Images of America Grand County by Penny Rafferty Hamilton, Ph.D.

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MWSA Review

Images of America: Grand County follows the format of the Images of America series, which uses historical photographs to present the history of a specific geographic area. The images in this book are high resolution and provide the reader with a literal picture of the past.

The author does an excellent job of describing each image and providing historical context. The pictures are organized chronologically and described in a way that gives the reader an understanding of how Grand County evolved. The wealth of historical facts woven throughout the book takes the reader back in time, allowing them to imagine what it was like to live in that time and place.

The book includes images and history related to the Native Americans who inhabited the area before the European settlers came in the mid-1800s. There are pictures of the initial homesteads and stories of the founding families who braved the challenging conditions in Colorado’s north-central Rocky Mountains to build the communities in Grand County. It shows the many engineering feats required to tame the Grand River, renamed the Colorado River, and to travel through the Rocky Mountains. Grand County became home to some of the first national parks and developed into a popular tourist destination with ski resorts, dude ranches, hunting, fishing, and even yachting.

I especially appreciated learning about the roles women played in Grand County history, including as homesteaders, teachers, a physician, a postmaster, and members of The Women’s Land Army.

This book is a great introduction to what sounds like a hidden gem located northwest of Denver. I definitely plan to check it out if I find myself in that neck of the woods.

Review by Eva Nevarez St John (January 2026)

 

Author's Synopsis

For thousands of years, Indigenous, nomadic tribes enjoyed natural hot springs and summer hunting. Spanish explorers, French fur trappers, and Mountain Men followed. In 1858, the gold rush brought rugged prospectors, creating towns named Coulter, Gaskill, Lulu City, and Teller.
Established in 1874, before Colorado became a state, Grand County is nestled in the north-central Rocky Mountains. Named for the Grand River (renamed the Colorado River), today Grand County encompasses 1,868 square miles, larger than Rhode Island. Homesteaders, loggers, merchants, and the Moffat Railroad built Arrow, Hideaway Park, Winter Park, Fraser, Tabernash, Granby, Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs, Parshall, Kremmling, and Radium. Today, tourists flock to Rocky Mountain National Park, Arapaho National Forest, and award-winning dude ranches and resorts, to enjoy some of the world's most beautiful lakes, mountain ranges, and abundant wildlife. Written in an easy-to-read pictorial format with over 200 curated photographs, for readers interested in true stories of Western grit and courage.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—History
Pages/Word count: 128 / 10,000

Welcome To The Jungle - A Sailor's Memoir of Service Aboard the USS Fresno (LST-1182) by H.J. Peterson II

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

A 17-year-old kid from Wyoming joins the Navy to earn money for college and ends up gaining an education he didn’t expect. Welcome To The Jungle is a no-holds-barred coming-of-age tale of how a boy became a man in the U.S. Navy. Follow the author from his decision to join the Navy through boot camp and out to the fleet aboard the USS Fresno (LST-1182) and his adventures in the Western Pacific, and finally into the Navy Reserves. Read the real-life stories of what the Navy was like for an enlisted kid in the late 80's and early 90's. This collection of stories, memories, and journal entries documents a boy's transition into manhood and beyond. If you've ever wondered what being in the Navy was REALLY like, this book holds the answers.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 600 / 284,230

Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran's Iliad by Josh Cannon

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MWSA Review

Mention The Iliad to people today, and the first thing that might come to mind to many is the 2004 movie Troy, while a few might say it was that boring book from high school. To Fatal Second Helen author and Marine veteran Josh Cannon, it was a way to square away many aspects of his service in Iraq during wartime by comparing and contrasting his experiences to the oldest war story and the oldest book in the history of Western Civilization.

Cannon, who served as an enlisted Arabic Cryptologic Linguist and deployed to Iraq twice (first with the invasion in 2003, and again in 2004), is eminently qualified to write this book. After his time with the Marines, he attended the University of Pittsburgh and then the University of Chicago, where he received his PhD, ultimately becoming the Director of Research, and an adjunct faculty member for the Classics Department and the Anthropology Department. He has also worked on numerous archaeological digs in Turkey, including ones that interacted with the location thought to be the site of Troy.

Despite the heady subject and academic credentials of the author, it is quite an enjoyable and very insightful read. The author deftly highlights how, at the level of the individual warrior, most of the physical, emotional, and psychological elements of war and its aftermath, can be found in The Iliad, including possibly the first documented “blue falcon” in the history of military service.

This fine book will be of interest to veterans, students of military history and ancient times, and anyone who is seeking to understand the effects of war on those who have served.

Review by Terry Lloyd (January 2026)

Author's Synopsis

In the tradition of Jonathan Shay’s 'Achilles in Vietnam' (1994), Josh Cannon’s 'Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad' brings to the audience a discussion of Homer’s Iliad that allows the ancient text to teach us about modern war. Cannon’s work differentiates itself from Shay’s by discussing the Iliad holistically. His book seeks to demystify the Iliad through connecting it to his military service via a presentation of his personal stories.

