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Grandpa’s Comrade Book Spotlight and Excerpt

January 20, 2026 by Melissa Brander
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This post is not a review post, but I did voluntarily receive a complimentary copy of this book that I am choosing to highlight today. The Bookshop link is an affiliate link and I will earn if you choose to purchase this book at Bookshop.

Grandpa's Comrade JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Grandpa’s Comrade by Kelsey Gjesdal, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Grandpa's Comrade

Title: Grandpa’s Comrade

Author: Kelsey Gjesdal

Publisher: Kelsey Lee Writes LLC

Release Date: November 11, 2025

Genre: Christian YA fiction, multigenerational fiction, military fiction, adventure novel

A boy who wants to be a hero. A girl who just wants to be lost in her books. And a Grandpa with a past that won’t leave him alone.

Teens Jess and Will are stuck with their grandparents for three weeks while their parents go on a second honeymoon. Neither are too excited to be bored in a house full of off-limits secrets. But when Will’s curiosity gets the best of him, the siblings uncover a mysterious box with a hidden message that could change everything. As former Navy SEAL Grandpa plans a rescue mission for a long-lost comrade, the teens must decide if they’re ready for a real adventure. Jess and Will must navigate the unknown territory of South Korea… and Grandpa’s PTSD. With each new clue comes haunting memories, and time is running out. Can Jess and Will find Grandpa’s Comrade before it’s too late?

Join Jess and Will as they learn about true bravery, family love, and the price of heroism.

Excerpt: “Will!” Jess nudged him and pointed to the conference table. There, on the North Korean side, was a crudely carved letter E. Will quickly sat down at the table and reached underneath. Tacked under the edge was a blank piece of paper. Will shoved it into his pocket, just as the tour guide asked him not to sit in the chairs.

“Sorry, sir,” Will apologized, quickly standing. The guide stared at him for a moment, then moved the group along.

The group headed back to the bus, but the tour guide stopped Jess and Will. “You’re not supposed to be in my group,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“We didn’t mean to butt in, it’s just that the guard outside looked really upset that we weren’t with your group, so we joined you guys,” Will explained.

The guide shook his head. “What concerns me more is that there are two unaccompanied American youths tagging along here. Now, I want a straight answer from you two once we get on the bus—who are you, what are you doing here, and what did you take from the table in T3?”

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author’s Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop


About the Author

Kelsey Gjesdal
Kelsey Gjesdal is an award-winning author and host of the Wholeheartedly with Kelsey Lee podcast. She is the author of the Truth Squad Trilogy, A Woman of Excellence Ruth Bible study, and, most recently, Grandpa’s Comrade. Through fiction and nonfiction writing and podcasting, Kelsey seeks to encourage Gen-Z to live wholeheartedly for Christ. When she’s not writing and podcasting, you’ll find her serving in her local church’s children’s ministry, playing music, or reading a book with a cup of coffee in hand. She resides in the beautiful state of Oregon.

Connect with Kelsey by visiting kelseyleewrites.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a print copy of Grandpa’s Comrade plus a $15 Amazon Gift Card!

Grandpa's Comrade JustRead Tours blog giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 20, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 27, 2026. Winners 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


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

JustRead Publicity Tours
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About Melissa Brander

Melissa Brander is the founder of Pocket Homeschool and the SMART Homeschool Society. She focuses on helping homeschool moms feel enough, recognize their strengths, and equip themselves with lifelong learning in order to homeschool successfully by providing SMART resources that are simple to implement, meaningful family experiences, academically oriented, reasonably priced, tools for explorative learning. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and their two boys who have been homeschooled their entire lives.

Previous Post:The Seed of Faith Book Review

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy

    January 20, 2026 at 3:42 pm

    Fabulous excerpt

    Reply
  2. Shelly Peterson

    January 20, 2026 at 8:06 pm

    Sounds like a good book.

    Reply
  3. Jcp

    January 21, 2026 at 6:41 am

    Sounds fantastic

    Reply
  4. MICHAEL LAW

    January 21, 2026 at 6:33 pm

    This looks like a novel I will thoroughly enjoy. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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Pocket Homeschool

I help homeschool moms feel enough, recognize their strengths, and equip themselves with lifelong learning in order to homeschool successfully. I accomplish this by providing SMART resources that are Simple to implement, Meaningful family experiences, Academically oriented, Reasonably priced, Tools for explorative learning.

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