Monday, June 21, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Ruth by Caryl Mcadoo

About the Book

Book: Ruth

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: May 3, 2021

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Fleeing heartache, shame, and betrayal, Ruth finds all her plans are thwarted until the untimely death of a goat that gives her hope! Hired as a wet-nurse for Logan’s orphaned son, she rejects his marriage-of-convenience proposal, hoping to find true love at the trail’s end. Going West (in what was later called the Great Migration of 1842) satisfies the widower’s wanderlust, and even though she turns him down, he determines to prove his love is true. Come along on this infamous journey of love and adventure.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

In hopes of escaping to the west and away from her shame, Ruth and her baby girl set off with hardly any money. Wondering and praying about what they should do, another family is in need of a wet nurse for their baby. Ruth agrees to work for Logan and along with his baby son and thirteen year-old daughter Hannah, they make off with the wagon train to Oregon.

Their hardships are many like others before them and those that come after them. Both Logan and Ruth have been unhappy in love and have made mistakes based on their poor choices. But Logan begins to woo Ruth and he wants to win her as his wife. He wants their makeshift family to become a true family. He does have his work cut out for him as his daughter is not so sure Ruth is the right one and even Ruth is not sure they would be marrying for true love.

This was a sweet adventure of a group of people who become more and a love that can grow out of past mistakes.

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

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—fifty-nine 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. Sharing four children and twenty-one grandsugars (three greats), Caryl and Ron (her high-school-sweetheart-husband of over fifty 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

I’ve loved the premise of RUTH for seven years now, that’s when the beginning of this story was first written, way before its time! Its title was Evelyn’s Redemption back then, but I’ve since had a favorite character named Evelyn in COVERING LOVE and MIGHTY TO SAVE (books eight and nine in the Texas Romance Family Saga series), so my heroine needed a new name.

Ruth was my maternal grandmother’s name and Mama’s middle name (Naomi Ruth), and though Ron doesn’t like me to name characters after family members, he let me have my way . . . as my heroes usually let my heroines. 😊 So, she became Ruth.

I pulled up the ten thousand words already written back in 2014, caught up-to-date to refresh the story in my mind, then took off writing! In a month and a day, I finished this story that I just love! Never knowing where it’s going—or exactly how it will end when I start—I so enjoy the tale as I write it just as you do when you read it! God gives me the most awesome stories I’m so thankful for!

My hero’s thirteen-year-old daughter Hannah is one of my favorites in this story. Her great character created such an example of taking up an offense that is hard to put down. I think we’ve all been there, and to me, it’s especially hard to forgive and get over it when the offense is taken up on behalf of someone we love. The loved one like gets extra grace to forgive, but not so for the offended-on-their-behalf!

I love that God helps me weave scriptural lessons into my stories, lessons that I’ve learned in walking with Him for more than sixty years—and I’ve learned a lot! Besides praying my stories give Him glory, I also pray they help those who read them draw closer to Him—or learn ways to live more purely for Him.

We serve a mighty God indeed, and it’s my honor to help advance His Kingdom here on earth through writing these stories! Also, I enjoy singing the new songs He gives me! Check out ‘Caryl McAdoo’ on YouTube! I have a few songs up there and need to video more.

So, have a blessed day, y’all, and may God’s joy and peace encompass you everywhere you go!

Blessings!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 9

Just Writing, June 9

KarenSueHadley, June 10

lakesidelivingsite, June 10

Texas Book-aholic, June 11

Inklings and notions, June 12

For Him and My Family, June 13

Vicky Sluiter, June 13

deb’s Book Review, June 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 15

Blossoms and Blessings, June 16

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 16

Connie’s History Classroom, June 17

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 18

Splashes of Joy, June 18

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 20

Simple Harvest Reads, June 20 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Girls in White Dresses, June 21

Pause for Tales, June 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 22

Cats in the Cradle Blog, June 22

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/10d50/ruth-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Review and Giveaway: Bob the Banana Goes Bad by Steve Petzinger and Selai Akbar-Hussain

Join us for this tour from June 14 to July 9, 2021!

Book Details:

Book Title: BOB THE BANANA GOES BAD by Steve Petzinger and Selai Akbar-Hussain
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Mascot Books
Release date: June, 2021
Content Rating: G for everyone.

