A Life Redeemed Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: A Life Redeemed

Author: Olivia Rae

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 16, 2021

Everyone has a secret, who can a queen trust?

Upon Queen Elizabeth’s order, Audrey Hayes travels to the borderlands of Scotland to learn where the fierce Laird Armstrong’s loyalties lie. Is he aligned with his mother’s English roots in support of the queen, or does he hold with the beliefs of his father, who wishes to see Mary of Scots on the English throne? The fate of Audrey’s family rests on her success in finding the answer.

After losing his lands in a wager and being betrayed by his kin, Gavin Armstrong entered a loveless marriage to obtain the funds to buy back his family home, Warring Tower. Now a widower, struggling against countless border wars, he is on the verge of losing his home and lands again. With few resources, he reluctantly makes another risky wager, one he cannot hope to win without trusting the secretive Audrey Hayes, a woman he suspects is an English spy.

As the two work together to save Warring Tower, their attraction to one another grows. But when Audrey finally gains the information she seeks for Queen Elizabeth, she realizes that the only way she can save her family is to betray the man she loves.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

A Life Redeemed was an interesting read set in a slightly alternate Elizabethan era. I was fascinated to learn about what life was like on the border between England and Scotland, especially with some who were loyalists and others who were Papists. It was also interesting to learn about the early days of the Reformation under John Knox. I’d known there had been a lot of tension during this time period, but I didn’t really understand the extent of it. 

I also enjoyed getting to know the characters. Audrey was a dynamic gentlewoman in that she was graceful and kind, but she also was not afraid to stand up for herself and others. I also liked getting to know Gavin, although he was very dislikable at times, especially with his first few interactions with Audrey. I also liked Thomas, Gavin’s son, although I felt like his character did a complete 180 near the end and I didn’t like it. Lady Francis was another favorite, especially her wisdom and forbearance with everyone. 

Plot-wise it was good, but there were times that the plot seemed to slow significantly and dragged a little. But I still liked it, and I am looking forward to hopefully picking up the next book, which follows a grown-up Thomas. 3.5/5 Stars

*I received a copy of the book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Author

Olivia Rae is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary inspirational romance. She spent her school days dreaming of knights, princesses and far away kingdoms; it made those long, boring days in the classroom go by much faster. Nobody was more shocked than her when she decided to become a teacher. Besides getting her Master’s degree, marrying her own prince, and raising a couple of kids, Olivia decided to breathe a little more life into her childhood stories by adding in what she’s learned as an adult living in a small town on the edge of a big city. When not writing, she loves to travel, dragging her family to old castles and forts all across the world.

Olivia is the winner of the Angel Award, Book Buyers Best Award, Golden Quill Award, New England Readers’ Choice Award, Southern Magic Contest, and the American Fiction Award. She is an Illumination Award Gold and Bronze medalist. She has also been a finalist in many other contests such as the National Readers’ Choice Awards, and the National Romance Fiction Awards. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

More from Olivia

My novel, A Life Redeemed takes place in 16^th Century England and Scotland. A very popular dish at the time was the meat pie. Back then making such a dish took a lot of time. My Grandmother made a similar dish with modern day ingredients that you can whip together in no time. Cheesy meat pie is a real family pleaser and a delicious bit of history.

Medieval Cheesy Meat Pie

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

1 – 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

¼ cup parsley

1 – 3oz. can chopped mushrooms (drained)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

2 packages (8 rolls) crescent rolls

3 eggs

Shredded cheese (mixed cheddar and mozzarella)

 

In skillet, brown beef, onion (drain). Stir in tomato sauce, parsley, mushrooms, pepper and oregano, then set aside. Unroll one package of crescent rolls, forming 12×6 inch rectangle. Seal edges and perforations together. Roll to fit in 9-inch pie plate, trim. Separate one egg and set aside the yoke. Beat egg white with remaining two eggs. Spread over half the dough. Spoon meat into shell, arranging cheese on top. Pour remaining egg mixture over cheese. Roll out second package of crescent rolls, sealing on top of pie. Beat remaining egg yoke and a tablespoon of water, brush on top of dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. If pastry gets too brown, cover with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Blog Stops

Pause for Tales, October 9

Labor Not in Vain, October 9

Artistic Nobody, October 10 (Spotlight)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 11

Genesis 5020, October 11

Bigreadersite, October 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 14

Texas Book-aholic, October 15

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 16

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 16

deb’s Book Review, October 17

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 18

Connie’s History Classroom, October 19

Mary Hake, October 19

Inklings and notions, October 20

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 21

For Him and My Family, October 22

Betti Mace, October 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away the grand prize packaged of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11fe0/a-life-redeemed-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Petticoat Spy Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Petticoat Spy

Author: Elva Cobb Martin

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: October 5, 2021

A Charles Town belle and a blockade runner ignite fireworks in more ways than one during the American Revolution.

To Anna Grace Laurens, the war is like a distant bad dream until her family’s Charles Town plantation is burned and her parents murdered by those loyal to the king. She flees on horseback and leaps into the Cooper River to escape her pursuers.

As John Cooper Vargas sails his sloop down the river, he spots a woman diving into the water. After firing on the Tory raiders chasing her, he rescues her and offers to take her with his parents to an island hideaway for the duration of the war. But she has other plans, including revenge for her parents’ deaths. She insists he drop her off in Charles Town, even with the British planning a massive attack by land and sea to retake the city, the Pearl of the South.

John employs his sailing skills for the patriots, risking capture and death, but he enjoys his skirmishes with the British navy blockade to bring goods from the islands to aid the cause. But when Charles Town falls to the British, he docks his ship in a secret cove and joins Francis Marion’s militia. This decision lands him wounded on a harbor prison ship where more men die than on the battlefield.

Anna Grace braves the deprivations, first of a city barricaded against the British, and then one surrendered and ruled by fists of iron under the English flag and injustice. Can she find a way to rescue John before it’s too late?

As both American and English armies gather near Yorktown, Virginia, for a pivotal battle, can John and Anna’s love for each other and their faith in God preserve them and help forge a new nation?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I was unsure of what to expect from The Petticoat Spy when I started reading it. Literally all I know going into it was that it was set in Charleston during the American Revolution and that our main character would be a spy somehow. However, I really enjoyed this novel. I felt like I learned so much more about the American Revolution, especially with how ruthless the British could be. I also loved how we the readers get to see how even families were divided on the issue of independence. And it was interesting to learn about how it affected Charleston (Charles Town) through its siege and capture. 

I was hooked from the first chapter, and flew through it. My only complaint is that the romance seemed to happen really quickly, and the whole spy plot seemed to very short too, I would have loved for there to have been more. 

Overall, I really enjoyed The Petticoat Spy and I enjoyed learning more about the American Revolution. I hope to read more from the author in the future. 4/5 Stars. 

* I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Author

Elva Cobb Martin is a wife, mother, and grandmother who lives in South Carolina with her husband and a mini-dachshund. A life-long student of history, her favorite city, Charleston, inspires her stories of romance and adventure. Her love of writing grew out of a desire to share exciting stories of courageous characters and communicate truths of the Christian faith to bring hope and encouragement. Connect with her on her web site at http://http://www.elvamartin.com.

More from Elva

I loved researching and writing this historical novel in a day when our nation’s true history is being threatened by political change agents. My faith in our godly heritage and the courage and faith of so many true Americans was confirmed as never before. Who can ever discount the wisdom, bravery, and escapades of Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens, and Thomas Sumter that helped save South Carolina after the British retook Charleston? Who can doubt the prayers and courage of George Washington and the Continental Army, and the many brave patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice, or who suffered privation and loss of property but who never gave up the dream of a free nation? We are the land of the free because of the brave.

In honor of the brave patriots, I placed quotes from leaders in this period at the head of each chapter. Here’s the quote I chose to introduce the book:

The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in the course of the war that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith. –George Washington, August 20, 1778.

Many interesting tidbits I found in my research surprised me. Francis Marion was dubbed the Swamp Fox by his British pursuers who could never catch him. His battle tactics gave him the distinction of being the father of modern guerilla warfare and the inspiration for Mel Gibson’s character in The Patriot. Also, Marion did not drink alcoholic beverages. The drink he prescribed for himself and required of anyone who joined his militia was the old Roman drink of water mixed with a little vinegar. Today we know this as a fortifying concoction, and it probably prevented scurvy and was a natural antibiotic for the militia.

Another surprising tidbit I learned was about George Washington. Barely into his second term as president (1793) the popular French Ambassador Genet stirred up a furor with a lot of the colonists. He wanted to force Washington to join France in their renewed war against England. Having just won our independence, the president refused to lead our fledgling nation back into war. Ten thousand people gathered in the streets of Philadelphia, the nation’s then capital, day after day, and threatened to drag Washington out of his house, raucously demanding that America take up France’s struggle for liberty as France had done for America. The peace and unity of the new nation seemed to be hanging by a thread.

Just when it seemed like the new nation would fall over the precipice into anarchy, America was ultimately saved, according to the later retired Vice President Adams, by an outbreak of Yellow Fever in the capital city. “The coolest and firmest minds,” he told Jefferson, “have given their opinions to me, that nothing but Yellow Fever…could have saved the United States from a total Revolution of government.”

The exploding epidemic sent those who could afford to, fleeing the city, and those who couldn’t, locked themselves up inside their homes.

I discovered this incident of heated colonial protest during the recent rioting and destruction of property that rocked our American cities in the summer and fall of 2020. It actually gave me hope for our nation. It seems there have always been hotheads in every generation who rise up against the rule of law and order. However, America and our wonderful Constitution have been preserved, and we give God the praise, and pray for His continued help.

