A moment of trust can shift into something far more complicated—and far more lasting—than anyone expects. Boy Altared leans into that tension, tracing a coming-of-age journey shaped by authority, belief, and the quiet unraveling of innocence. Set against the backdrop of a turbulent era, it blends personal struggle with the larger cultural shifts of the time.

Learn about Boy Altared and author J.S. Pavoggi--and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: April 1, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Intrigued by his grave past, Father Nelson brings him into the church as an altar boy under the mentorship of Harry, an older acolyte. The priest quickly gains control over Jamie, using the boy’s complicated history and his own undisputed authority to initiate a dark turn in their relationship. Jamie falls deeper into the world of religion, and his blooming friendship with Harry becomes a needed distraction from the somber realities of the church. 

Shaped by major cultural events, from the Manson murders to the moon landing, to Woodstock and the Civil Rights Movement, Jamie’s life unfolds as he navigates religion, power, and loss of innocence. A haunting coming of age story, Boy Altared explores a seismic shift into adulthood during one of the most turbulent decades in history.

 J.S. Pavoggi was born in 1957 and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the sixth of eight children in a devout Catholic family. He attended parochial school, served as an altar boy, and came of age during the turbulence of the Vietnam War era and the cultural upheaval that followed. 

After a 40-year career in public service with the United States Postal Service—where he also served as a union representative—Pavoggi experienced a life-altering heart procedure that changed the way he saw the world. What began as an impulse to write a better streaming series evolved into a powerful, fictionalized account of survival and healing. 

His debut novel, Boy Altared, is a deeply personal work of historical fiction rooted in memory, silence, and resilience. Pavoggi lives in Arizona with his wife of 38 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.

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Bloodstone Series #4

Date Published: 11-10-2025

Publisher: Books to Go Now

Detective Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner were told to look into the matter. Their investigation reveals evidence of suspicious and unusual activity but no clues regarding the man’s disappearance. The few leads they develop take them from the world of wealthy families and into the secret society of sexual peculiarities.

The detectives discover the victim didn’t simply disappear. He was murdered. They have the evidence except for one problem, they’re missing is the victim’s body.

My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream.

I’m currently working on the Bloodstone Series, which is historical suspense stories set in Victorian London. I’ve also written two World War 2 romances: The Ack Ack Girl and Moonlight Serenade.

My past series include my historical/time travel romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters.

Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.

I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and three wild and crazy rescue dogs.

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Today, I have a historical fiction novel in our featured spotlight! Learn about Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution and author Janell Strube. 

Painter of the Revolution

Date Published: January 13, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

The daughter of Parisian shopkeepers, Adélaïde dreams not of marriage or titles but of earning a place among the masters of French art. With Queen Marie Antoinette on the throne and a spirit of change in the air, anything seems possible. But as revolution brews and powerful forces conspire to deny her success, Adélaïde faces an impossible choice: protect her life—or fight for a legacy that will outlast her. 

Inspired by the true story of one of the first women admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution is a sweeping, evocative portrait of ambition, courage, and resilience in the face of history’s fiercest storm.

 

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About the Author

 Janell Strube makes a mean barbecue sauce. She’s also a world traveler, a baker, and a bicyclist. But when she writes, her identity as an adoptee often steers her attention to topics of alienation, erased history, and displacement.

In 2024, a personal essay of hers was published in the anthology Adoption and Suicidality. Her work has also appeared in Shaking the Tree and A Year in Ink. Her short memoir, “Taking my Blonde Daughter to a Black Lives Matter Rally,” was selected for the 2020 San Diego Memoir Showcase, an annual live storytelling event.

While much of her writing is personal, she enjoys the freedom that comes with crafting fiction. Her desire to learn about forgotten female artists who shaped the French revolutionary period motivated her to write Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution.

When not crunching numbers as a tax executive for a hotel chain, she can be found hanging out with Shiloh the Wheaten and plotting her second book.

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This morning, in our book teaser spotlight, I have a western-themed historical mystery to share! Learn about Elmer Kelton's The Blessing and author John Bradshaw, read an excerpt from the book & be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

Date Published: 12-03-2025

Publisher: Devil's Claw Press

Trouble is, it was bought from his old adversary, Fat Gervin, who is still as crooked as ever. Gervin finds a seeming loophole in the contract and tries to pull another fast one on Hewey, who is fed up with Gervin’s endless treachery. Tensions rise, and when Gervin is shot, it’s Hewey who’s on the hook for the crime. But things are never as they seem, and it’s up to an eclectic cast of characters to sort it out, and for Hewey to learn what’s really important in life. 

