Monday, May 31, 2021

Review: Something Old by Rebecca Connolly

About:

From this day forward...

Thomas Granger has been married to his wife Lily for five years. The marriage has been proper, but without much affection, and the fault for that lays squarely on his own shoulders. He married her for her fortune and has hidden his true feelings until he felt redeemed enough to truly love her. Now his fortunes have been salvaged, so he aims to take the next major step in his life: wooing his wife.

Lily has been living with a broken heart from the day she married Thomas. What hope she had for a marriage of love has long faded, and she sees no reason to dream otherwise. When Thomas asks that she come with him to Cornwall to try a new adventure together, she takes the chance on one last hope in finding love in her marriage. Wrapped in the beauties and magic that only Cornwall can provide, she finds new life breathed into her, and into her feelings for her husband.

When their walls come down, when their pretense is gone, will they find the love each of them has sought? Or will the life they have known be all that remains?

My Thoughts:

I do love a marriage of convenience story, or one in which parents arrange it. This one is a little bit different. We have a couple who are still basically strangers after five years of marriage. Both are polite, but they never have gotten to know one another. As we get deeper into the story, they both have their whys and they both want to change things. They just have to do something.

Going to magical Cornwall to spend some time together certainly sets the mood and we get to see them fall in love again. Yes, they love each other they just need to admit it to one another. And when life begins to become a little rougher, is their love real or when they must go back home do they fall in the same old ruts?

This story really showed how any marriage could lose its sense of purpose. How other things of life can crowd out the marriage itself. I appreciated the importance the author put on how this couple needed to work on their marriage- nurture it and help it to grow. It is almost a living and breathing thing between them.

Throw in the countryside of Cornwall and I can hardly wait for the next in this series.

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.

Review: The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal

About:

After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance--reserved for incompetents and traitors.

Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company's plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him--and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.

Award-winning author James R. Hannibal rachets up the tension on every page of this suspenseful new thriller.

My Thoughts:

Wow. I am going to state up front, my review will not do justice to this action packed thriller that had me like the main character Ben, wondering who/what was true and real and what wasn't. I wasn't even sure if this is part of a series, or this was just a standalone. The novel started out with Ben on a mission with his teammates for the Company and obviously there was already relationships well established. But that doesn't really matter as I was yanked into the story and along with Ben on a seemingly wild ride.

If you like Jason Bourne or Mission Impossible movies this is a book that will really interest you. Plenty of action, danger, bio hazards (creepy), and the whole who can you trust and who can't you trust vibe throughout. The author also places this in our post pandemic world. This was the first time in fiction I read that so that was interesting. It made sense, especially in this world of spies and agents.

The author's notes in the end also shed an interesting light on this whole story. I don't know if you should read that first or last, but it certainly gave me a different perspective. Overall this is a book you don't want to miss.

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:

James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. This former stealth pilot from Houston, Texas, has been shot at, locked up with surface-to-air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion Award winner for his children's mysteries, a former Thriller Award nominee, and a 2020 Selah and Carol Award finalist for The Gryphon Heist--the opener for the CIA series that now includes Chasing the White Lion. James is a rare multisense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells, and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment.

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Autumn's Harmony

About the Book

Book: Autumn’s Harmony

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: Contemporary women’s fiction

Release date: October 20, 2020

For every woman who has ever desired

to make sense of her past, find joy in

the present, and discover God’s purpose

for her future.

Anna Bentley needs a new life. Struggling in a long-term marriage with two children and carrying a secret that stole her joy many years ago, she begins to search for the key to happiness in marriage and in life. When peach martinis, lacy lingerie and Nicholas Sparks novels fail to quell her discontent and spice up her failing marriage, she finds what she was looking for in the most unlikely place.

Autumn’s Harmony is a poignant and witty tale about the healing power of forgiveness, reconciliation and new beginnings.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Anna Bentley is a woman who is stuck in life. She has a very fulfilling one, a husband she loves, though her marriage is a bit stale, and two children. Her daughter has graduated from college and is going on an open-ended trip. This would concern any parent, but it also shows Anna that she is not happy in life right now. She is searching for something more. A deeper connection. With her husband and children, yes, but what she doesn't know is that she is needing her heavenly Father.