The Petticoat Spy is, above all, Anna Grace Laurens and John Cooper Vargas’ love story. It’s also the story of the patriot dream and victory over an undefeated British military while also dealing with serious supply shortages and conspiring neighbors who hated the dreamers.

It is my prayer that both threads will inspire hope and encouragement to all my readers.

Elva Cobb Martin

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 5

Life, Love, Writing, October 6

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 6

Rebecca Tews, October 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 8

Texas Book-aholic, October 9

Joanna Bair, October 9

Inklings and notions, October 10

Betti Mace, October 11

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 11

For Him and My Family, October 12

deb’s Book Review, October 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 14

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 15

Connect in Fiction, October 16

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 16

Connie’s History Classroom, October 17

She Lives To Read, October 18

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elva is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dd3/the-petticoat-spy-celebration-tour-giveaway

More Than A Heart Throb Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: More Thank A Heartthrob

Author: Kari Trumbo

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: September 28, 2021

Whoever said beauty is only skin deep lied. Beauty begins from within.

Jazzy is comfortable in her own skin, but the world cringes at it. Her personal armor since her teen years, makeup hides the scars that make anyone who sees them wince. The true test of any friend is: will they accept her without it?

Chris races to Hooper Island to escape a life-altering situation. The only person he knows and can trust there is a woman he met once. It wasn’t a good meeting. Lost and lonely after being the center of attention in Hollywood, he won’t risk losing the one friend he has.

Befriending Chris poses a risk Jazzy is loath to take. If anyone will reject her for her scars, it’ll be a guy whose life is focused on beauty. But as she helps him work through his own problems and his struggles with faith, will she gather the courage to pluck the plank from her own eye?

Once alone and vulnerable, will Jazzy and Chris rely on one another? Or will the force of their polar opposite lives push them apart—for good.

More Than a Heartthrob continues the Hooper Island stories of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

Confession, I went into More Than a Heartthrob pretty blindly and in some ways I’m glad I did because I feel like I enjoyed discovering everything about the story as I went along. I loved getting to know Jazzy a lot more after the events of Matchmaker’s Best Friend. I also enjoyed getting to know Chris as he tries to figure out how his life as a Hollywood star got so complicated and who he is a part from the Heartthrob persona.

I loved how in some ways this was enemies to lovers, but also something that started as a friendship. I also liked the discussion about authenticity and honesty that take place throughout the book, and even addresses self-righteousness.

Side note: But did anyone else find Pen unlikable in this book, I found her to be kind of harsh towards Jazzy for not really good reasons.

Overall, I liked More Than A Heartthrob and I was engaged with the story throughout. I hope we get to see Jazzy and Chris in some of the future Independence Islands books. 3.75/5 Stars.

*I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Kari writes swoony heroes and places that become characters with detail and heart.
Her favorite place to write about is the place her heart lives, (even if she doesn’t) South Dakota.

Kari loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing when no one’s listening, and curling up near the wood stove when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota, land of frigid toes and mosquitoes the size of compact cars, with her husband of over twenty years. They have two daughters, two sons, one cat, and one hungry wood stove.

More from Kari

Hello Readers!

Welcome to the blog tour for More than a Heartthrob. I hope you’ve had a chance to read about the book a little. Thank you to today’s blog host and to Celebrate Lit for the tour and for publishing this great set.

Have you ever walked into a room and felt like everyone was staring at you for whatever reason? For me, it’s my weight. I’ve been overweight since my second year of marriage when I made a personal (and poor) decision to take a medication that made me gain a lot of weight quickly. And because of back pain, I’ve never been successful in shedding it.

For Jasmine (Jazzy), it’s her scars and lack of hair that she hides under makeup and wigs. She’s carefully kept them a secret her entire life. Only her friends and family know. She even has a beauty vlog (video blog) where she talks about faith and gives beauty tips.

But she isn’t happy. She’s lonely because it’s all fake. The skin she shows the world isn’t hers. I know I feel like that sometimes when I hide behind baggy clothes or sit behind a table so no one can really see me.

But, do people really think in their heads what we think they are? All that worry is spent, but it is fruitful? The answer to that, is no. Do some people judge us on our looks, behavior, or faith? Absolutely, but this book challenges the view that people “always” do.

Jazzy is challenged to forgo what she thinks makes her beautiful, it’s a twist on the old beauty and the beast story and I think you’re going to enjoy it. Especially because the guy who believes in her most, is the one society says should be the most critical, a Hollywood actor.

I hope, if you’re one of those people who wishes for a tall plant to hide behind when you’re in a crowded room, that you’ll find a kindred spirit in Jazzy.

Kari

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 2

Blossoms and Blessings, October 2

lakesidelivingsite, October 3

Texas Book-aholic, October 3

She Lives To Read, October 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 5

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 5 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, October 6

CarpeDiem, October 6

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, October 7

SusanLovesBooks, October 7

For Him and My Family, October 7

Connect in Fiction, October 8

deb’s Book Review, October 8

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 9

Splashes of Joy, October 9

Batya’s Bits, October 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 11

Blogging With Carol, October 11

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 12

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 12

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 13

Simple Harvest Reads, October 13 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 14

Kayem Reads, October 14

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 15

Daysong Reflections, October 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kari is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dd0/more-than-a-heartthrob-celebration-tour-giveaway

If I Could Ask Jesus Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: If I Could Ask Jesus

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: Picture Book

Release date: October 2020

Written in rhyme, If I Could Ask Jesus invites children to imagine the lives of angels in heaven. How do they grow wings on their backs? Do they have scooters and skateboards and snacks? At the end, children will be delighted to discover that God’s angels are really mighty warriors who watch over them and protect them each day.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

If I Could Ask Jesus is a cute picture book filled with questions that little kids are bound to ask about God, Heaven, and angels. While the illustrations and the questions don’t reflect what we as grown-ups know and believe about God, Heaven and angels, it does reflect the curiosities and ponderings of a little child. This is definitely a book I could see myself reading to my future children. I also think it could be used to foster more discussions with kids about God and Heaven.

Overall, I Could Ask Jesus is a short, cute, good picture book that I think little kids (and parents) will love. 

*I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Author

Donna Wyland is an award-winning author, editor, mother, grandmother and wife. She is the author of the best-selling children’s book, Your Home in Heaven, and a gift book, Surrender. She lives and writes in Columbus, Ohio in a small room with a view of where the pear trees bloom.

More from Donna

Having experienced much loss early in life, God gave me a heart and a longing to know all I can about living forever with Him in heaven. I did not set out to write If I Could Ask Jesus, but God through the Holy Spirit chose to create it through me. Whether writing for children or adults, I feel that my purpose is to bring the hope of heaven and the joy of the Lord to people wherever they are.

Blog Stops

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 4

Mary Hake, October 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 5

Texas Book-aholic, October 6

Spoken from the Heart, October 7

Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 7

Vicky Sluiter, October 8

Inklings and notions, October 9

For Him and My Family, October 10

deb’s Book Review, October 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 12

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 13

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 14

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 14

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 16

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize package of a hardcover copy of the book and a $50 Magnolia Market gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dd2/if-i-could-ask-jesus-celebration-tour-giveaway

Carmen’s Journey of Courage Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Carmen’s Journey of Courage

Author: Susan K Beatty

Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

Release date: September 14, 2021

Truly the odd woman out, Army weapons expert Carmen belongs to a family where PhDs are almost a second surname.

Oh, and she’s also persona non grata since that one little incident back in her teens. The one that her Tia Graviella still hasn’t forgiven her for. The one her parents and siblings will never let her forget.

A trip to Mexico City, complete with a bit of groveling at Tia Graviella’s feet, might just be what it takes to gain forgiveness and a fresh start with her family. Not only that, her tia is ailing, and someone needs to check up on her. Carmen can solve two problems with one would-do-anything-to-avoid-it trip.

Something is off, however, and as Carmen investigates, she begins to wonder if there’s more to her aunt’s troubles than ill health.

When Carmen sets her course on making things right, will it repair more than the wreckage from a youthful miscalculation?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

Carmen’s Journey of Courage was a quick read and I really enjoyed it.  However, I wish there had been more. I wanted to learn more about Carmen’s relationship with her great aunt and I would have love to have gotten to see some resolution with her sister, wo was my least favorite character, she was just awful. 

I loved being transported to Mexico City and learning a little bit more about the culture there, even if it was brief. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this novella and I can’t wait to read more from Susan K. Beatty in the future, especially her first novel. 4/5 Stars. 

*I received a copy of the book from the author and Celebrate Lit Publishing in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Author

“Courage: The intersection of faith and Grit”

Susan K. Beatty is passionate about finding courage through faith and grit, particularly through the trials of breast cancer. Her daughter is a metastatic breast cancer “thriver” and has been an inspiration for her writing. Susan retired from a full-time job in 2017 and is now pursuing a novel-writing career. Her first novel, “Faces of Courage,” is in revision. Susan is the author of “An Introduction to Home Education” (AKA “California Homeschool Manual”), was the assistant director of the SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference and is the president of her local ACFW-OC Chapter. She is a professional writer/journalist. Susan is proof you can begin a fiction writing career after age seventy.

More from Susan

Have you ever known in your heart you needed to ask someone to forgive you, but the thought scared you so much you were convinced they would reject you? So scared you couldn’t bring yourself to ask?

Sometimes we are more fearful of man than God, conveniently ignoring the responsibility to be right with others and to live in peace. It’s hard to live in peace when that thing, that whatever it was we need to apologize for, is lying like a lump of toxic waste in our hearts.

In Carmen’s Journey of Courage, Carmen ignored her need to ask for forgiveness for years. Well, she didn’t really ignore it, she just kept burying it every time she thought of it. Which was often.

