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 wartime 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 handwritten 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—Memoir/Biography
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

Writing from the perspective of a Mexican American Marine veteran of indigenous descent, the poet uses haiku poems to breathe life into and resurrect the legend of the chupacabra. This is not a traditional, somber exploration of nature, but rather a dance between the terrifying and the hilarious.

The chupacabra, often translated from Spanish as "goat sucker," is a legendary creature rooted in Latin American folklore, known for allegedly attacking livestock and draining their blood. It’s described as a two-legged, alien-like animal about four feet tall with spikes along its back, large eyes, and a reptilian-kangaroo appearance.

The chupacabra emerges not as a one-dimensional folklore predator but as a transformational archetype—vampiric killer, misunderstood outcast, pop culture icon, and metaphor for primal drives. El chupacabra becomes an all-encompassing lens: horror icon, comedic antihero, mysterious unsubstantiated predator, and cultural symbol.

The poet blends traditional three-line 5-7-5 syllable haiku structure with irreverent humor—pairing Godzilla fights, Mars colonies, personal ads, and tequila-drunk dances while grounding the absurdity in South Texas landscapes of mesquite trees, full moons, gray hides, and drained livestock.

Far from mere monster mixtures, the poems weave folklore with satire, horror, and poignant melancholy. Lighthearted entries imagine chupacabras in absurd scenarios: writing memoirs, starring in TV shows, wrestling goats, or posting personal ads for fatalistic partners. Darker pieces evoke genuine dread—silent coops, twisted goat faces in morning dew, the gray beast stalking under moonlight—echoing real rural fears of loss and the unknown.

Sharp and witty wording, (“Chupa-Man is born," "chupacabra tipping”), absurd scenarios (chupacabra crawl dance, "Take Your Chupacabra to School Day," radioactive Chupa-Man origin) alternate with chilling vignettes (silent coops, waiting in woods for skeptics, "let your pets come out") and cultural fusion (Olmec nagual meets Cthulhu) create a playful make-believe universe. Wordplay abounds ("Chupa-Khan," "Luchacabrador," "chupacabristas"), and pop-culture crossovers (Godzilla battles, Jimmy Kimmel guests, personal ads seeking "like-minded sucker") keep the tone lively without diluting the horror.

Deeper currents emerge: themes of marginalization ("prejudiced hotel," extinction dismissed), hunger as impartial ("chupacabras do not care / for it is just food"), and imagination as defense ("the only proof between us / fear or not to fear"). The poet subtly critiques human monstrosity ("why worry about / terrible chupacabras / worry about man") while embracing the beast as a kindred spirit: wild, self-serving, unapologetic.

Humor dominates much of the sequence: absurd combinations (Giant Chupacabra vs. King Kong comparing B.O., Chupacabra Flats on Mars, "Married with Chupacabras" TV show) inject levity, while pop-culture nods (Jimmy Kimmel, Scary Monsters Magazine) make it gleefully contemporary. Self-referential humor ("I don't always write / poems about chupacabras / ...who am I kidding") acknowledges the mania, yet the collection never flags.

By reimagining the chupacabra through gallows humor and rhythmic brevity, the author invites us to look past the shadow in the mesquite woods and recognize the "code of life" that governs all survivors.

It is a masterful blend of regional folklore, veteran grit, and playful poeticism. The collection celebrates imagination as proof against skepticism, turning a regional legend into a mirror for human fears, hungers, and absurdities.

Ultimately, the poet argues that belief in monsters (chupacabras or otherwise) confronts deeper anxieties: "you believe in ghosts / I, in el chupacabras / which makes us less scared." A masterful blend of folklore, satire, dread, and cultural pride. Highly original and endlessly re-readable.

Review by Frank Taylor

 

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

As World War II draws to a close in a dirty, rubble-strewn, chaotic way, orders from both the Germans and Americans send teams to recapture an artifact that Hitler stole from a museum in Austria (the head of the spear that pierced Jesus during his crucifixion). Himmler wants this relic. Patton wants this relic. And late in the game Stalin wants it as well, because the spear is reputed to have mystical powers. Compounding the difficulty in finding the actual Holy Roman treasure is the fact that Himmler has made several copies for both himself and Hitler.

The tale evolves with twists and turns in this historical novel that can also be considered a thriller. There are bad actors, wild goose chases, strange orders from generals, and realistic scenes of the war in its last throes. The daring acts of the American team, composed of OSS operatives and a historian, will engage readers right up to the very last word.

Review by Betsy Beard

 

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

In 2007, the United States was embroiled in a war with Iraq. Dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), most of the U.S. only learned about this conflict by reading newspapers or watching the television news reports. However, many in the U.S. military were actually experiencing the events firsthand. In Crazyhorse: Flying Apache Attack Helicopters with the 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq, 2006 – 2007, author Daniel M. McClinton welcomes the reader into the world of an attack helicopter pilot during this conflict.