Book Description:

In this heartwarming story, Bob the banana goes on an emotional journey as he worries about going bad before he can be of any use to Mr. Abbot. With the help of his friends, he learns to hold on to the hope that he will get picked by Mr. Abbott before it is too late. Through their combined support and perseverance of his refrigerated friends, Bob may be just the right item for Mr. Abbot someday.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Target
Mascot Books
author website
add to goodreads

My Thoughts:

What a unique and silly storybook this is that has an important lesson. Bob the Banana feels as though his usefulness is now gone. He is going bad. All of his refrigerator friends try to encourage him and tell him not only what he still could be used for, but also what they might become. Bob experiences sadness, anger, and hopelessness.

When the time comes for Bob the Banana to be useful, the human says he has become bad. All the other foods wait in anticipation to see what might become of Bob as they all know that food is only useful if it can be consumed.

This was a food lesson in not giving up or giving up hope. The graphics were big, bright, and simple. A nice storybook to add to a child's collection.

I received 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.

Meet the Authors:

Steve Petzinger first created the concept for Bob the Banana when he was just twelve years old. His mother kept the original version, and over the years, his family urged him to publish it. In 2020, he decided to finally take their advice.

Petzinger sought help from his close friend, Selia Akbar-Hussain, who has been teaching preschool for eight years. She has read hundreds of children’s books and is knowledgeable about children’s books content. After months of hard work, their dreams of publishing a children's book came true.

connect with the authors: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Tour Schedule:

June 14 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
June 15 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 16 – I Read Kid's Books – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 16 - A Mama's Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
June 17 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
June 18 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 21 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
June 22 - Lisa Everyday Reads - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 22 – The Bespectacled Mother – book review
June 22 - @twilight_reader – book review
June 23 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
June 24 – Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 25 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
June 28 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
June 29 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 30 – icefairy's Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
June 30 - The Phantom Paragrapher – book review
July 1 - Locks, Hooks and Books - book review / giveaway
July 2 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
July 2 – Lisa's Reading – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
July 6 – Reading is My Passion – book review
July 6 - Because I said so- adventures in parenting - book review / guest post / giveaway
July 7 – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
July 8 – Laura's Interests – book review / author interview / giveaway
July 9 – The Adventures of a Travelers Wife – book review / guest post / giveaway
July 9 - The Book Review Crew - book review / guest post / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

BOB THE BANANA GOES BAD Book Tour Giveaway

Monday, June 14, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Fifty Days by Katie Vorreiter

About the Book

Book: Fifty Days

Author: Katie Vorreiter

Genre: Christian Spec Suspense

Release date: March 28, 2021

Three days ago, Maggie Lehman’s beloved mentor and friend, Jarrett Adams, was murdered on live television. Grief stricken, Maggie traverses a Washington DC under curfew, but when she arrives at the morgue, the body is missing—and her presence is recorded on the security video.

As dawn breaks over the city, Maggie encounters Jarrett on the street—and he’s very much alive. Either she’s gone mad—again—or Jarrett really is back.

While the US loses its grip on democracy, government thugs eager to contain what Maggie knows hound her every step, and the good intentions of a man from her past only tighten the noose. The powerless and bewildered Maggie seeks Jarrett and the return to how things were, but finds she must give up what she wants most to gain what she can hardly imagine.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Well, this certainly was a story that I was not expecting. At the start of this story you have a bunch of friends/family who are tragically upset about the very public death of their friend. They have all really gone through a terrible time. On top of that they are living in the United States, but more of a dystopian one, essentially where everyone is being watched and freedoms are limited.

As I was reading I was a little bit confused. It started off so dramatically that I was sure there was a first book that I had missed. No that was not it. As I read a bit more the lightbulb in my head started going off. This was basically a retelling of the third day when Jesus arose through Pentecost. Now the names were changed so I was much surprised. I am not a huge fan of stories like this. Just not my thing, but the author did an excellent job on showing what it could have been like if Jesus lived in our day and age with all the cameras, cell phones, etc.

This is really a story of the journey that Maggie takes (Mary Magdalene) to prove to others that she saw a man who everyone saw murdered, alive again. We meet her family and some other interesting characters along the way. Even though not a fan of this genre, the author told an intriguing story.