It took an outside force to get her positioned in such a way that she had to face the situation.

Carmen is the odd woman out in her family. Every one of her siblings possesses enough educational degrees to wallpaper a room. But not Carmen. Her two older sisters’ treatment of her pushed Carmen in the opposite direction and toward a desire to find her own way on her own terms. Instead of college, Carmen enlisted and excelled in the army.

As God sometimes does, He uses the exact person Carmen would prefer to avoid—her oldest sister—to get her to Mexico City and their great aunt. Circumstances are not what she expects. She needs to face more than her tía and solve a mystery with the aid of her army training.

It’s a journey of courage.

We all face tough decisions. I wrote Carmen’s Journey of Courage to inspire bravery when life is hard.

Find your courage at the intersection of faith and grit.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 2

lakesidelivingsite, October 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 3

Inklings and notions, October 4

For Him and My Family, October 5

deb’s Book Review, October 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 7

Betti Mace, October 8

Splashes of Joy, October 8

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 9

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 10

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 11

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 12

An Author’s Take, October 12

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dcb/carmen-s-journey-of-courage-celebration-tour-giveaway

A Warrior’s Heart Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: A Warrior’s Heart

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: August 31, 2021

 

Brielle Durand still feels haunted by the massacre that killed her mother a dozen years before. Vowing to never let it happen again, she’s risen to be the key defender for her people’s peace-loving French settlement living in hidden caves in the Canadian Rockies. When a foreigner wanders too near to their secret homes, she has no choice but to disarm and capture him. But now, what to do with this man who looks at her in a strange way and insists he can be trusted?

Hoping to escape past regrets, Evan MacManus ventured into the unknown, assigned to discover if the northern mountains contain an explosive mineral that might help America win the War of 1812. Despite being taken prisoner, Evan is determined to complete his mission. But when that assignment becomes at odds with his growing appreciation of the villagers and Brielle, does he follow through on the promise he’s made to his government or take a risk on the path his heart is leading him down? Either choice will cause harm to someone.

Brielle and Evan must reconcile the warring in their hearts, if they’ve any hope to find the peace the seek.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

I believe that this is my second or third book by Misty M. Beller that I have read, and while it is not my favorite, it was still enjoyable. My only complaint was that not much happened, but that might have to do with the fact that this is the first book in a series and it is setting things up for what happens throughout the rest of the series. 

It was intriguing to learn about the hidden village of Laurent in the Canadian Rockies. However, I wish there had been an author’s note about whether or not the village existed or not, or a village similar to it. But it was fascinating to learn how this settlement would have lived. 

I also enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially Brielle and Evan. I love how Brielle was good balance between fierce and feminine and the genuine care she has for her people. And I liked getting to know Evan and how he is a man of integrity who wishes to complete his mission but wants to do so without it causing harm to the people of Laurent. I hope we get more of their story in the next book. I also hope we get to see Audrey have a happy ending too! 

Overall, while this isn’t my favorite Misty M. Beller book, it was still an interesting read, so much so that I tried to see if there was any information about the next book in the series (which I couldn’t find because it might be too soon). 3.5/5 Stars. 

*I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty

A secret village living in hidden caves for a century…

One of the fun things about being a writer is letting your imagine run away with itself at times. In general, I’ve never considered myself a creative person. Not like my grandmother, who’s an amazing artist and decorator. She can look at something plain and normal and, with a little paint, create something truly beautiful.

But little by little, I’ve finally learned that just because I don’t feel creative like she is, I still have an imagination that can come up with intriguing ideas.

For example, I was listening to a historical podcast a few years ago that talked about the Vikings and the female warriors who would sometimes gain fame among them. As the hosts talked about the first Viking raids to North America, I started thinking… “What if one of those groups went farther west than any of us thought? What if they found the Rocky Mountains and lived there in a hidden community for centuries?” The thought took hold, and little by little, the idea for the Brides of Laurent series came to life.

I eventually changed the village to be a French settlement named Laurent. The village’s primary warrior was a woman named Brielle Durand, who’d worked hard to win her place as Le Commandant, leader of the Guards and Hunters. I love Brielle’s strength and wit, but also how real her personal struggles became as I wrote her character.

Add in a mountain man spy working for the United States government, and you have the secret for a romance with sparks to light up the mountain sky!

I pray you love A Warrior’s Heart, the first book in this new series. And keep an eye on some of the other characters in the book who might get their own stories soon!

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, September 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 30

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 30

An Author’s Take, September 30

Remembrancy, October 1

Bigreadersite, October 1

lakesidelivingsite, October 2

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 2

Joanna Bair, October 2

Inklings and notions, October 3

To Everything There Is A Season, October 3

Reviewingbooksplusmore, October 3

Wishful Endings, October 4

For Him and My Family, October 4

Mary Hake, October 4

deb’s Book Review, October 5

Life of Literature, October 5

Betti Mace, October 6

Blossoms and Blessings, October 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 6

Blessed & Bookish, October 7

Connie’s History Classroom, October 7

For the Love of Literature, October 8

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 8

Connect in Fiction, October 8

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 9

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 10

Through the Fire Blogs, October 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 10

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 11

Simple Harvest Reads, October 11 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 12

Pause for Tales, October 12

Live. Love. Read., October 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dc9/a-warrior-s-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

Elite Blog Tours and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Elite

Author: Kristen Young

Genre: Dystopian/Science Fiction

Release date: September 14, 2021

Where do you find safety when your world is falling apart?

Apprentice Flick thought the Elite Academy was the answer to all her problems. But the revelation of her past turned everything upside down. Now, she is caught between two worlds set on a collision course.

Will she embrace the chaotic memories that flood her every waking moment? Or will she run to the security of her Elite training?

Discovering her parents’ identities takes her to a secret underground bunker where she finds new friends, opportunities, and maybe even love. But Flick must decide where her allegiances lie soon, or the Triumph of Love festival might bring about her demise.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

I need to confess that I had not read the first book, Apprentice, before jumping into Elite, and while there were a few times I felt lost, I still really enjoyed Elite. So much so that I want to go back and read Apprentice (hopefully before the next book comes out!).

I loved being immersed in the dystopian world of the Love Collective, however, it was unnerving to read at times because I could easily see the parallels with our own world. It really seemed like something that could happen, especially the Love Collective and it’s rules, it honestly reminded me a lot of today’s cancel culture. Yet it was also fascinating and I have so many questions about this world, questions I am sure that will be answered in time.

I also found it interesting that God is referred t as the Composer, Christ as Lyric, and the Holy Spirit as Muse. Is this because their names were forgotten throughout history? Or is there some other reason? In some ways it made sense, but it also seemed like an odd choice. However, I did love seeing how Kerr Flick (Cadence) is tasked with learning the different parts of the Song (the Bible), to me I can imagine that this is similar to what the early Church had to do, as well as in countries today that are more hostile to the open worship of Christ.

Overall, this was a very compelling and interesting read and I can’t wait to read more set in this world, as well as see what happens to Cadence and the rest of the Sirens next. 4/5 Stars.

*I received a copy of the book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

A Scottish-born Australian author, Kristen Young has worked in children’s and youth ministry for decades. She writes fiction and non-fiction for teens, and always has a notebook on hand to capture stray story ideas. In her spare time she loves hanging out with her family, watching movies with subtitles, and enjoying a little too much chocolate.

More from Kristen

“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” ― G.K. Chesterton.

Why do we write fiction? There are lots of reasons, really. We write because we have something
to say. Maybe we write because we just love creating stories. Perhaps we love to entertain. Or
perhaps we write because the stories want to be heard, and we’re just letting them fly.

Or perhaps we know that people want stories for a deeper reason. When life is hard, and work
is a struggle, and the world seems just a little too difficult, it’s a great time to escape into a
different place. Another world, where even though bad things happen, we know there will be a
happy ending.

The responsibility of authors is a heavy one. Our readers entrust their imaginations to us for a
short time, allowing us to draw them into a different place. We give them people to follow, and
let them see the world through other eyes. Dilemmas, threats, relationships and opportunities
— all of these things provide a journey for readers, and give them the chance to explore
alternate ways of dealing with life’s problems. We give people the thrill of knowing that even
under the heaviest challenges, there is a chance to grow and survive.

Chesterton said that children didn’t need to learn about dragons, but to know the dragons could
be overcome. Perhaps even as adults we need a little bit of that, too.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, September 30

Artistic Nobody, September 30 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 1

Inklings and notions, October 2

Inside the Wong Mind, October 2

For Him and My Family, October 3

deb’s Book Review, October 4

Library Lady Kid’s Lit, October 5

Simple Harvest Reads, October 5 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 8

Blogging With Carol , October 8

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 9

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 10

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 11

Worthy2Read, October 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 12

Through the fire blogs, October 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kristen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dca/elite-celebration-tour-giveaway

Creative Fusion Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Creative Fusion

Author: Charity Bowman Webb

Genre: RELIGION / Christian Living/Personal Growth

Release date: September 21, 2020

From the beginning of time, God endowed people with His creative intending for them to rule and steward over all the earth.

But Satan—once heaven’s most beautiful and creative angel—convinced Adam and Eve that the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil would give them a power that they already had. The moment that they ate the fruit, they handed their authority over to Satan. Oppression ruled the world; instead of the luminosity of heaven’s pattern advancing through the planet, creeping darkness took hold.

The enemy knows the highly effective powers of creativity all too well. Despite being cut off from its divine origin, he uses it with vigor to effectively communicate his counterfeit and repetitive message across the world.

Creative Fusion follows the interlinking tabernacle pattern of God laid out from Genesis through Revelation to provide Christians with the answers to reclaim the Lord’s creative energy and His DNA that He placed within us.

Author Charity Bowman-Webb wants readers to discover the magnificent wisdom in Scripture that will help them influence every area of society and harvest souls for God’s kingdom.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

This is a tricky book for me to review because while I get the author’s intention, I didn’t agree with her on a lot of things. However, I think it also has a lot to do with how I’ve been taught as a Christian and the fact that I consider myself a cessationist, and this book is probably not one that cessationists would get a lot out of because it talks a lot about dreams and visions that happen today. So with that in mind, it was hard for me to read Creative Fusion, and uncomfortable at times because it challenged my predispositions on those subject matters. It’s not my place to say whether the author is wrong because it could very well be that I am wrong, but it is something I want to study for myself, especially in Scripture.

Again, I did appreciate the author’s intent, as someone who considers  herself a creative person, I would agree that the Church needs to be more open when it comes to the arts and not just that which is produced by Pureflix. However, I did not agree with a lot of the points she made to back up her ideas. But I would like to share a few quotes that I really liked and agreed with, as well as a couple that made me think too:

“The combinations of a person’s callings, gifts, and skills can result in many unexpected outcomes, that God uses for His glory” (Loc. 310).

“Dependency on God will cause continued exploration, which, in turn, will produce extraordinary advances for good upon the earth.” (Loc. 446).

“To reduce the aesthetic arts, beauty, and other creative areas as second-class citizens in God’s kingdom makes no sense if one considers the full breadth of Scripture” (Loc. 1470).

Overall, while I agreed with the author’s intent, there was a lot that I disagreed with her on. However, this book wasn’t for me, but I don’t think it is the author’s fault, but rather my own presuppositions on something like spiritual gifts.

*I received a copy of the book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Charity Bowman-Webb is passionate about the prophetic and creativity. Her goal is to equip people to discover the creative DNA that God has planted in His children so that they can change culture and live their full design.

Charity works to ignite creative and pioneering ways of releasing God’s Spirit in the church and on the mission field. As the director of Streams Creative House, a mission of Streams Ministries International, Charity’s heart and calling are to help believers explore God though a depth of relationship, develop maturity through their revelatory gifts, and see restoration and understanding of the creativity of God released to transform society. She is passionate about helping Christians deepen their relationship with God by exploring their spiritual gifts and God-given creativity for worship, intercession, and mission.

In her native Scotland, she led the national creative team for CLAN (Christians Linked Across the Nation) for six years, helping to form a new pioneering community. She is also the cofounder of Blue Flame Ministry and helped to pioneer an evangelistic movement in prophetic and creative mission, training, and leading teams into secular settings.

Charity is also the author of Limitless: God’s Creative Mandate for His Church. She speaks regularly at ministries and churches for conferences, courses, and special events throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, South Africa, and Singapore.

Charity and her husband, Alan, have two daughters and make their home in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

More from Charity

We believe that God has planted a creative DNA in every single person (Genesis 1); and when

we understand this and how to apply it, we tap into an incredibly powerful, unending source of

wisdom and creativity for any calling. streamscreativehouse.com

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 29

Inklings and notions, September 30

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 1

Texas Book-aholic, October 2

deb’s Book Review, October 3

Cats in the Cradle Blog, October 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 5

Boondock Ramblings, October 5

For Him and My Family, October 6

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 7

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 9

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 10

Artistic Nobody, October 11 (Spotlight)

Mary Hake, October 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Charity is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11b63/creative-fusion-celebration-tour-giveaway

Bandana Acres: Nibbler and Captain Make Peace Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Bandana Acres: Nibbler and Captain Make Peace

Author: Kathy J. Perry

Genre: Early Reader Chapter Book

Release date: May 1, 2018

This makes me mad! What should I do?

Nibbler the beaver works hard to keep his lodge and dam perfectly patched. A river otter knocks a hole in his great work. Now he’s so angry, he could almost spit nails. Can he learn how to handle his anger?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

I was excited to read another installment in the Bandana Acres series. Even though I am not in the target demographic I still enjoyed it and will definitely be holding onto it for my future kids.

I loved the theme of being a peacemaker and how Ollie helps Nibbler to see that Captain didn’t know he was damaging someone’s house. I think there is also a lesson on being patient with others, especially if they come from a different background. I love how Nibbler and Captain become friends and help each other out.

Again, I loved the questions at the end and the glossary of words that might be unfamiliar to young readers. The illustrations are also fantastic!

*I received a copy of the book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

After My Parents Passed,

I re-evaluated what I was doing with my life and my contribution to others. A former classroom teacher and homeschool mom, I’ve always had a heart for educating kids.

In 2016 my daughter and I attended a local arts and crafts fair where I stumbled upon some cute children’s art and thought, “That’s what I can do! Write children’s books.”

I set my mission and started my own publishing company, Chickadee Words, LLC. I would do my best to affect our youth through wonderful stories full of timeless character struggles.

More from Kathy

Regardless of age, conflict resolution is something everyone must learn. Children need to understand the tools/perception necessary to be a peacemaker. Whether shy, aggressive, or in-between, this book can help youngsters deal with anger.

Nibbler works hard to keep his lodge dry and his pond from leaking through his dam. A happy-go-lucky river otter happens by and destroys some of his work. He tries several things to get him to leave, but nothing works. Ollie, the farm dog, asks him some questions which lead Nibbler to a peaceful solution.

Special things about this book (and series) include:

1. Proven easy-to-read font for early readers (Sassoon Primary)
2. In full-color with original watercolor artwork.
3. Leveled by Lexile and Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) for dialing in to your child’s reading level.
4. Yellow words are the character’s inside thoughts (rather than italics, which I thought would be harder to read). Kids enjoy the color. In fact, struggling readers love to read just the colored parts to start – and then want to continue reading! (Each book has its own color for this.)
5. A glossary of newer words with definitions.
6. A “What If” section for discussion with five questions about the story, and five questions of how the theme plays out in real life. (Parents and teachers love these books!)
7. Nibbler and Captain Make Peace is available in hardcover and softcover.

Help your kids learn to read with this fun story and cute watercolor illustrations. This early reader chapter book is perfect for ages 5-8 and can usually be read alone by 2nd or 3rd grades.

Blog Stops

Lights in the Dark World, October 2

For Him and My Family, October 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 3

Texas Book-aholic, October 4

Inklings and notions, October 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 6

deb’s Book Review, October 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 8

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 9

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 10

The Adventures of a Traveler’s Wife, October 11

Mary Hake, October 11

Vicky Sluiter, October 12

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 13

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 14

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card, a softcover copy of the book, digital artwork with motivational phrase, and a custom Hoo-Rag (better bandana). Covered with artwork from the Bandana Acres series, it’s made from soft, knit cloth. Diagrams and video reference illustrate the various methods of use.)

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dd1/bandana-acres-nibbler-and-captain-make-peace-celebration-tour-giveaway

First Line Fridays #65 – Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another installment of First Line Fridays hosted by Reading is My Superpower.

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

“Life is forever changed without her; without the sense of her somewhere near.”

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Dangerous Pursuits Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Dangerous Pursuits

Author: Alford, Harris, Heckenkramp, Hickey, Holder, Kendig, McCoy, Mentink, Nemeth, Putman, Reed, Terry, Worth

Genre: Christian/Clean Romantic Mystery and Suspense

Release date: October 12, 2021

Crisp Days. Cold Nights. Dangerous Pursuits.

The chill of fall brings with it a hint of peril in Dangerous Pursuits, a clean and Christian suspense anthology featuring some of today’s most popular female authors.

Start your fall off right with 15 gripping tales of Clean and Christian suspense from today’s most popular ladies of mystery and suspense. Join Mary Alford, Lisa Harris, Therese Heckenkamp, Cynthia Hickey, Gina Holder, Ronie Kendig, Dana R Lynn, Shirlee McCoy, Dana Mentink, J. Carol Nemeth, Cara Putman, Sharee Stover, Terri Reed, Alana Terry, Lenora Worth on a dangerous journey filled with mystery and suspense that will keep you turning pages until the very. Last. One.

Just .99 cents until October 12th.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

Dangerous Pursuits was a great collection of romantic suspense novels, with variety in the settings and plots. I loved how the plots involved things like a lab that is developing some sort of treatment for COVID; or a former hacker who must use her skills to save her younger brother; intrigue in the Rockies; and a drug trafficker in the heart in of Amish country. Like I said there is something for everyone, plus it’s a great way to get to know some of the top Christian mystery and suspense authors.

Some of my favorite novels from this collection were Stepping from the Shadows by Cara Putnam; Deadly Catalyst by Sharee Stover; Deadly Heights by Ronie Kendig and Sleep Deprived by Therese  Heckenhamp. However, I enjoyed each and every story in this collection and look forward to reading more from each of these authors. But the aforementioned stories are the one that stood out the most to me because of their plots, characters, and even some of the romance.

I highly recommend Dangerous Pursuits for anyone who is new to mystery and suspense, and to those who are long-time fans of the genre. There is a little something for everyone in this anthology. 4/5 Stars.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.

About the Authors

The authors of Dangerous Pursuits are excited to present 15 tales of mystery and suspense to readers for a limited time. From suspense to mystery, clean to Christian, these authors have come together to create a collection of tales that will leave you flipping pages until the very last one.

More from Mary

Have you ever wondered how a book collection comes to be. Well, it all starts with an idea.

Dangerous Pursuits was the brainchild of author Dana Mentink who reached out to me with the idea of creating a book collection featuring multiple authors. We decided we wanted to try and make the USA Today Bestsellers List with this collection which is quite the challenge.

With the help of Cynthia Hickey, who created the fabulous cover for Dangerous Pursuits, we set out to put together a collection of mystery and suspense books to please our readers.

