Book Tour: Living Under the Influence by Todd W. Schultz @RABTBookTours

 

How Grace Sets Us Free from the Performance Mindset

Christian Living / Spiritual Growth / Inspirational

Date Published: September 2, 2025

Publisher: Lucid Books Publishing

The performance mindset leaves many Christians feeling stuck—working hard to please God but never quite feeling at peace. Doubts creep in, making the peace of God feel just out of reach, as if we’re playing an endless if/then game: If I do everything right, then maybe I’ll be okay with God.

Living Under the Influence shows how grace frees us from that cycle. It invites us to confront five common myths we often believe about God and ourselves:

If I pray and read the Bible more, then God will change how I feel about myself.

If I live a holy life and make good choices, then God will be pleased with me.

If my life is messy, then God won’t choose or accept me.

If I clean up my act first, then God can use me in His kingdom.

If I become a better person, then God will bless me with a better life.

If you’re a Christ-follower who genuinely wants to love God through how you live, this book offers a different lens—a way of thinking rooted not in performance, but in grace. And grace changes everything.

 

About the Author

 

 Todd Schultz is an experienced writer and educator with a passion for communicating the transformative power of the grace of God. His years of teaching and ministry provides scriptural insight for growing as a believer and practical application for living out the Christian life. Todd teaches doctoral students at Liberty University and lives in Chattanooga, TN, where he and his wife Jackie enjoy photographing the historic and natural landscapes of the southeast.

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Review: A Very Sticky Murder (A Darcy and Mozart Cozy Culinary Mystery #9) by Greta Sinclair

A Very Sticky Murder

A Darcy and Mozart Cozy Culinary Mystery #9

by Greta Sinclair

Published: November 12, 2025

Genre: Cozy Culinary Mysteries, Mystery, Crime, Amateur Sleuth, Cozy Mystery

Blurb:

Food critic and amateur sleuth Darcy Finnegan thought returning to Vermont for Thanksgiving meant cozy traditions, maple treats, and a dash of family drama—not a shocking murder.

When a shady real estate developer is found dead near the candy station of her family’s historic sugarhouse, Darcy, her clever Schnoodle Mozart, bestie, and Interpol Agent Marcus Evans are pulled into a mystery as sticky as spilled syrup.

The victim’s scheme to clear local maple groves for luxury homes earned him more than a few enemies. But things get personal when a prized candy mold vanishes, the murder weapon disappears, and Mozart is suspiciously framed.

Meanwhile, Marcus struggles with a burning confession that could change their relationship forever.

With secrets swirling and danger closing in, Darcy must uncover the truth before the next body drops and the sweetness of home turns deadly.

Bonus Recipe Included!

Perfect for fans of Ellery Adams, Ellie Alexander, and a strong seasonal bake, this maple-laced mystery delivers a bite of suspense with a dollop of cozy charm.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

My Review:

A Very Sticky Murder, yet another delightful mystery in Greta Sinclair’s A Darcy and Mozart Cozy Culinary Mystery series, captivated me from the start. I've relished many of the Darcy and Mozart Cozy Culinary Mysteries, but I truly believe that A Very Sticky Murder stands out as the best. I adore that Darcy returned home for her family’s Thanksgiving at their charming sugarhouse.

The joy and affection shared among everyone were truly heartwarming. The ambiance radiated warmth and a sense of coziness. I could nearly envision the enticing aromas as they began their baking.

Darcy arrives with her new boyfriend, Interpol Agent Marcus Evans, her clever Schnoodle Mozart, and her dear friend Lizzie. This marks Marcus's first introduction to her family, and he is quite anxious about the entire situation.

All are anticipating a wonderful time, and everything seems to be unfolding beautifully until real estate mogul Freddy Alden shows up, only to later be discovered face down in a sticky pool of maple syrup.

Darcy must uncover the truth behind what happened to Freddy before her family’s reputation is tarnished and Mozart is wrongfully accused as the prime suspect, along with her relatives.

I wholeheartedly recommend grabbing a copy of A Very Sticky Murder for another delightful and heartwarming mystery to unravel. Yes, I realized after reading it that my comment may sound a bit off, but I trust you understand the sentiment I intended to convey.