Anna is not a believer at the beginning of this journey and we walk with her as her heart is softened and ready for a difference in life. A more meaningful life. A life with a purpose outside herself. She and her husband are also carrying around a dark secret of a decision that they made when they were young. I liked how the author showed the still lingering aftereffects of that and just the play on the word Autumn.

She has some battles to be fought. Her husband is distant and really doesn't understand her new choices. But like her, he is also hurting. And then life becomes more difficult.

I liked this story. I felt for Anna and at times understood just what she was going through. Especially with the change of kids growing up and she getting older. This was a first in the series by a new to me author and I look forward to more of her stories.

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

Donna Wyland is an award-winning author whose personal essays and poetry have appeared in numerous publications. Her published work includes picture books, Your Home in Heaven and If I Could Ask Jesus, and a gift book titled Surrender. Donna is a mother and grandmother, and she lives in the Midwest with her husband surrounded by quilts, crafts, and oodles of books. To learn more, visit www.freetobe.faith or connect with Donna on LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest.

More from Donna

Anna Bentley needs a new beginning. Most women have felt the same way at one time or another. When life is routine and marriage & family are a struggle, where can you find true happiness? Anna discovers her new beginning in an unlikely place – the same place I found mine when I was thirty-three. Join Anna on her journey to reignite the happiness in you.

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, May 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 20

Genesis 5020, May 20

Texas Book-aholic, May 21

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 22

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 23

Spoken from the Heart, May 23

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 24

deb’s Book Review, May 25

HappyWhenReading, May 25

Inklings and notions, May 26

Batya’s Bits, May 27

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 27

For Him and My Family, May 28

Older & Smarter?, May 29

Pause for Tales, May 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of Autumn’s Harmony and a $25 Magnolia Market E-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/10bbe/autumn-s-harmony-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, May 28, 2021

Review and Giveaway: Dusk's Darkest Shores by Carolyn Miller

About the book:

How can a meek wallflower help a returning war hero whose dreams are plunged into darkness?

Mary Bloomfield has no illusions. Her chances for matrimony have long since passed her by. Still, her circumstances are pleasant enough, especially now that she has found purpose in assisting her father with his medical practice in England's beautiful Lake District. Even without love, it's a peaceful life.

That is until Adam Edgerton returns to the sleepy district. This decorated war hero did not arrive home to acclaim and rest, but to a new battle against the repercussions of an insidious disease. Mary's caring nature cannot stand to see someone suffer--but how can she help this man see any brightness in his future when he's plunged into melancholic darkness, his dreams laid waste by his condition?

Adam wants no charity, but he's also no coward. If this gentle woman can work hard, how can he do less? Together they struggle to find a way forward for him. Frustration and antipathy slowly develop into friendship and esteem. Then a summer storm atop a mountain peak leads to scandal--and both Mary and Adam must search the depths of their closed hearts for answers if they hope to find any future path with happiness at its end.

Best-selling author Carolyn Miller is back with a fresh series that will not only thrill readers eager for more of her work, but bring in new fans looking for beautiful writing, fascinating research, deftly woven love stories, and real faith lived out in the Regency period.

Click here to read an excerpt.

My Thoughts:

Dusk's Darkest Shores takes the reader on a journey of faith verses unbelief, especially in a God that knows best even though we do not always understand His ways.

Mary Bloomfield is a wallflower, a spinster, who is loved by the town as she is also known for her comforting ways and healing touch. She does have a special God given gift, that at the time she must be careful lest superstitions arise and she is thought a witch. The plight of the woman in this story is very sobering. Yes, we have a lot more freedom now, but in that day and age women were readily more blamed for circumstances even beyond our control. Even evil that can leave one shattered at blame.

Adam Edgerton is a war hero who has taken ill and was sent home. To an unknown of his reception by his family and his fiancé. To an unknown of even how he can continue the pursuit of not only his dreams but also of his family obligations.

The language and the scenery along with the townsfolk creates such a rich characterization and drama rich story that does not hurry us along on their journey. The author fleshes everything out so well that it was like living and breathing the same Lake District air. The love story is genuine and bumpy and really is a good summary of what true love is. I look forward to more offerings in this brand new series.

I was provided 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:

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, and food.

Miller’s novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers.