We reached out to some of our fellow authors who graciously agreed to help, and now we are blessed to have this amazing line-up of 15 wonderful authors. Lisa Harris, Therese Heckenkamp, Cynthia Hickey, Gina Holder, Ronie Kendig, Loree Lough, Dana R Lynn, Shirlee McCoy, Dana Mentink, J. Carol Nemeth, Cara Putman, Sharee Stover, Terri Reed, Lenora Worth, and myself, Mary Alford.

The book is set to release on October 12^th. Cynthia gave the cover a mysterious fall feel that we believe will appeal to readers who love mystery and suspense. Next we came up with a catchy blurb that hopefully adds to the fall suspense theme;

Crisp Days. Cold Nights. Dangerous Pursuits.

The chill of fall brings with it a hint of peril in Dangerous Pursuits, a clean and Christian suspense anthology featuring some of today’s most popular female authors.

And so, Dangerous Pursuits was born.

I am very proud to be part of this collection. With so many talented authors bringing their best, I believe our readers will find something they enjoy, and we look forward to each of you reading it.

Because above all else, it’s all about the story.

Blessings always,

Mary Alford

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 1

HookMeInABook, October 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 3

The Adventures of a Traveler’s Wife, October 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 4

Texas Book-aholic, October 5

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 6

Inklings and notions, October 7

For Him and My Family, October 8

Blogging With Carol, October 8

deb’s Book Review, October 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 10

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 11

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 12

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 13

Betti Mace, October 14

Batya’s Bits, October 14

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, the Dangerous Pursuits Authors are giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and an eBook copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11dce/dangerous-pursuits-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Sixth Trumpet Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Sixth Trumpet

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Mid-Grade & Young Adult Dystopian

Release date: June 22, 2021

And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, a day, a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. Revelation 9:15The sixth trumpet has sounded. The world is at war.
Compelled by a night terror, Jackson leaves the relative safety of Red River County on a quest to rescue his missing mother. He plans a quick dash to retrieve her from bondage in Rockwall, but he is thwarted by others who need rescuing at every turn. Big girls, little girls, a medium-size boy, the smartest kid he’s ever known, and one giant dog comprise his army. If there is a God in Heaven, is He really watching out for him? Fifteen-year-old Jackson still hasn’t decided.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

Before I get started with my review, I would like to state that I had not read the first book, The King’s Highwway, which I recommend doing so before reading The Sixth Trumpet. However, I was able to piece together a good portion of what had happened before this installment. But I probably also missed out on some of the character development that takes place in the first book.

I liked The Sixth Trumpet, however, I am still confused as to whether this is set in the “End Times” or if it is just society in decay after an EMP. I know one of the characters says something that alludes to the end times. Also, the dreams that Jackson shares with Al also confused me, but I guess it will make more sense in the next book, since it seems to play a big part in it.

I liked getting to know the characters and watching their relationship and friendships grow over the novel, as well as the characters they meet along the way. However, I found Aria really annoying and bossy. She is so presumptuous about her relationship with Jackson and a lot of other things. I especially didn’t like how she threatened one of the kids they meet to a beating if she didn’t listen to her. I get she is trying to be a maternal figure, but she’s only about 16/17, only a few years older than those kids. Yeah, I don’t like her at all. I did really liked Boggs the dog, although I was confused as to who the Old Man was, is it an angel, a prophet, God? All i  know is that there is something supernatural about him.

Overall, The Sixth Trumpet was okay, but I probably would have enjoyed it a little bit more if I had read the first one. However, I did like it enough that my interest has been piqued for the next book, just to see how everything is wrapped up. 3/5 Stars.

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story gives God glory, and those best-selling stories—fifty-nine titles now—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her—listen at YouTube! Sharing four children and twenty-one grandsugars (three greats), Caryl and Ron (her high-school-sweetheart-husband of fifty-plus years) live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

Some would call THE SIXTH TRUMPET a dystopian fantasy, and it is . . . but it’s also possible that tomorrow, an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) could be detonated over the Midwest and throw America back into the 1800s, before electricity and instant communication we enjoy today.

The “Days of Dread Trilogy” stories are packed with adventure as their young hero, Jackson Allison, his genius and devoted sidekick Albert Einstein Hawking, and his sort-of girlfriend Aria face dangers at every turn trying to save others.

An editor asked, “Why would you write a book about the end times for mid-grade and young adult readers?”
My answer?

“To let them know through reading them that when tough times get here—and they will come—I want my readers to realize God will be right there with them and protect and provide. My hope is to build their faith.”

Jackson starts out an agnostic, but God loves agnostics, too. Jesus died on the cross for them like He did for you and me. He loves Jackson so much that He shows him His power and provision time and time again—

Of course, the boy’s mother and sister, and grandparents, and Uncle Roy are all praying for his salvation. We know what can happen when God’s people pray! How many times have you prayeds, “Father! Whatever it takes, draw my loved one to Your heart!”

Jackson, though, is a stubborn as a Texas Ranger on a mission! His lieutenant succumbs to Holy Spirit’s calling in this story, but not Jackson, although he is being drawn to believe by all the things he cannot explain.

Who do you know who would love these stories? Besides you, I mean! I know you will! Who do you know who needs to read them?

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 23

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 24

Mary Hake, September 24

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 26

Texas Book-aholic, September 27

Inklings and notions, September 28

Girls in White Dresses, September 29

deb’s Book Review, September 30

For Him and My Family, October 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 2

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 3

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 4

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11b5a/the-sixth-trumpet-celebration-tour-giveaway

Dangerous Amish Showdown Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Dangerous Amish Showdown

Author: Mary Alford

Genre: Amish Suspense

Release date: August 24, 2021

Under siege in Amish country…

She must fight for their lives.

Gunshots shatter Willa Lambright’s placid Montana evening—and that’s before she discovers on-the-run lawman Mason Shetler on her doorstep. Willa hadn’t glimpsed her childhood friend since he’d turned his back on Amish country years before. Now the US marshal’s returned with an injured partner, a young witness he must protect at all costs…and vicious Mafia agents dead set on making sure none of them survive.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I need to confess that I was in a little bit of a reading slump when I read Dangerous Amish Showdown and as a result I did not enjoy it as much as I would have if I had not been in a slump. However, I still found it to be an interesting story and I was definitely on the edge of my seat up until the last chapter. 

I loved the setting in Montana, and I loved getting to know the characters, although there was not a whole lot of character development since the novel does take place in the span of 24/48 hours. 

I really liked Willa and Mason and how they try to keep everyone safe. And the author did a great job of making me dislike the villain and his cronies. 

Overall, I did find Dangerous Amish Showdown somewhat enjoyable and I highly recommend it for fans of Amish fiction who are looking for something with a bit more suspense and for fans of suspense. 3.5/5 Stars. 

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Mary Alford loves giving her readers the unexpected. Her titles have appeared on the USA Today list, Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list, and have finaled in the Daphne Du Maurier award of excellence in mystery, The Beverly, The Maggie, and The Selah Awards.

Mary is an avid reader. She loves to cook, can’t face the day without coffee, and her three granddaughters are the apple of her eye. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two spoiled cats and a dog who thinks he owns the place.

More from Mary

When I first heard of the title for my latest Love Inspired Suspense, I smiled. Dangerous Amish Showdown reminds me of the old westerns where the good guys face off with the bad guys and always win. As a child I loved watching them, mostly because my dad loved them so much, and yes, a big draw for me besides sharing the time with him, was seeing the good guys win. It’s what I try to put into every single book I write, and it’s exactly what happens in Dangerous Amish Showdown.

Lately, I find myself reminiscing a lot about childhood things such as watching old westerns with my dad, and smiling at those simpler times.

In Dangerous Amish Showdown, it takes coming back to his simple childhood Amish community for Mason Shetler to realize how special that life once was for him. Through the courage found in a little girl who has lost everything, and the strength of a woman whose future is uncertain, Mason discovered what he had been searching for all along.

I truly hope you enjoy Mason and Willa’s fight to protect young Samantha and the love they find along the way. And I hope their happy ending leaves you with a smile on your face, and maybe takes you back to a simpler time in your life.

Blessings always,

Mary Alford

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 22

Maureen’s Musings, September 22

Hebrews 12 Endurance, September 23

The Avid Reader, September 23

Genesis 5020, September 23

Texas Book-aholic, September 24

Vicarious Living, September 24

Inklings and notions, September 25

Blossoms and Blessings, September 25

Betti Mace, September 26

For Him and My Family, September 26

Lighthouse Academy Blog, September 27 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

deb’s Book Review, September 27

Older & Smarter?, September 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 28

Bizwings Blog, September 28

For the Love of Literature, September 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 29

Living the Good Life, September 29

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 30

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, September 30 (Author Interview)

She Lives To Read, October 1

Bigreadersite, October 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 3

Mary Hake, October 3

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 4

Simple Harvest Reads, October 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 5

HookMeInABook, October 5

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/11b56/dangerous-amish-showdown-celebration-tour-giveaway

Searching for Seven Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Searching for Seven

Author: Tyler D. Smith

Genre: Christian Devotional

Release date: June 2, 2020
The Christian life is meant to be an adventure. Searching for Seven takes readers on a journey of searching for God and searching for your own faith seven days a week. It is a quick read, with lots of stories, Scripture, and encouragement

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

I honestly don’t know where to start with this review because I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. In fact, I found it somewhat generic and even shallow at times. Maybe it’s because the deck was already stacked against this book because of books I had recently read that deal with a similar subject matter.  That’s not to say that searching fr Seven might not be beneficial for those who are new believers, or even teenagers, I think it can be. But as someone who has been a believer for well over a decade and churched her whole life, it just didn’t do much for me. And that might be because I have read quite a few books on the idea of living for Christ every day of the week, and was taught this most of my life.

