Monday, March 27, 2023

My Thoughts and More on The Happy Rainbow by Lillian Jane McAdoo with Grami McAdoo, Illustarator

About the Book

Book: The Happy Rainbow

Author: Lillian Jane McAdoo

Illustrator: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Picture Book – Pre-school to Third grade

Release date: December 8, 2022

A precious promise from God is fading fast when a cloud meanders between the rainbow and the sun, shadowing it. The forest animals must act fast to save the beautiful happy rainbow.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This is a very colorful and cute story about a rainbow that gets to come out after a rainstorm and looks upon the beautiful world that God created. Then, a cloud begins to drift by and much to both of their chagrins, stops as there is no wind. The rainbow's colors are quickly fading, and she wasn't quite ready to be done yet. So, she asks all the animals to pray for the wind to move the cloud. What is going to happen?

Besides the little story of friendship and lessons in praying during the hard times, at the end of the book are interesting questions your child may ask about rainbows. There are also some facts about rainbows, a few I wasn't even aware of. This is a nice book to have for any child's library.

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Lillian Jane McAdoo, about to celebrate her seventh birthday, wrote this story while in Kindergarten at the Primrose School of Highland Village, Texas, and she’s now a first grader at Hilltop Elementary School in Argyle. Besides telling stories, she enjoys t-ball, ballet, and roller skating. An only child, Lillian knows how special she is to all, and THE HAPPY RAINBOW is her debut book!

Singing and playing with cousins and friends are some of her favorite things to do. She lives with Daddy in Carrollton, Texas—he’s a great DFW Metroplex real estate agent—and her mother at her Nanny and Pops in Argyle. Lillian loves visiting Grami and O’Pa’s home, The Peaceable, out in the country where she plays with all the dogs, rides four-wheelers, and collects the hens’ eggs for her paternal grandmother!

About the Illustrator

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over sixty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen at YouTube. She’s always enjoyed drawing and graphic arts! Sharing four children and twenty-five grandsugars (six are greats), Caryl and Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of fifty-four 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

Oh, what a joy family is! I’m so glad the Father thought of the generations! It was my blessing to help my grandsugardoll Lillian Jane McAdoo write her debut story THE HAPPY RAINBOW. I asked her questions and she wrote her story in a purple composition book with a Crayola when she visited The Peaceable this summer. Lillian is six years old!

I asked, “What’s something you love?”

“Rainbows!”

“I love rainbows, too. So how is this rainbow?”

“Happy!” she says.

“All right then! Do you want to call your book THE HAPPY RAINBOW?”

“Yes!”

“So, you might start your story by introducing the rainbow. Then where is your rainbow going to be? What’s beneath her?”

“She’s in the sky and there’s a forest under her like your house, Grami!”

And so it went. At first, she wanted to be through before it even got to the middle, so I explained every good story had a beginning, a middle, and an end. I told her how everything had a beginning, a middle, and an end—except for God. A day has a beginning, morning, breakfast—a middle, noon, lunchtime—and an end, evening, supper.

A house has a beginning, middle, and end when it is built, lived-in, then is torn down. Trees, animals, fish, bugs, flowers, vegetables . . . everything—except God—so that they were very important! Those beginnings,wrote a blog post middles, and ends! But we could do something else if she needed time to think about her story.

“That’s what authors do,” I told Lillian. “You don’t have to write your whole book in a day.” That made her happy.

We had several discussions while we were away from the actual writing. We researched rainbows on Google and learned so many interesting things about them.

I told her how in my stories, Grami liked to have something bad happen—a crisis—that the main character has to overcome. “Can you think of something that might happen to the rainbow?”

Lillian came up with the rainbow fading, going away, but she wanted to stay in the sky. So, I asked, “What do you suppose could make it fade?”

“The sun not shining.”

“Can you think of something that keeps the sun from shining down on you?”

“A cloud.”

“Sure! So, what if a cloud got between the sun and the rainbow? Could it shade the rainbow and make it fade?”

And so it went, the questions based on her answers. And over her visit, the story came out, all handwritten—she asked how to spell many words—in the composition book with her crayon.

She was so proud, but not as proud as Grami was of her! She told me more than once how she was the author and her name went on the cover! 😊 Politely, of course, but she sure had me grinning.

After she left, I started the illustrations, all done on the computer with free images at PicMonkey. I would send each to her and get her approval.

