Griffy, The Golf-Loving Gopher ~ Review

Griffy, The Golf-Loving Gopher

By Francesca Falcetta Morrell

Illustrated by Claudia Gadotti

Griffy loves golf and watches local golfers play from the sidelines hidden from sight in the bushes. Not unheard of until you hear that Griffy is a gopher!

Now Griffy is not just an observer of golf, nope his love makes him determined to play the game. This was a cute book about determination to be the best that one can be and not allowing others to keep you from achieving your goal.

The illustrations are sweet and well-done, a perfect complement to the story. This is a fun way to introduce young readers to golf while promoting early literacy with an engaging read that will have you cheering for Griffy to succeed.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

What if your biggest dream was different from everyone else's?

Griffy, The Golf-Loving Gopher follows a small gopher with an outsized dream of playing golf. He prepares in secret, practices by moonlight, and then finally steps up to the tee—only to be laughed at and told he doesn't belong. What he does next teaches young readers that a setback isn't the end of a dream and that courage often means trying again. Told in playful rhyme with warm watercolor illustrations, it's a gentle lesson in perseverance, self-belief, and looking past first impressions.

Perfect for children ages 3–7, golf families, grandparents, teachers, librarians, classrooms, and junior golf programs, Griffy, the Golf-Loving Gopher is a delightful read-aloud that children will want to hear again and again.

Available to purchase from Amazon.

Sabotage Games ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 

Sabotage Games by Danielle Grandinetti, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Sabotage Games 
Di Stasio Giornaliste Agency #3 
By Danielle Grandinetti 

First off can I just say, I love the cover of this book. Oh wait, I just did. But it is super cute and works so well with the main character's love of sports. Emma Hancock loves sports, especially baseball, and she is super excited that she will be reporting from the third Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. As a female sports journalist, she's thrilled with the opportunity.

But soon she is putting her investigative skills to a much bigger task when various athletes are forced out of their competitions. Conveniently timed illnesses seem too suspicious in Emma's journalistic mind.  

So, what's girl to do?

Investigate, of course.

If you loved girl sleuths of the past, think Nancy Drew, Donna Parker, Trixie Belden, and Brenda Starr (used bookstore junky here), you will love Emma Hancock, the Di Stasio Giornaliste Agency, and their journalists. 

But there is more to this book than Emma Hancock and the investigative nature it delved into. We are introduced to the Callahan family, Ryan who is competing as a speed skater and Meg who is demonstrating the same sport in the hopes it will become an official Olympic sport in the next Olympic Games.  The Callahan family opened their home to Emma and her fellow journalist, Lena Carney, so that they would have a safe place to stay during their time away from Chicago.

As Ryan and Emma begin working together they discover an unexpected connection that could lead to something more. But both have plans for their future and live in different areas of the country. But as a friend points out to Ryan, he's an athlete hoping to compete in the Summer Games in Los Angeles later that year and Emma is a sports journalist. I have say it was strange thinking of Olympic taking place in the same year, I mean I know it used to be that way, but not for awhile.

I found the mystery aspect of this story interesting and was a tad shocked when a climactic moment occurred - let's just say I never saw it coming. Overall, I give this book a resounding Must Read to Reread vote. A want to reread is the ultimate like of a book in my opinion.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book

Title: Sabotage Games 
Series: Di Stasio Giornaliste Agency #3 
Author: Danielle Grandinetti 
Publisher: Hearth Spot Press 
Release Date: September 22, 2026 
Genre: Historical Romantic Mystery

Who will pay the ultimate price for Olympic Gold? 

LAKE PLACID, N.Y., 1932—Sports journalist Emma Hancock is determined to claim her place in the press box, despite the male colleagues who slam the door in her face. But when a mysterious illness begins systematically sidelining athletes, Emma’s gift for spotting patterns reveals a plot far more sinister than mere competition. 

With the Games in his own backyard, Olympic sprinter Ryan Callahan laces up his speed skates to compete in his first winter games. He has no time for distractions—especially not the inconvenience of the beautiful female journalist staying as a guest in his family’s crowded home. 

But when the pattern of sabotage deepens, Emma and Ryan must work together to follow the threads before they become the next targets to fall. 

La Verità con Integrità. 

Truth with Integrity. 

The Legacy of a (Girl) Stunt Reporter.  

