Book Review: Wind of the Spirit by J.M. Hochstetler

A young country struggling for independence is the setting for Wind of the Spirit by J.M. Hochstetler, the third book in The American Patriot Series.

As the overwhelming forces of British General William Howe threaten to wipe out General Washington's Continental Army, Elizabeth Howard risks her life to obtain and return with critical intelligence. Meanwhile, the man she wished to marry is far out on the western borders. General Jonathan Carleton, now known as the Shawnee war chief White Eagle, has helped his braves drive white settlers out of Ohio territory, while fighting a more personal battle of his own--finding a way to get Elizabeth out of his heart and steeling himself against the seductive charms of Pathfinder's widow, Blue Sky, as the conflict between him and the shaman Wolfslayer escalates.

With Washington putting in a last-ditch gamble to save the American cause at Trenton, Elizabeth rejoins Colonel Charles Andrews on a journey to find Carelton before the British close in on his whereabouts and try him for treason. Will she find him before the British do? Will he be the same man she still loves? And will her love be enough to convince him to come back with her?

In the continuation of this sweeping saga of the American Revolution, Hochstetler has one again proven herself to be a masterful storyteller. The rich descriptions, the complex characters, and the balanced mix of history and fiction, all combine to create an engaging page turner.

While I have not read the first two books in this series: Daughter of Liberty and Native Son, I fell easily into this storyline and was able to connect the dots through the backstory that is seamlessly woven into the present day events, though I did purchase books 1 and 2 to read later.

The level of research the author must have performed to create The American Patriot Series is evident in every page, but it is her characters that make this story as wonderful as it is. I am eager to read the next book when it comes out.

Having now read two very different books from Hochstetler--my review of One Holy Night, a contemporary miracle story appears here--I can easily add this author to my list of favorites.

Lovers of historical fiction, historical romance, and inspirational fiction will certainly want to own Wind of the Spirit!


Title: Wind of the Spirit
Author: J.M. Hochstetler
Publisher: Sheaf House Publishers
ISBN-10: 0979748534
ISBN-13: 978-0979748530
SRP: $13.99 (U.S.)

Author Spotlight: Stephen Masse and A Jolly Good Fellow

Two weeks before Christmas, Duncan Wagner gets into his car for another attempt at kidnapping the son of his most despised enemy, State Representative Win Booker. When he drives into the wealthy Boston suburb, he is surprised to find the boy hitchhiking.

So begins Wagner’s quest for revenge as he finds himself face to face with a real boy, and without a clue about how to run a kidnapping. Wagner, a self-styled charity Santa Claus, comes to realize that eleven year old Gabriel Booker is truly a runaway, much more curious than scared. Gabriel has no idea who Duncan Wagner is—or could be.

Here’s what reviewers have to say!

"Stephen Masse does an excellent job of creating memorable, likeable characters. He takes a man and a boy from very different backgrounds and creates a tight bond of friendship between them. The story itself is full of numerous twists and turns and is an extremely fast read. The 203 pages really fly by, and I finished the book in one morning.” -Kam Aures for Rebecca’s Reads

"'A Jolly Good Fellow' is delightfully funny, with a unique plot, an amazing cast of characters, and enough suspense to keep the reading guessing right up to the surprising unexpected conclusion. Stephen V. Masse is witty, clever, and entertaining. His books are destined to become best sellers. I am eager to read his upcoming book “Short Circus.” -Richard Blake for Reader Views

Stephen V. Masse was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Educated at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he studied creative writing and historical biography, and was the author of a weekly column, “Out of Control.” His first novel, Shadow Stealer, was published by Dillon Press in 1988. When not writing, he restores and renovates homes in the Boston area, and serves as an ambassador each year in the Santa Claus Anonymous fundraising benefit. You can visit his website at www.ajollygoodfellowthebook.com.

Buy A Jolly Good Fellow from Amazon.com!

To see where Stephen's virtual book tour stops next, please visit http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ every weekday in December between the 1st and the 16th.

