My Father and My Uncles by Jim Hodge

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

From the building of the Ledo Road into China, to the battlefields of Guadalcanal, New Guinea, the Philippines and the air and ground war on continental Europe, the author's father and uncles relate their World War II timelines and experiences.
Through interviews and correspondence with each of these six men before their passings, the pattern of young men being transitioned from the Depression into a war time footing is not only a precious family history, but a chronology that reflects on all those who served in those years. In total, these young men were spread out across six of the earth's seven continents. Included is a recently discovered hand written journal of one of the men's bombing missions over eastern Europe.
Praise God that they each came home to create the extended family that the author has been privileged to be part of.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—History
Pages/Word count: 217 / 22,427

College Finances for Military Families by Kate Horrell

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

College Funding for Military Families is a simple yet comprehensive guide designed to help service members, veterans, and their families make smart, informed decisions about paying for higher education. With clear explanations and practical information, this book walks readers through the entire planning process―from understanding the education benefits earned through military service to learning how to coordinate those resources with other forms of financial aid. When you're done reading, you'll have a clear view of how to build a college financial plan that supports the education goals of the entire family.

Whether you're navigating your first duty station or left the service years ago, this guide demystifies the complex landscape of military education benefits. It provides straightforward information about the most widely used programs, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, Tuition Assistance, and the Yellow Ribbon Program. It also breaks down how and when to transfer GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child, what happens when eligibility changes, and how to ensure that those benefits are used efficiently and strategically. In addition to federal programs, College Funding for Military Families shines a light on state-level programs for military dependents, outside scholarships, and the implications of military life on in-state tuition.

Military families will see how to layer military-connected education benefits with civilian financial tools such as 529 college savings plans, federal student aid (including the FAFSA and Pell Grant), and private scholarships and grants. You'll learn how prioritize all these resources to build a strategic college funding plan that stretches resources for multiple children or degrees. This guide also addresses the realities of military life that affect educational planning―frequent moves, deployment cycles, unpredictable orders, and the transition to civilian life. You'll find tips on how to maintain eligibility through these challenges, how to choose flexible or military-friendly schools, and how to spot red flags in schools that aggressively market to military families.

Written by a financial educator with deep expertise in both college funding strategies and military benefit systems, this book is packed with real-life examples, timelines, and plain-English explanations that help military households avoid costly mistakes. It's not a textbook―it's a practical resource you can refer to again and again as your family's education needs evolve.

Whether your goal is a four-year university, a trade school, a graduate degree, or professional certification, College Funding for Military Families will help you unlock the full value of your benefits and build a cost-effective plan that works for your family. It's a must-read for any military household thinking about higher education―whether you're planning years in advance or scrambling to meet next semester's deadlines.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business
Pages/Word count: 100 / 24,595

The Enigmatical Sphere of El Chupa-Ku by Juan Manuel Perez

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Bilingual Edition
Just when you thought it was safe to liberate beautiful and natural haiku into the eloquent abode of nature, only to be violently attacked by a horrid, supernatural hybrid called el chupa-ku. Combining the simple, American haiku form with the legend and lore of el chupacabras, this unassuming, little book of short poems packs a swift kick to the literary pants in two languages: English and Spanish. Truly, this book can only be enjoyed in the dim-lit hours of the night with a bottle of mescal. ¡Orale!

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Pages/Word count: 114 / 2,426

Codename: Parsifal by Martin Roy Hill

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis


The Spear of Destiny. The Roman Legionnaire's lance that pierced Christ's body as he hung on the cross.

Legend claims whomever possesses it will become a great conqueror. But if they lose it, they will lose everything—including their lives.

Shortly before WWII, Hitler stole the spear from a museum in Vienna. In the last weeks of the European war, he lost it. General George Patton orders an American OSS team to find the spear and recover it. Unknown to the Americans, both the Russians and the Germans have also sent commando teams to retrieve it.

In the dying embers of Europe's largest conflagration, the three teams are on a collision course that will lead them to one of the most evil places on earth—the ideological heart of the Nazi SS.

Inspired by historical events.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 296 / 56,400

Crazyhorse: Flying Apache Attack Helicopters with the 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq, 2006–2007 by Daniel M McClinton

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

This book describes aerial combat at the controls of the fearsome AH-64 Apache attack helicopter during the Operation Iraqi Freedom “Surge.”