By sharing his story, Cannon’s book shares a new angle on an old tale. He makes the Iliad accessible to any audience and helps unearth a lesson that, despite being millennia old, still has much to teach us.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 178 / 50,000

Knowing My Father: The Collision of the OB Jennings and War Knight by Col. Joseph R. Tedeschi, US Army (Ret)

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Knowing My Father: The Collision of the O. B. Jennings and War Knight relates Joe's methodical search to know more about his long-lost father. In that search, Joe discovers the tragic story of the fiery collision of the US tanker O. B. Jennings and the British merchant ship War Knight during World War I as their convoy evaded German U-boats in the English Channel. A US Navy armed guard defending the O. B. Jennings, gunner's mate Michael Tedeschi was heroically rescued by the British Royal Navy escorts from the burning sea. Joe satisfies his search to know his father better and, at the same time, reveals and exposes one of the unfortunate naval disasters that occur in times of war. Knowing My Father serves as a companion to Joe Tedeschi's memoir, A Rock in the Clouds.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 128 / 28,160

Another Death at Antietam by Peter Adams Young

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

SEPTEMBER 1998

Compelling echoes of the Civil War resonate to the present day.

Five days before the 136th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American history, the body of a young man is found at the center of the Antietam National Cemetery. He is wearing the uniform of a Union Army private. Annie and Mike Davis are drawn into the leisurely official investigation into the mystery of the young man’s death, eventually encountering intertwined evidence of human trafficking, illegal arms smuggling, and a self-styled constitutional militia unit.

This is the second of the series of modern-day murder mysteries by award-winning author Peter Adams Young. The first of these, "Another Death at Gettysburg", is set in and around that historic battlefield.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 434 / 119,158

Lost in History by FE Taylor

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MWSA Review

F. E. Taylor waited 50 years to write about his Purple Heart experience in South Vietnam, claiming that it was his grandson’s playing soccer in Hanoi, Vietnam —he “played against the grandchildren of men I once faced in combat”—that inspired him. But his memoir, Lost in History, shows he’d been composing these pages in his mind his entire life.

Throughout his unexceptional childhood in the small-town American South, Taylor was a shrewd observer, inclined by nature to be skeptical of convention. He did well in school, graduating with a degree in forestry from Clemson University, married his high school sweetheart, and foresaw a professional career doing what he loved. Drafted into the Army and becoming a combat infantry soldier, he mentally recorded his military life as a radical departure from the civilian path he had imagined. The book was being written all along.

Placing that personal experience into the context of U.S. and world history, however, took years of reading and reflection as he returned to join a “generation of forest managers [who] achieved remarkable success, quadrupling the productivity of the southeastern forests in the U.S. … producing more timber than is harvested.” His depiction of specific events at home and overseas takes readers into his world, from finding himself in the Army’s melting pot of race, culture, and economic class to discovering the mix of peoples and pasts in Southeast Asia. The physical and psychological demands of war led him to discover his own bedrock beliefs.

Taylor concludes that American leaders at home—and some military leaders in the field—made errors in judgment that led to tragic human costs for his country and others. Taylor also connects some of those mistakes to disparities of status in America’s past that continue today. At the same time, he commends his fellow soldiers, “dust-off” helicopter pilots, medical staff, and Red Cross volunteers.

One of his most telling conclusions should not be “lost in history,” especially at this time of national debate: “As I’ve mentioned before, what makes America truly exceptional is not that we always get it right the first time, but that we have the capacity to reflect, learn, and rectify past mistakes, such as the legacy of slavery.”

He writes for his generation. I hope others will read.

Review by Michael Lund

 

Author's Synopsis

In the grand sweep of history, this memoir may seem as small and insignificant as an atom in a vast universe. Yet, for the combat infantryman whose story it tells, these experiences form a monumental part of his life. Unwittingly shaped into a warrior through the trials of childhood and adolescence, he is unexpectedly drafted into the Vietnam War, an event that changes his world forever.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 277 / 64,794

Soulless by Joseph Badal

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Soulless features Eddie Parnall and Tatiana Borodvic who were introduced in Joseph Badal's novel Justice, the third book in the Curtis Chronicles series. Parnall, a retired CIA agent, and Borodvic, a former Bulgarian Special Operator, join a high-octane cast of characters who starred in previous books in the Curtis Chronicles series. Joseph Badal introduces diabolical villains whom the reader will love to hate, while cheering on the good guys as they work to bring down evildoers. At a time when human trafficking has become a $150 billion-dollar annual business and a global catastrophe, SOULLESS offers a picture of the extent of this crime against humanity and puts the reader on a roller coaster ride of tension and suspense. The story is presented via well-drawn characters and dynamic dialogue that will entertain the most demanding thriller and mystery fans. Fans of Robert Ludlum, Robert Dugoni, and Brad Thor will love this story. Badal is a master at mystifying, misleading, surprising, and entertaining the reader.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 414 / 100,293

Beneath Texas Skies by Liz Beth Rose

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MWSA Review

Beneath Texas Skies introduces us to KC Gates, a young woman who bears the scars of her early years, when she experienced sexual abuse in her childhood home and she learned that no adult was going to rescue her. KC returns to her hometown, Singer, in West Texas, with a mission: to help children who may be experiencing abuse. She believes she can achieve this aspiration as a substitute teacher.

