By Teddyrose@1
Filed Under Book Tours, Guest Reviews | Tagged With: Action, Never For Glory by Lloyd Lofthouse, Suspense, Thriller
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Never for Glory: Josh Kavanagh Thriller, Book 2 by Lloyd Lofthouse
Publisher: Three Clover Press (June 25, 2023)
Category: Action, Suspense, Thriller, Love Story (but NOT a romance)
Tour dates: January 11-February 22, 2024
ISBN: 979-8988505709
Available in Print and ebook, 293 pages
He’d give his life for his country. But this time, it’s personal.
Josh Kavanagh burns for vengeance. Parachuting with no backup into a lawless area of southern Venezuela, the Special Ops legend is intent on hunting down the rogue agent who put his wife in a coma. But as soon as he gets feet on the ground, the loyal protector discovers he’s dropped into a trap… and a sex trafficking operation run by the Russian mob.
Fighting his way out and desperate to rescue the victims with minimal body count, Josh plans a daring raid on a remote ranch. But after learning the identity of the mastermind behind the hit on a former lover, the talented operative takes the law into his own hands on a hell-bent solo mission for revenge…
Will Josh’s single-minded thirst for justice finish on the wrong side of a gun barrel?
Never for Glory is the pulse-pounding second book in the Josh Kavanagh thriller series. If you like determined heroes, tough conflict ripped from the headlines, and page-turning action, then you’ll love Lloyd Lofthouse’s pursuit of payback.
Guest Review by Mark
‘Sliding his SEAL blade from its scabbard with his right hand from his waist-belt, he didn’t have time to go for a better target higher up, so he went for the man’s liver, buried the blade in it, and twisted.’
Josh Kavanagh has not had a very good run of things lately. And not just because he spends the beginning of this book fighting his way through a landmine-filled patch of southern Venezuela– no, the bad luck began before that.
See, Josh’s wife, Rachel was recently attacked and is now comatose, with little hope of ever regaining consciousness.
Most people might find it difficult to get out of bed under those circumstances, but Josh blocks out his emotions by putting himself entirely into his work. And what is Josh’s work, you ask? He is the commander of a special black ops military group. Which is, of course, not exactly the kind of job where you can call in sick.
Josh and his partner, Cheéte parachute into the Venezuelan countryside to find and capture a man named Damien Bran. Bran is a known sex trafficker and an all-around bad guy. He is also the man that is responsible for Rachel’s attack.
So, it’s safe to say that Josh has several reasons for attempting to capture Bran. But things do not go as easily as Josh plans when he gets his feet on the ground and…you are going to have to read the book to find out exactly what happens!
‘Never For Glory,’ is a dynamite book to sink your teeth into, with lots of heart-pounding action and witty dialog. I had a great time reading this from start to finish and I’m sure that you will, too. If you have not read the first book in the Josh Kavanagh series, ‘The Patriot Oath,’ I would recommend picking that one up as well!
5/5 Stars
Multi award winning author, Lloyd Lofthouse is a former US Marine (1965—1968) and combat vet managing PTSD. After the Marines, he went to college and earned a BA in journalism and later an MFA. After working as a nightclub maître d, he taught English and journalism in a public high school. For his first published novel, My Splendid Concubine, Lloyd visited mainland China several times to learn more about that country’s people, culture, and history.
He’s the author of the award-winning novels My Splendid Concubine, Running with the Enemy, The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova, and the memoir Crazy is Normal, a classroom exposé. His short story, A Night at the Well of Purity was named a finalist in the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards.
Websites: http://lloydlofthouse.org/ & https://thesoulfulveteran.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lflwriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lloyd-Lofthouse-168775989838050/
This giveaway is for 3 ebook copies and is open to the U.S. only.This giveaway ends on Feb 23, 2024 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Kickoff Jan 11 Excerpt
Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings Jan 12 Review
Ellen Goodreads Jan 16 Review
Mike Goodreads Jan 18 Review
Kari From the TBR Pile Jan 26 Guest Review- Gud Reader & Excerpt
Linda Lu Goodreads Jan 30 Review
Denise GoodReads Amazon Feb 6 Review
Dawn Bound for Escape Feb 7 Guest Review- Sal
Gracie Goodreads Feb 8 Review
Suzie My Tangled Book Skeins Reviews Feb 9 Review & Interview
Book Girl Amazon Goodreads Feb 13 Review
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Feb 14 Guest Review-Mark
Liam Goodreads Feb 15 Review
Kathleen Celticlady’s Reviews Feb 16 Guest Review- Laura & Guest Post
DTChantel Amazon Feb 19 Review
Bee Book Pleasures Feb 20 Review & Guest Post
Smitty Goodreads Feb 22 Review
By Teddyrose@1
Filed Under Book Tours, Excerpt | Tagged With: Action, Love Story, Never For Glory by Lloyd Lofthouse, Suspense, Thriller
| 3 Comments»
Never for Glory: Josh Kavanagh Thriller, Book 2 by Lloyd Lofthouse
Publisher: Three Clover Press (June 25, 2023)
Category: Action, Suspense, Thriller, Love Story (but NOT a romance)
Tour dates: January 11-February 22, 2024
ISBN: 979-8988505709
Available in Print and ebook, 293 pages
He’d give his life for his country. But this time, it’s personal.