A couple of months back, I had the honor of leading my sugardoll to invite Jesus into her heart. As the story came forth, I’d share ways that her story honored Him.

Like the rainbow didn’t get angry with the cloud, but politely asked it to move, or the sweet little cloud, sad about the dilemma he caused, wanted to oblige the rainbow, but couldn’t without the wind (help)!

How the animals joined together to pray for the rainbow like we can join together and pray for our friends when they are in trouble. Of course, about how the rainbow shows bright and proud again at the end, proclaiming God’s promise to all men!

It thrilled me to be a part of Lillian’s first picture book! The whole process proved a very rewarding experience. Perhaps she’ll keep writing!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 16

Vicky Sluiter, March 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 18

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 19

Cover Lover Book Review, March 20

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 21

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 22

Texas Book-aholic, March 23

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 25

For Him and My Family, March 26

Mary Hake, March 26

Pause for Tales, March 27

Artistic Nobody, March 28

Simple Harvest Reads, March 29

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Lillian and Caryl are giving away the prize of a $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/24dbd/the-happy-rainbow-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, March 26, 2023

My Thoughts and More on Forged in Love by Mary Connealy

About the Book

Book: Forged in Love

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: February 28, 2023

When sparks begin to fly, can a friendship cast in iron be shaped into something more?

Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds herself in jeopardy and wondering–does someone know she witnessed the robbery and is still alive?

Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to stick to their old ways.

Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Forged in Love takes tells the story of an unusual job for a woman to have back in 1870, and that was blacksmithing. But Mariah Stove has learned the job from her father along with her brother after her late mother's death. Now, Mariah is looking at life alone and running the business also alone after the shocking attack and murder of her family, that left her almost dead. Well, that is the way her friends and the sheriff want everyone to think. In fact, they want everyone to believe she is dead. Why? Because the gang that murdered her father and brother, have a reputation for leaving no witnesses behind.

However, Mariah doesn't want to leave town and her home. She loves it in Wyoming and besides, she doesn't remember anything about the robbery anyway. So, against everyone else's advice, she stays. Chef and diner owner Clint Roberts will do anything to protect her, so he basically becomes her bodyguard. He has cared for her for a long time, and he hopes and intends to marry her someday.

Will Mariah losing her memory be enough for the gang to leave her alone or will they come after her anyway? And what about all the accidents that keep happening? If that is what they even are? This was a great start to a new series with woman in unusual jobs in the late 1800's and this one was how Mariah and Clint forged their love together through thick and thin.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than one and a half million books. She is the author of the popular series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

More from Mary

The Inspiration

I started plotting this novel when I found out that Wyoming was the first state (then a territory) in the Union to grant women the right to vote. Then I discovered it wasn’t just the right to vote; all sorts of other rights were given to women as well, like the right to run for elected office or be appointed to office. In fact, the first woman justice of the peace in the U.S. was from Wyoming. This inspired me to have one of my heroines be the second justice of the peace in the country.

As I continued my research, reading about all that went on in Wyoming was fascinating. They became a territory in 1868—with women voting—and yet they weren’t allowed statehood for another thirty years. With other states being granted statehood in only a few years, why was this? Because the U.S. government refused to let Wyoming in unless they took the vote away from women.

Because Wyoming adamantly refused to strip the vote from women, year after year they were denied statehood. When they finally did get it, the state’s women maintained their right to vote because Wyoming would not budge on the issue. The whole history of this was great reading.

So I wrote a three-book series called Wyoming Sunrise in which all my heroines play against the normal, conventional female roles of the day.

Now, what job could I possibly think of that wasn’t traditionally for women? How about Mariah who happens to be a blacksmith? And while I’m writing against stereotypes, I created a man named Clint who runs a diner. That wasn’t too unusual, for lots of diners were run by men back in the day. Yet not many of them were talented chefs trained in high-class restaurants in New York City. Clint is an excellent chef. Of course, an excellent chef in a small Wyoming town is kind of wasted on folks who prefer fried chicken and beef stew.

Clint makes chicken and beef, but he calls his dishes weird names and makes them unusually delicious. Meanwhile, Mariah is working over a hot forge for long hours every day. When her father and brother are killed in a stagecoach holdup, she becomes the only blacksmith in town.