Learn more about Carolyn at www.carolynmillerauthor.com, or find her on Facebook (Carolyn Miller Author), Instagram (@CarolynMillerAuthor), and Twitter (@CarolynMAuthor).

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Road to Freedom by Leigh Lincoln

About the Book

Book: Road to Freedom

Author: Leigh Lincoln

Genre: Christian Literary Transformational Fiction

Release date: October 16, 2020

A marriage which shouldn’t be. The path to forgiveness begins in unlikely places. And love can bloom among the thorns.
Immigrant Francisco has escaped the cruelty of Cuba, but has been a man without a true home. Now terminal cancer has driven him into the arms of Stacy.
Traveling half-way around the world together, they each have a journey to take. Francisco confronts his past. While Stacy tries to open her heart after a devastating first marriage. Both pushing each other in ways they are unwilling to accept.
Can he make amends and say he’s sorry for his wrongs? Can she learn to let go and be free to love again?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This was not an easy story to read. This was a story of a marriage of convenience due to a diagnosis of cancer that was not going to end well and there needed to be next of kin. Both Francisco and Stacy have had rough marriages in the past and whether due to the disease or a much deeper spiritual problem, Francisco was not going to make this one easy on Stacy either.

As Stacy exemplifies a good wife, she walks this difficult road with Francisco. Not only to be his care taker, but also help to put to rest his past and seek forgiveness from those he desperately needs to make things right with.

We are given glimpses of his past in communist Cuba and the difficulties living there and the nightmare that eventually became his life because he dared to speak his mind. The story alternates between both characters viewpoints.

I would not say that Stacy and Francisco were a romantic love match. It seemed they cared for each other in their own ways, and though this was not a lighthearted story, there was a good message there.

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

Leigh has spent the better part of the last thirty years involved in homeless and poverty advocacy in one way or another. Her first novel – Road Home – was born out of this work. She wanted to make people think about their lives and how they live. But most importantly, about how they treat others and how they want to be treated. Her second novel – Road to Freedom – looks at how our lives don’t always follow the path we choose. But yet somehow we must pick up the broken pieces and move on. How we grow and where our strength comes from is what’s most important. These two novels form the basis for her series – Broken Roads. Each shows how life is raw, painful and often leads us on journeys we never expected or imagined. While each book doesn’t seem to relate, the final book in the series will connect the dots of how these characters have touched the lives of each other in ways they never knew. Keep watching for updates on when new books will come out!

Leigh loves to travel, paint and hike. You never know where she’ll end up next, for she’s on her own journey of discovery.

More from Leigh

I wrote this book as my pandemic project – with all this time on my hands I needed something to do. No traveling, no meeting new people, no leaving my house, no, no, no. Fine, I thought to myself, I’ll sit at my computer and remember people I’ve met on my journeys, places I’ve been, things I’ve seen, foods I’ve savored. And then cram them all into a book. For those of you who want to be adventurous, I’ve learned how to make paella. It works best in a heavy skillet on a gas stove, but a non-stick pan or an electric stove will work as well. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup stock, 1/8 cup olive oil, 1/4 large onion finely chopped, 1 clove fresh garlic minced, 1/3 cup tomato sauce, handful of fresh peas, 3/4 cup pearl or valencia rice, 1 large bay leaf, 1 cup meat (chicken, Spanish chorizo or seafood – or go crazy and do a mix of meats), salt, pepper and saffron to taste. Instructions: Saute onions, garlic, bay leaf in olive oil until soft. Add rice, continue to saute for 3-5 minutes until rice is a golden brown. Add about a 1/4 cup of stock, tomato sauce, peas, and spices. If you are using chicken add it at this point. Cook on low or medium low, shaking the pan from time to time, making sure the rice ends up level. Slowly pour about 1/4 cup of stock evenly around the pan every 5-10 minutes. Do not allow it to come to a boil, do not stir and do not cover. When the rice is almost tender, add Spanish chorizo or seafood if that’s your meat of choice. I often serve paella with fresh bread, a bowl of olive oil to dip the bread in and a few slices of lemon if people want some tang added to their paella.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 15

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 17

Texas Book-aholic, May 18

Inklings and notions, May 19

For Him and My Family, May 20

deb’s Book Review, May 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 22

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 23

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 24

HappyWhenReading, May 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 25

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 26 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, May 27

Through the Fire Blogs, May 28 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Leigh is giving away the grand prize package of a signed copy and 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/10bbc/road-to-freedom-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Review: The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M. White

About:

1906

Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn't favored in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer and stumbles onto the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage's former occupant, also named Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished.