Always on edge and distrustful, she is ready to protect herself physically and emotionally. In her teaching role, she has ample opportunity to engage with students in many schools in Singer and neighboring towns. KC can recognize the behaviors abused children exhibit. She lived it. And she wants to be their safe space and the champion she never had.

Two local men suspected of committing child abuse are murdered. A deputy sheriff needs to solve the crimes, and as he digs into the murders, it seems KC—a woman he is beginning to love—may be involved. He knows her well enough to understand her distrust and defensiveness are rooted in the abuse she experienced. But though she maintains her innocence, evidence accumulates and points to the likelihood of her involvement in the murders. She lives under a cloud of suspicion.

Author Liz Beth Rose takes us behind the scenes for a glimpse of the psychological damage childhood abuse can cause throughout a victim’s life. It is told through the lens of a young, wary woman who wants to love, to trust, and to help other children. Some uneven prose is offset by realistic dialogue, the growing attraction between the deputy sheriff and KC, and an occasional sprinkling of humor. The author creates a believable small-town setting.

Filled with warmth and suspense, this romance/murder mystery keeps the reader fully engaged with twists, turns, and surprises. Does KC keep her heart closed? Does she learn to trust? Or is she a psychopath?

Review by Patricia Walkow

 

Author's Synopsis

In a town filled with memories, can love heal the wounds of the past and offer a second chance at forever?

Haunted by the scars of childhood betrayal, KC Gates had learned one painful truth—crying for help meant nothing if no one cared enough to listen. When she once sought refuge in a teacher’s kindness, her plea was ignored, shattering her heart all over again. Determined to be the voice she never had, she became a teacher herself, vowing to stand as a fierce protector for victims of abuse.

Returning to her hometown in rural West Texas, KC embraced life as a traveling substitute teacher, moving from one classroom to another. But when two locals—both suspected child abusers—were murdered, the town turned its gaze on her. As evidence mounted, every step she took felt like a tightrope walk between justice and condemnation. Even the one man who had broken through her walls—the only man she dared to trust—began to doubt her.

But as the case against her began to unravel, the town’s Deputy Sheriff found himself at a crossroads: follow the case or follow his heart. Working to unmask the real killer, he saw past her defenses, past her pain, to the woman beneath the suspicion. And when the truth pointed to a long-buried secret, KC faced the hardest choice of all—let the past keep her heart closed or risk everything for love.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Romance
Pages/Word count: 206 / 58,210

Recycled Hearts by Liz Beth Rose

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MWSA Review

Recycled Hearts by Liz Beth Rose is this author’s debut novel. Ellie Pierson books a Mediterranean cruise to Croatia with three of her closest friends, hoping to purge the sadness and guilt regarding her late husband’s death in a cycling accident. An avid and devoted long-distance cyclist, Ellie is on the bike in the gym on the first day at sea when she has a close encounter with a handsome man she saw boarding the ship the day before. Jonathan Hughes introduces himself, and from that point on, he and Ellie spend more time together. They fall in lust and then fall in love. Ellie’s girlfriends also find shipboard romances, and at times, the story reads like a Spring Break adventure.

Meanwhile, someone has plans to stalk and hurt Ellie because they think she has information they need to claim embezzled money stolen from Jonathan’s shipping company. After an attempt on her life, Jonathan is solely focused on protecting the woman he has fallen for. In chapter fifteen, we discover who the evil culprits are, their motive, and what their final plan is to extract information from Ellie. However, Ellie and Jonathan have discovered what the bad guys want from her, and in doing so, thwart their plans to get their hands on the money. Furious at being discovered, the bad guy decides the best way out is to kidnap Ellie and demand a ransom. But he does not intend to let Ellie live.

This romance novel is slow to cycle, but it picks up enough speed to be a hot romance intertwined with mystery and intrigue. For mature audiences only.

Review by Nancy Panko

 

Author's Synopsis

Recycled Hearts will tug at your heartstrings and leave you breathless.

Experience the resounding power of love, destiny, and redemption as Ellie emerges from the shadows of a haunting accident, embracing an intoxicating second chance at romance. But as sparks fly and love blossoms, an enigmatic mystery killer lurks, threatening to unravel everything she holds dear.