There’s some resistance to her doing such a masculine job, but even among those who disapprove, well, they’ve got a broken wagon wheel or a hole in their kettle and it’s either let Mariah fix it or go without. Mariah is allowed to be a blacksmith out of pure necessity.

My second book, The Laws of Attraction, has a female justice of the peace, while the third, Marshaling Her Heart, features a tough lady rancher. I write westerns, and honestly, writing about tough, feisty lady ranchers like Becky the Rancher comes naturally to me. Writing about a blacksmith and a judge, however, presents more of a challenge.

Mariah, who survived the stagecoach holdup, learns that the robbers believe she might know something that will reveal their identity, and she needs to be silenced. Clint tries to protect her and finds himself stepping between her and a murderous gang of outlaws.

Through it all, love finds them, and they begin to forge a life together.

Blog Stops

Bigreadersite, March 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 18

Texas Book-aholic, March 19

Through the Fire Blogs, March 19

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 19

Stories By Gina, March 20 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, March 20

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 20

Connie’s History Classroom, March 21

For Him and My Family, March 21

Labor Not in Vain, March 21

Cover Lover Book Review, March 22

Lighthouse Academy, March 22 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Remembrancy, March 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 23

Betti Mace, March 24

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 24

She Lives to Read, March 25

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25

Pause for Tales, March 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 26

Holly’s Book Corner, March 26

Book Looks by Lisa, March 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 27

SodbusterLiving, March 28

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 28

Splashes of Joy, March 29

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 29

Wishful Endings, March 30

HookMeInABook, March 30

lakesidelivingsite, March 31

EmpowerMoms, March 31

Mary Hake, March 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize package of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book Forged in Love!!

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/24dc0/forged-in-love-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, March 24, 2023

My Thoughts and More on The Finding of Miss Fairchild by Grace Hitchcock

About the Book

Book: The Finding of Miss Fairfield

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: August 29, 2022

When an engagement of convenience becomes anything but convenient . . .

Forced into a betrothal with a widower twice her age, Charleston socialite, Sophia Fairfield is desperate for an escape. But, while her fiancé is away on business, he assigns his handsome stepson, Carver, the task of looking after his bride-to-be. Much to her dismay, Sophia finds herself falling in love with the wrong gentleman—a man society would never allow her to marry, given Sophia was supposed to be his new stepmother. The only way to save Carver from scandal and financial ruin is to run away, leaving him and all else behind to become a Harvey Girl waitress at the Castañeda Hotel in New Mexico.

Carver Ashton has had his life planned out for him since birth, but when he encounters Sophia Fairfield, he glimpses a new life—apart from his overbearing stepfather’s business. But, when the woman he loves disappears before he can express his devotion, Carver abandons all to find her. However, his stepfather has other intentions for Sophia and will stop at nothing until she is his bride . . . even if it is against her will.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Sophia Fairchild is a very sweet and giving person just trying to find her purpose in her life. She thinks she has found it, teaching less fortunate, but her father will have none of that. He has accepted a proposal for her hand in marriage by a man who is twice her age.

Sophia feels sick, he has already had two wives, and she really doesn't want to be number three. There is something about him that is not trustworthy. He also has a much to appealing and closer to her own age stepson, who she is having unwanted feelings for.

Carver Ashton's purse strings are, unfortunately, controlled by his greedy stepfather. And now his stepfather has become engaged to a sweet, beautiful woman who he is developing feelings for. Especially since he has to spend so much time acting as her protector, ordered by his stepfather. Until something happens.

Sophia decides that she cannot live her life the way her parents and her fiancé want her to. So, she runs away to escape their plans, and she ran away from her feelings for Carver.

Carver is bound and determined to find Sophia. Not for her his stepfather, but for himself. To declare his love for her. Their adventure to love has just begun and it will not be any easy one. This was a very good read.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in the New Orleans area with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter. Connect with her online at GraceHitchcock.com.

More from Grace

Q: What type of fiction do you write? What is it about this type that appeals to you?

Grace Hitchcock: I write historical romance with a dash of suspense, unless it was for my true crime books which have a bit more than a dash of suspense  For my American setting novels, The Gilded Age speaks to me as it was a time of change for women. While still having that epic romance feel with balls and dancing and courtships with a sweet romance, women were breaking ground and making history and pairing that with the fact that it was a time of emerging inventions, it is an all-around exciting era to research, read, and write.