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

About the Author

Katie Vorreiter makes her home in the diverse and beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. She works in high tech as a proofreader as well as a freelance fiction copy editor for a small press. While she admits to being a grammarian, she considers herself a fun one.

After studying and later interning in Madrid, Spain, Katie continues to use and improve her Spanish as much possible—especially when a travel opportunity arises. Aside from that, she DIYs at home with her husband in their almost empty nest, travels to Colorado where their two young-adult children study, and snuggles with her pup who promises not to grow up and go away to college.

Please see Katie’s webpage at katievorreiter.com and sign up for her newsletter for giveaways, sneak peaks, and insider info. Check out her debut novel, No Turning Back, “a propulsive action tale.”

More from Katie

2,000 years ago, a body disappeared from a cave. But what if it happened yesterday?

What would miracles look like in the age of Photoshop? Might our cynicism dismiss a resurrected Jesus as a David Blaine wannabe looking for his 15 minutes of YouTube fame?

Fifty Days was inspired one Easter Sunday as I sat admonishing myself to listen with new ears and to not feel that I’d been there, done that for the most amazing story ever told. But those women at the tomb: I had no concept of what their day-to-day lives were like. I wanted to identify with them, but how could I walk in their shoes when I couldn’t envision their sandals?

I said to myself, “it’s not like the events could take place in my world”… and my imagination took off as Maggie walked into my life. More precisely, she walked through the pre-dawn streets of Washington DC, driven to get to the morgue to see Jarrett’s body. But when she got there, he wasn’t there. His body was missing, and unfortunately for Maggie, she was caught on the security video.

From Easter to Pentecost (hint, that’s a period of fifty days), we see the followers of Jesus experience a huge change. We don’t know much about the weeks that intervened, and we never see Mary Magdalene again in scripture after Easter morning. So that gave me a lot of room to imagine: what would it be like to go from hiding in bewilderment and fear to the bold empowerment of Pentecost?

For Maggie it’s a matter of keeping one step ahead of the thugs pursuing her and the man from her past whose good intentions only create havoc for her, while she searches for a way to clear her name, or better yet, be reunited with Jarrett.

Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thus, whether in a robe, jeans and a tee shirt, or a spacesuit, Jesus and his truth are unfailing, unchanging. Fifty Days isn’t about “updating” those truths. But boy, imagining hanging out with his followers at Starbucks made them seem a lot more three-dimensional to me. And to be honest, I find myself a little jealous of Maggie’s relationship with Jarrett—she is completely sold out. Totally confident in his character and power. There is not only love between them, but affection. Fleshing that out has made me look at my relationship with Jesus in a new light.

Blog Stops

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 2

Blogging With Carol, June 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 3

Texas Book-aholic, June 4

Inklings and notions, June 5

April Hayman, Author, June 5

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 6

deb’s Book Review, June 7

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 8

Christa DelSorbo, June 8

For Him and My Family, June 9

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

Pick a good book, June 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 12

Mary Hake, June 12

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 13

The Adventures of a Travelers Wife, June 14

Spoken from the Heart, June 14

Pause for Tales, June 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Katie is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card as well as a sterling silver dove charm bracelet!!

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/10d00/fifty-days-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, June 11, 2021

Review and Giveaway: The Hotel by Pamela Kelley

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Hotel

By Pamela Kelley

Women's Fiction, Romance

Paperback & ebook, 270 Pages

June 8, 2021 by Piping Plover Press

Secrets and lies...at Nantucket's most exclusive and glamorous, family-owned hotel.

The Whitley is Nantucket's most exclusive waterfront hotel--a sprawling collection of pristine white cottages and an elegant main building on a long stretch of private, white sandy beach.

It's a family owned business--brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, all work there in various capacities.

Paula is happy in her back office accounting position. But changes are in store when her grandfather promotes her and fires her cousin--who then blames Paula.

Meanwhile, a blond romantic comedy superstar is hiding out at The Hotel for a few months. She meets Paula's brother, a chef--who has no idea who she is--and she likes it that way.

Paula's grandfather also hires a consultant to help her settle into her new role. But she isn't sure what to think of David, who grew up on Nantucket but now lives in Manhattan.

He's a brilliant consultant and will be assessing Paula's suitability for the role. He's also home for another reason, a difficult family issue that makes Manhattan seem very far away.