Buckle up for an unforgettable adventure packed with riveting twists, everlasting hope, and unwavering determination. Recycled Hearts will ignite your spirit, reignite your passions, and remind you that in the face of tragedy, true strength and courage emerge. Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster like no other as you join Ellie on her exhilarating and suspenseful journey.

Discover the transformative power of love, the irresistible allure of fate, and the enigmatic nature of second chances. Dive into the pages of Recycled Hearts and immerse yourself in the extraordinary life-altering odyssey of Ellie. Let her story inspire you, thrill you, and awaken you.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Romance
Pages/Word count: 202 / 53,466

A Gamble on Liberty by Robert W Smith

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MWSA Review

A Gamble on Liberty is a unique work of historical fiction set in the American Civil War era. The storyline avoids the popular broad sweep of regional campaigns and famous battles by focusing on a less well-known theater of the War—eastern Tennessee. In the months leading up to the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, the state was deeply divided between pro-secessionists and pro-union sympathizers.

Plot dynamics are set in place when the state legislature votes to join the Confederacy. Immediately afterward, throughout the state, greedy individuals with scores to settle are suddenly in positions of political and military power. Unionist residents in the mountainous eastern counties find themselves the targets of revenge and retribution.

The appeal in this story lies in its two central characters—a young married couple who are actual historical figures. Robert L. Gamble, a pro-Union farmer and slave owner, ultimately decides to join the Union Army. His wife Permelia is left behind to defend the homestead and her extended family against an array of adversaries ranging from Confederate militia to corrupt officials and outlaws.

The narrative moves back and forth between Robert’s wartime actions and trials as a cavalry officer and Permelia’s challenges as a woman under attack on several fronts. The scope of the account highlights the personal tragedies of the region’s residents by relating factual events and figures interwoven with fictional characters and their conflicts.

This book will appeal to true devotees of Civil War history who are interested in the impact of the war on the civilian populace on both sides. Although the work does not contain any fresh material about major campaigns or battles of the Civil War, it brings to light compelling aspects of a lesser-known theater of the conflict and underscores the War’s devastating impact on the lives of its inhabitants, soldiers and civilians alike.

Review by Peter Adams Young

 

Author's Synopsis

Inspired by a true story, A Gamble on Liberty shadows the struggles of one East Tennessee couple, Captain Robert and Permelia Gamble, during the American Civil War as they grapple with two horrific conflicts simultaneously. Compelled by loyalty and circumstance, Robert enlists in the Union Army, forcing Permelia to lead the family and its two slaves in a defense of their property and lives from bushwhackers, deserters, and hostile neighbors during his frequent absences.

Desperate to help their families, Robert and his comrades shuffle tirelessly between battlefield and home to smite their common enemies, protect their people and deliver justice to their oppressors.

Fueled by a deep love for one another and a mutual sense of patriotism, Robert and Permelia endure tragedy, imprisonment, estrangement, and loss in their struggle against the forces of darkness, all while forced to struggle with the age-old question of human bondage. But theirs is also a story of their beloved Tennessee Valley, a place at war against itself. Although simple farmers, the Gambles and their two slaves rise to extraordinary heights in their resolve and capacity to persevere despite unspeakable suffering and loss. Now, bound by faith in Abraham Lincoln and driven by love of country, they risk all in a desperate gamble on liberty.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 285 / 80,386

Born in Blood by Megan Michelle

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Desk duty was not what Rachel Ryker had in mind when she became the first female Navy SEAL, but if finding love with her former teammate, Christopher Williams, was the trade off, then fine. Adjusting to life in D.C. after being pulled from combat was difficult enough, but when Khalid Khan, a notorious Al-Qaeda leader, kidnaps the son of Rachel’s intelligence asset, she learns just how much harder it is to rescue a kid from a desk. She’ll need to get creative and learn to trust others to get the job done. Caught between duty and her thirst for revenge, Rachel must navigate a treacherous path to rescue the boy and uncover a dangerous conspiracy involving her old enemies. Can she save the child and bring justice to those who wronged her, or will her past catch up with her?

Christopher is adjusting to retirement, trying to find a new purpose since he chose Rachel over his career as a SEAL. The rules of engagement have changed. Rachel’s keeping secrets and chasing terrorists without him, keeping him in the dark. Respecting that boundary proves more than difficult for them both. When Rachel goes on a path Christopher can no longer follow, will their relationship be strong enough to survive, or did he give up everything for nothing?