Oliver Tremayne--gentleman and clergyman--is determined to discover what happened to his sister, with the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth's summer cottage . . . especially when he realizes it's the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can't quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him.

As Libby and Oliver work together, they uncover ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.

My Thoughts:

This was a magical story that took me to a place I was not even aware existed. Where you may ask? Why to the Isles of Scilly which is south of another magical place, Cornwall, 28 miles off the shore to be exact.

The year is 1906 and we have Lady Elizabeth, Libby for short, and her maid Mabena, whose goes by a few names (Moon, Benna). Mabena is a native to the islands and went to work for Libby and her family due to her own reasons. Now she has manipulated a visit for her and Libby to visit the islands so that she can find out what happened to her friend Beth.

Beth Tremayne, the vicar Oliver Tremayne's sister, has disappeared. And apparently no one knows where. Oliver, being the big brother, is obviously worried about her and begins searching for her with the help of Mabena and Libby, who keeps getting mistaken for his sister.

Libby is a lady with a scientific mind, which was very frowned upon at the time. Needing the escape as much as Mabena needed to get to the islands, I found the unfolding of their friendship quite interesting as well. One thing that I really appreciate about author White's characters, is that a lot of times her heroines are unique and out of the box for the time period. Most times they do not fit in to their society's norms. Libby was such a one with a soft heart and full of insecurities.

This story was full of the beauty of these one of a kind islands, a mystery, talks of ghosts and fairytales, shipwrecks and pirates. Oliver and Beth's grandmother is quite a woman. She comes off a little mad, but whenever she came on the scene and spoke the things she did, I got goose bumps as she helped a certain love story along. It was almost as though she already lived the future. Throw in another love story and you have an atmosphere of enchantment with a flavor of gothic.

I hope to one day visit that part of the world.

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

About the Author:

Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.roseannamwhite.com.

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: At Lighthouse Point by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About the Book

Book: At Lighthouse Point

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: May 4, 2021

Blaine Grayson returns to Three Sisters Island with a grand plan–to take Camp Kicking Moose to the next level. Her dream starts to unravel when she discovers Moose Manor’s kitchen has been badly remodeled by her sister, Cam, who doesn’t know how to cook. Added to that blow is the cold shoulder given by her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to the unbridged Maine islands.

As old wounds are opened, Blaine starts to wonder if she made a mistake by coming home. Little by little, she must let go of one dream to discover a new one, opening her heart to a purpose and a future she had never imagined.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

I have really been enjoying this series of three sisters and their father, who buys a defunct campground on an island in Maine. It has been two years now, and youngest sister Blaine is coming back to the Island after earning her culinary degree in France. She is ready to show her family that she is no longer the baby and can step up to their expectations and more. However, Blaine is the one that is shocked when she returns home.

I certainly understood her shock to realize that both her sisters are pregnant. That her grandfather, whom she has not seen in a long time, has come to the island at the same time as she is returning. That her family went ahead and remodeled the camp kitchen without her input, yes they did it to surprise her, but it will not work. Also the island has had some physical changes. None of this did they tell her.

This third novel brings us not just more of Blaine's story, but continues the whole family's. With the addition of Jean-Paul, Blaine's French friend, who has some surprising insight of one so young. I like how he sees the family. He is outside of it so he gets a different view.

This was a heartfelt journey of a family that was full of individuals trying to find their place as well as keeping the family intact. Along with adding to it along the way. I found the birth order of the sisters and how they took their "roles" interesting. I was the bossy older sister like Cam, so I think I related more to her. Always wanting to be in control, etc.

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

Award winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected. With more than one million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the bestselling author of more than 30 works, ranging from novels to non-fiction books to children’s books. Currently, she lives with her very big family in the East Bay.

More from Suzanne

10 Curious Facts about Lighthouses

People love lighthouses. There’s just something special about those sturdy sentinels with their beacons of light, patiently sweeping the water, their mournful and haunting wail of a foghorn. Longfollow’s poem, The Lighthouse, written in 1850, captured the allure so well:

And as the evening darkens, lo! how bright,

Through the deep purple of the twilight air,

Beams forth the sudden radiance of its light,

With strange, unearthly splendor in the glare!