A new family saga from the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller author of The Nantucket Inn and The Restaurant.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

My Thoughts:

The Hotel was an intimate look at the inside workings of a family run hotel and the comings and goings of some of its more famous people. The Whitley Hotel is run by Grandpa Whitley and his grandchildren. That sounds really good and they really work well together. He knows their strengths and weaknesses and the jobs he puts them in seem to suit. Until they don't and that makes for some interesting family dynamics.

We also get to meet a rich and famous actress who just needs to be alone for awhile. One of the reasons the Whitley Hotel is so popular is because they are hush hush about who is staying.

There is also some sad family news surrounding one of the characters parents. The author shows with kindness how a terrible disease is taking their loved one's memories and who they are away. That was heartbreaking.

I thought this was only going to deal with one of the grandkids mostly, but we get a peak into the lives of a few characters. I like seeing more of the behind the scenes of a family run hotel. This would be a great summer read.

I received 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

Pamela M. Kelley is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of women's fiction, family sagas, and suspense. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you'd want as friends.

She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been an avid reader of women's fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There's also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a gorgeous Kate Spade totebag with two signed paperbacks, one of The Hotel and one of The Nantucket Inn (US only)

Ends June 23, 2021

ENTER HERE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Review: Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund

About:

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That's exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father's quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He's left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he's crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian's rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund is your guide down the twisting waters of time to a volatile era of superstition, revolts, and chivalry in this suspenseful story.

My Thoughts:

Wow. Wow. Wow. This book has all the feels. Contemporary setting, historical setting, forced marriage, race to save family, true love, swoons, time travel, and more.

I have read a few time travel books and I am always interested in how the authors bring about that feature. Author Hedlund does so in a very unique and to me a little bit of a scary way. Marian is a scientist and so is her father. They are a bit estranged as her father is searching for the cure, the cure for everything. Why? Well he has already lost his beloved wife and now through genetics his daughter Ellen is sick with the same disease. Marian understands her father's doggedness, she just wishes they could have more time together.

Then the unthinkable happens. Her father falls into a coma and she is left to piece together his clues of what he has found. With the help of his assistant they are working against time to figure out what has happened. Marian also doesn't understand why her father has gone off on this particular tangent and thinks he is quite nutty until someone else will stop at nothing to possess that knowledge.

Marian's ultimate belief in what her father has discovered is when she is thrust back in time. She finds herself in some less than desirable situations not least of all in the middle of a peasant revolt and the only way she can be saved is by marrying a noble knight by the name of Will. Now Marian has a father, sister, and a husband whom she is quickly falling for to save. How can she give up one life in time for another?

Well, this is my favorite story of all this year. It was amazing and yes I am gushing about it. It is clean with a little bit of spice and not all of the questions are answered. There is still a lot that has been left open for the next book and I cannot wait. You don't want to miss this one.

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

About the Author:

Jody Hedlund (www.jodyhedlund.com) is the bestselling author of over 30 historical novels for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Awards. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband, busy family, and five spoiled cats. She loves to imagine that she really can visit the past, although she's yet to accomplish the feat, except via the many books she reads.

Review and Giveaway: Bound by a Ring and a Secret by Jennifer Faye

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Bound by a Ring and a Secret

(Wedding Bells at Lake Como #1)

By Jennifer Faye

Contemporary Romance

Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 175 Pages

May 25, 2021 by Harlequin Romance

A mistaken identity…
…a proposal that changes everything!

Photographer Gianna is done with men. Retreating to her villa on the shore of Lake Como, Gianna is stunned to find gorgeous Dario renting her house! When Dario is mistaken for her long-gone fiancé, they realize a fake engagement could solve problems for them both. Pretending to be in love should be easy, but what happens when very real feelings start to grow?

(Affiliate links included.)

Go to Jennifer's Contact Page HERE and order your bookmark(s)!

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to an Amazon affiliate link.)

My Thoughts:

Theirs was a meeting by miscommunication. Their fake engagement was an accident they didn't correct and both are searching for the same thing. Though neither one know it.

