EmpowerMoms

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Fire Chief’s Surprise by Chris Maday Schmidt, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Fire Chief’s Surprise 
Author: Chris Maday Schmidt 
Publisher: Love Inspired 
Release Date: July 1, 2025 
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance

He wasn’t looking for love…

Until one little boy came into his life.

Fire chief Josh Rogers has just three months to get married or risk losing custody of his late foster brother’s infant son. So when Annie Greene offers to help him find a wife in exchange for repairs at her bakery, it seems like the perfect solution. As the three spend time together, Josh can’t help but feel that Annie’s the only person he can picture filling the role of Finn’s mother. But can they set aside their past insecurities and embrace a chance at happily-ever-after?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

Excerpt from The Fire Chief’s Surprise

“Hey, Fire Chief!”
One of the ladies preened like Petey the peacock, a longtime favored resident of the Sweetwater
Preserve & Sanctuary.
Nodding his dark head, Josh palmed the back of his neck. “Mornin,’ ladies.”
Annie wasn’t the least surprised at their reaction to Josh’s clichéd tall, dark and handsome looks.
Which was why her closest friends often quizzed her as to why she insisted on keeping him at
arm’s length. It was no secret, however, that years after she’d lost her mother as a young girl, her
father—Captain David Greene—had been killed in the line of duty. And that was the simple
reason she avoided men in uniform.
Josh pointed at Finn. “I can take him now.”
“Shh, you’ll wake him.” Reluctant to release the baby, her heart fluttered.
So much for my initial wariness.
He tugged at the collar of his navy blue department-issued T-shirt. “I need to get this big guy
over to the B and B. But can I have a word with you about your oven?”
The sinking feeling in her stomach intensified.

Also Available

About the Author

Connect with Chris by visiting chrismadayschmidt.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a Reader’s Prize Bundle which includes a scented candle, bookmark, and bookish socks, glass cup, and canvas bag, as well as a print copy of A Father’s Vow, also by Chris Maday Schmidt!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 1, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 8, 2025. Winner 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.

Enter Giveaway

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

Burning Secrets, book 4 of the Chasing Fire: Alaska series, started right off in chapter 1 with a dramatic start with JoJo being attacked by some wildlife she was observing. Crew, a member of the SOR, happens to be right there at the right time to save JoJo but things are not as they appear. They find themselves going from tracking wolves into discovering a deadly plan which may be too late to stop.

Previous smokejumpers like Skye and Tucker are mentioned in this story, along with others from the series. I love the Alaska setting, faith building experiences and clean romance. This story and series had an amazing intriguing story line with lots of drama and great characters that kept me glued from chapter to chapter.

Highly recommend this book and series! I can’t wait to read books 5 and 6.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the book:

Wrong place, wrong time…

Wildlife biologist JoJo Butcher isn’t just a smokejumper for the Midnight Sun crew—she’s also in Alaska to finish up her wolf research…until, oops, she finds herself face-to-face with a wolf with nowhere to go…
And then she’s rescued by a hero from the woods. Who exactly is he, and what secrets is he hiding?

He’s living a double life…

Undercover FBI informant Michael Crew Sterling hates his life. Buried deep inside a domestic terrorist group, he’s in over his head, trying to discover their lethal plans. And then he saves the life of JoJo Butcher, and suddenly she is sunshine to his dark soul…

Until she accidentally walks into nightmare.

Now Crew must keep her alive by proving that she’s his girlfriend. And she has to play along, or they’ll both be killed. And when they discover what the group is really doing, Crew will have to make a choice that could cost him everything he’s sacrificed to save the woman he’s falling for.

Book four in the epic Chasing Fire: Alaska series is an edge-of-your seat tale of danger, loyalty, and the power of hope in the darkest night.

Chasing Fire: Alaska
Book 1: Burning Hearts
Book 2: Burning Rivals
Book 3: Burning Escape
Book 4: Burning Secrets
Book 5: Burning Truth
Book 6: Burning Justice

Purchase your copy here:

https://amzn.to/3ZZSZEi

This was a fantastic, easy to read, Love Inspired k9 companion story!