This memoir reveals, for the first time, many stories of selfless service, courage, and sacrifice that will be compelling to all readers. At the same time, it also illustrates the absurdities that are involved with living in a massive bureaucracy like the US military. Also included are many original color photographs taken by the author in the combat zone.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 303 / 96,210

Forged in Fire: Grief, Purpose, and Devotion of a Woman at War by Robert L. Gangwere

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Most American women of the 1940s did not attend college, learn to fly a plane, drive a 2 1/2 ton truck or a Sherman tank; or serve in war zones, but Blanche Barnes did before the age of 28.

"Forged in Fire" is a coming-of-age tale of a sheltered midwestern woman who, after suffering a sudden, heart-breaking loss, found something larger than herself that ultimately provided her a new purpose for her shattered life. The vehicle for this transformation was the American Red Cross's new and innovative overseas clubmobile program.

As a "clubmobile girl," Blanche served on multiple 8th Air Force air bases outside of Kettering, England, including Molesworth Airfield, the home of the famous 303rd Bombardment Group or "Hell's Angels," then she served on the continent at the Cigarette Camps located outside of Le Havre, France, and finally in war-torn Germany. Along the way she crossed paths with such notables as Medal of Honor winner Col. John "Killer" Kane, journalist Ernie Pyle, and U.S. generals George S. Patton, Jr., Omar N. Bradley, and Leonard T. Gerow, as well as movie actress Marlene Dietrich and the members of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. She also witnessed first-hand the destruction and tragedy of world war.

Forged in Fire expertly weaves Blanche's story in with the history of the clubmobile program, and how it raised the morale of America's fighting men. The backbone of the program was a cadre of well-educated, independent, and resolute women (such as Blanche) who served up coffee, doughnuts, and hope for the future to hundreds of thousands of war-weary, exhausted American GIs.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—History
Pages/Word count: 278 / 82,217

The Whispers of War by Sarah L. Peachey

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

An anti-war military child who longs for freedom. A career-Army father who can’t imagine being anything else. A long war bound to change them.

Fourteen-year-old Annaliese Pechman has always been a military child, but no one knows how she resents the frequent relocation or the long separations from her beloved father. After moving to Fort Drum, New York, she purchases a leather-bound journal to record her hopes and dreams under the watchful eye of her idol, Emily Dickinson. But Anna’s life changes on September 11, 2001, rinsing away her naivete and exposing the world’s harsh realities.

Anna’s father, Robert, deploys in October 2001 as part of the first conventional forces in Afghanistan, while Anna struggles to find her place in the constant change. But one thing rises above the noise: Anna’s disapproval of war and her father’s role in it. Two months before Robert deploys yet again, Anna basks in the success of her first anti-war protest, but Robert disapproves for reasons Anna can’t understand. When Robert suffers a grave injury, Anna places her future on hold, but more than physical recovery is at stake. Anna must decide whether family bonds are enough to heal the wounds of war, or if it’s time to walk away alone.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Pages/Word count: 274 / 103,000

Heroes, Holidays, and Hope (Vol.. 3) by Dania Voss, Megan Michelle, Laura M. Baird, Sharon Wray, D.C. Stone

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Sacrifice. Valor. Patriotism.

They fought courageously on the battlefield. Now they’re fighting for love.

We are a group of Veterans and Veterans' family members who are also bestselling and award-winning romance authors. We put our group together to publish a yearly limited edition, military romance collection set around various holidays. Each volume supports a military and veteran related charity.

We’re excited to bring you our third collection, which supports Wounded Warrior Project, whose mission is to empower wounded service personnel through programs and services such as long-term rehabilitative care, mental health care, and career counseling.

"Peace does not come just because we wish for it. Peace must be fought for." Lyndon Johnson, 1966. And so it is on Memorial Day that we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedom.

These stories embody sacrifice and resilience, passion and love, and the enduring human spirit. Enjoy these military romances of various tropes set around the Memorial Day holiday.

This “must have” collection is only available for 6 months after launch day, then it’s gone for good as we prepare for Volume 4!