Dario is a secret writer and renting out Gianna's home to work on his book, away from his family's business and their disapproval. Gianna has come home early due to her heartbreak from her ex and because she mixed business with pleasure, also quit her job. Dario and Gianna now must work out their temporary living arrangements and all is going well until Gianna's cousin mistakes Dario for Gianna's fiancé.

Well, a fake engagement seems like the answer they both believe will give each other the peace they so desire. Or so they think. What it really does is have them living a lie that they must keep up with appearances and trying not to get their hearts broken in the process.

This was a cute romance that shows how when you are trying to outsmart others, you end up outsmarting yourself.

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

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card (open internationally)

Ends June 16, 2021

ENTER HERE

Monday, June 7, 2021

Review, Giveaway, and Guest Post: Prairie by Chautona Havig

About the Book

Book: Prairie

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fantasy

Release date: February 13, 2013

What if you could literally wish your life away?

My name is Jessa Davidson, and I awoke one day in the place of every dream I’ve ever had—the prairie. I don’t know how I got here or where here even is, but I know one thing for certain. I can’t go home again. Ever.

If I’ve learned one thing being in this beautiful place, it’s that no matter how perfect it and its people seem, sin lives in the hearts of men and women in Prairie, too. The differences between Prairie and Pittsburgh? There are too many to count.

I grew up hearing the words of the Apostle Paul. “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

Here in Prairie, they’re not a lesson. They’re a warning.

I’ve been given a gift—the greatest desire of my heart. A life in the place of my dreams, a chance at love and family, a sense of real belonging.

Can I hold onto it? Time will tell—time I may not have if I can’t learn to be content.

Prairie is the first book in the Journey of Dreams, a series of related but stand-alone contemporary Christian fantasy novels exploring truths in a whole new way.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Well, this was a very interesting fantasy story. First off, this is an author Havig story so I knew I was in for a ride, but I think out of all of her novels I have read this one might just be the quirkiest. It was a good read. I was pulled in from the very beginning with Jessa. The atmosphere came alive in my mind's eye and so did Jessa's confusion, even her peace.

I have not read a fantasy like this one before. Sometimes with fantasy I get confused as I try to imagine the new world the author is describing. Not so with Prairie. Prairie was a world very similar to ours. It was certainly different, just in ways that I was not expecting. I will leave that for the next dear reader to experience.

The lesson of contentment was a powerful one. Even a bit convicting. Contentment I have come to believe is a choice the we must make each day. Sometimes I fail, miserably, and I think this story shows what that could look like if we lived in Prairie. Lace that up with Jessa coming to terms with her childhood, her abandonment of her father, the death of her beloved mother, and some of her poor choices she made while still in our world and you have a good soul searching novel that has you looking deeper into your own life.

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

Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona

When Your Novel Teaches You an Important Lesson

I’ve told the story before, but I’ll tell it again. Prairie began as a dream. For several days in a row, I fell asleep and found myself lost in the sway of prairie grasses undulating to the strains of “Theme from a Summer Place.”

It’s a bad habit of mine, but despite being in the middle of a writing project, I wrote down my thoughts—my impressions. Two strange things happened.

First, the story came out in first person. Folks, I don’t write in first-person perspective. Not my novels, anyway. I don’t enjoy reading it, and I really don’t enjoy writing it.

Jessa, however, demanded I let her tell her story… her way. So I did. And it’s one of the fastest novels I’ve ever written.

There’s irony in that.

You see, I didn’t know where that story would go. My dream only replayed the scene of Jessa waking up on the prairie and not knowing how she got there—only knowing she could never go home. Beyond that, I hadn’t a clue.

And though I wanted to rush through so I could see where the story would take me, and though I wrote at breakneck speeds, the story unfolded at its own pace.

The people of Prairie live a different life from anything you’ve ever seen—and yet it is mostly very familiar. One thing, however, sets it apart.

Time.

Only in Prairie does time not work as it does here, and that changes everything. The story begins slowly and for a reason. Line by line, observation by observation, step by step through the grasses and down rutted lanes, the story draws you out of the breakneck speed of modern life and into a world that, if you aren’t careful, will whiz by faster than is even possible.

Here in our world, that is.

There… you’d better watch out.

Has anyone ever warned you not to wish your life away? It’s just a gentle reminder that if you’re always eager for today to end in hopes of a more exciting tomorrow, you may find you never lived.

In Prairie? It might actually happen.