Posted in Cover Reveals

The Cardinal Code: Absolution #CoverReveal

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

The Cardinal Code: Absolution
Avery Sterling
(The Cardinal Code, #2)
Publication date: April 17th 2026
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Michael Chamberlain and Paislee Sullivan finally have a chance to breathe—away from chaos, away from the Order, and away from the world that nearly tore them apart.

But the Cardinalis Order doesn’t forget its own.

When Michael is summoned to London, Paislee is pulled into the glittering core of their society—a world of ancient bloodlines, ritual politics, and expectations she never agreed to.

As Michael is drawn into duties he cannot refuse, everything Paislee thought she understood begins to unravel—about the Order, about Michael, and about the dangerous cost of loving someone born into its highest ranks.

Peace was never meant to last. Not in a world ruled by influence…and sharpened by those who know how to use it.

But some bonds never break.

Return to a world of shadows and desire

in Book Two of The Cardinal Code Series.


Author Bio:

Avery Sterling’s love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.

Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok


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Posted in #BookTours

Puck Me It’s Christmas

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Puck Me It’s Christmas!
Alina Jacobs
(Maplewood Falls, #2)
Publication date: November 18th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

When you’re a blacklisted preschool teacher and somehow end up coaching the worst team in the NHL, it’s shaping up to be the crappiest Christmas ever.
We’re adding an NHL head-coaching job to the Yule log dumpster fire of my holiday season.
I lost my apartment and had to move back home for the holidays.
My mom sneaks into my bedroom to watch me sleep because she “can’t help it. I missed my little girl so much, Ellie!”
And my day-drinking granny has declared herself the team’s new equipment manager so she can ogle hockey butts in the locker room.
The last thing I need is twenty-two adult toddlers with blades on their feet and bad attitudes for Christmas.

Captain Fletcher Sullivan? He’s the worst, with his muscles and his sneer, turning every practice into The Grinch on Ice.
Between breaking up fights, hosting snack time, and bailing my goalie out of jail, I have no time for Christmas cheer—or for the cocky, absurdly ripped team captain who thinks I don’t belong in the NHL.

Yes, I played on the women’s national hockey team.
Yes, I lift weights.
And yes, I will pick up a six-four hockey player and put him in time-out if he doesn’t follow directions.
There’s no Christmas miracle coming to save us. We lose. A lot.

But armed with Goldfish crackers and juice boxes, I’m going to turn this team of ragtag hockey players into winners.
Even if it turns me into the Grinch.
Or worse—makes me fall for the enemy.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“Girl, they are throwing you off a glass cliff.”

“I don’t want everyone to blame me when we get creamed.” I sink in my chair.

My dad kneels in front of me and grabs my hand. “Exactly! So do the press conference, say you have another job offer, and this will all be over.”

“No wonder they kept trading your ass around when you were a goalie!” Granny Murray makes a rude noise. “You’re a quitter and a narc.”

Angie comes in with my phone that’s ringing and ringing.

I don’t recognize the number, though it’s a Maplewood Falls area code.

“It’s the press.” Angie waves the phone at me. “Tell them you won’t do interviews unless they pay you.”

“Ooh! Yeah, then we can go shopping,” Maxine squeals.

“Aunt Babs already bought you clothes, sweetie.” Mom smooths my hair down.

“Don’t talk to the press,” my dad begs.

“Nate,” my mom tells him, “let me make you some herbal tea.”

“Food!” my little brothers wail.

“For God’s sake,” my dad curses.

I answer the phone.

“Speaker,” Maxie whispers. “Put it on speaker.”

“Hello?” My voice is hesitant.

A loud, irritated male sigh echoes around the kitchen as everyone watches breathlessly. “Candy Cane?” I can practically hear Fletcher roll his eyes. “I mean, Coach Candy Cane.”

I grimace. “About that…”

“You better not be flaking out,” the deep voice warns. “You have the keys. We’re freezing our nuts off out here.”

Author Bio:

I write the kind of books I love—romantic comedies featuring snarly guys with hearts of gold, kick-ass heroines, and a swoon-worthy happily ever after! Also wine. And cupcakes.

When I’m not writing I can be found drinking tea, surrounded by my massive to-be-read pile! So many books…

You can connect with me on social media or find information on my books at my website.

Sign up for my newsletter so that you can get information about new releases, giveaways, and more!

http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY!

Puck Me It’s Christmas! Blitz

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Posted in #BookTours

Red Rabbit (Jack Ryan Book 9)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Don’t Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!

Tom Clancy reveals the details of Jack Ryan’s first days with the CIA in this #1 New York Times bestseller.

It’s the early 1980s—and historian, teacher, and recent ex-Marine Jack Ryan is now a CIA officer on loan to the British SIS. On his very first day, an extraordinary document crosses his desk. Because of government repression in Poland, the new Pope, John Paul II, has threatened to resign his papacy.
 
In Moscow, another man is contemplating the very same document. Yuriy Andropov, the chairman of the KGB, does not like what he reads, does not like what it means for him or for his nation. All it takes is one man to cause everything he has worked for to crumble. All it takes is one man to stop him. The Pope is very powerful, but he is also mortal….

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Clancy returns to Jack Ryan’s first days in the CIA, when the fate of the free world hung in the balance as Ryan discovered a heinous plot to assassinate the Pope. Clancy is so big that this new novel merits a special limited edition (ISBN 0-399-14914-7. $150).
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Praise for Red Rabbit

“An impressive achievement.”—The Washington Post

“Demonstrate[s] what Tom Clancy does best.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
“An entertaining tale of well-matched wits and high-tech gadgetry.”—The Tallahassee Democrat

More Praise for Tom Clancy

“He constantly taps the current world situation for its imminent dangers and spins them into an engrossing tale.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A brilliant describer of events.”—The Washington Post

“No one can equal his talent for making military electronics and engineering intelligible and exciting…He remains the best!”—Houston Chronicle

Posted in Daily Thought

Verse of the Day December 11, 2025

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Posted in From My Kitchen

Easy Ham Soup Ideas for Leftover Holiday Ingredients

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

These ham soup recipes will help you make the most of a holiday ham. Here’s how to transform those leftovers into ham and potato soup. You can also make creamy ham chowder. Another option is a brothy soup packed with vegetables.

A whole smoked ham is a beloved celebration food. Does your family serve a big Easter ham? Or do they make a holiday ham instead of turkey for Thanksgiving? There’s no wrong way to enjoy this smoky, savory main. You could also add a sweet touch to the holiday spread with Christmas ham recipes. Ham is such a large cut of meat that there are always leftovers. That’s when ham soup recipes become useful.

You can combine leftover ham with hearty vegetables like potatoes. Alternatively, pack your soup with beans to create a filling dish. This dish will be up to the task of feeding a crowd. Ham soups tend to be hearty. They’re perfect for chilly nights. However, they taste great anytime you want to use up leftover ham from a holiday feast.

When it’s time to serve ham soup, prepare some soft dinner rolls. You can also make buttery cornbread to serve on the side. The slight sweetness pairs beautifully with any ham soup.

Taste of Home

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”