Even though found Searching for Seven just okay, there were a couple of quotes that did stick out to me near the start of the book:

“Following Jesus isn’t about one big event in our lives…It’s about leaning into what He’s teaching you along the way, even if you don’t realize what He was doing until years later” (4).

“We aren’t promised a happy life on earth. We aren’t even promised tomorrow. But we are promised that Go will be with us in the midst of our pain. And we’re promised an eternal joy for all who believe” (14).

Overall, Searching for Seven was just okay. The author has good intentions, and I’m sure that to the right reader this would be a great tool! 3/5 Stars.

About the Author

Tyler D. Smith is a pastor, NBA sportswriter, and basketball coach. He has also worked in the Christian music industry. He resides in Indiana with his wife Katelyn, and their two daughters Addi and Ellie.

More from Tyler

The Christian life is meant to be a journey, and we were made to seek Truth every day of the week! Searching for Seven is a quick read, filled with fun stories and Scripture to encourage readers, no matter where they are currently at Spiritually. Tyler D. Smith is an NBA sportswriter, coach, author, and speaker. Join him on the journey of a lifetime!

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, September 21

Through the Fire Blogs, September 22 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 23

Inklings and notions, September 24

Simple Harvest Reads, September 25 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 25

deb’s Book Review, September 26

Blossoms and Blessings, September 27 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 28

For Him and My Family, September 29

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 30

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 1

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 2

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 3

Artistic Nobody, October 4 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Tyler is giving away the grand prize package of $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/119f8/searching-for-seven-celebration-tour-giveaway

Trail of Tears Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Trail of Tears

Author: Anne Greene

Genre: Historical with some romance

Release date: 2021
One man fights overwhelming odds to survive and protect. Caught between the love of two beautiful women, which one will he choose?

What if you are a twenty-year-old about to attend college, and your whole world collapses? Your mother and sister are missing, and soldiers murder your father, burn your mansion, and take you prisoner.

Trail of Tears relives one of the most heartrending chapters in American history as the US Government transports the self-governing, wealthy Cherokee nation from their ancestral homeland to relocate in hostile Indian Territory.

The Georgia militia force John Ross, with only a trickle of Indian blood flowing in his veins, to walk the thousand-mile Trail of Tears.

After John protects a full-blood Indian girl from the lustful wagon master, the cruel soldier targets John for retribution—until John’s shoved too far.

Bitter animosity explodes from a jealous Army Captain as John pushes and pulls his Conestoga wagon over mountain roads made muddy by rain and slippery by snow. Yet the persuasive voices of the preacher and his daughter have an impact.

A new destiny awaits John at the end of the trail—if he survives. Four thousand Cherokee do not.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

Trail of Tears was an interesting and heartbreaking book. I had very little knowledge of the Trail of Tears and the removal of Native Americans from their land besides snippets I’ve heard over the years. Anne Greene does a good job of detailing the harrowing journey that the Cherokee had to make after being forcibly removed from their home. I liked how the author shows what life was like from the perspective of John Ross. He was a compelling character and I liked learning about the brutal conditions he, along with so many others, experienced. Side note: It is absolutely disgusting and horrific how Native Americans were treated! 

I liked the writing style, however, I would have liked to have read from some of the other characters’ perspectives, especially Rachael and Bold Hunter. I also feel like the book ended abruptly and that the last scene just seemed to happen with very little build up to that particular relationship. 

I do like that throughout the book John learns more about God and grows in his relationship with Him, but the author didn’t use it as a scapegoat from the pain and suffering he still endures throughout the book. 

Overall, this was a good read, but very heartbreaking too. It was hard to read at times just because of how awful the Cherokee were treated. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 3.75/5 Stars. 

About the Author

Anne’s home is in the quaint antiquing town of McKinney, Texas, just a few miles north of Dallas. Her husband is a retired Colonel, Army Special Forces. Her little gold and white Shih Tzu, Lily Valentine, shares her writing space, curled at her feet. She has four beautiful, talented children, and eight grandchildren who keep her on her toes and running.

Besides her first love, writing, she enjoys travel, art, reading, and way too many other things to mention. Life is good. Whether writing contemporary or historical, her books celebrate the abundant life.

Anne is a multi-award-winning author. This latest book, TRAIL OF TEARS, makes her thirtieth published book.

Anne loves writing about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and about gutsy heroines. Her suspense novel, Shadow of the Dagger, is the first book in her CIA Series. Her Women of Courage series spotlights heroic women of World War II, first book, Angel with Steel Wings. Her Holly Garden Private Investigating series blasts off with Red is for Rookie. Enjoy her award-winning Scottish historical romances, Masquerade Marriage and Marriage by Arrangement. Anne hopes her stories transport you to awesome new worlds and touch your heart.

If you enjoy a short read, you’ll love her novellas: A Small Voice, Love At Christmas, Brides of The Wild West, A Crazy Optimist, Recipe For A Husband, Lacy and The Law, A Williamsburg Christmas, Her Reluctant Hero, Mystery At Dead Broke Ranch, Avoiding The Mistletoe, Lord Bentley Needs A Bride, Keara’s Escape, Daredevils, Spur of the Moment Bride, A Christmas Belle, A Texas Christmas Mystery, Texas Law, Hatteras Lighthouse Mystery, and A Time to Stand which will release in September.

Buy Anne’s books at https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Greene/e/B004ECUWMG. To learn more of Anne and to view her art and pictures of her extensive travel, visit her at www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor. To view Anne’s books go to www.annegreeneauthor.com/anne-s-books.html. Join her newsletter for fun, events, and give-aways at www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.

 

More from Anne

During our Fellowship Class one Sunday morning, a visiting missionary told the bare basics of the historic Trail of Tears, or Trail Where They Cried. I had lived, up to that time, all my life in the northern states, so I had never heard of what happened to the Cherokee Nation and those of mostly Caucasian blood who lived in Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky. The true story captivated me, and I felt this history needed to be told in a fascinating story context.

So, John Ross was born. For research, I travelled the Trail, though in far more comfort than the Conestoga wagons issued to the Cherokee men, women, children, and those with even small amounts of Cherokee blood. Under orders from President Andrew Jackson, the Georgia militia stripped the Nation of their land, their wealth, and their lives and transported them to hostile Indian land in the untamed Oklahoma Territory. At the time, the Cherokees were a civilized nation with a constitution, plantations, schools, and a newspaper. They considered themselves Americans.

The story sounds as if it might be sad … and there are tragic events portrayed, but my Trail of Tears is about hope, overcoming, and finding a new way of life. I think from the first page to the last, you will find Trail of Tears difficult to put down. It’s one of my favorite books!

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, September 20

Bizwings Blog, September 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 21

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 21

Inklings and notions, September 22

Texas Book-aholic, September 23

Betti Mace, September 23

deb’s Book Review, September 24

For Him and My Family, September 25

Reviewingbooksplusmore, September 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 27

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 28

Connie’s History Classroom, September 29

Simple Harvest Reads, September 29 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 30

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 1

Jeanette’s Thoughts , October 1

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 3

Pause for Tales, October 3

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Anne is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/119f7/trail-of-tears-celebration-tour-giveaway

First Line Fridays #64 – The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another installment of First Line Fridays hosted by Reading is My Superpower.

The Slave Dance by Paula Fox

“In a hinged wooden box upon the top of which was carved a winged fish, my mother kept the tools of her trade.”

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Silent Altitudes Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Silent Altitudes

Author: Michael James Emberger

Genre: Cli-Fi Thriller (Climate Fiction/Thriller)

Release date: March 30, 2021
The world looks up to the sky in hopeful anticipation as the Pennychuck Atmospheric Carbon Reduction System comes online. Finally the chance to eliminate global warming will be obtainable.

Within moments, something goes terribly wrong. Dr. Milford Pennychuck races to find the underlying problem that caused so much destruction. Yet when an assassination attempt and system sabotage blindsides him, he has to rely on a surprising ally.

Together they delve into a conspiracy deeper than they can fathom. As the system operates at progressively higher altitudes, the two scientists must find a way to shut it down…or die trying.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I wasn’t sure if I would like Silent Altitudes, especially since it is marketed as a climate fiction book. I was worried about how the author would handle a controversial topic like climate change without alienating readers on either side of the topic. However, he did a great job of making it not be a debate or diatribe one either argument, rather I found it balanced, and the focus to be very much on corruption and what can happen when those in power cause more harm for their personal gain rather than solving or addressing the problem. And I loved it! I flew through it and found myself unable to put it down. In fact, is probably going to be on my favorites of 2021 list. 

Besides stating that I loved Silent Altitudes, I am actually having a hard time trying to convey what I exactly enjoyed because it was pretty much everything. I am realizing I enjoy fiction that involves some sort of speculative aspect to it – I think that term can be used here, I don’t know.  But what I mean is  involves something like the System… which doesn’t exist but could, but probably not yet. If that makes sense. Although I hope nothing like the System is developed because I can just imagine how it could be abused and tampered with. If I could think of something somewhat similar (but not) is The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton (as far as Sci-Fi), but in some ways this is a lot better. 

Besides the speculative aspect of it, I also found the writing very addicting. Typically, I am not a fan of books told from multitude POVs, but the author makes it work and he does so in a way that I enjoyed. I also enjoyed getting to know most of the characters and their motives for the things they do, as well as their determination to survive, but also figure out what is going on. 

I don’t know what else to say except I really enjoyed Silent Altitudes and I highly recommend it! I am looking forward to reading more of the author’s work in the future. 5/5 Stars. 

*I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for an honest review. 