Angie was such a strong, compassionate woman despite her incredibly hard past as a youth. I loved reading her vision about the dog therapy reading program and how she responded to conflict and difficult things. I liked that she made a point to include Luke and his nephew Declan with her dog therapy work because she knew it could make a difference.

I really liked the characters and the book plot and quickly finished this book in one sitting. I can’t wait to read more books by this author!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the Book:
Redeeming past mistakes
One pawprint at a time…
To support his sister and young nephew, handyman Luke Johnson is in desperate need of a new job. His prayers are answered when Angie Anderson hires him to help renovate her property to house and train therapy dogs. Grieving widow Angie hopes to rebuild her life with a new sense of purpose, and establishing a therapy-dog reading program is just the fresh start she needs. Soon, unexpected feelings begin to grow between them, but will the secret Luke’s keeping threaten their chance at a future together?

Purchase your copy here:
https://amzn.to/4jHRWjc

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Burning Hearts by Lisa Phillips hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Burning Hearts is book 1 of the new Chasing Fire Alaska series and wow it is amazing! Great characters with an intriguing story line that kept my interest from beginning to end.

We are introduced to Logan and his team of smokejumpers, along with main character Jamie and her brother Tristan in this highly adventures story. They find themselves in the middle of Alaska jumping out of planes, dodging bullets and escaping burning buildings.

If you like clean, on the edge of your seat suspense, I highly recommend this book! I can’t wait to read more from this series.  I really loved it and couldn’t stop reading!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the Author

Lisa Phillips is a USA Today and top ten Publishers Weekly bestselling author of over 90 books that span Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line, independently published series romantic suspense, and thriller novels. She’s discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.

Lisa is a British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London and attended Calvary Chapel Bible College, where she met her husband. He’s from California, but nobody’s perfect. It wasn’t until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). As a worship leader for Calvary Chapel churches in her local area, Lisa has discovered a love for mentoring new ministry members and youth worship musicians.

Discover the exciting world of Last Chance County at www.lastchancecounty.com.

Connect with Lisa by visiting www.authorlisaphillips.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Burning Hearts and a $10 gift card to the Sunrise Shop!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight June 4, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on June 11, 2025. Winner 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 the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

Unshaken is about an Amish girl Stephanie who happens to be at the wrong place and the wrong time and witnesses a gang related incident. Thankfully she is rescued by an English woman Beverly who contacts her brother Hardy and his boss Carter to help protect them.

I liked reading about the different friendship dynamics between Carter, Beverly, Hardy and Stephanie; and seeing Stephanie’s character evolve as she struggles with her Amish identity. I liked reading more about Beverly’s social work and her determination to help her boys, especially from gangs. It was sad to read about Timothy and the choices that he made impacting his future.

This story had great characters, storyline and setting. I really loved this story and highly recommend it and series- I can’t wait to read more! I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the Book:
He helps her hide until danger has passed. She hopes her cover lasts long enough.

When Stephanie Miller planned her visit to a dollar store in southern Ohio, she was expecting to pick up a few items she couldn’t find in her Amish community. She was not expecting to find herself an innocent bystander as a drug deal went horribly wrong. The sole witness to a murder, now Stephanie is targeted by the gunman.

Hardy Anderson is always ready to help his social worker sister, Bev–which now includes hiding an Amish woman until a killer can be brought to justice. Surely if they dress her in English clothing, Hardy can hide her at the sprawling ranch where he works. But the killer is desperate–and there’s no telling what lengths he will go.

Purchase your copy here:
https://amzn.to/4kF5hdG

About the Author
Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books, including Unforgiven and Unforgotten. Two-time winner of the HOLT Medallion and both a Christy and Carol Award finalist, Gray lives in Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail. Learn more at ShelleyShepardGray.com.