From the time of his deployment in 2006 through the surge in spring 2007 and finishing with his return home in the end of that year, McClinton paints a vivid picture of what life was like for a pilot in the midst of this war. Along with descriptions of actual combat missions, McClinton takes us into the mundane hours not spent flying missions. From filling out reports, to dealing with typical military bureaucracy, the author takes the reader into a world rarely experienced by others, including those in the military. The author has also supplied numerous personal color photographs of the helicopters and the Iraqi environment, enhancing the narrative of the book.

Especially of interest is the author's narrative of the death of two Reuters reporters and the wounding of two children on 12 July 2007. McClinton gives us not only his narrative of the events as they occurred, but also the reports from the inquiry into the reporters' deaths, along with the photographs that were included in the inquiry. As the author points out, most of the world only knew what was presented them by a press eager to spin their own biased narrative. The film, entitled Collateral Murder in Iraq by Wikileaks, paints a picture of warmongering pilots bent on murdering any Iraqi they could. However, as the author points out, and the video of the incident demonstrates, the enemy was well known to employ children as living bombs as well as human shields. Additionally, for reporters to embed themselves without any type of identification with enemy combatants and not expect potential harm is the height of hubris and arrogance.

Of additional interest is the author's in-depth depiction of military bureaucracy. With examples like "The Three Rules of Company Command or How to Get Ahead, without Really Doing Anything" (page 186) or "...field-grade officers who couldn't stand the thought of soldiers with nothing to do" (page 182), the inability of military command to grasp what life was really like for the soldiers in the field is well demonstrated to the amusement of the reader and the annoyance of the soldier.

One item of note is that this book is replete with army acronyms. While the author includes a glossary at the end of the book, the jargon used will slow down the reader who is not used to such language. This reviewer is a life-long civilian and was thoroughly encumbered by these terms. Having said that, the use of these terms is absolutely obligatory in any type of military essay. Despite this one potential concern, the book is well worth the read for an amazing look into what combat is really like for those valiant pilots fighting to protect the United States.

Review by Daniel E. Long
 

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

Forged in Fire: Grief, Purpose, and Devotion of a Woman at War is a well-researched and memorable story of a midwestern girl learning much about herself when serving in WWII for the American Red Cross. One of the most endearing aspects is that the book is written by Blanche Barnes’s son, Robert L. Gangwere. His was not a casual retelling of a story, but one crafted over years of important interviews, laughs, love, and tears, which comes through well in the narrative shared with readers.

Through Blanche’s words and Gangwere's historical research, the book explains what most would never know about the challenges facing the young women who volunteered to serve their country overseas, supporting the American Red Cross Clubmobile Department. With very little training, these young women were launched into wartime environments to raise morale. And they were happy to do their part! Blanche speaks of the defeats seen on the faces of airmen and soldiers, the horrifying aftermaths of bombed out countries, and her personal fear from both the enemy and the men she supported.

I highly recommend this book, especially for anyone who wants to learn more about this era. The author sheds great light and much deserved gratitude to those who volunteered to serve their country in whatever way they could during WWII.

Review by Valerie Ormond

 

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

Disgracefully Easy: A B-24 Pilot's Letters Home by William Hanchett, with Thomas F. Hanchett, is a thoroughly entertaining first-person account of one's experiences in becoming a U.S. Army Air Force pilot during World War II. This is a book not written from memory, years later, but is a primary firsthand account that is candid and observant, giving the reader exacting insight into pilot training during the war.

What makes the book especially effective is the author's feelings. For example, he discusses how he disliked flying after being berated by overly bellicose instructors. That immediacy gives the narrative its strength. In one passage, Hanchett says, “Man has not changed for the last thousand years … and that we must learn that peace will come only when we cease to think of good and right in terms of just over nations, ourselves.”

Disgracefully Easy is exceptionally well laid out. This structure makes the letters easy to follow with sharp, definitive chapter introductions written by Thomas Hanchett. For readers interested in World War II history, especially the Army Air Corps, this is a valuable and compelling book. There are no heroics from bombing missions over Europe; instead, it tells the story of a frustrated pilot who wanted just that but understood his mission to train new pilots so they could carry on the mission. Highly recommended.

Review by James Bultema

 

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

Stephanie Hennessy, an Army veteran, has written a series of illustrated Veteran Adventure Stories. This one features Gregory Gadson.

Gregory begins his adventure as a little kid with big dreams. He’s strong, he runs really fast, and he never gives up. All through school he plays football and hopes to someday play professional football. But when it comes time to go to college, the only place he is invited to play is West Point, the United States Army Academy. This means he will be a soldier when he graduates. He is sent to Iraq, which is where the unthinkable happens. He is injured in a bomb blast. Despite losing his legs, he still wants to play football and uses the things he learned as a young kid to keep going, never giving up and working hard.

Gadson is an exemplary role model for children. Due to the nature of the material and some of the words (defined in a glossary in the back) the book is suitable for the older range of picture book readers (8-9). It's a great book to be read together with a parent Pages in the back of the book explain things like convoys and prosthetic legs. There are also activities that can be used for additional discussions.