Josh Kavanagh burns for vengeance. Parachuting with no backup into a lawless area of southern Venezuela, the Special Ops legend is intent on hunting down the rogue agent who put his wife in a coma. But as soon as he gets feet on the ground, the loyal protector discovers he’s dropped into a trap… and a sex trafficking operation run by the Russian mob.
Fighting his way out and desperate to rescue the victims with minimal body count, Josh plans a daring raid on a remote ranch. But after learning the identity of the mastermind behind the hit on a former lover, the talented operative takes the law into his own hands on a hell-bent solo mission for revenge…
Will Josh’s single-minded thirst for justice finish on the wrong side of a gun barrel?
Never for Glory is the pulse-pounding second book in the Josh Kavanagh thriller series. If you like determined heroes, tough conflict ripped from the headlines, and page-turning action, then you’ll love Lloyd Lofthouse’s pursuit of payback.
From Never for Glory CH. 28
He thought the mess they were in was his fault. Wanting to catch the monster that almost killed Rachel, he’d carelessly rushed into a mission without one of his special ops teams and no backup plans. He’d never done that before. That recklessness had almost gotten Mia, Adrienne and the others killed, and this shit-show wasn’t over yet.
His stomach was tied in knots and ached. It also didn’t help that his mouth tasted awful from the coffee beans. With him as useless baggage, the odds were against her making it to the coast. It was time to say goodbye and send her on her way. He didn’t see another choice. He didn’t have to lie to her… much. All he had to do was convince her to go to the coast alone and meet The Oath Group Team on the trawler.
“What’s taking so long?” he called, hating the sound of his feeble voice.
“You will see,” she replied.
“I want to talk to you.”
“So, talk.”
“To your face.”
“Porra de merda,” she cursed. “No time for this.”
Jesus, he thought, she sounded like someone on a special ops team. God, he was going to miss her. Then he laughed, grimacing from pain as he did so. Once he was dead, he would miss no one. That cursed emotion was for the living, the friends and family that might grieve after he was gone. He knew what that was like. He still grieved, survivor’s guilt, for all the team members he’d lost.
He didn’t fear death, but unbidden memories of his SERE training had triggered a lot of lost sleep over the years, often waking up drenched in sweat, desperately gasping for air. The only person he’d talked to about what happened during Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training was Dr. Tate. It was one of those courses you wanted to forget that refused to leave you alone when you slept.
During SERE, the red team had captured him and waterboarded him in a shed with black widows, their webs clouding the ceiling, crowded with eggs, hundreds of spiders hanging there watching. When he wasn’t strapped to that chair with the cloth bag over his head thinking he’d die as they poured water over his face, there was the loud poetry and music filling that freezing, bare concrete cell so he couldn’t sleep. Sometimes, when he awoke in the dark from one of those flashbacks, he heard that freaky recording of Boots, a poem by Rudyard Kipling, or Throbbing Gristle’s Post-punk crap, taking him back, shivering on the wet concrete, praying for silence, begging God for the peace that came with death.
That’s why on missions, he always carried a pill and reserved one pistol round in case he lost or couldn’t reach the pea-sized cyanide capsule. If SERE wasn’t the real thing, he didn’t want to find out what was.
And with all the top secret shit he knew, there was no way he’d risk becoming a prisoner and propaganda tool for his country’s enemies. If he’d been with one of his teams, they would’ve carried him out, even if he was dead. They’d all been through SERE, and knew what each of them would do to avoid capture, explaining why special ops teams will fight to the death against overwhelming odds.
“What you want?” she asked, opening his door, bringing him back from those past horrors.
Breathing slowly, he looked her in the eyes. “Show me you still know the morse code I taught you.”
With a sigh, she fished in a pocket and took out the small laser light and showed him she knew what to flash at the trawler. “Now, I go back to work.”
“Not yet. When my team picks you up, they’ll take care of you. I already made the arrangements. I want you to know you’re going to be safe in your new life. Cat and Clay will treat you like family.”
Since losing the cyanide in the Toyota, when the truck exploded at the roadblock, he had no choice but to use the Sig Sauer, right after he set the truck on fire to burn his body to charcoal. Leaving no evidence that might be traced back to him and The Oath Group.
