Check out the cover reveal of this gutwrenching historical
where Sammi Clark travels to Italy to redeem her beloved
Grandmother’s name, only to find the truth is more complex.
Letters From Lucca
by Kim Baccellia
Genre: YA Historical Fiction, WWII Mystery
On the heels of Sammi’s grandmother’s whispered deathbed
wish, a package of letters from Italy arrives at her post box. Reading them
makes Sammi recall whispers she heard in childhood of her grandmother’s wartime
involvement, a past that Sammi’s father and aunt would rather see remain
closed. As if things couldn’t get any worse, her long-time boyfriend, Hunter,
dumps her.
However, an opportunity arises that sends her to Italy to
defend her grandmother, even if the truth might shatter all she believes. In a
helpful twist, Joseph, her best friend’s Italian cousin, offers to help her.
Despite the obvious growing attraction between Joseph and her, she tries to
suppress it as she embarks on her mission to vindicate the grandmother she
loves.
Award-winning author Kim Baccellia grew up in Sacramento, California,
the oldest of seven. She has a business associate degree from Sacramento City
College, a BS degree in elementary education from Brigham Young University, and
studied post grad bilingual/bicultural education at CSUF.
She’s been a telemarketer, library helper at the Harold B. Lee library
at BYU, assistant manager, sales clerk, tutor, bilingual teacher, and
homeschool mother.
Award-winning author. Author of YA paranormal CROSSED OUT
and CROSSED FIRE. YA dystopia CANDLE IN THE WIND. Also the author of the urban
diverse fantasy EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA. Short Christmas Magic in the Holiday
analogy MISTLETOE AND MAGIC. Re-releasing YA fantasy series under new titles in
2026! Currently working on a historical romance set in Tuscany.
Our family’s story of adventure, mysteries, and tragedy
Religion / Christian Living / Grief / Nonfiction
Date Published: November 4, 2025
Publisher: Lucid Books Publishing
My Mountains is a tender, soul-searching memoir about grief, faith, and
the quiet strength it takes to keep climbing. Set in the rugged beauty of the
Rockies, it tells the story of a mother who endures devastating loss and
finds, not answers, but presence—in the trees, the trails, and the God
who meets us in our pain.
This book is for anyone who has stood at the edge of heartbreak and wondered
if joy could still be real. Through lyrical storytelling and honest
reflection, My Mountains offers hope without platitudes and peace without
pretending. It reminds us that we’re not alone on the trail—and
that sometimes, the steepest paths lead to the most beautiful views.
Whether you are grieving, searching, or simply longing for beauty again, this
book will walk beside you—and leave you changed.
About the Author
Chris Smith is an entrepreneur and owner of multiple healthcare businesses
across five states. He’s a father of six, grandfather of fifteen, and a
natural leader who inspires others to pursue meaningful missions.
He feels closest to God in the mountains—hiking, paddleboarding,
camping, and finding peace in wild places. My Mountains is his invitation to
walk through hardship, hope, and the sacred beauty of life.
Chris loves people (but not crowds), old books, big views, and a life
that’s honest, hard, and full of purpose.
Christian Theology • Philosophy • Contemporary Faith •
Spirituality
Date Published: 12-01-2015
Publisher: Review Tales
Radical Realism: Jesus blends theology, philosophy, and contemporary
spirituality to explore how modern believers can understand Jesus through a
21st-century worldview. The book engages topics such as rationalism,
empiricism, scientism, and modern faith tensions, aiming to guide readers
toward a grounded, intellectually honest, and spiritually rich understanding
of Christ.