Author Spotlight: Maryann Paige and Cemtery Gates

All the signs are there.

Dead things everywhere. Nightmares of bloody bodies and eaten corpses. Michael knows he’s coming for him. The prophecy cannot be fulfilled without him. From behind the Cemetery Gates, his brother, Shane, enters the world. He’ll force Michael and the others to take their rightful place at his side.

When Michael decides to go to a neighbor’s party, a beautiful stranger thrusts him into his past. Through meditation, Michael is thrown back into a world he had long tried to forget. He works quickly because time is short. Shane is on the prowl. He’ll force Michael to fulfill his destiny.

Only, Michael has a problem with what he was created to do, and he’s tired of running. As he recalls who and what he is, he realizes he’s humankind’s only hope for survival. He decides to battle his brother, not only for the woman he loves, but also for the redemption of his soul.

Also available in a Kindle edition.

EXCERPT:

Gloria moved closer into the shadows and stood before him.

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

“In a bit of a rush this evening?” he snickered.

“Yes, I am. I want to get the hell out of here.”

“Where are you heading to?”

“Away from this mess.”

“Feel bad for what occurred here?” He said with a grin.

She was shocked that he asked her that, “Of course I do. An innocent man is dead, and for what?”

“For what? I cannot believe you asked that.”

“Two innocent men are dead,” she answered, putting down her head.

“Oh, please, Gloria, spare me your sentimental nonsense. With all of the evil you’ve unleashed on the world, you’re sorry for this? Sorry for stopping the one man that can bring us all down?”


Maryann Paige was born in Brooklyn, New York, lived in Nevada and Texas and landed back in her home state. She resides in the beautiful Hudson Valley and uses the area as the setting for her novels and stories.

She attributes the idea for her first novel, Hidden Shadows, to her younger son, who claims to have met the shadow people on a nightly basis. After researching and learning of them, she decided to write a novel loosely based on her son’s experiences.

Please visit Maryann at www.maryannpaige.com.

To see where Maryann's virtual book tour stops next, visit http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Pumping Up the Holidays with the 12 Days of Christms Virtual Book Tour '09

Pump Up Your Book Announces 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Tour ‘09

Join a talented and diverse group of 28 authors who are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion during “The 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Tour ‘09”!

Follow these authors as they travel the blogosphere for the first 12 weekdays of December (December 1st – December 16th) to discuss their books. You’ll find everything from tween fiction to memoirs, horror and suspense novels to historical romances, children’s books to self-help and so much more!

Michael Anthony, David Berner, Hope Edelman, and Ingrid King tour with their memoirs. Learn more about short story collections from Barbora Knobova and J.W. Nicklaus. Michael Estepa and Larry Sweitzer travel the blogosphere with their young adult fiction books, while Bernadine Feagins, Dixie Philips, and Victoria Simcox are children’s authors. Tween/teen fiction books are being promoted by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein and Beverly Stowe McClure, and historical novels from authors J.M. Hochstetler, Dot Ryan, and Cindy Vallar will also be touring. Nonfiction books on a variety of topics come to you from Malana Ashlie, James Burns, James Diehl, Jacqueline Klosek, Pat Snyder, John Tippets, and Sophia White.

Also touring in December are Joy DeKok with her contemporary novel, Gale Laure and Stephen Masse with their suspense novels, horror author Maryann Paige, and romance author Bill Walker.

Check out our special “The 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Tour ‘09” video trailer featuring each author:



To follow these authors during “The 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Tour ‘09” visit the official Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour site at www.pumpupyourbook.com or http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/.

Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours is a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service at an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com.

12 Days of Christmas Tour Special

Pump Up Your Book Promotion is running on a reduced schedule in December. Our clients will be touring weekdays from December 1st through December 16th. You can check out The Book Connection to see our entire list of authors and be sure to check in at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ during those first 12 weekdays in December to see where these authors will be stopping so that you can learn more about their books.