 

About the Author

Michael James Emberger is an author of thrillers and suspense, and he resides in Wilton, New Hampshire. He enjoys weaving narratives of conspiracy and misguided intentions around divisive topics. Where there is debate, there is always room for a villain with goals far out of alignment from either side. Michael is a graduate of Messiah College, where he studied Engineering and met his wife racing solar cars cross-country. When he’s not working on home renovations or writing, he enjoys visiting the ocean and exploring the majesty of God’s creation on the summits of New Hampshire’s mountains.

More from Michael

Silent Altitudes is a Cli-fi (Climate Fiction) thriller set in the near future. I wanted to avoid the current political debates over global warming, so I went with the assumption that the world eventually comes to consensus about what to do. The United Nations rolls out an elaborate technological solution, but sabotage and conspiracy lead to disaster on startup day. That’s the type of angle I enjoy writing. Climate change is the backdrop, but this book is about family and survival and fighting against the greed and corruption that have laid good intentions to ruin. It’s about loss and hope and trusting that God is still in control even when everything seems hopeless.

A significant inspiration for this book was a phrase my daughter would say when she was little: “Hold you Mommy.” It meant she wanted a hug. I contacted Laura, a pottery artist on Etsy, and ordered a custom mug with that phrase as a Christmas present for my wife. Laura was a joy to work with, and our conversation led to me developing characters and themes that provided the heart of my story. I find it’s those little inspirations that make the biggest difference in my writing.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 19

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 20

Rebecca Tews, September 21

Texas Book-aholic, September 22

Inklings and notions, September 23

For Him and My Family, September 24

Blogging With Carol, September 24

deb’s Book Review, September 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 27

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 29

A Reader’s Brain, September 30

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, September 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 1

 

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Michael is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/119f6/silent-altitudes-celebration-tour-giveaway

5-Star Life Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: 5-Star Life

Author: Britney Ruby Miller

Genre: Self-Help, Inspirational

Release date: August 20, 2021
Britney Ruby Miller has faced overwhelming obstacles in her life—extreme challenges to her faith, her family, her marriage, and her business. Each of these challenges alone might have caused her to give up and shut down, closing herself off to all of her hopes and dreams. Instead, she fought back hard, engaging in a faithful fight to attain a 5-star life.

Are you allowing your negative life experiences to transform you—or to undermine you? No matter what obstacles you face, you can learn ways to fight back, “striving for 5” to reach a 5-star life.

Now the CEO of a chain of nationally ranked, high-end steakhouses, Britney has fought the battles of rejection, feelings of low self-esteem, family tragedy, infidelity, infertility, and the global pandemic that threatened not only to close her family’s business but also to decimate the entire restaurant industry. “I am so thankful that God helped me stretch, heal, learn, and grow from my journey so far,” says Britney. “There is absolutely no way I would have been able to function at such a high level at work, balancing so many plates at once, and be full of God’s love and peace even in the hardest of times, without having been transformed through a lifetime of experiences. God used all of my negative experiences to make my life more rich and full of joy and purpose.”

Britney’s ingredients for a 5-star life include:

* Partnering with God to live the life you were meant to live
* Working together for a strong family life
* Cultivating a unified, loving marriage
* Pursuing excellence at your job or business
* Giving back to others in your community and the world

With captivating stories and reflections to take you deeper into principles for success, this book will show you how to keep your faith and hope in the midst of challenges, setbacks, and even tragedy as you persevere with tenacity to attain your 5-star life of excellence.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I’ll admit that when I started reading 5-Star Life, I had no idea who Jeff Ruby was or why he was well-known. But I was somewhat intrigued to read a book by his daughter, even though I knew I would not love it because of the overall message it conveys. It was interesting learning about what life was like growing up as the daughter if a restaurant owner, and even how Britney worked her way up the adder of Jeff Ruby Entertainment. However, there were some things that bothered me, and a lot of things that bothered me, and a lot of it has to do with my personal beliefs regarding God, and just some theological differences. 

First off, i do want to say that I appreciate the author’s openness about her and her husband’s struggles with mental health. This stuck out to me as someone who has recently started working on their own mental health and trying to work through the stigma I grew up with surrounding this topic and that is something that is still somewhat taboo in some Christian circles. 

While the author has an engaging writing style, one thing I didn’t like was the message that if you just work hard and pray hard enough, you too can be as successful as she is. And, true, some people are, but others can work hard all their lives and never become a CEO. Sure, success is and should be measured in different ways and sometimes that is touched on. But I think it does border on promoting some of the same ideas of the prosperity gospel (but maybe that’s just me). 

Overall, 5-Star Life was just okay, it seemed like any other book written by successful businessmen and women – their life struggles and how they achieved success and how you can too with certain steps. I just could not connect to what was being said. Again, it was just okay. 3/5 Stars. 

* I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Author

Britney Ruby Miller is CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, which manages a portfolio of high-end steakhouses widely regarded as among the best in the nation. She directs the company’s seven steakhouses in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, leading a team of hundreds of employees.

“When your father is a steakhouse baron, you don’t just show up and take over the family business when you come of age,” she says. Britney started working in one of the family restaurants at age fifteen and subsequently gained experience in all areas of the business, and she also attended culinary school. Britney was studying in the Lindner College of Business when 9/11 hit, prompting her to switch her major and earn a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the University of Cincinnati before returning to the family business and eventually joining JRCE’s corporate team. She is currently pursuing an MBA from Xavier University.

In her corporate role, Britney’s leadership led to eight years of consecutive same-store sales growth, expanding the company while enhancing the key element on which its success depends: delivering absolutely incomparable total dining experiences in each market. When the economic effects of Covid-19 threatened not only her own business but also the entire restaurant industry and food supply chain nationwide, Britney became an energetic advocate for the restaurant industry and related industries on both state and federal levels.

Britney also helped to develop and launch one of her family’s main charitable endeavors, The Jeff Ruby Foundation. The foundation’s goal is to remove Cincinnati from the “Top 5 Childhood Poverty” lists by providing homes for foster children and lowering the number of kids in the county foster system. Brittney has been named to the “40 Under 40″ lists of the Cincinnati Business Courier and Cincinnati’s Venue magazine, and she is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from restaurant management to marketing to women in business. She serves as a board member of both The Jeff Ruby Foundation and the Cincinnati State Foundation, and she is a member of the Young Presidents Organization.

Britney is a dedicated wife and mother. She is married to Caleb Miller, a former linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals, and they have four children. Committed to putting family first, Britney continually strives to balance family life and work demands, enriching both realms of her life.

More from Britney

How to keep going in the midst of challenges, setbacks, and even tragedy to attain a 5-star life of excellence.

Blog Stops

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 16

deb’s Book Review, September 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 17

Mary Hake, September 17

An Author’s Take, September 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 19

Texas Book-aholic, September 20

Inklings and notions, September 21

For Him and My Family, September 22

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 24

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 25

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 26

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 28

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, September 29

The Space for Grace, September 29

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Brittney is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/119f1/5-star-life-celebration-tour-giveaway

Board Game Review: Disney Villainous

Hello everyone,

Today’s review is on the board/card game Disney Villainous.

Taken from Amazon.

Villanous is a fun and creative board and card game created by Ravenburger. Players get to choose from six Disney villains: Maleficient, Ursula, Jafar, Prince John, the Queen of Hearts, and Captain Hook. Each player is trying to complete an objective for their specific villain before the other players, however, other players can interfere with thier progress by pciking a card from their fate deck and using it to stall their progress. The goal of the game is to complete your villain’s objective and become “the worst of them all.”

While game play can be confusing at first, Villainous is a lot of fun because each game is different, especially since you have the opportunity to play as a different Disney villain each time, which means you have different objective to complete.

This game is especially fun for fans of Disney, especially die-hard fans of the Disney villains. The artwork of the baords and the cards is gorgeous and the different actions that each villain has was very well-thought out. And it is a fun way to compete agaisnt your friends and/or family. It is also the perfect game that can be played between 2 players or more.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

The Watcher Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Watcher

Author: Sara Davison

Genre: Speculative Romantic Suspense

Release date: March 2021

Someone or something is watching Kathryn Ellison.

Kathryn thought she had buried memories of That Night for good—until Nick Lawson returns, reigniting her long-suppressed feelings for him. Seeing Nick has always reminded her too much of the horrible night that changed her life. As much as she wants to be with him, she wants even more to forget. When Nick unexpectedly shows up at her family ranch, Kathryn knows it is finally time to let go of the traumatic past that has held her captive for so long.

David Henley is a captive too—of the dark secret involving Kathryn, a secret he’s kept even from his wife. Now the truth is about to be revealed. And when it is, he could be stripped of everything in his life that matters to him.

A storm is brewing in the spiritual realm, and its effects reverberate through the natural world, summoning otherworldly Beings to the ranch. While Kathryn confronts the memories of That Night and struggles to let them go, she is not as alone in her home as she thinks.

As spiritual and temporal forces collide, Kathryn—and everyone she loves—is about to be caught in the crossfire.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

The Watcher is an interesting and imaginative book. I’ll admit that when I first started reading it, I thought I wouldn’t like it because of the unique perspective it is told from. However, within the first few pages I was hooked and I could not put it down! It is unlike anything I have read before, even though the actual plot is set in the present and follows events that do happen, it’s the perspective that the story is told form that make it stand out!

The story is conveyed by a being, we’re not told what the being is until the very end, so I will not be revealing it. However, there are also other beings that represent the different emotions, feelings, etc. For example, some of the other beings include faith, courage, fear and despair. Again, it was really interesting and reminded me of some of the elements of Pilgrim’s Progress and The Screwtape Letters. However, after reading the author’s note that she had been inspired by The Book Thief (which is narrated by death), I could see some of that inspiration, and it just made it more unique. 