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Pages/Word count: 447 / 135,635

Task Force Thunderbolt by Galen D. Peterson

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

After six months stagnation on the Ukrainian battlefield, NATO’s counteroffensive looms. Captain Logan Trondfjell and the armored warriors of Lightning Troop will guard the right flank. On the eve of battle, Logan moves up to squadron staff, pulling him farther from his old battle buddy, Sergeant First Class Running Bear. Opposite no-mans-land, Russian divisions mass to crush the counteroffensive. Behind the Russian divisions, a top-secret prisoner of war camp contains Americans the Russians would rather kill than return. Only a daring raid by Captain Sam Gentry’s U.S. Rangers can rescue their fate. As Russian President Voroshilov’s war climaxes, a blizzard isolates all and stirs the swirling chaos.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 312 / 92,000

Both Sides of the Pond, My Family's War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence

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MWSA Review

Author Barbara Kent Lawrence weaves a rich tapestry of the lives of her British mother and uncle from 1933 to 1946, before, during, and just after World War II.

The London siblings are in their early twenties when war is imminent, and then a reality. Barbara Green (Stage name: Barbara Greene) is a successful young actress, and Kent Green is an accountant. Before the war begins, Barbara meets Joseph Kennedy, Jr., son of the U.S. Ambassador to England, Joseph Kennedy, Sr. They develop a relationship, and as the war rages, Ambassador Kennedy facilitates Barbara's passage to the United States to escape the hostilities and shield her from a German victory over her country, if England is defeated.

In the early years of the war and despite their burgeoning careers, Kent and Barbara heed the call to national service. Barbara, finding it difficult to find acting work, joins the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) and is trained to care for sick and injured patients. Kent enlists in the Army Service Corps (RASC), and, as an officer, manages the procurement and distribution of supplies to front-line troops.

Through letters written by Barbara, Kent, their mother Muriel, and others, we learn how people coped with loneliness, injury, and grief, as friends, families, and places are devastated. One can easily sense the loving relationship between Kent and Barbara, and see how they mature.

The author creates vivid images of Barbara’s voyage to the United States, the passengers’ fears of German U-boat attacks on their ship, and trepidations about starting life in America. As the war rages in England and the rest of Europe, America offers a place of peace, opportunity, and solace for Barbara, until Pearl Harbor is attacked and America joins the conflagration.

Alternating between Barbara’s war on the west side of the Atlantic, and Kent’s on the east side, we see these siblings find love, lose love and loved ones, face fear, and survive. Besides the engaging prose and realistic dialog, photos, charts, letters, diary entries, diagrams, and documents support the story’s events and human drama within the historical context of the time. The book is well-researched, easy to read, and includes all the necessary references, attributions, and notes.

The author identifies the story as “historical fiction,” and it falls well into the parameters of creative nonfiction—a true story created in the style of fiction and told against the backdrop of a specific period in time.

War stories are very personal. This is such a story, and it offers insight into how two young people navigated difficult years that altered the trajectories of the lives they thought they would live. It is a worthy read, written beautifully. Don't miss it.

Review by Patricia Walkow

 

Author's Synopsis

In January of 1939 when Barbara Greene, a beautiful and successful young British actress, who was serving as a Voluntary Aide Detachment nurse, met Joe Kennedy Jr., son of the American Ambassador, she could not have expected that their relationship would lead to her emigrating to America sponsored by Ambassador and Mrs. Kennedy. Nor could her brother, Kent, have foreseen his bitter retreat from Dunkirk when he left England in January 1940 to fight in France, or his subsequent service in Cornwall, North Africa, Sicily, and Burma. Their stories portray the war on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and on the home and battle fronts.

Evan Thomas, author of two best-selling books notes "Barbara Lawrence has given us an intimate, harrowing, and vivid portrait of two young people engulfed by a world war... For anyone who wants to know what it is really like to have your world turned upside down, read this book and be shocked, thrilled and moved." Based on a true story, "Both Sides of the Pond, My Family's War -1933-1943" is deeply researched and powerful.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 393 / 122,776

The Next Santa Claus by Phil "Bootstrap" Ludos

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Author's Synopsis

Magic needed a warrior. The world got Evan Kane. A battle-hardened Ranger and Special Forces soldier, scarred by war zones and Arctic missions, Evan thought he had faced every challenge—until a classified briefing marked with a silver snowflake changed everything; Santa Claus is real, and his time is running out. Beneath the North Pole, North Star Command thrives—a hidden stronghold where warrior elves wield ancient magic and elite tactics to protect the Mantle of Christmas. Chosen to compete for this sacred legacy, Evan must conquer soul-testing trials that demand more than combat prowess—they require rediscovering the joy he buried in a blood-soaked past. As shadowy enemies target the Orb, a relic pulsing with the spirit of the first Saint Nicholas, Evan’s fight becomes a high-stakes mission to safeguard belief itself. From stealth drops in frozen villages to battles against betrayal, The Next Santa Claus blends military grit, arctic survival, and mythic wonder into a heart-pounding reimagining of a timeless legend. Perfect for fans of tactical thrillers and epic fantasies, this fast-paced, gripping tale of courage and redemption will leave you believing in the power of Christmas.

Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle

Genre: Fiction

EVERYDAY TACTICAL TIPS: A Collection Of Short Reads On Real World Readiness For The Armed Civilian by Phil "Bootstrap" Ludos

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Author's Synopsis

Everyday Tactical Tips is a quick-read companion for the responsible armed citizen, offering practical, repeatable advice to keep you mentally sharp and tactically aware in an unpredictable world. Adapted from the popular “Tactical Tuesday Tips” series, this book delivers real-world insights in short, easy-to-digest chapters—perfect for daily reflection and reinforcement. Grounded in the values of liberty, accountability, and self-reliance, it emphasizes preparedness over paranoia, responsibility over bravado. Written by a 25-year U.S. Army Infantry Paratrooper and seasoned firearms instructor, this guide is built on decades of real-world experience. Whether you’re a concealed carrier, veteran, or new to the lifestyle, Everyday Tactical Tips is a valuable addition to your training toolkit. It won’t replace hands-on instruction, but it will help you maintain the right mindset, avoid complacency, and stay ready. Training never ends. Mindset never sleeps. And readiness is never accidental. Stay sharp. Stay responsible. Stay frosty.

Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle

Genre: Nonfiction, Reference

Both Sides of the Pond, My Family's War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence

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Author's Synopsis

Both Sides of the Pond, MyFamily’s War: 1933-1946

In 1934, Barbara Green (15) attends a British boarding school where she is bullied for being too pretty, too good at games, and too good an actress. At the urging of a teacher, she applies to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and is accepted as a scholarship student. In her second year she is discovered by Fox Studios and makes her first movie with her new name: Barbara Greene. Instant stardom catapults her and her family onto a much higher social plane than her social-climbing mother could have imagined. While acting on the London stage, Barbara falls in love with Joseph Kennedy, Jr., son of the American Ambassador, and spends time with his family in London and Southern France.

Barbara’s beloved older brother Kent Green (20) works as an accountant in an airplane factory and is increasingly aware of the deteriorating situation with Germany. Barbara and her parents, Ralph and Muriel, however, are not. Kent begins a relationship with Flora, a loving woman from a lower social station.

In 1939, war cuts Barbara’s acting career and romance short. Joe returns to the United States, Kent enlists in the Royal Army Service Corps, and Barbara joins the Voluntary Aide Detachment. She serves as a nurse in two hospitals before being assigned to R.A.F. Croydon, a base that will be targeted during the Battle of Britain.

Kent is stationed in France with the British Expeditionary Forces during the Phoney War, and when Germany invades Belgium and France retreats to Dunkirk, where he is rescued. He later serves in Cornwall, Britain’s front line. The German depredations he witnessed in France, and fear of invasion, convince him Barbara must accept Ambassador Kennedy’s offer of sponsorship to the United States.

R.A.F. Croydon is bombed in one of the first raids of the war, and Barbara is injured. She recovers and during the next five months survives 78 bombing raids. Fear of imminent invasion, however, persuades her she must leave England, a rare opportunity made possible through Ambassador Kennedy’s position and kindness. After months of agonizing delay, she leaves Great Britain in January 1941 for America.

Kent, meanwhile, gains experience in command. He joins the 73rd Infantry Brigade, serves in North Africa and Italy, then joins the 1st Airborne and, later, the 6th Airborne, helping to prepare for D-Day. He is also dispatched to Burma to help correct the failures at Arnhem by learning about the work of the Chindits.

After arriving the United States, Barbara immediately visits the Kennedys in Florida then returns to New York and is hired as a John Powers Model. During a second stay with the Kennedys, Mrs. Kennedy convinces Barbara that Joe is not going to marry her, and she reluctantly ends their relationship.

In New York, Barbara decides to earn a pilot’s license in hopes of ferrying bombers to Great Britain. She meets Connor Lawrence (25), son of an old New York family, when both take courses at Roosevelt Field.

After qualifying, Barbara flies a plane around the Eastern half of the United States raising money for Bundles for Britain. Her romance with Connor develops quickly, and in late November of 1941 she accepts his proposal of marriage. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, they agree to marry in January barely a year after Barbara left Great Britain.

Connor joins the Army Bomber Ferry Service flying planes to England, while Barbara models, and also acts in a play with Tallulah Bankhead. Her hasty marriage, however, is undermined by separation and her husband’s infidelity. She becomes pregnant, which ends her ambition to fly for Great Britain.

Kent falls more deeply in love with Flora, and finally introduces her to his mother. Muriel declares Flora totally unacceptable and, soon after, Flora breaks up with Kent. Towards the end of the war, the core relationships—Muriel and Ralph Green, Kent and Flora, Barbara with Joe Kennedy, and then Connor Lawrence—have disintegrated.