Q: Who were the Harvey Girls?

Grace Hitchcock: Whenever I tell people I am writing about a Victorian Harvey Girl romance, they usually assume the Harvey Girls are associated with an old-time saloon, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the 1890s, there were not many respectable jobs for women, so when Englishman Fred Harvey created his chain of fine dining restaurants along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroads, single women without an education, or in need of earning their own way, were given a chance to earn an honest wage without the speculation that they offered anything else but food as a service. With Mr. Harvey’s strict rules about the waitress’s code of conduct, the women were given their independence while still maintaining their good name and place in society under the protective, fatherly arm of Fred Harvey. These extraordinary, brave women became known as the Harvey Girls, the ladies who tamed the Wild West with fine china, good pie, and exceptional service with complete propriety.

While Harvey Houses were built to serve the needs of the passengers on the rail to encourage tourism in the west, the railroad workers and local townsmen also dined at the restaurant, but usually at the lunch counter. At a time when men filled towns and women were scarce, inevitably, a railroad worker or townsman would express interest in marrying a Harvey Girl. In order to marry, she would need to fulfill her work contract or risk paying a fine of a month of salary. The fine was set in place to ensure that Fred Harvey would have enough workers and that he wouldn’t simply train a girl to have her shipped to a town of bachelors and leave him without a waitress.

As you can probably tell, such a set up sends an author’s head to spinning with all the romance that could come from a woman venturing out on her own in a land filled with cowboys, bandits, ranchers, and farmers. The possibilities for romance are endless! There is so much more I could write about these fascinating ladies and their contributions to society, but I hope you enjoyed this taste of history on the Harvey Girls!

Q: What are your publications? And what are you currently working on?

Grace Hitchcock: After signing with The Steve Laube Agency in 2015, I sold three novellas to Barbour Publishing and then, in March 2019, I released my debut novel, The White City, from Barbour Publishing and signed for a second novel, The Gray Chamber.

My latest release, His Delightful Lady Delia, concludes my 3-book American Royalty series for Bethany House Publishers and hit the shelves in November 2022.

This spring, I signed with Kregel Publications for my first ever REGENCY series!!!! I am thrilled for this dream come true!

While I wait for its release, I’m keeping busy editing and writing book two in my Harvey Girls Aprons & Veils series, The Pursuit of Miss Parish.

The Pursuit of Miss Parish summary:

Love’s gentle promise becomes nothing more than a withered dream.

With dreams of love and a hope for belonging, shy Belle Parish leaves her position as a maid in Charleston to travel to New Mexico with her best friend to become mail-order brides. Colt Lawson’s letters hold great promise and while his devilishly handsome face matches his picture, something does not add up. Discovering his lie only moments before they wed, Belle flees the church and straight into the Castañeda Hotel Harvey House. Giving up the prospect on ever marrying, she dons her nun-like uniform and focuses on her role as a Harvey Girl waitress until a strong, former Texas Ranger rides into her life.

Colt Lawson didn’t want to send that letter to Belle Parish in the first place, but her first response had all but captured his heart. When he is left standing at the altar alone, he is left with two choices—either release his dream of a love marriage, or attempt to win her heart. Wooing her would be a lot easier if that Texas Ranger wasn’t back in town. Who wants a dusty rancher with a past when she could have a shining knight in a Stetson?

While you wait for The Pursuit of Miss Parish to release in Summer 2023, please be sure to check out book one in my brand-new Harvey Girl series set at the historical Hotel Castañeda, The Finding of Miss Fairfield, a tale about Charleston socialite who is on the run from an engagement of convenience.

Happy reading, friends!

Blog Stops

Connie’s History Classroom, March 12

Christina’s Corner, March 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 13

Genesis 5020, March 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 14

deb’s Book Review, March 14

Texas Book-aholic, March 15

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, March 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 16

Splashes of Joy, March 16

Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 16

Vicky Sluiter, March 17

Cover Lover Book Review, March 17

Simple Harvest Reads, March 18 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 19

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 19

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 20

For Him and My Family, March 20

Blogging With Carol, March 21

Back Porch Reads, March 21

Artistic Nobody, March 22 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

EmpowerMoms, March 22

She Lives To Read, March 23

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, March 23

Pause for Tales, March 24

Holly’s Book Corner, March 24

Mary Hake, March 24

Lights in a Dark World, March 25

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 25

Giveaway

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

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/24b7a/the-finding-of-miss-fairfield-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Thoughts and More on Chris Crossed Murder by Lauren Carr

Book Details:

Book Title: Chris Crossed Murder (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +)
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: Feb 22, 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr's books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!