Clearly irritated by his silence, she placed both fists on her hips and repeated. “No time for this!”
Unbidden, his eyes filled with tears, and his nose started leaking. “You’re not making this easy, okay?” His voice cracked; tears blurring his vision. Good God, why did his fucking emotions have to betray him and turn this farewell into a melodrama?
“I’m trying to say goodbye,” he continued, forcing the words out. “The odds are against you making it if you have to lug me through these mountains to reach the coast. That’s why you have to go alone.” Now was the time for the little lie. “After you link up with the team, you can bring some of them back to get me. That wristwatch will guide you to this spot.”
Her silence wasn’t what he’d expected, along with her angry expression. Why wasn’t she arguing with him? Damn! He wanted—no, needed—a different parting, one that at least ended with a hug or handshake. He tried one more time. “If we don’t see each other again, I want you to know that you have earned my deepest respect. I’m proud of you!”
She continued glaring at him. “Finish it, puta de cu punk,” she said, spitting the words at him like shards of ice. “You lie!”
That shocked him. Drying up the tears. “Okay,” he said, fighting anger, wondering why she’d insulted him like that.
Adrienne reached into a pocket and pulled out a handful of bullets. “I’m not stupid, idiota,” she said, …
“The writing is fantastic, and the characters are very well-developed. Although this is a great work of fiction, if you are a conservative, a Christian, or a Trump supporter, you probably don’t want to read it.”-Lisa’s Writopia
“The author did a fine job of fleshing out his characters. Overall, the story carries you in fine style toward the conclusion. It gets a bit gory at the climax but with the news stories we see today on the television and internet, it’s not uncommon to see these things. I understand that there will be another book in the series called Never For Glory and this reader would be interested in seeing how it picks up the storyline.-Marion, Moonlight Musings
“a fascinating storyline that jumps out on the first page and does not quit giving till the last. The action is incredible with lots of new gadgets and toys for the guys to play with. The mystery and intrigue keep redlining and blowing off the top. The best part is the descriptions and details that Lloyd brings to us to put us right in the middle of the action, so don’t forget to breathe while you’re reading! Certainly, can’t wait for the next book from this exciting author! An amazing read from a former US Marine and now giving us a sample of his knowledge.”-DeeGott
“excellent characters, interesting moral ambiguity. sad ending. but one of the best books of its type that I have read in a long time.”- Gary Furrow
“I really enjoyed this book, particularly the characters. I will be disappointed if this not book 1 of a multi-book series.”-Joe D.
“Excellent book, story and clear history to the end. I strongly recommend the book and the book writer to be followed.”- Cesar Carreras
“I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Great story and unforgettable characters!”-Daniel Pyle
Multi award winning author, Lloyd Lofthouse is a former US Marine (1965—1968) and combat vet managing PTSD. After the Marines, he went to college and earned a BA in journalism and later an MFA. After working as a nightclub maître d, he taught English and journalism in a public high school. For his first published novel, My Splendid Concubine, Lloyd visited mainland China several times to learn more about that country’s people, culture, and history.
He’s the author of the award-winning novels My Splendid Concubine, Running with the Enemy, The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova, and the memoir Crazy is Normal, a classroom exposé. His short story, A Night at the Well of Purity was named a finalist in the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards.
Websites: http://lloydlofthouse.org/ & https://thesoulfulveteran.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lflwriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lloyd-Lofthouse-168775989838050/
This giveaway is for 3 ebook copies and is open to the U.S. only. This giveaway ends on Feb 23, 2024 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Kickoff Jan 11 Excerpt
Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings Jan 12 Review
Ellen Goodreads Jan 16 Review
Mike Goodreads Jan 18 Review
Kari From the TBR Pile Jan 26 Guest Review- Gud Reader & Excerpt
Linda Lu Goodreads Jan 30 Review
Denise GoodReads Amazon Feb 6 Review
Dawn Bound for Escape Feb 7 Guest Review- Sal
Gracie Goodreads Feb 8 Review
Suzie My Tangled Book Skeins Reviews Feb 9 Review & Interview
Book Girl Amazon Goodreads Feb 13 Review
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Feb 14 Guest Review-Mark
Liam Goodreads Feb 15 Review
Kathleen Celticlady’s Reviews Feb 16 Guest Review- Laura & Guest Post
DTChantel Amazon Feb 19 Review
Bee Book Pleasures Feb 20 Review & Guest Post
Smitty Goodreads Feb 22 Review
By Teddyrose@1
Filed Under Book Tours, Guest Reviews | Tagged With: and Military., Kidnapping, Native American, Political Thriller, Psychological, romance gone wrong, Suspense, Terrorism, The Patriot Oath by Lloyd Lofthouse, Vigilante Justice
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The Patriot Oath by Lloyd Lofthouse
Publisher: Three Clover Press (July 8, 2021)
Category: Political Thriller, Native American, Terrorism, Psychological, Vigilante Justice, Kidnapping, romance gone wrong, suspense, and Military.