From this being’s perspective we learn more about Kathryn Ellison and how she is learning to live with the aftermath of That Night, as well as to let go of it in some ways so she can open her heart to love. I also loved that there is a story of redemption for one of her attackers, who through the events of that night is saved by God’s grace. 

I could gush more about this book, but I also want others to read and experience it for themselves because it is worth it! I am looking forward to reading more from Sara Davison in the future. 4.5/5 Stars. 

*I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Author

Sara Davison is the author of three romantic suspense series—The Seven Trilogy, The Night Guardians, and The Rose Tattoo Trilogy, as well as the standalone, The Watcher. She has been a finalist for more than a dozen national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol, two Selahs, a Holt Medallion, and three Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children. The words on the mug she uses every morning pretty much sum up her life—I just want to sleep, drink coffee, and make stuff up. Get to know Sara better at www.saradavison.org and @sarajdavison.

More from Sara

The Watcher has taken me on an incredible journey over the last decade. After obtaining my degree in English literature, I longed to write a book. However, I found the idea of sitting down and actually writing one extremely daunting. So, I took every creative writing course, read every book on the subject, and attended every writing conference and seminar I could fine—basically doing everything except writing. Then one Easter Sunday morning, in church, the idea for an entire book—beginning, middle, ending, characters—came to me. Over the next five years, I wrote, rewrote, edited, polished, and got feedback on the book, until I felt it was nearly ready to submit to a publishing contest.

I say nearly because, while the feedback I had received was largely positive, it was still clear that something was missing. A month before the deadline to submit to the publishing contest, it occurred to me what that something was—the timeline. The novel read a bit like a sweeping epic novel that took place over twenty years. While that might work in some genres, it doesn’t play well in romantic suspense.

I had always been intrigued by the idea of a non-human narrator, and it occurred to me that could work with this book. That led me to the idea of using The Watcher, an unseen being in the spiritual realm, as my narrator. When I added in that being and numerous other beings, I was able to shorten the timeline of the book from twenty years to six days.

Of course, this required a major overhaul of the book. I closeted myself in my office for a month, only completing the story the day before the deadline for the contest. That meant I didn’t have an opportunity to show it to anyone or get feedback, so I had no idea whether the idea worked or if the story even made sense anymore.

The Watcher ended up winning the contest and was published in 2011. A decade and eight other published novels later, I got back the rights to my debut novel, polished it up, added several more chapters, and re-released it through Mountain Brook Ink in 2021.

As my first novel, my only (so-far) standalone, and the sole novel I have released that is speculative romantic suspense as opposed to contemporary romantic suspense, The Watcher holds a special place in my heart. As with all my books, my hope and prayer is that it will touch readers’ hearts and draw them closer to the God who has promised to never leave them or forsake them.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 17

Blogging With Carol, September 17

By the Book, September 17

Inklings and notions, September 18

Texas Book-aholic, September 19

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 21

For Him and My Family, September 21

deb’s Book Review, September 22

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 23

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, September 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 26

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 27

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sara is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/119f3/the-watcher-celebration-tour-giveaway

Catch Me If You Can Blog Tour and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Catch Me If You Can

Author: Carole Brown

Genre: Romantic Suspense with a touch of quirkiness

Release date: August 5, 2021

The big cat sat on the oversized rock, ears pointed toward the sky, every muscle taut, every sense at the ready.

“S-s-shut up and f-f-forget it. You’ve s-seen nothing and know nothing. I won’t warn you again. G-g-got it?”

The cat’s head swiveled, his ears twitching as if catching the hint of threat in the whisper. A soft hiss slid from his open mouth and reinforced the overtone of evil pressing in upon the scene. Within hours, lies and dark secrets are slithering all over the campground.

Coaxed into finding the animal killer at Jamieson’s Outfitters, Tara Layne, with her sidekick, Boet, is welcomed by a threatening whisper and the unfriendly eyes of a rugged and devastatingly handsome manager. Wesley Clarke, both interesting and frustrating, holds an attraction for Tara that is primitive and exasperating.

Intermingled with her search, Tara deals with her own heartbreaking buried secrets. When a strange old Native American probes into the recesses of her heart, he encourages her to face her bitter feelings.

As Tara closes in on her search, she finds herself—and Boet—the target of someone who’s determined to outrun and outsmart her. Someone determined not to get caught.

His theme:

Fun as fast as you can, you can’t catch me.

The question:

Can Tara run fast enough to catch this real live Gingerbread boy

before he decides to get rid of her and Boet?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Catch Me If You Can, except that it was related to the nursery rhyme/story of the Gingerbread Man and that it was a suspense/mystery. 

This was an interesting novel because it follows a PI trying to find an animal killer, but yet she learns some lessons along the way. Tara is stubborn, but also kind, and she has a good way of tracking clues. I like how throughout the book she confronted with the fact that she needs to let go of her anger over the murder of brother. I also liked getting to know her cat, Bot, which I loved the name (I grew up in South Africa where this was a common term), and I just love cats. 

I also enjoyed getting to know all the other characters that Tara comes into contact with, especially Jimbo. 

While I enjoyed the characters and the mystery, I must admit that, at least for the first part of the book, the writing seemed to be clunky. There seemed to be too much information thrown at the reader, and I often found myself a little bit lost at times. Some of the dialogue also seemed a little inauthentic to the characters. I don’t know, it just seemed confusing at times. However, about halfway through things improved and I started enjoying the book a lot more. But I did really like how we got some chapters from the suspect’s point-of-view, which added to the creep factor. Also, I loved how the author planted red herrings throughout the book as to who the culprit is. 

Overall, I liked Catch Me If You Can, it was a compelling suspense with some great characters. However, it did have some technical issues in the first half that made it hard for me to engage with the story, as well as some editing errors. But, I do hope to read more of Tara and Boet’s adventures soon, and I am excited to see what other cases they solve. 3.5/5 Stars. 

About the Author

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of thirteen full-length, best selling and award winning books (with a novella in an anthology), she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. She has found that the traveling and ministering has served her well in writing her novels. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

More from Carol

Who doesn’t like a good book while nibbling on cookies and sipping your favorite drink?

Writing Catch Me If You Can, Book One of the Nursery Rhyme Series, was a fun endeavor. I can’t remember how I came up with the idea, but I do know it’s been interesting and a long-time coming. Both Tara Layne and Wesley Clarke have personal and spiritual issues to resolve which are more serious topics to address. So I knew definitely that I not only wanted to include those, plus suspense and romance, but also a bit of quirky-ness to the story.

What were the two quirky things that help make it special?

Tara Layne comes from a very special family. Her older brother, Tory, four years older than the twins: Tara and Tomas, and her grandfather, Poppy, an archeologist, who cared for them when their parents died. He raised them while on dig sites, teaching them and giving them a unique view of the world.

When Tory was murdered, while studying to follow in their grandfather’s footsteps, Tara, an elementary teacher, resigned and took the schooling she needed to be a detective because the authorities seemed unable to discover why Tory was murdered.

Her brothers were always pranksters, and after Tory died, Tomas bought her an expensive gift: A Savannah cat, sort of as a joke. But instead of being irritated at her nerdy computer brother, she fell in love with her cat and proceeded to name him Boet (An African name that means brotherly love). Boet not only hisses at those he’s not crazy about, but shows tolerance for those who he favors.

Here are some fun facts about a Savannah cat:

1. Crossbred between a African Serval cat and a domestic cat.
2. Many Savannah cats enjoy water.
3. They are inquisitive and extremely intelligent.

The antagonist leaves Gingerbread cookie men at each site of the animal killings.

1. Now that seems weird enough, but when you discover why and how the cookies play a part of his/her past, you’ll understand the title better and why the antagonist is so obsessed with these specific cookies.
2. I’ve included a recipe below for your enjoyment! If you love gingerbread, these are sure to become a favorite!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• additional flour for rolling out dough

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp milk
• 2 tsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp extract of choice – lemon almond or vanilla

Instructions

Cookies

• In a small bowl mix together baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon until well blended. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, and eggs on medium speed until well blended.
• Add molasses and vanilla and mix until well combined.
• Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, but do not over-mix.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place into an airtight container or freezer style zipper bag, and place in refrigerator for at least two hours and up to 24 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 deg. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats ore parchment paper.
• Let dough sit at room temperature for 5-15 minutes or however long is needed to make it pliable enough to divide in half. The time it takes will depend on how long it’s been chilling.
• Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle additional flour over dough and gently roll dough out to approximately 1/4 – 1/3″ thick. The thicker the dough the softer the cookie will be. If dough sticks to rolling pin, sprinkle additional flour onto dough.
• Cut out cookies with cookie cutter. Whatever scraps are left over after cutting out cookies can be rolled out and rolled out to cut out more cookies.
• Place cookies on baking sheet approximately 1 1/2-inches apart.
• Bake each sheet of cookies for 7-10 minutes until tops and edges are starting to firm up.
• Remove baking sheet from oven transfer to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool on baking sheet for ten minutes, then use a spatula to transfer cookies to another wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• If desired, once cookies are completely cooled decorate.

Icing

• In a medium size bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well to combine. For thicker icing, add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. For thinner icing, add more corn syrup, one teaspoon at a time. Place into a piping bag and pipe onto gingerbread cookies as desired.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 6

Pause for Tales, September 6

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 8

Inklings and notions, September 9

deb’s Book Review, September 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 11

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 12

Texas Book-aholic, September 13

For Him and My Family, September 14

Mary Hake, September 14

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, September 15

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 16

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carole is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and signed copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/116c4/catch-me-if-you-can-celebration-tour-giveaway