"Carr is a master at creating unique, complex plots and colorful characters, both evident in her latest cold case mystery featuring Chris Matheson and the geezer squad. The plot is twisted, the mystery unique and the ending a surprise. A must-read!" - Review of CHRIS CROSSED MURDER (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery, Book Four) by Marilyn R. Wilson, Author, Speaker, Book Reviewer

"Lauren Carr is among my favorite mystery writers. She knows how to write a fun tale while keeping readers engaged. ...I would give Chris Crossed Murder one hundred stars if I could. I believe readers who enjoy reading well-written and clean cozy mysteries will most definitely want to read it. I have no doubt they will enjoy it as much as I did. The fifth installment from A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery series is on my radar for when it releases." - Review of CHRIS CROSSED MURDER (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery, Book Four) by Amy Campbell, Locks Hooks and Books

Book Description:
It proves to be a Christmas to remember when the Matheson family receives the horrendous news that Chris Matheson’s body has been found in the woods near an international airport.

Everyone is stunned—especially Chris Matheson.

The mystery deepens when they discover the victim has Chris’s federal agent badge and appears to have been investigating one of his old cases.

The Geezer Squad’s latest case is not only a whodunit but who-got-dun. Is this a case of mistaken identity? Was Chris the intended victim? If not, then they must identify the murder victim to find his killer.

With Christmas days away, join the Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad as they race to piece together the clues to their most puzzling case yet.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com
B&N ~ BAM
BookBub
add to goodreads

My Thoughts:

It has been a little bit of time since I have read a Chris Matheson cold case, and this one was quite a doozy. Just reading the back, I knew we were in for a different adventure. As usual, the author lists all the characters in the front, reminding us of who they are and any new ones and a brief description of them. I cannot tell you how very helpful that is, because with the Geezer Squad, I need to keep everyone straight in my head.

Now, the Geezer Squad, Helen (Chris's wife), her daughter, his three daughters, his mother, her father, his ex-partner, etc. all love Chris to bits. And they show this love by pulling out all the stops when they don't hear from in a while. Do they have a good excuse, probably, but what happens was a little frightening and comical at the same time. I really enjoyed how the author introduced us to some of our beloved characters again and I won't soon be forgetting a certain scene.

Actually, there felt like there were two different beginnings to this cold case, both rememberable, but they tied together. So, if you are in the mood for family love, friendship, and a case that seems to have too many moving parts with some very strange suspects, then this book is for you. Even the animals have attitude. Chris is a very blessed man.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

My Thoughts and More on Traveling Tootsie by Karen and Kathy Honaker Illustrated by Chiara Civati

Book Details:

Book Title:  Traveling Tootsie by Karen and Kathy Honaker
Category:  Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot Books
Release date:   Nov, 2022
Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.

**** 2023 Family Choice Award ****

Book Description:

Have you ever wished you could go away on your parent’s business trip or hide in their suitcase to explore a new city all on your own? Well, Katie and Steven sure have! They wonder why they always have to stay home when Mommy or Daddy travel for work. Once their favorite yellow teddy, Tootsie, comes up with the idea to stow himself away for Daddy’s trip to Washington, DC, Katie and Steven realize that they’ll be able to travel along, too—but just not in the way they first imagine!

My Thoughts:

Traveling Tootsie is a very adorable book about a little yellow teddy bear who belongs to a brother and sister who miss their daddy and mommy when they go on adventures without them. Usually it is for daddy's work, but the kids being too young don't understand. So, with a brilliant (and quite a cute) plan the little teddy gets to hide in daddy's suitcase in a snug little bed of his shoe. And he will go on the adventures and come back and tell the siblings all the stories.

