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Monday, June 2, 2025

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: Lion of Judah by Henry O. Arnold

Lion of Judah JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Lion of Judah by Henry O. Arnold, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: Lion of Judah
Series: The Song of Prophets and Kings #5
Author: Henry O. Arnold
Publisher: WhiteFire Publishing
Release Date: May 15, 2025
Genre: Biblical/Historical Fiction

The new king is crowned in triumph…
But his pride proves to be a fatal flaw…
And from out of his own house calamity falls upon him

Once a shepherd, a captain, and a fugitive, David is now king. He left behind the dangers of life on the run and embraced the comforts of living in the palace. No longer known as the “giant-slayer,” but as the “lion of Judah,” King David enjoys the popularity and prosperity brought on by his victories.

But peace in the nation of Israel has a double-edged sword. David’s pride subverts his judgment, and his desires overwhelm his heart leading him down a dark pathway. The king will go to any lengths to cover up his crimes, but disaster falls upon the House of David bringing this broken and contrite king to cry out to Yahweh for mercy.

Lion of Judah continues the tale of triumph and tragedy, deepest love and burning rivalries; the new epoch is given a voice…and it is The Song of Prophets and Kings.

Biblical Historical Fiction is a genre that has gained my interest in the last year. Lion of Judah by Henry O Arnold is the latest in this genre that I have read. It is Book 5 in The Song of Prophets and Kings series. I have not read the other books in this series, yet, but look forward to reading them in the near future.

I truly enjoyed the story of King David this book represents. King David was full of pride, which brings about many issues. Many found King David to be concealing his flaws due to his prideful nature. King David seems to be using his authority to his advantage. I think the moment when King David finally breaks down and asks for mercy, was when the book really spoke to me. The book is showing that we are all flawed and we have to be willing to surrender our flaws and be true to ourself and to God. The author has amazing writing skills and makes the book easy to understand. The mixture of Biblical Truth and Fiction writing makes the book really intriguing. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Fiction with Biblical Truth. GREAT BOOK!

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | WhiteFire Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

More In This Series

Mr. Henry O. Arnold's career as an actor/author spans over five decades with multiple stage and film credits. He has recorded over one hundred audiobooks and is the author of the Urban Chronicles suspense series and the multi-volume biblical/historical fiction series entitled The Song of Prophets and Kings (available in all formats wherever books are sold). When not writing, he can be found hiking on a trail somewhere in the world. He and his lovely wife Kay have two beautiful daughters, married to two handsome men, with three above-average grandchildren.

Connect with Henry by visiting henryoarnold.com to follow him on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Lion of Judah & $20 Amazon Gift Card plus a print copy of The Mercy Seat, also by Henry O. Arnold!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 2, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 9, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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iRead Book Tours Blog Tour: Higher Love by Joanne Kukanza Easley

Book Details:

Book Title:  HIGHER LOVE by Joanne Kukanza Easley
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 360 pages
Genre:  Women's Literary Fiction
Publisher:  Red Boots Press
Release date:   May 2025
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M: Adult themes of alcoholism, underage drinking, underage sex

In 1986 Austin, Texas, sixteen-year-old Stephanie steps into sixty-two-year-old Lauren’s life, her uncanny resemblance cracking open a buried past. Claiming to be the daughter of the child Lauren gave up for adoption forty-five years ago, Stephanie upends Lauren’s life—already complicated by her remarriage to Brett after thirty-three years apart. Stung by her adoptive grandmother’s deception, Stephanie stays, her past of tragedy and self-harm forging a fragile bond with Lauren and Brett. When Stephanie’s trust fund evaporates, crushing her college dreams, Lauren sacrifices all to give her a future—only to face a bittersweet twist that echoes the past and changes everything. This heart-wrenching family drama delves into the enduring impact of secrets, the power of unconditional love, and the strength found in facing our pasts.

Women's Fiction is a genre that I truly enjoy. Higher Love by Joanne Kukanza Easley is the latest in this genre that I have read.

WOW, this storyline captivated me from the very beginning. The setting is 1986 in Austin, Texas. The main characters are Stephanie and Lauren. Stephanie is only 16 and sets out to locate her Biological Grandmother. She locates her Grandmother Lauren and wants to get to know her. Lauren is quite shocked to meet her Granddaughter, who is the child of Lauren's daughter who passed away many years ago. Lauren has some feelings she needs to work through, but welcomes a relationship with Stephanie. The story goes to 1987 and many things happen that jeopardize Stephanie's chance at going to College. I really love how Grandma Lauren steps in and encourages Stephanie that all is not lost and she is able to help Stephanie secure the future. The book is filled with Drama, Family, Love, Support and an interesting storyline. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Women's Fiction. GREAT BOOK!