Participating authors include Dania Voss, Laura M. Baird, D.C. Stone, Megan Michelle, and Sharon Wray.

Find us online and get all the details about the Heroes, Holidays, and Hope Project!

Website – https://www.heroesholidaysandhope.com
Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/hhhsupportersgroup
Merch store – https://bit.ly/HHHmerch
Wounded Warrior Project® – https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Romance
Pages/Word count: 681 / 156,400

Disgracefully Easy: A B-24 Pilot's Letters Home by William Hanchett with Thomas F. Hanchett

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Long before William “Bill” Hanchett became a professor of history and a notable expert on Abraham Lincoln, he was a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. While telling a unique story of the Army Air Forces, Disgracefully Easy: A B-24 Pilot’s Letters Home is a book of correspondence which highlights Hanchett’s early writing, powers of observation and growing historical perspective. In addition to vivid first-person descriptions of flying, Hanchett’s letters and postal cards discuss the difficulties of a once wealthy family struggling to recover from the Great Depression.

From living as a recruit in a luxury beachfront hotel converted into barracks by the Army, to taking courses at a civilian college as an aviation student, to “bombing” the San Diego Naval Base in his future beloved home town, Bill Hanchett takes his family with him from basic training through advanced flying school where he hoped to be a hotshot fighter pilot, “dancing around the sky.” Instead, much to his chagrin, he was assigned as an instructor-pilot, teaching cadets from the rear seat of a BT-13 Valiant training airplane. He began to enjoy being an instructor, but as the war progressed and the flying school closed, Lieutenant Hanchett transitioned to become a four-engine bomber pilot in the fall of 1944, as the presidential election was well underway. Clearly expressed in his correspondence were Bill’s strong opinions about the divisive politics of that time, which usually conflicted with his father’s outlook.

Ultimately, in early 1945 Bill became responsible for training a bomber crew in the Nevada desert for an overseas assignment which never materialized because the war ended. While training his men hard, he became frustrated with what he viewed as pointless flying and concluded to his father that his service was “disgracefully easy” compared to others who saw combat. The chapter introductions and notes in Disgracefully Easy were prepared by Bill Hanchett’s son, Tom.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 308 / 94,928

Veteran Adventure Stories: Gregory Gadson by Stephanie Hennessy

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Greg's biggest dream was to play football, but life had bigger plans.

From cheering crowds to real-life battles, Greg found courage and endured challenges that tested his strength and spirit. His journey is filled with adventure, bravery, and surprises at every turn.

Inspired by the true story of Colonel Gregory D. Gadson, a U.S. Army veteran, athlete, and leader, this beautifully illustrated children's book shows how dreams can come true in ways we never could have imagined.

Perfect for classrooms, libraries, and families, Veteran Adventure Stories: Gregory Gadson inspires young readers to face obstacles with heart, hope, and perseverance.

Part of the "Veteran Adventure Stories" series: real heroes, real adventures, and lessons that last a lifetime.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book
Pages/Word count: 32 / 915

Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage by Heather Sweeney

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage is about a woman’s journey from being overshadowed by her husband’s military career to rediscovering her identity as a single mother entering a new stage in life. The memoir explores how, like many military spouses, she camouflaged her identity, conforming to the expected role of the supportive wife who was secondary to her husband’s career as a Navy officer. But after she ended her thirteen-year marriage in her late thirties, she set out on a quest to figure out who she was as a woman without her husband, discovering that the hardships of military life—the forced independence, frequent loneliness, required adaptability, and fierce resilience—had trained her for life after divorce.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 294 / 79,000

The Vatican Deal by Michael Balter

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Danger, deception, and betrayal lurk at every turn in this gripping international crime thriller from the award-winning author of Chasing Money.

Marty Schott and Bo Bishop didn’t expect trouble on their business trip to Italy. They were headed to Naples to buy a sculpture foundry, then back to Rome to close a lucrative licensing deal with the Vatican. Flush with cash thanks to their alluring and enigmatic partner, Natalya, and her powerful Russian backer, the two friends were on top of the world.

Then the threats began.

Menaced and attacked, Marty and Bo quickly discover that the stakes are far higher than they imagined. The Naples Mafia wants the foundry for sinister reasons. The head of the Vatican Bank is playing a dangerous game. The Russian oligarch has his own hidden agenda. Everyone is keeping secrets and telling lies. Marty and Bo are ready to call it quits when a dangerous figure from their past appears in Rome. Then Natalya is kidnapped, and the stakes get personal. Now all bets are off.

Caught in a deadly crossfire between the Naples Mafia and the Russian Vory, can Marty and Bo uncover the truth about the Vatican deal, find a way to rescue Natalya, and escape with their lives and friendship intact?

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 302 / 80,000

Learning to Live from Those Willing to Die by David E. Grogan

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Learning to Live from Those Willing to Die helps readers navigate life's challenges using the lives of veterans to reveal important lessons about character and humanity. Each of the book's fourteen chapters begins with an interlude that discusses an important life lesson such as, "If you don't see a path, blaze a trail," or "Don't accept adversity, challenge it." The chapter then includes one or more veterans' life stories to illustrate the lesson. From manning the deck of an aircraft carrier during a Japanese kamikaze attack, to patrolling the jungles of Vietnam, to riding in an armored vehicle across the Iraqi desert, Learning to Live from Those Willing to Die portrays the gamut of wartime and peacetime service. 

The veterans' stories in Learning to Live from Those Willing to Die highlight the ordinary yet extraordinary lives of twenty-two men and four women. The stories feature combat and non-combat veterans who served in World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, the Iraq War, the Cold War, and America's peacetime military. Learning to Live from Those Willing to Die's unique approach to presenting the veterans' stories in the context of the life lessons they teach expands the book's audience beyond those interested in military history alone. Each chapter's life lesson offers a new lens through which the illustrative veterans' stories can be viewed and interpreted, making the book attractive and relevant to anyone seeking guidance in how to lead their life.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business/Self Help
Pages/Word count: 263 / 90,192

The Master Chief's Sea Stories: Volume II Duty Ashore and USS Comte De Grasse (DD 974) by Johnny J Moye

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

The Master Chief’s extraordinary journey continues as he spins his yarns from the second four years of his naval service. First, while becoming a renowned teletype technician, Moye delighted himself in the freedoms that shore duty afforded—further discovering himself both as a person and a sailor. Then, when thrust into an incredibly demanding leadership role aboard one of the world’s most formidable warships, he guided man and machine through what also became his crew’s most difficult duty. Head-on, together they met the mission.
The meek sailor we found in Volume I transformed into a true sailor’s sailor as he led his crew through extraordinary hardships found only at sea. With the mission always first, Moye also stereotypically enjoyed wine, women, and song in ports far from the hills of his childhood. All forging him into the confident sailor, communicator, and leader he became.
Based on his daily journal entries, Moye vividly recounts life-changing events as they unfold—telling a unique story rooted in lived experience. He captures his ongoing transformation, along with that of the sailors alongside him, in tales full of adventure, hardship, and sometimes incomprehensible moments.
Follow the Master Chief as he revisits some of his life’s most pivotal events, preparing him for future challenges—both professional and personal. Sail alongside through moments of euphoria and despair while navigating life’s tempests at sea. Truly, this is a story like no other.
Hold fast for these stories within are straight-up, no-shitters—as raw and real as they get.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 670 / 245,000

Along the Trail by Kaci Curtis

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

In 1847, Winnie and her family are traveling west to start a new life in the Oregon territory. While many in their wagon train fret over river crossings, disease, and encounters with Native tribes, she relishes the unexpected freedom of life on the trail.

Threatened by storms, wild animals, and outlaws, Winnie must rely on the bonds she s made and all she s learned in order for them to make it to Oregon alive. She also must decide if she is ready to risk forming an attachment to Hal, the cowhand who has a knack for showing up just when help is needed, or whether she will emulate Mae, the free-spirited daughter of their trail guide.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Children & Young Adult—Young Adult (fiction or non-fiction)
Pages/Word count: 320 / 81,971

Into The Mist by L.K. Aldrich

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

War demands men. But it's the women who love them who teach them what they're truly fighting for....

Into The Mist is a powerful, moving story that beautifully interweaves romance and war.

Thomas never imagined his small-town American childhood—filled with summer and the laughter of those who loved him—would lead him to the unforgiving mountains of Afghanistan. But war doesn't ask permission. It takes.