This was a very cute storybook that would certainly help a child with any sadness when either mom or dad have to leave on a trip. It is also a very inventive idea to hide one of their favorite toys in the luggage. I liked how this story is based on the authors' own experiences with their family. The artwork is super sweet and would be appealing to any child. This could become a classic favorite in anyone's home.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Buy the Book

Amazon ~ B&N

Politicsand Prose

BAM ~ indiebound ~ Bookshop.org

MascotBooks

Meet the Author:

Kathy and Karen grew up in the Chicago suburbs and moved to Virginia as teenagers. They enjoyed many family vacations, which began their love of travel. They both reside in Virginia with their families and continue to instill a love of travel with their own children. This is their first children’s book written together, about a favorite childhood memory that they always wanted to share with others to enjoy. They hope to inspire a sense of adventure in you!

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

TravelingTootsie by Karen and Kathy Honaker Book Tour Giveaway

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

My Thoughts on The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green

About:

For years her explorer father promised Dr. Lauren Westlake she'd accompany him on one of his Egyptian expeditions. But as the empty promises mounted, Lauren determined to earn her own way. Now the assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lauren receives two unexpected invitations.

The first is her repentant father's offer to finally bring her to Egypt as his colleague on a new expedition. The second is a chance to enter the world of New York's wealthiest patrons who have been victims of art fraud.

With Egyptomania sweeping the city after the discovery of King Tut's tomb, Detective Joe Caravello is on the hunt for a notorious forger preying on the open wallets of New York's high society. Dr. Westlake is just the expert he needs to help him track the criminal. Together they search for the truth, and the closer Lauren and Joe get to discovering the forger's identity, the more entangled they become in a web of deception and crime.

My Thoughts:

The year is 1925, the city is New York, during the time of Prohibition and Egyptian mania. Crime is rampant and forgeries are on the rise. Detective Joe Caravello is looking into this crime scene and wanting to get answers. Especially after his ex-partner and best friend for years has ended up in jail and telling him to let a certain investigation go. Not to look into it any further. But why and what is he hiding?

Dr. Lauren Westlake has a very prestigious job. She is the assistant curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Egyptian department. At that time everything was Egypt and very wealthy people were determined to expand and get exquisite pieces for their own private collection. They have paid some high prices, but not all of their art is real. Someone is a very good forger, but not good enough for Lauren to see the small differences as she assists Joe in his case.

Family secrets, corruption, and a rekindling of a friendship to something more propel this story into a riveting read as we enter the wealthy and elite homes and their collections. Also, Egyptology has always fascinated me and so I was pleasantly surprised with the way Author Green pulled this story and all of its moving parts together.

I received a copy of this novel from Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Jocelyn Green (www.jocelyngreen.com) inspires faith and courage as the bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including the Christy Award-winning The Mark of the King and Drawn by the Current and her On Central Park series.

My Thoughts and More on Faith Lights a Flame by Loni Kemper Moore

About the Book

Book: Faith Lights a Flame

Author:Loni Kemper Moore

Genre:Clean Historical Fiction

Release date: April 2022

Love and Forgiveness…

Seventeen-year-old Francesca “Chessa” Campbell would give anything to have her perfect family back. Instead, her father faces a death sentence, her mother takes ill, and her heritage suddenly makes her the target of prejudice in the small 1920s New Mexico town. Then a single act irrevocably changes her life forever…and rescue comes in the unlikely form of her new teacher, Walker Smythe.

Hoping to earn enough money to finish college and forget the woman who broke his heart, Walker Smythe rides a train for three days from Indiana to the Texas Panhandle to become a cowhand. Instead, he accepts a teaching position in Clayton, New Mexico, to replace a man dismissed in disgrace. Even though Walker secretly questions his faith, friends call him straight as an arrow — and he is. At least, until he is permanently disabled and realizes the only woman who has caught his attention is one of his students.

Thrown together by fate and circumstance, Walker and Chessa must forge a life together. But will the drought hitting the American southwest and dust storms swirling across the plains rip them apart? Find out in this compelling story of faith, love, and the power of forgiveness.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This is a story that takes place during the 1920's in a New Mexico town. This is the first time I have read a 1920's story outside of a big city. This novel is about a young woman, Chessa Campbell, who deals with a lot that life has thrown her. The book starts out with her father on trial for murder and the family's circumstances only go from that scenario to worst.

Chessa is part Mexican, and she already has dealt with prejudice, now she must deal with the stigma of this murder trial. You would think that all that her family has gone through they would make some positive changes. That is not the case and many times during this time of prohibition, alcohol becomes a problem.