Tour dates: November, 2021
ISBN: 978-0986032899
Available in Print and ebook, 266 pages
AND HE THOUGHT BEING IN THE MARINES WAS TOUGH …
After twenty-four years, Special Forces legend Josh Kavanagh has retired from the military. But now that he’s home, he’s finding that everyone has a different understanding of his motivations, and realizes that there are some wounds no amount of time can heal.
Josh’s traumatized sister, Suki, thinks her big brother is a hero and has come home to punish her rapist, the youngest son of a ruthless, crooked billionaire who lives to get revenge on anyone he sees as a threat to his family, wealth, and power.
Josh’s childhood sweetheart, Rachel, hopes he’s returning for her—the fierce girl he left behind when he joined the military. But Rachel doesn’t know about Mia, the woman in France …
And Josh isn’t coming home alone. The Oath Group, an elite force of private military contractors, is already in Montana waiting for their commander to arrive.
The DOD and CIA don’t want President Trump to know they hired Josh’s Oath Group to examine dangerous white supremacist militias that are threatening the U.S. Constitution. That covert black-ops military operation is starting in Idaho and Montana. Josh and his teams have to get the job done while preserving their anonymity—and their lives.
NOTE: this novel grew out of a prompt in a VA Vet Center PTSD support group that focuses on writing as a form of therapy. Everyone in that group was a combat veteran that included Marines, Special Forces, medics, combat photographers, et al. The combat vets in that group heard the entire novel as it was written chapter-by-chapter, starting in March 2018.
Guest Review by Mark S.
‘The Patriot Oath,’ by Lloyd Lofthouse is equal parts action packed and poignant with a little bit of romance mixed in.
Career Marine Josh Kavanagh left home to join the service 24 years earlier. At the start of the book, he returns to his family’s farm in Montana with the intention of helping his sister through the aftermath of her rape.
Josh’s sister, Suki was attacked by a local rich kid, who used his father’s money to evade punishment by the court, and Josh intends to give the young man his comeuppance in the way only a decorated Marine can. However, before he can solve this problem, Josh must deal with the hurt and pain that he caused by leaving his family and his teenage girlfriend, Rachel.
Josh soon discovers that the town that he left almost a quarter century earlier has changed in a lot of big ways, and that he may not be able to right the wrongs that he caused all those years ago. On top of all this, a group of private military contractors called ‘The Oath Group’ has traveled with Josh and is waiting for him to command them.
There is something for every reader in this roller coaster ride of a novel. Whether you are a fan of military stories, special ops stories, romance (without a happily ever after), or family drama, ‘The Patriot Oath,’ has it all!
Lofthouse writes all of the characters in this novel as fascinating and relatable, even as they (and especially Josh) are doing some pretty incredible things. Readers could learn a lot from this novel, not just about military operations but about writing in general.
This is a familiar story with a fresh, new take and one that will be enjoyed by fiction readers from all walks of life. Pick this one up, you won’t regret it! It deserves all 5 stars!
I received the Kindle version for my honest opinion.
Multiple award winning author, Lloyd Lofthouse is a former U.S. Marine and combat vet with a BA in journalism and an MFA, with a focus on writing. He’s the author of the award-winning novels My Splendid Concubine, Running with the Enemy, The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova, and the memoir Crazy is Normal, a classroom exposé. His short story, A Night at the Well of Purity was named a finalist in the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards.
Websites: http://lloydlofthouse.org/ & https://thesoulfulveteran.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lflwriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lloyd-Lofthouse-168775989838050/
Amazon (Get it on Sale During the Kindle Countdown Deal Nov 18-24)
Indiebound
This giveaway is for 1 autographed print copy open to the U.S. only and ends on November 25, 2021, 12 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Nov 1 Kickoff & Interview
Kim F. Amazon Nov 4 Review
Mark S.Teddy Rose Book Reviews Nov 9 Review
Todd K. Amazon & Goodreads Nov 10 Review
Avonna Loves Genres Nov 11 Review & Excerpt
Dee Donadee’s Corner Nov 15 Review
Katy Celticlady’s Reviews Nov 16 Guest Review & Excerpt
Patricia S. Amazon Nov 18 Review
Bee Book Pleasures Nov 19 Interview
Marion Moonilght Musings Nov 22 Review
Mindy A Room Without Books is Empty Nov 23 Review
Lisa’s Writopia Nov 24 Review & Guest Post
