Jacqueline West (author of THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE and LONG LOST)

 

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 5:30pm ET

In-person event hosted by Quail Ridge Books (Raleigh, NC)

In conversation with Kwame Mbalia (author of the TRISTAN STRONG series)

 

Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 10:30am ET

In-person event hosted by Politics & Prose (Washington, D.C.)

 

Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 2:00pm ET

In-person event hosted by The International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.)

 

Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 2:00pm ET

In-person event hosted at Lake Highland Prep School hosted by Writer’s Block Bookstore (Orlando, FL)

In conversation with Jerry Craft (author of NEW KID and CLASS ACT)

Book Review - Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection by Jennifer Wright

 

Madame Restell was an ambitious immigrant who built her business from scratch. She was a self taught surgeon that had profitable boarding house business. Restell provided a safe haven to women who were seeking abortions and medical refuge to women of all backgrounds. As her business grew, her notoriety grew in the tabloids. Instead of avoiding the media attention, Restell was outspoken about her business and flaunted her wealth and power.

The book describes in detail, Restell's meteoric raise to fame and her downfall. I thought the book was an interesting read about the lengths women had to go to for basic reproductive care. However, there was a lot in the book that was filler and I felt that some details about Restell's life and her family was still shrouded in mystery. I usually don't read non-fiction books but, I found this one to be interesting and still unfortunately, relevant in today's times. 

Book Review - Pieces of Her (Andrea Oliver, #1) by Karin Slaughter

 

Andrea thought she knew everything about her mother, Laura. They have spent their entire life in a small beach side town and Laura prefers a quiet life. All that changes when they get caught in between a mall shooting. Andrea sees a different side to her mother. As Andrea digs deeper into her mother's past, she realizes that her mother had a different identity and Laura is hiding from someone. With the mall shooting becoming national news, Laura has no choice but to try and escape her past again. Will Laura be able to keep her secret without endangering Andrea's life?

The novel was an interesting read. However, I thought the main character was so annoying. She acts like a child but, she was in her 30s. I felt like she had no common sense and continuously made the same mistakes over and over. I enjoyed reading about Laura's past and how it all tied together. But, I was a bit confused on how Laura went from someone who was like Andrea to someone who was willing to risk it all for someone she loves while her daughter still remains spineless. They did mention that Laura had training and did drills but, in the flashbacks they didn't make her out to be a badass that she currently is. The book didn't really have much twists and I felt that it was longer than it needed to be.