Written by longtime journalist turned novelist John Bradshaw, who was selected by The Elmer Kelton Estate to continue the Hewey Calloway tradition.

Read an Excerpt

The morning sun was warm on Hewey’s face as he neared the Circle W’s eastern fence and the road beyond. When he crossed a small hill just west of the road, he saw an automobile parked outside the fence and a man struggling to open the wire gate that led into the ranch. Hewey rode nearer and saw the man was a stranger. He was older than Hewey by a decade or so, soft in the middle and wearing a dark suit and a snap-brim driving cap. 

Although Morgan Jenkins occasionally visited the ranch in his automobile, Pincushion had certainly never been this close to one of the machines. He snorted and sidestepped, threatening to do something untoward. Unconcerned with the horse’s feelings, Hewey swatted the dun on the hip with the heavy tail of a rein. Pincushion decided Hewey was more of an immediate threat than the vehicle, and he moved forward cautiously. 

The gate was made of five strands of barbwire with a cedar stay tied in the middle and another at each end. The gate fastened with two loops of barbwire, one at the top and another at the bottom. The gate had to be pulled tighter, by hand, to release the wire loops that held it closed. The man in the suit was having trouble with the task. He looked up as Hewey approached. 

“Mornin’,” Hewey said cautiously. He and Pincushion both eyed the stranger with some wariness. 

“This is the Circle W Ranch, is it not?” asked the man abruptly. “I am looking for a man by the name of Hewey Calloway. Do you know where I might find him?” 

Hewey thought that one over for a moment. The man did not strike him as a lawman. In any case, he had been on the straight and narrow, for the most part at least, since Spring had expressed her dislike of public drunkenness and the misfortunes that so often befell Hewey during those occasions. 

“Yes, sir,” he said finally. “This is the Circle W, and I’m Hewey Calloway.” 

“That is excellent news,” said the man. “My name is Howard Stephens. I am an attorney in Alpine, for the time being at least. I have some information for you, and some paperwork. Would it be possible for us to go someplace where we might sit and talk? Somewhere out of this sun? It’s getting dreadfully hot already.” 

Everything Hewey knew of lawyers taught him to be wary. “What do we need to talk about? Am I in some sort of trouble? I been behaving myself pretty well for a couple years now.” 

“No, Mister Calloway. I assure you this is all good news. I guarantee it, to be precise, but it is a bit lengthy to get into out here.” 

Hewey was still uncertain, but his curiosity got the best of him. “We can go up to headquarters. It’s just a few miles thataway.” He nodded his head west. 

“Perfect,” said Stephens. “Now, would you mind helping me with this gate? It seems to be broken.”

Bradshaw attended South Plains College followed by Texas Tech University. He spent several years shoeing horses for a living as his writing career progressed. 

While the desire to write books was always there, Bradshaw first pursued a career in journalism. He wrote numerous stories for ranching, horse and horseshoeing magazines. 

Growing up, Livestock Weekly came in the mail once a week, as it does for most in the livestock industry. Writing for Livestock Weekly was always a goal, and in 2005 Bradshaw’s first story was published. It was a profile of Brownie Metzgar, a humorous cowboy still working in a feedlot while in his late 80s. 

In 2007 Bradshaw accepted a fulltime position with Livestock Weekly. While with the paper he had over a thousand stories published, as well as enough market reports to give him permanent nightmares. 

Horses have always played an important role in his life. The son of a horseshoer, he has spent a significant amount of time either on or under a horse. He still shows in both ranch horse and reined cow horse competitions. 

He and his wife, Sara, live outside Abernathy. Sara owns an architecture firm, SK Architecture Group, and they raise Spanish goats, hair sheep and cattle. 

In 2013 the couple had a stillborn son, Fox Joaquin Bradshaw. After several years of heartbreak they adopted an infant boy, whom they named Julian Boone Bradshaw. Boone died in his dad’s arms following an accident at the barn five days before his sixth birthday.

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