A 1930s Historical Romantic Mystery This page-turning novel offers a sweet, slow-burn romance mixed with cozy suspense. Set during the historic III Olympic Winter Games—the first year women’s speed skating was featured—it unfolds against the snow-covered, high-stakes press boxes of Lake Placid, New York, in 1932. Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and J’nell Ciesielski looking for an inspirational read.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Danielle Grandinetti's Shop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

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About the Author

Danielle Grandinetti writes award-winning 1930s historical romantic mystery and suspense. She is the 2026 Holt Medallion winner and a second-generation Italian-American. Fueled by tea and nature, she crafts hope-filled historical romance novels exploring immigrant heritage, found family, and cozy Midwest traditions. Find her at daniellegrandinetti.com.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a paperback copy of Undercover Wish & Eyewitness Sketch!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 22, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 29, 2026. 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

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

Fire and Ice ~ Review

Welcome to the Blog Tour for 

Fire and Ice by Carolyn Miller, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

 

Fire and Ice

Northwest Ice Division #1

By Carolyn Miller

Hannah Wade has always loved sports, especially hockey. With her dreams of professional playing shattered along with her ankle. But not wanting to leave her love of sports in the dust, Hannah has pursued the one option left to her - sports analyst. Unfortunately, such a career is believed to be better handled by men in the opinions of many. And Hannah's first live interview goes very wrong, seemingly proving the naysayers correct.  

Franklin James is Calgary's newest addition, who is glad to be returning to his home. When an interview goes wrong, he does what he can to help fix the situation. There is something about Hannah that he connects with, he just didn't realize that he had once met her years ago when she was a teenager.

Fire and Ice gives one a glimpse not only into the world of professional hockey but also the world of sports reporting. As Hannah finds her place in her chosen career, she faces public and private opinions that women don't belong in such a world. Her years of experience as an athlete aren't given the weight they deserve because she's just a woman. No matter that she has more playing experience than her coworkers.  

But Fire and Ice is more than a sports book that explores the world of hockey. No, this book also delves into matters of the heart. And no, I don't mean romance, though there is the possibility of that. No, I'm referring to the spiritual heart, the reawakening of her faith when she most needs it.

This is an enjoyable read, and I'll admit it I'm not a hockey fan, so I found this to be an informative read too. I've read a few of the author's works before, but most of them have been her historical offerings rather than contemporary ones. I found the characters to be relatable; most are likable, though there were a small handful that were just Ugh! But all came across as realistic and reminded me of people one would meet in one's own life. A well-written and engaging story that could make me watch, on occasion, a hockey game. Maybe from home.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations, but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

About the Book

Title: Fire and Ice

Series: Northwest Ice Division #1

Author: Carolyn Miller

Publisher: Independently Published

Release Date: July 10, 2023

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Hannah Wade loves sports, so when injury is swiftly followed by an opportunity to be one of Calgary's first female sports analysts, she jumps at the chance. Trouble is, some of the old dinosaurs she works with thinks she's nothing but a fluff-piece, there to add ratings and stir controversy among the fiercely loyal hockey fans. She longs for the chance to prove herself, so when an opportunity comes along to interview newly traded defenseman Franklin James, she meets him, with disastrous effect. 

Growing up with three sisters means Franklin thought he knew something about women, but nothing had ever prepared him for the sparkling firecracker that is Hannah. And yet her vibrant personality holds a sweetness and soft side, something that draws his interest and protectiveness when an interview goes south

Can these two overcome prejudice and see a way forward? And what has faith - or the lack of - got to do with anything? Fire and Ice is the first book in the new Northwest Ice hockey romance series, a sweet and swoony, slightly sporty, Christian contemporary romance series that continues the legacy of the Original Six, and is perfect for fans of Becky Wade, Courtney Walsh and Susan May Warren.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub

Also Available

     

     

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About the Author

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of romance, Carolyn loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her bestselling, award-winning Regency and contemporary novels are stories that offer hope, heart, and a twist of Aussie humour.

Connect with Carolyn by visiting carolynmillerauthor.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

 

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. 

The giveaway begins at midnight July 10, 2023,

 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 17, 2023. 

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

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

Drive ~ Review

Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life
By Kelley Earnhardt Miller
With Beth Clark

Forward by Dale Earnhardt JR.

First, off I'll admit it I'm not a NASCAR fan. I've seen it in passing but my dad was a fan - not diehard but if a race was on and he was off for the day he'd watch it. But whether or not you are into NASCAR this book has a lot to offer. Glimpses of what life behind the scenes is like for those who are in it and the personal perspective of the family behind the racer.