Check out all the books in the Darcy and Mozart Cozy Culinary Mystery series I’ve read.

Murder at the Museum #4

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Murder in Munich #5

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Lanterns Masks & Murder #6

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Moonlight, Matcha & Murder #7

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Murder, Marigolds & Mezcal #8

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

A Very Sticky Murder #9

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Connect with Greta Sinclair

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Book Blitz: Great Exploitations – A Hollywood Fable by K.R. Levin @RABTBookTours

Fiction / Satire

Publication Date ‏: ‎ April 19, 2025

Publisher ‏: ‎ BearManor Media

Hollywood is brutal, especially for an aging TV writer who is not connecting with her audience. Unemployed Charlotte DeBlane finds herself at precisely that moment until she turns her tragic youth into a sparkly tweenaged dramedy.

The legendary Fable Studios snaps up her project as a vehicle for their newest hot starlet, Milary Stanton. Despite a tsunami of production nightmares, the show becomes a smash hit.

When the disappearance of an essential crew member wreaks of corporate foul play, Charlotte finds her dream job turned into a nightmare. Ultimately, the inevitable forces of money, power, and talent collide, forcing Charlotte to choose where her future leads.

K.R. has been working in Hollywood for more than four decades. Some of his early credits include special effects on Mystic Pizza, and Leadman on Breakin 2 is Electric Boogaloo. He also worked on the original Lizzie McGuire and went on to prop master many kids’ shows, from Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide to Wizards of Waverly Place and Lab Rats. K.R. lives in California with his therapist/author wife. 

 

 

 I have been working in Hollywood for over four decades. After graduating from Hampshire College in 1981, I moved to Los Angeles. Some of my early credits include special effects work on Mystic Pizza and serving as a Leadman on Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. I also worked on the original Lizzie McGuire and went on to serve as a prop master for many kid shows, including Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Lab Rats. I recently moved more into motion pictures, including Promising Young Woman and Lyle, Lyle Crocodile for Sony Pictures before officially retiring in 2024. I live in Camarillo, CA, with my therapist wife, Laura and two Bengal cats-Crouton and Bang Bang.

 

In addition to all that jazz, I am a licensed pilot since 1989. I served as crew chief on a privately-owned WWII bomber named Feeding Frenzy during the nineties. I have a 3d printing workshop and a large model train layout at my home. I regularly fly RC gliders and FPV aircraft out the back of my house.

 

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Blurb Blitz + #Giveaway: Verb Tenses by M G da Mota @GoddessFish

VERB TENSES

by M G da Mota

GENRE: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Thirty-four-year-old Raquel Whiteman has it all: beauty, a high-powered career, a very rich fiancée, a loving brother and a stepfather she adores. Life is good. Until her mother commits suicide. Clearing the paraphernalia of her mother’s life she finds old photographs and journals which plunge her into a search for the truth about her real father and early childhood, forsaking everything including her engagement to travel a path she is powerless to resist. Like a giant wave the past travels fast and comes crashing down on her, flooding her mind with incomprehensible fragmented memories and continuous questions – What? Why? Why?

Excerpt:

Her mother’s bed was empty. Only her baby brother was there, peacefully asleep in his cot. She noticed the room was somehow different. There were clothes, books, scattered carelessly over the floor; a stool lying upside down; a chair on its side. The little girl didn’t understand. Mummy liked everything just so. Mummy always told her off when she forgot to tidy her room and put away her toys. Her heart thumped again. Something must be wrong for Mummy not to clean her own bedroom. Her fear increased. For one scary moment she thought she might have been left alone with the baby.

The screams came again. From downstairs. Hesitantly she walked towards the staircase, stopping on the landing to look through the railings. The stairs were in complete darkness but a strong beam of light escaped through the half open door of the lounge.

The voices were still shouting. They spoke ugly, the little girl thought. She heard bad words. Mummy had told her that little girls should never say them. There was a sudden heavy thud. Fright gripped her. Perhaps there were burglars. She must be brave and help Mummy.

Carefully, silently, moving as she had once seen her kitten move while stalking a grasshopper, the little girl began walking down the stairs towards the beam of light.

Author Bio and Links

M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.

Connect with M G da Mota

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Giveaway:

$20 Amazon/BN

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

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