Review by Betsy Beard

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

This book begins with a red flag when Heather’s fiancé Tristin announces that he is going to join the military two months before their wedding. He didn’t ask her what she thought about it, and she put her own plans on hold to support him by being the perfect military wife. They did decide together on his first duty station in Pensacola, Florida.

Heather continued her education as Tristin settled into his career as a naval officer. They both adjusted to military life and decided to have a child. Six months after their son was born, Tristin deployed to Iraq. After Tristin returned, the marriage started going downhill. The family relocated to Japan and added a daughter. Before they moved to their next duty station in Virginia Beach, they started talking about divorce. Even though their marriage continued to deteriorate, they stayed together for another three years.

It was in Virginia that Heather began expanding her life beyond the role of wife and mother. She became a serious runner and started writing. Eventually, she found the strength to leave and restart her life as a single mother.

This is a good book to read to learn about life as a military spouse. Also, it can serve as a road map for anyone who needs inspiration to get out of a relationship that isn’t working and rebuild a fulfilling life for themselves and their family.

Review by Eva Nevarez St John

 

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

The Vatican Deal by Michael Balter grips you from the very first page and holds you tight all the way through to its climactic conclusion. It is the second installment in the Martin Schott and Bo Bishop thriller series, but the book stands on its own—it is not necessary to have read the series’s first book to thoroughly enjoy this fast-paced mafia thriller.

Marty and Bo are the two hands-on owners of Paladin, Inc., a company that makes its money by acquiring other promising companies and bringing them under its corporate umbrella. Paladin also has two Russian investors, the alluring Natalya and the wealthy oligarch Dmitry, who finance Paladin’s acquisitions. When Marty and Bo pursue their latest target, the Chiurazzi Foundry in Naples, the deal turns out to be anything but routine.

Soon after a member of Marty and Bo’s team is injured during a tour of the foundry, Marty suspects the proposed deal is more than it seems, especially given that the Vatican and its bank are behind the sale. When he is warned not to go forward with the deal, and Natalya is kidnapped by the Naples mafia, Marty and Bo realize they, too, are in the mafia’s sights. Piece by piece they put the puzzle together, suffering intrigue, double-crosses, and personal compromise.

The author’s familiarity with Italy, the ease with which he paints scenes, and his skillful crafting of dialogue breathe reality into every page of the story. Marty’s narration is believable and often introspective, giving us a window into his sometimes-flawed moral compass. We also get to see Bo and Natalya at their high and low points, helping bring their characters to life.

The Vatican Deal is everything a thriller should be: well-written, fast-paced, attention-grabbing, and believable with well-defined main characters. When you finish reading it, you will find yourself scrambling to see when the next book in the series is coming out.

Review by David E. Grogan

 

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

Stronger Together is the second in the Cul-De-Sac Kids series by A. L. Zeine. It deals with issues that are common to military kids and children of divorced parents. As a chapter book for those aged 8 to 12, it deals appropriately with the emotions of military deployment, moving to a new city, and sharing time between divorced parents. It also gives good guidance on how children can cope with the attendant emotions.

Chloe and her single mom, a doctor in the U. S. Army, have received orders for a permanent change of station. While Chloe is happy to be reunited with Ella, a friend from a previous duty station, she is sad to be leaving her current friends, particularly Mia. Her desire to be with Mia distresses Ella, compounded with the deployment of Ella’s dad. Chloe realizes that she needs help in reaching Ella and goes to her mom for advice. She decides to take that advice, despite her fear, and work with Ella through the emotional upheavals on multiple fronts. Ella is able to be open about her struggles and finds that her friends are there for her and that they are stronger together.

Review by Betsy Beard

 

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

Invaders of the Heartland by retired LAPD Detective James Bultema is a fast-paced, all-too-real police procedural mystery. From the first chapter, I became a fan of the main character, Jake Dalton.

Even though Jake saves a hostage and shoots a bad guy, political and personal retribution lead to a hearing for Jake after a shoot-out during a bank robbery in Los Angeles. Rather than take the humiliating demotion offered, Jake tenders his resignation and hands over his badge and weapon. He moves back to his hometown in Fairview, Oklahoma, with the intention of escaping politics and working in his family-owned garage.

When the current chief of police is involved in a scandal and is fired, Jake applies for and gets the job. His first task is to restore integrity to and revitalize the department. He hopes to restore community respect for the local police. One day, it comes to Jake’s attention that rural Fairview has been infiltrated by a Chinese-owned marijuana farming company. Outwardly, everything looks legal and above board, but Jake sees red flags.

With evil intentions to completely take over every business in town, the Chinese plan to launder their illicit money through each legitimate business. Jake documents and observes. When he has enough evidence, he goes to the federal authorities, who promptly dismiss him. Saving Fairview is now up to Jake Dalton and his small police department.

I was drawn to Invaders of the Heartland because of recent reports of Chinese-owned land and businesses currently in the United States. James Bultema has written a page-turner that has me wondering when we will wake up.

Review by Nancy Panko

 

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