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Joanne Kukanza Easley, a retired registered nurse who worked in the cold, stark environment of operating rooms and the highly charged setting of psychiatric facilities, now resides in the Texas Hill Country. There, she crafts fiction centered on complex women of the twentieth century. Her debut novel, Sweet Jane, garnered multiple accolades, including the adult fiction prize at the Texas Author Project, and was a finalist for prestigious honors like the Sarton Award and the Eric Hoffer Award, among others. Her second book, Just One Look, was selected as a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick. Her third novel, I’ll Be Seeing You, revisits characters from Sweet Jane. Her fourth novel, Higher Love, a continuation of her third, is slated for release in Spring 2025. Easley’s award-winning short stories and poetry have been featured in various anthologies.

connect with the author: website ~ X ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

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iRead Book Tours Blog Tour: RENEWALS by Gregory F. DeLaurier

Book Details:

Book Title:  RENEWALS by Gregory F. DeLaurier
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 276 pages
Genre:  literary fiction, amateur sleuths
Publisher:  Independently published/Gregory F. DeLaurier
Release date:   February 2025
Content Rating:  R. My book is rated R for one attempted child sexual abuse, not explicit. There is bad language throughout.

When academic Richard returns to his hometown he discovers a scam that has ruined the city, he must unite his friends and family to uncover the truth, but this pits him against the scam’s architect, aging but violent drug kingpin Giacomo Duchamps, who could destroy everyone Richard loves should he fail.

Renewals captures the nature of a hardscrabble small town and those who live and struggle there, in this pitch perfect tale of corruption and renewal. It is the story of the renewal of a city but also the renewal of the lives of those who are lost or oppressed; a young woman trapped in sexual abuse and exploitation, a young ex-con searching for a better life, and others.

Crime and Mystery books are an intruging genre. I also love books set in Small Towns. Renewals by Gregory F. Delaurier is the latest in this category that I have read.

I will say it took me a couple of chapters to really get into the book. I felt the beginning of the story was a bit hard to understand. Once I got to the 3rd chapter, the storyline began to make sense. Richard is really frustrated that his hometown has been overtaken by the mob and there is a BIG scam going on. He knows he can't let his Friends and Family down and he is determined to STOP the Mob and regain the Small Town feel of his Hometown. The twists and turns in the story really helped me to keep reading so I can figure out the mystery and the scam. I will say this is a GOOD book for a Debut Author. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Crime and Mystery!

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Gregory F. DeLaurier is a retired university professor who has returned to his first love, fiction writing. He lives in Melrose MA, and has a daughter in her 40s who lives in Brooklyn and a 21 year old son attending Berklee College of Music. His fiction and non-fiction are widely available.

connect with the author: facebook ~ goodreads

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Friday, May 30, 2025

iRead Book Tour Blog Tour: THE WEB OF TIME by Flavia Brunetti

Book Details:

Book Title:  THE WEB OF TIME by Flavia Brunetti
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 298 pages
Genre: Grounded Fantasy
Publisher: Blue House Literary
Release date:  May 2025
Content Rating: G + M: While this is fully G, it does touch on matters including physical abuse and trauma. This is done in a very gentle way, but perhaps worth noting.

Far beneath the ground, a web quietly spins. The threads are keeping time, marking history. What’s done is done. Until now.

Protected by the gods and powering the three Great Portals of Art, Language, and Kindness, The Web of Time rearranges itself as humans change their minds, fall in love, or cause empires to rise and fall. When the Great Portals close from the world, time begins erasing itself, histories start to disappear, Earth falls into chaos, and the gods don’t know how to stop it—until Jack meets Anna.

Anna is a passionate and solitary writer who is protected by her companion, Nafusa of Libya, the cat god. When Jack, a young painter harboring a traumatic past, falls through the Great Portal of Art in Tunis, he stumbles into Anna, and his fate.

Helped and hindered by a rotating cast of deities, the two embark on a journey that connects three ancient cities in different times: Rome, Tunis, and Tripoli. They realize that it is Anna’s gift for healing words and Jack’s natural talent for drawing places as they were that can reinstate the Great Portals and restore the world’s balance, but some of the darker gods who thrive on chaos will stop at nothing to derail their quest. As time tears faster than they can heal it, Anna and Jack must come together in time to save history, and the possibility of a future.

Young Adult Fantasy is a genre that I have recently been really enjoying. The Web of Time by Flavia Brunetti is the most recent book in this genre that I have read.

I will admit that this book took me a couple of chapters to really get into the storyline of this book. The main characters in this book are Anna and Jack. Anna is a writer and Jack is an artist/painter. They bump into each other in the Magical Portal and a friendship begins. The storyline is about their journey to 3 different ancient cities: Rome, Tunis, and Tripoli and in different times of History. They set out to these Ancient Cities in Historical time to restore the things that they feel weren't accurate. The God's were not happy with Anna and Jack's presence and tried to do everything they could to make Anna and Jack did not succeed at their quest. I thought I wasn't going to be able to get through the book as it started out slow, but I am so glad I continued reading as the book was very mysterious and intriguing. I HIGHLY recommend this book to Young Adults who enjoy Mythology and History. GREAT BOOK!

Web of Time
Amazon ~ B&N
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Born just outside of Rome, Flavia grew up bouncing back and forth between Italy and California and has lived between a myriad other countries, so her writing often revolves around place and identity and is usually written on a plane where she inevitably apologizes to the person sitting next to her for bumping their elbow. She is the author of the novel All the Way to Italy. Her second novel, The Web of Time, a YA grounded fantasy adventure set in Rome, Tunis, and Tripoli, will be published by Blue House Literary in May 2025.

Today, Flavia continues learning about the world while working for a humanitarian organization and getting lost in her Eternal City, writing flash fiction and non-fiction stories, and connecting with other readers, writers, and adventurers (also the armchair travel variety).

connect with the author: website ~ X ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads