My Thoughts - THE FORBIDDEN HEIRESS by Gledé Browne Kabongo

 

Sabree Warner's biggest mistake wasn't taking the job—it was being born. Drowning in grief and desperate for work, brilliant cancer researcher Sabree Warner leaps at the chance to join Montague Pharma, one of the world's most powerful pharmaceutical dynasties. Her first assignment seems straightforward: investigate why promising drug compounds were mysteriously abandoned before they could be developed into life-saving medicines. But someone doesn't want her digging. A car nearly runs her down on a quiet street and speeds away, and her apartment is vandalized. Undeterred, Sabree probes further and uncovers a twisted game of corporate espionage. The abandoned drugs weren't shelved by accident—they were buried to hide a secret that could destroy the Montague empire. Then Sabree discovers her connection to the powerful Montague family runs deeper—and deadlier—than she could ever imagine. As a vicious succession battle rages, someone has been watching her every move, someone who has already killed to keep the truth about her identity buried. In this world of ambition and ruthless power games, Sabree is fighting for more than answers. She's fighting to stay alive. Because in the Montague family, secrets don't stay hidden, they get eliminated. Book Details: Genre: Psychological Thriller Published by: Indie Publication Date: October 22, 2025 Number of Pages: 350 ISBN: 979-8-9913219-6-9 Author Bio: Gledé Browne Kabongo writes twisty, unputdownable psychological thrillers about resilient women navigating dark secrets, deadly lies, and impossible choices. A multiple award-winning indie author, her books resonate best with readers who enjoy thrillers with complex characters, dark secrets, multiple deceptions and betrayals, unforgettable twists, and intellectual and emotional engagement. Her novels include: A GAME OF MALICE, OUR WICKED LIES, FOOL ME TWICE, CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE,FEARLESS SERIES. Readers have described Gledé’s work as “unbelievably addictive,” “brilliant,” “unputdownable,” and “haunting and complex.” Gledé has spoken at multiple industry events including the Boston Book Festival, Sisters in Crime (SinC) New England Crime Bake, and the Women in Publishing Summit. She lives outside Boston with her family.  Catch Up With Gledé Browne Kabongo: WWW.GLEDEKABONGO.COM GOODREADS BOOKBUB – @GLEDBROWNEKABONGO INSTAGRAM – @AUTHORGLEDEKABONGO FACEBOOK – @GLEDEKABONGOAUTHOR My Thoughts  The Forbidden Heiress is written by  Gledé Browne Kabongo. This is a new to me author, and I hope to be able to read more of her work. This is a fast paced gripping thriller that you will not want to put down. This book grabbed my attention within the first few pages. I mean, what's not to love? There are family secrets, and corporate conspiracies.  Sabree Warner has just lost her mother to cancer. She is a brilliant cancer researcher - and after losing her mother something shifts within her. She starts to feel that that is the start of something big. She gets a job at Montague Pharmaceuticals. It is here her life begins to change.  Montague Pharmaceuticals is a family owned company. She is recruited to find out why promising cancer treatments were mysteriously shelved. However, as she starts to dig in she realizes that someone wants the answers to stay hidden. She becomes a target.  This book is well written, with short fast paced chapters. I loved the writing style. I loved the character development, and going down the rabbit holes of big pharm conspiracies.  Thank you to the author, publisher and Partners in Crime Tours - all thoughts are my own.  Giveaway: This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Gledé Browne Kabongo. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited. The giveaway is for:    2 $25 Bookshop.org Gift Cards, US Only  https://www.promoamp.com/c/the-forbidden-heiress-by-glede-browne-kabongo  THE FORBIDDEN HEIRESS by Gledé Browne Kabongo November 17 – December 12, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

My Thoughts - Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement Author: Ladonna Shanks

 

About the Book

Book: Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement

Author: Ladonna Shanks

Genre: Devotional, based on personal experience; Memoir; Adult Nonfiction; “Life Lesson Essays”

Release Date: April 8, 2025

“What is God like?

Does He even exist, other than as a figment of the imagination?

Or is He real, a part of daily life and our world?

In Sermons from a Soapbox, Ladonna Shanks shares her personal spiritual journey of more than seventy-five years. “I cannot write what I have not experienced,” serves as the base of her easy-to-read, anecdotal essays. The short “sermons” challenge the reader to think, question, search, and consider living where God is . . . in the spiritual, long-term, instead of humankind’s physical, short-term.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Ladonna Shanks was born and raised in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. During her several decades of life, she has been an entrepreneur, a small business owner, and, most recently, a writer. Her first book, Tidbits and Pearls, A Book of Essays on Living Everyday Life with God was published in 2019. Ladonna’s family, including five grandgirls, and her commitment to God serve as her priorities.

 

 

 

 

More from Ladonna

The desire and passion to share God’s quest for friendship with humankind has driven me to write of my personal experiences with Him. “I cannot write what I have not experienced” is my mantra.

The easy-to-read anecdotal essays make up both of my books: Tidbits and Pearls, A Book of Essays on Living Everyday Life with God and my newly published Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement. (My editor calls them “Life’s Lessons Essays.)

I never preach, but I share my life. My desire is to challenge the reader to consider life in the long-term, eternal instead of the short-term, physical. I want them to think.

I am open, honest, and transparent as I present my weaknesses, failures, and inadequacies in contrast to God’s faithfulness, care, and love.

MY THOUGHTS 

Sermons from a Soapbox is written by Ladonna Shanks. I really enjoyed this book and felt that I really learned a lot. The book is well organized and I love all the personal touches that the author shared 

The chapters are organized under varying topics. She has the perfect blend of Bible verses and unpacking the using personal circumstances. The words flowed nicely off the page. 

The author is very passionate about her relationship with God. I loved the tidbits of wisdom the author has shared. 

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book —- all thoughts are my own 

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 13

Simple Harvest Reads, November 14 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 15

Artistic Nobody, November 16 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, November 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 17

The Sacred Line, November 18

Lots of Helpers, November 19

Fiction Book Lover, November 20 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 21

Vicky Sluiter, November 22 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 23

For the Love of Literature, November 24 (Author Interview)

Because I said So, November 24 

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 25 (Author Interview)

Girls in White Dresses, November 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Ladonna is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, copy of my book, and a set of 6 blank note cards created by myself using floral photos!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d5a0/sermons-from-a-soapbox-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Thoughts - MAYHEM ON MULBERRY BOOK TWO - Fall of an Empire By: Vincent deFilippo

 

MAYHEM ON MULBERRY

by Vincent deFilippo

October 12 – November 21, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

CHINESE GANGS CLASH WITH THE OLD-SCHOOL ITALIAN “FAMILIES.” It’s 1990 in New York City. The AIDS pandemic is raging, murder is at an all-time high, an arsonist burns 87 people to death in a Bronx social club, and garbage and graffiti overwhelm the city. Though a sense of lawlessness pervade the city, being a gangster just isn’t the same anymore. In fact, it may be the twilight of the Italian mob: Under pressure from the feds and their loss of new recruits, the real menace facing them is the other ethnic gangs that are encroaching on their territory—in particular the Chinese.

AMAZON | KINDLE UNLIMITED| BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKSHOP.ORG | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

BOOK ONE: RISE OF THE EAST

 

What if the only way to protect the one you love is to destroy everything you’ve ever known?

New York City, 1990-a city teetering on the brink of chaos. The AIDS pandemic is ravaging communities, crime is at an all-time high, and the streets pulse with the tension of gang warfare. The once-dominant Italian mafia, now in its twilight, faces a new threat: the rise of ruthless ethnic gangs determined to carve up their territory.

Enzo DeCarlo, heir to a fading mob empire, is caught between two worlds. His father, the old-school Don Vincenzo, clings to the traditions of the past while the DeCarlo family crumbles under pressure from the feds and encroaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean gangs. Enzo’s loyalty to his family has always been unwavering-until he meets the captivating Jen Mo Li, a woman with secrets as dangerous as her beauty.

Jen, the daughter of a powerful Chinese crime family, is no stranger to the brutal world of organized crime. Overlooked and undervalued by her own family, she fights to prove herself in a male-dominated world, growing colder and more ruthless with each passing day. But when her brother is murdered, and the blame falls on Enzo, Jen’s desire for revenge spirals into something far more deadly-especially as her heart betrays her by falling for the enemy.

With tensions between their families at a boiling point and betrayal lurking at every turn, Enzo and Jen’s forbidden love becomes a ticking time bomb. When Jen takes control of the notorious Black Dragon gang, the violence escalates to all-out war in Chinatown, with blood flowing in the streets and power shifting hands. But Jen’s bold moves come at a terrible cost, and when a tragic mistake links her to a human trafficking operation, she finds herself hunted by both the law and her enemies.

As their worlds spiral out of control, Enzo and Jen are forced to make impossible choices. Can Enzo defy his father and the mafia’s brutal code to save Jen and their child? And can Jen survive long enough to claim her throne in the criminal underworld-or will the betrayals she’s suffered drive her to a darker fate?

In this explosive tale of love, betrayal, and survival, nothing is certain, and no one is safe. Dive into the pulse-pounding world of gangland New York, where power, loyalty, and love collide. Will Enzo and Jen escape the deadly shadows of their families-or be consumed by them?

The streets are unforgiving. Are you ready to find out who survives?

Praise for Mayhem on Mulberry: Book One: Rise of the East:

“Mayhem on Mulberry is a fast-paced page-turner that readers will not soon forget, and that will appeal to fans of hard-boiled stories and more grounded crime novels alike.” 
~ Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Book Review

AMAZON | KINDLE UNLIMITED| BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKSHOP.ORG | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

BOOK 2: FALL OF AN EMPIRE

 

How far would you go to destroy the ones who wronged you?

In Mayhem on Mulberry: Book Two, the ruthless battle between the Chinese mob and the Italian Mafia rages on—but this time, vengeance runs deeper than blood. It’s 2020, and Jen Mo Li, presumed dead for decades, is very much alive. Back in New York under an assumed identity, Jen has one goal—to annihilate the DeCarlo family. She’s spent years plotting her revenge, using her beautiful daughter, Julia, as the perfect weapon to tear them apart from the inside.

Nicky DeCarlo, son of Enzo, is determined to break free from the fading mob legacy and start fresh. But when Julia, under Jen’s manipulation, seduces him and lures him into a dangerous heist, Nicky’s dreams of escape turn into a nightmare. Unbeknownst to him, Julia is not just an enemy—she’s his sister.

As the Chinese mob tightens its grip on New York, the Italians plan one last high-stakes score, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. Betrayal, forbidden love, and shocking family secrets collide in a deadly game where no one is safe, and loyalty could prove fatal.

Will Nicky uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will Jen’s plan for vengeance destroy everything he holds dear?

Dive into this pulse-pounding sequel that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Get your copy today and find out who survives the mayhem!

Praise for Book Two: Fall of an Empire:

“Vincent deFilippo masterfully weaves a tale of power, betrayal, and survival, where every choice cuts deep. With characters who are fierce, flawed, and navigating a world where morality collides with necessity, this isn’t just a story; it’s a riveting, adrenaline rush.” 
~ Kathryn Dare, San Francisco Book Review

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Crime, Action
Published by: ViennaRose Publishing
Series: MAYHEM ON MULBERRY

 

Author Bio:

Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, an international financier and former CEO of a private equity fund in Hong Kong, where he aided numerous executives and businesses in raising billions of dollars in capital.

Currently residing in New York, he is a Professor at Monroe College, where he mentors and teaches young people to achieve their goals. Driven by his passion for writing and storytelling, he captivates readers with his fiction works and provides practical business and financial advice through his non-fiction books.

Catch Up With Vincent deFilippo:

VINCENTDEFILIPPO.COM
AMAZON AUTHOR PROFILE
GOODREADS
BOOKBUB
INSTAGRAM – @VINCEDEFILIPPOAUTHOR
LINKEDIN – VINCE DEFILIPPO
X – @DEFILIPPOAUTHOR
FACEBOOK – @VINCEDEFILIPPOAUTHOR

MY THOUGHTS

If you missed my review for book one - you can see it: https://becauseisaidsomyadventuresinparenting.blogspot.com/2025/11/my-thoughts-mayhem-on-mulberry-book-one.html

I was excited about book two - We dive back into the world and see Tensions between Mo-Li  and DeCarlo Crime families. We also see the return of: Jen Mo Li. She has been presumed dead for decades. She has been hiding in plain site for years - but under a different identity. She is ready to come back and seek revenge. 

She wants to take down the DeCarlo Crime family once and for all - and she will stop at nothing to do so. This includes using her own daughter. Jen is no longer just a sidelined figure — she has reclaimed agency and is playing chess in  world that plays checkers. 

Enter Enzo's son, Nicky - he knows the DeCarlo family is on their last legs - and he finds himself being a pawn in Jen's game - he finds himself entangled with Julia. 

There is so much heart pounding action, along with twists and turns that I did not see coming. The book is well written, the storyline engaging - I love a good Mob Thriller. 

Thank you to the author, publisher and Partner in Crime Book Tours for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own. 

GIVEAWAY:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Vincent deFilippo. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

The giveaway is for:    2 - $50 Amazon.com Gift Cards 

https://www.promoamp.com/c/mayhem-on-mulberry-vincent-defilippo