About the Author
Jeyran Main has spent years immersed in the world of books as an editor. She
is the author of God’s Surprising Way: The Path to Lasting Joy, Healing,
and Love and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Living in the Light of the Cross
magazine. Through her platform, HeavenlyHarmonyHub.com, she shares resources
that encourage thoughtful engagement with faith. Guided by a passion for
seeking truth, Jeyran now turns to the radical teachings of Jesus, exploring
how they confront cultural assumptions and invite us into a transformed way of
living that endures beyond cultural trends.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Relic Keeper by Heidi Eljarbo, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Relic Keeper
Author: Heidi Eljarbo
Publisher: independently published
Release Date: November 18, 2025
Genre: Christian Inspirational Historical FictionOnce a thief, always a thief?Italy, 1620. Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo. The boy knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence.One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about Tozzo’s hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them.With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy. Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events.PURCHASE LINKS:Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Also Available
Excerpt
Visiting holy places of worship to look for relics, Angelo had spent years listening to priests speak of saints and apostles. He’d memorized the details and recognized their attributes in the statues and artwork decorating cathedrals and smaller churches. He used their stories for all it was worth. Each saint was a patron for something, and artists portrayed them in their works by including symbols from their life or depicting the manner in which they died. Like Saint Francis of Assisi. From what Angelo had heard, goodness had filled the holy man. In paintings, he always wore a monk’s habit, and animals and birds surrounded him. “San Francesco spoke with animals,” the priests would say.
About the Author
HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.Heidi’s favorites are her family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
Connect with Heidi by visiting heidieljarbo.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a paperback copy of The Relic Keeper and a $20 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 9, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 16, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
A respectable septuagenarian steals a valuable painting and later tries to return it, with a little help from her friends.
Bored National Trust volunteer, Maureen, steals an obscure still life as a giant up-yours to all those who’ve discounted her. The novice fine art thief is rumbled by some fellow room guides, but snitches get stitches, camaraderie wins out and instead of grassing her up, they decide to help.
Often written off as an insipid old fart, Maureen has a darker side, challenging ingrained ideas of how senior citizens should behave. Her new set of friends make her feel alive again. No longer quite so invisible, can this unlikely pensioner gang return the now infamous painting without being caught by the Feds?
I wrote this after hearing a radio interview in which an art detective revealed how a stolen Titian was dumped at a bus stop outside Richmond station. In a red, white and blue plastic bag! I just couldn’t shake such a compelling image. I volunteered at Ham House for many years, and my passion for this Jacobean gem, together with the volunteers’ indomitable spirit, gave birth to my unlikely anti-hero.
With over five million members, the National Trust is a huge British institution. Yet, next to nothing has been written about it in terms of contemporary fiction. Until now.
While No Oil Painting explores themes of insignificance and loneliness in older age, particularly for women, it is mainly intended to entertain and offer a small haven in dark, uncertain times.
Why would an older lady want to steal an oil painting from the museum where she was a volunteer? Maureen felt that there were many reasons to embark on such a crazy adventure. She was lonely and wanted to see if she could get away with it. So, she made her plan to steal an oil painting that she had admired.
There are many chapters covering the actual theft of the painting, including the descriptions of the bag used to disguise the actual painting. The book had so much comedy and sarcasm, which made it enjoyable.,
After she successfully escaped the building and arrived home, she was confronted by her circle of friends. They had figured out that Maureen was the likely suspect and were unusually understanding of Maureen’s predicament. They all came together to plan a solution, which was to return the painting without detection.
The light-hearted scenes to follow were the most interesting part of the book. It became quite funny to watch the crew of older ladies come up with plan A, B, C, etc. Would it even be possible to fool the police investigating the crime? Should they try to frame an art thief who could be an easy target?
Although the book isn’t my usual G rated read (several crude curse words and adult phrases), it is still a cozy mystery. There isn’t a mystery with blood and gore, just a comedy of sorts. The mystery isn’t who done it, but how can they make the thief return the art? It’s a plot that leaves the reader following the question of How instead of Who.
Author Book Jacket portrait photography
Author Bio –
With a BA in English and Philosophy, Genevieve worked for eleven years at the Weekend FT, where she helped create and launch How To Spend It magazine.
She volunteered for years as a National Trust guide at Ham House. This became the setting for her debut art heist novel, No Oil Painting, which was listed for the inaugural Women’s Prize Trust and Curtis Brown Discoveries, and was published by Burton Mayers Books on 10th October 2025.
Her writing uses dark humour to probe the difference between our perception of people and their true selves. The gulf between what is said and what is meant. She considers people watching an essential skill for any writer; overheard snippets of conversation or a bonkers exchange at a bus stop are like gold nuggets. She’s been known to follow people to catch the end of a juicy conversation or argument. Women aged over fifty are essentially invisible anyhow and she views this as a kind of superpower.
Unlike her protagonist Maureen, she hasn’t used this to commit art theft. Yet.
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