The war ends, but pressures and deprivation do not. Men return home, and women who worked during the war are chastised for taking men’s jobs. The transition is challenging. Kent slips into illness and alcoholism. Barbara sees that her marriage to Connor was a terrible mistake and files for divorce. Muriel braves the scorn of her religious family by leaving her husband to join Barbara in New York, which liberates them both.

Many families on both sides of the Pond endured the same pressures and the same outcomes. That is part of the strength of this story—many people will understand it, and from it learn about their own families. My family survived through luck, fortitude, and accepting change. “Both Sides of the Pond” is my celebration of their humanity and courage.

Author Evan Thomas sums up “Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946” as follows:

Barbara Kent Lawrence has given us an intimate, harrowing, and vivid portrait of two young people engulfed by a world war. Her mother and uncle might have led decent but unremarkable lives coming of age in Great Britain in the late 1930s. Instead, they were forced to show the grit and steadfastness that gave Britain its finest hour. For anyone who wants to know what it is really like to have your world turned upside down, read this book and be shocked, thrilled and moved. From heady and improbable love affairs amidst the falling bombs to the gritty deprivations of daily life, it’s all here in a timeless well-told tale.

—Evan Thomas, author of two New York Times best-selling books, including “Road to Surrender.”

Format(s): Soft cover

Genre: Historical Fiction

Fugitive Son: A Memoir by Aramis Calderon

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Author's Synopsis

Aramís Calderón was eleven in 1992 when federal marshals conducted a nighttime raid at the Baton Rouge apartment where he lived with his mother and four siblings. They were searching for Aramís’s father, who had escaped from a nearby federal prison. Once satisfied with the answers from Aramís’s mother, the marshals departed. At daybreak, so did Aramís’s family—and drove toward a rendezvous with his father, who had fled to South Florida. Thus began an eight-month ordeal of constant moves, family aliases, and drug deals.

As Calderón shares, Fugitive Son is not a love letter to his father, whom he sees even after his death as an unethical, toxic, and incredibly complex man. Rather, Calderón’s memoir explores how his father’s undeniable love for his family despite drug addiction, lawlessness, and toxic masculinity informed Aramís’s rebellious decision to join the Marines, and how all this shaped his determination to become the father he wished his own had been.

The Intus Invasion by James Rosone

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MWSA Review

Authors James Rosone and Brandon Ellis have done it again with their new book, The Intus Invasion. Set at the end of the twenty-first century, mankind has moved into space and in doing so have finally encountered other intelligent species. Unfortunately, one of these species, the Zodarks, are an aggressive species seeking to dominate and enslave all forms of life they encounter. They attack an Earth space vessel without warning killing everyone. Earth has made allies with other intelligent species who have already encountered the Zodarks and have lost their home worlds to the Zodarks.

This book follows the adventures of a handful of young Academy graduates who join Earth's Republic Navy and travel into space to join the battle. The book moves fast and kept my attention throughout. I recommend it to all fans of science fiction.

Review by Bob Doerr (July 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

The stars held more than humanity’s future…

…they revealed an alien menace that could end it all.

First contact wasn’t peaceful. The Zodarks, brutal and unrelenting, tore into the Republic’s defenses. Armed with cunning and unquenchable bloodthirst, the four-armed warriors dominated over every adversary.

Caught off guard as the Republic stumbled into an interstellar war it wasn’t ready to fight—against an adversary born from nightmares. Mankind clung to hope as it healed divisions, forged new alliances, and prepared for the war thrusted upon it.

Amid the chaos, Ripley Willis Lee, a young officer with a brilliant mind for strategy, rose to face the challenge. His courage and determination inspired those around him, but the burden of leadership grew heavier with every battle. During the invasion of Intus, his decisions would mean the difference between survival and annihilation.

The battle for Intus would decide more than victory.

Would humanity survive the trials of the stars—or succumb to them?

The Intus Invasion is the gripping first entry in a new series set in the Rise of the Republic universe. If you crave high-stakes battles, dark revelations, and the fight for humanity’s survival, this is your next great read.

Grab your copy today and step into the fight.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Number of Pages: 394

Word Count: 125,339

Monroe Doctrine: A Post-War Novel by James Rosone

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MWSA Review

The final book of the Monroe Doctrine series is just as exciting and just as plausible as the rest of the series has been. Though hostilities have ended, the absence of war doesn't necessarily mean peace. China needs to be rebuilt, along with the US economy. And not everyone in China is happy with the peace agreement. Thousands of former Chinese soldiers are now without a job and anxious to avenge their country's defeat. The Artificial Intelligence entity, Jade Dragon, is still alive and still wants to achieve the goals it was given. In the meantime, India wants that same AI advantage, as it seeks to fill the void left by China, and America wants its own, more ethical robot warrior program.

These elements all set the just recently "peaceful" world on a collision course for more violence, more chaos, and more death. How will the human leadership of the world navigate this new landscape? The characters that have survived this far are committed to doing what they can, but will it be enough?