Kelley Earnhardt Miller offers a glimpse into her life as the daughter of Dale Earnhardt and as a NASCAR driver and as a businesswoman. She offers valuable insights on how to succeed in life and in business while drawing on her own experiences and overcoming obstacles along the way.

I really think the following quote is an excellent summation of what this book is all about. "Our early days don't have to dictate the rest of our lives, but they do influence and determine much about the way we think and feel, the way we relate to others, the way we approach and solve problems, our work ethic, our likes and dislikes, and our priorities." Your past has shaped your present but you can determine how your future will play out. It is up to you to define who you are with what you have been given. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life

Paperback: 224 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 9, 2021)

Successful businesswoman and daughter of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. shares her story of growing up in the world of auto racing and the lessons she learned along the way.

Just like a racecar as it takes to the track, each of us needs a certain amount of fine-tuning for our journey through life. In Drive, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, daughter of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and sister to Dale Jr., opens up about growing up in the world of NASCAR, sharing the lessons she learned about being a successful business leader and what she discovered, often the hard way, about winning in life.

Kelley never felt she was winning at anything until she began to deal with the thoughts and feelings that were driving her decisions and taking her in the wrong direction. Her journey of transformation is what empowered her to run the family business in an entirely different way than she had previously and to lead people not only with her head but also with her heart.

Drive offers nine important lessons learned about winning in business and in life, given not as a formula for greatness but as insight from a fellow traveler on a journey that is sometimes difficult, painful, unexpected, or confusing—and sometimes exhilarating and joyful:

• Be Authentic and Approachable
• Know How to Make Decisions
• Position for Success
• Let Go to Move Forward
• Customize Your Communication
• Aim for the Win-Win
• Manage Your Emotions
• Balance Your Work With Your Life
• Lead from the Heart

Become a stronger person and a more effective leader by facing the truth about your own life in a healthy way, and then drive to the win!

Purchase Links

Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Kelley Earnhardt Miller

Kelley Earnhardt Miller is part owner and general manager of JR Motorsports and is considered one of the most prominent businesswomen in NASCAR today. She oversees the company’s race team, management team, and business ventures for her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr. The daughter of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardt Miller graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in business administration. A multiple-award recipient, she was named in 2015 as one of SportsBusiness Journal’s Game Changers/Women in Sports Business for her impact on the motorsports industry. Kelley is married to L.W. Miller and is mom to Karsyn, Kennedy, and Wyatt.

Connect with Kelley

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Steal Away Home ~ Review

Steal Away Home
By Billy Coffey

Steal Away Home takes place during Owen Cross's first Major League game. It's just a one-game stop before returning to the minors. But this will be a game that he will never forget, one that is filled with the ghosts of the past - the dreams, the memories, and the regrets. The date is June 5, 2001, and the place is Yankee Stadium and it is the culmination of Owen's life's work and the fulfillment of his father's dreams.

Memories of his friendship with Micky Dullahan keep filling his thoughts as the day and game progress.  Mickey, was a nothin' in the eyes of Camden, called Shantytown home. Her friendship with Owen and Micky was a secret kept from Camden and their fathers. And it was the one thing that could have kept Owen from following his father's dream of a career in the majors.

But the Summer of 1990 changed everything because Micky had an experience that no one ever expected to have. An encounter with God and one that drove a wedge between what was and what is. For 11 years Owen has been running from that summer and now he is facing what he gave up and left behind for a dream.

Steal Away Home is more than a baseball story or a story of first love. This is a story of everlasting, eternal love. A love that is above all others. A love that has to be accepted in order to experience it.

Now I will admit I had a bit of trouble getting into this book when I first started reading it. The back and forth between the present and the past at times got a bit confusing but once I got into the story the flow became easier. Some of the dialog has a definite Southern flavor to it so don't get thrown off by this as it adds an additional depth to it. Overall it is a fairly good story. I've read a few of Billy Coffey's work in the past and this is the best of his work in my opinion.

Fans of baseball will enjoy this book and its weaving of an actual game in with the fictionalized portions. With baseball season soon to be upon us pick this one up and stay for all nine innings.

I was provided with a review copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

About the Book:

Owen Cross grew up with two loves: one a game, the other a girl. One of his loves ruined him. Now he’s counting on the other to save him.