The author does not shy away in some of the circumstances that plague Chessa. There is a rape and a miscarriage along with attempted murder, etc. So, this is quite a story. There are some lighthearted moments throughout, especially in the very interesting way that she and her future husband, Walker Smythe meet.

Even after they marry Walker and Chessa have trials and tribulations to contend with. The marriage kind and the outside world that wants to wreak havoc on them. This is a very drama filled story of one family and their marriage's survival. Many dramatic characters add to this story as well.

I was provided a copy of the novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Loni Kemper Moore is a sports cheering, Diet-Pepsi sipping, Rocky Mountain adventure-seeking kind of girl. She wants to share God’s beautiful love through life’s ugliness with remarkable women around the globe.

A preacher’s kid, her wanderlust was fueled by hearing missionary stories. She’s visited a dozen countries learning from other cultures while experiencing a sort of “minority” feeling. Although she attended several schools as a minority and her DNA test returned a percentage African, she’d never presume to claim such status.

She completed a bachelor’s degrees in Education and Biblical Studies at the former Denver Baptist Bible College and graduate work in Education at the University of Evansville.

A Jesus following history nerd, she was named Leonnie Sue for dead people. Leonnie was her great-grandmother whose died in the Influenza pandemic, and Sue is a common name on the family tree, dating to the 1640’s when Susanna Dean stepped off a ship in Korea, Maine.

Her writing came alive when the crazy Covid time forced her to flip through diaries and family albums. She was specifically struck by a memory of visiting her grandmother during the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial, shocked to hear her say, “He’s innocent!” What followed was a tale of her as a 14-year-old testifying in her father’s murder trial. As Loni put the story on a computer, her imagination expanded to become Faith Lights a Flame.

When she’s not writing, she’s a technical support engineer for a product called Cherwell, named for the river near Oxford which T.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis walked. During a trip to the company office in Swindon, UK, she visited the Child and the Eagle Pub where Tolkien and Lewis’ writers group met.

She’s also mom to Adam. a mechanical engineering student; traveler with dear “Hugsband” Robert an embedded engineer; thrilled by her GrandMiracles, Naomie, Zemira and their parents Becca and Anthony.

Loni’s experiences of loving history, learning to trust God through tragedy, and being the granddaughter of ranchers put this story close to her heart. Her grandparents’ love for God and each other helped them survive the Dust Bowl and provide guiding examples for life.

More from Loni

Why I Wrote “Faith Lights a Flame”

I visited Grandma James’ retirement apartment. A news channel distracted us and blared the familiar report of a retired football player’s homicide trial of his ex-wife and friend.

“O. J. Simpson is innocent!” My petite grandmother settled on her couch with ankles crossed.

My jaw dropped. “What? I’ve heard many people talk about him, but you are one of the few I’ve heard say he’s not guilty.”

An hour later her tale of being forced as a fourteen-year-old to testify in her father’s murder trial in 1920’s New Mexico, shifted the way I viewed her. Dreams, laughs and tears filled me with admiration and desire to be like her.

But twenty-four years later, when my brother-in-law, Ray returned from China, an alarming disease, COVID Flu, invaded my awareness. For Christmas he gave us hand-sanitizer, boxes of K-95 masks, and advice to purchase more Vitamin D and an oxygen concentrator.

COVID rumors and Ray’s comments frustrated me as much as the story I hadn’t finished. I pushed aside those thoughts to reminisce, surrounded by binders, diaries and books penned by family members. Good times outweighed the bad.

My Covid fears diminished in light of additional stories of those who maintained strength through the deadly Spanish Flu Pandemic, a hostile Dust Bowl, the devastating Depression, and unbelievable heartbreaks.

I pictured reunions where older ladies and cowboy-hat-wearing men covered tables with their arduous work just like troubles of youth were covered with laughter. How did they do that? Could I use their skills to survive the Covid pandemic?

Having lost dear relatives and friends, I know that COVID was costly indeed, but writing stimulated my faith through those uncertain times. I envisioned book of love and survival which became Faith Lights a Flame loosely based on the saga told by my grandmother.

My prayer is your faith will burn like a flame as we travel along on a fictional journey through decades of beloved memories. Please let me know what you think.

“Faith does not quench desire, it enflames it.” Thomas Aquinas

–Loni Kemper Moore