Fans of Tom Clancy and Dale Brown will enjoy this ending to a very well written and engaging series.

Review by Rob Ballister (July 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

Jade Dragon had been crushed…

…China was forced to relent…

…but picking up the pieces had only just begun.

After years of conflict, the Allies emerged victorious on the battlefield. However, the World was left bruised and battle-worn. American President Maria Delgado had her hands full with the recovery efforts.

Blain Wilson would be pulled in…

…deeper down the rabbit hole than he intended.

Trying to avoid mistakes of the past, the United States limited its peacekeeping force and relied on allies. General Song appeared to be a leader the people of China could rally behind.

Would reconstruction efforts be enough to avoid a future war?

Soldiers who had become accustomed to war now had to readjust to peace—a return to life in a world they barely recognized. Many struggled greatly with this transition, medicating themselves with alcohol or by other means.

Who would find the strength to pull through?

What nations would be the ones to rise from the ashes of war?

Find out what happened after the war ended. You’ll love this exciting continuation of the Monroe Doctrine series because the characters’ fates are not always what they seem.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Number of Pages: 274

Word Count: 90,271

Never a Dull Moment: The 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in World War II by Arthur "Ben" Powers

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MWSA Review

Much has been written about the 101st Airborne Division and their exploits in World War II, and rightfully so. Arthur "Ben" Powers's book Never a Dull Moment: The 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in World War II tells of a lesser-known airborne division, the 82nd. Covered within these pages are the accomplishments of a group of soldiers, those of the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. Treated as the red-headed stepchild not only by history but also the Army initially, they were considered a Coast Guard artillery unit. But the 80th AAA battalion fought alongside the paratroopers of the division, albeit they were entering battle by way of gliders instead of parachutes, and fought just as heroically as those paratroopers.

Powers meticulously recounts the history of the 80th AAA battalion from its formation as the 80th Airborne Anti-tank Anti-aircraft Battalion in 1942 through various bases for different phases of training, and into North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. From there, they transferred to Ireland and England in preparation for their role in D-Day and Operation Neptune, where they doggedly defended the town of Sainte-Mère-Église, receiving multiple medals as a result. It was during this time that the glider troops were finally recognized for not only their bravery in combat, but all the additional training involved in the utilization of gliders in action. This recognition consisted of not only hazardous duty pay, but their own glider badge, similar to the parachutist badge but with a glider in the center of the wings.

After Normandy, the battalion went back to England to prepare for Operation Market Garden where they implemented the lessons learned previously. The additional education gained in this operation would come in handy when they faced their greatest challenge: preventing the German breakthrough in the Ardennes in the Christmas Battle of the Bulge. The 82nd Airborne were every bit as heroic as the 101st Airborne in their defense against this offensive, and the 80th AAAB were an integral part of this defense, providing the support needed to allow for the safe withdrawal of the 7th Armored Division. After their successful defense in Belgium and subsequent invasion of Germany, their final assignment was in Berlin serving as an occupation force until their ultimate dissolution.

Powers provides a detailed history of these heroic glider-men. His narrative is engaging, showing not just an attention to detail as shown by the thorough documentation of his narrative using numerous primary sources, but also showing great enthusiasm in presenting their actions and accomplishments. Never a Dull Moment is a not only a welcome addition to the library of World War II literature, but serves an important role in documenting the ordeal of a previously overlooked airborne unit.

Review by Daniel E. Long (July 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

Most modern books and films glamorize World War II airborne soldiers as troopers leaping into the night to descend by parachute into combat. Much less often considered is the role of glider forces. Glider troops lacked the panache and special distinctions of paratroopers, despite their critical role in airborne warfare. Likewise, World War II ground combat is characterized as a combined arms fight of infantry and armor, backed up with field artillery; by comparison the role played by specialized, supporting arms has received scant attention.

The 80th AAA Battalion was a glider outfit, providing antiaircraft defense and antitank capability to the division’s three infantry regiments as battlefield conditions dictated. Elements of the battalion fought in Italy, Normandy, Holland and the Battle of the Bulge, making combat glider assaults during both Operation Neptune and Operation Market Garden. The exploits of the men of the 80th tend to be obscured as commanders maneuvered the batteries wherever their special skills were needed on the battlefield, with no regiment to call a permanent home.

The 80th AAA battalion was a hybrid unit. While its members were considered Coast Artillery (the branch responsible for defending ground formations from air attack during WWII), they fought alongside parachute and glider infantry, most often providing direct fire, anti-armor support with 57mm/6 pounder cannons. While field artillery, both parachute and glider, established their gunlines some distance behind infantry units to provide indirect fire support, the men of the 80th fought face to face with the enemy, alongside their infantry brothers.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 264

Word Count: 62,985