Owen Cross’s father is a hard man, proud in his brokenness, who wants nothing more than for Owen to succeed where he failed. With his innate talents and his father’s firm hand guiding him, Owen goes to college with dreams of the major leagues—and an emptiness full of a girl named Micky Dullahan.

Owen loved Micky from the first time they met on the hill between their two worlds: his middle-class home and her troubled Shantytown. Years later he leaves her for the dugouts and the autographs, but their days together follow him. When he finally returns home, he discovers that even peace comes at a cost. And that the hardest things to say are to the ones we love the most.

From bestselling author Billy Coffey comes a haunting story of small-town love, blinding ambition, and the risk of giving it all for one last chance.

Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them ~ Book Blast with Excerpt

Baseball’s Dynasties 
          and the 
Players Who Built Them

By Jonathan Weeks

About the Book:

Title: Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them

Author: Jonathan Weeks

Publisher: Rowan and Littlefield

Pages: 408

Genre: Sports History

Baseball has had its fair share of one-and-out champions, but few clubs have dominated the sport for any great length of time. Given the level of competition and the expansive length of the season, it is a remarkable accomplishment for a team to make multiple World Series appearances in a short timespan. From the Baltimore Orioles of the 1800s who would go to any length to win—including physically accosting opponents—to the 1934 Cardinals known as the “Gashouse Gang” for their rough tactics and determination, and on to George Steinbrenner’s dominant Yankees of the late twentieth century, baseball’s greatest teams somehow found a way to win year after year.

Spanning three centuries of the game, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them examines twenty-two of baseball’s most iconic teams. Each chapter not only chronicles the club’s era of supremacy, but also provides an in-depth look at the players who helped make their teams great. Nearly two hundred player profiles are included, featuring such well-known stars as Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Pete Rose, as well as players who were perhaps overshadowed by their teammates but were nonetheless vital to their team’s reign, such as Pepper Martin, Allie Reynolds, and George Foster.

With a concluding chapter that profiles the clubs that were on the cusp of greatness, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is a fascinating survey of what makes some teams dominate year after year while others get only a small taste of glory before falling to the wayside. Written in a lively style with amusing anecdotes and colorful quotes, this comprehensive book will be of interest to all fans and historians of baseball.

For More Information:

• Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:

Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District area of New York. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany. In 2004, he migrated to Malone, NY. He continues to gripe about the frigid winter temperatures to the present day. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research, he writes about the game because he lacked the skill to play it professionally. He still can't hit a curve ball or lay off the high heat. Baseball’s Dynasties is his fourth nonfiction work.

For More Information

• Visit Jonathan Weeks’ website.
• Connect with Jonathan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

With a roster full of superstars, the Orioles captured three straight pennants from 1894–1896. They followed with a pair of near misses, placing second in 1897 and 1898. Along the way, they developed a reputation as one of the nastiest teams in baseball. John Heydler, an umpire who would later ascend to the NL presidency, described the Orioles of the 1890s as “mean, vicious, ready at any time to maim a rival player or an umpire.” Infielder John McGraw was proud of that distinction. “We’d go tearing into a bag with flying spikes as though with murderous intent,” he boasted. “We were a cocky, swashbuckling crew and wanted everybody to know it.”

Pirates great Honus Wagner manufactured a tall tale about a harrowing trip around the bases against the Orioles. After driving a ball deep into the outfield, he claimed to have been tripped at first base by Jack Doyle and then knocked flat by Hughie Jennings at second. Climbing to his feet, he lumbered toward third, only to find John McGraw holding a shotgun on him. “You stop right there!” McGraw allegedly bellowed. Although Wagner’s story is obviously apocryphal, numerous reliable accounts confirm the fact that the Orioles resorted to underhanded tactics regularly. When they weren’t physically accosting opponents, they were treating them to streams of verbal abuse. Baltimore players were so free in their use of profanity that a resolution was adopted in 1898, imposing mandatory expulsions upon anyone using “villainously foul” language.

Even the groundskeepers at Baltimore were deceitful. Soap flakes were mixed with the soil around the pitcher’s mound to make the hands of opposing hurlers slippery when they reached into the dirt.  Orioles moundsmen knew to keep untainted soil in their pockets. The infield was mixed with clay and rarely watered, creating a surface not unlike cement. Baltimore players chopped down on the ball, creating dramatically high hops that gave them a head start to first base (hence, the origin of the term Baltimore chop). The outfield was ruddy and riddled with weeds. Outfielders allegedly kept extra balls hidden out there in the event that the ones in play eluded them.