From the women who shaped him into the man he'd become, to the brothers-in-arms who became his family in the dust and blood, Thomas's story moves between two worlds: the tender sanctuary of memory and the brutal clarity of combat.

Into the Mist is an unflinching journey through loss and love, through the moments that break us and the ones that piece us back together. It's about learning that home isn't a place you return to—it's the people you carry with you, even when they're gone. It's about choosing joy when tomorrow may never come. It's about surviving not just the war outside, but the one within.

L.K. Aldrich crafts a deeply personal portrait of brotherhood forged in fire, of resilience born from devastation, and of the extraordinary courage it takes to keep your heart open when everything around you is closing in.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll close the final page forever changed.

Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks and contemporary fiction.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Romance
Pages/Word count: 408 / 127,494

Stronger Together by A.L. Zeine

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Chloe is used to moving—it’s part of being an Army brat. But this time, she actually feels at home. Her mom’s schedule is better, her best friend Ella is just down the street, and the Cul-de-sac Kids have welcomed her with open arms. Life is finally settling down.

But Chloe’s heart is still tugged in another direction—back to her old home, where her other best friend Mia feels left behind. When Ella’s dad is suddenly deployed, Chloe’s world shifts again. She wants to be the glue holding everyone together, but how do you stay strong for everyone else when you’re feeling overwhelmed yourself?

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Children & Young Adult—Middle Grade Chapter Book
Pages/Word count: 122 / 24,000

Invaders of the Heartland by James Bultema

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

A town on the brink. A police force outmatched. A chief with everything to lose.

After LAPD brass scrutinized his split-second decision in a deadly bank shootout, Detective Jake Dalton left the city behind for his hometown—Fairview, Oklahoma. But his return to small-town life is anything but quiet.

Taking over a struggling four-person police department, Jake believes he’s left big-city crime in the past—until the Chinese mafia moves in, turning Fairview into the hub of a ruthless billion-dollar marijuana empire
.
When Jake sounds the alarm, federal agents dismiss him, and local officials look the other way. Outgunned and outnumbered, he stands alone as the last line of defense against a brutal syndicate determined to seize total control. One wrong move could cost him everything.

Written by a retired LAPD officer, Invaders of the Heartland is a gritty, high-stakes police procedural brimming with real-world authenticity, crime, and conspiracy. The story may be fiction, but the crisis is very real.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 351 / 67,000

Arctic Red by James Bultema

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

The Arctic is no longer frozen—it's on fire, and Greenland is the target.

In the chilling aftermath of the Sea of Red series, the United States faces its most treacherous enemy yet: a resurgent Russia hell-bent on controlling the Arctic’s strategic frontier. As ice melts, tensions ignite.

Lieutenant Commander Jessie “Swagger” Hampton is back in the cockpit of his F-35, now flying combat missions over the world’s newest battlefield. His wife, Lieutenant Commander Sarah “Danger” Freeman, patrols the skies in her E-2D Hawkeye, the eyes of the fleet, tracking enemy fighters, detecting missile launches, and directing the kill chain as war erupts across the Arctic.

When Russian forces launch a surprise invasion of Greenland, the U.S. military scrambles to respond. From silent submarine warfare beneath the polar sea to high-altitude dogfights and boots-on-frozen-ground combat, Arctic Red delivers relentless action and razor-sharp realism.

The war for the Arctic has begun—and the cost of failure is global. From multi-award-winning author James Bultema.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 429 / 76,000

Target Kyiv by J. M. Taylor

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

FEBRUARY 2022: Intelligence reports prompt a call to Matt Ross, ex-U. S. Army nuclear expert and sniper, to deal with the nuclear threat not only to the Ukrainian military and civilians, but also to the International Atomic Energy team at Chernobyl and his new friends in the Ukrainian drone-flying, tank-busting Aerorozvidka outfit. Along the way Ross picks up Ulf, a brindle Dutch Shepherd bomb detection dog, and finds himself in the middle of the Russian invasion trying to remember how to down an attack helicopter with a Stinger missile, destroy a tank with an Ukrainian Skif anti-tank missile and prevent the spread of radioactive debris across Europe.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 261 / 83,808