“Unearthly splendor.” Wow, doesn’t that hit the nail on the head? A lighthouse, to me, represents a spiritual truth: Someone’s watching out for us, looking out for the dangers ahead, and always glad to welcome us home.

Here are 10 facts about lighthouses that you might not know:

THE FIRST KNOWN LIGHTHOUSE was Egypt’s Pharos of Alexandria, Egypt, built in the third century B.C. The lighthouse was made from a fire on a platform to warn sailors of the port’s entrance. This lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

THE OLDEST EXISTING LIGHTHOUSE IN THE WORLD is considered to be La Coruna in Spain that dates from ca. 20 B.C. A Roman lighthouse is located on the Cliffs of Dover in the UK that was constructed in 40 A.D.

THE UNITED STATES IS HOME to more lighthouses than any other country.

THE FIRST LIGHTHOUSE IN AMERICA was at Boston on Little Brewster Island (1716). The first keeper was George Worthylake who, sadly, was drowned, along with his wife and daughter, when returning to the island in 1718.

THE TALLEST LIGHTHOUSE is on Cape Hatteras, NC. Built in 1872, it reached 196 feet tall.

THE FIRST WEST COAST LIGHTHOUSE was built on Alcatraz Island in 1854.

DAYMARKS are the painted colors and patterns (diamonds, spirals and stripes) on lighthouse towers to distinguish them from each other.

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPING was one of the first U.S. government jobs available to women, as far back as the 19th century. Most obtained their position when their husband died or became incapacitated.

THE RANGE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE LIGHT produces a light seen 25 miles at sea.

ABOUT 700 LIGHTHOUSES are still in active use in the United States.

As I wrote the third book in the ‘Three Sisters island’ series, I just had to give that little charred lighthouse its day in the sun. It had patiently played a role in the first two books, waiting for its turn on center stage. Not only did its setting provide a very unexpected “WHAT? How did that happen?” conclusion to the series, it even stole the headline! The undisputed title: At Lighthouse Point.

Do you have a favorite lighthouse? If so, please add your picture in the comments below. Don’t forget to include its location.

Thanks for reading! Stay well, stay home, and read.

Suzanne

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, May 11

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 11

Wishful Endings, May 11

The Avid Reader, May 12

Just Writing, May 12

The Write Escape, May 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 12

By The Book, May 13

HappyWhenReading, May 13

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, May 13

Texas Book-aholic, May 13

Inklings and notions, May 14

Cultivating Us, May 14

Blogging With Carol, May 14

Batya’s Bits , May 14

Betti Mace, May 15

Bizwings Blog, May 15

Southern Gal Loves to Read, May 15

For Him and My Family, May 15

deb’s Book Review, May 16

Jeanette’s Thoughts , May 16

HookMeInABook, May 16

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, May 16

Connie’s History Classroom, May 17

Lighthouse-Academy, May 17

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, May 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 18

Godly Book Reviews, May 18

Daysong Reflections, May 18

Mary Hake, May 18

Artistic Nobody, May 19 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 19

EmpowerMoms, May 19

SusanLovesBooks, May 19

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 20

Older & Smarter?, May 20

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 20

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 21

Simple Harvest Reads, May 21 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Splashes of Joy, May 21

Blossoms and Blessings, May 21

Through the Fire Blogs, May 22

Vicky Sluiter, May 22

Pause for Tales, May 22

Moments, May 22

She Lives To Read, May 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 23

Labor Not in Vain, May 23

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 24

Life, Love, Writing, May 24

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 24

Remembrancy, May 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne 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/10bb6/at-lighthouse-point-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, May 21, 2021

Review: Right Cross by Andrew Huff

About:

Heart-pounding action meets spiritual choices in this thrilling finale to John Cross's saga

First he left the CIA. Then he left pastoral ministry. Now John Cross has been imprisoned in one of Great Britain's most infamous prisons. Has he reached the end of his rope? Or is this another move in a dangerous spy game?

Christine Lewis, United News Network's rising star television anchor, is determined to find out. But in her pursuit of answers, Christine finds herself at the center of a cyberterrorist plot to alter the balance of power in the world. From the English coastline to the Rocky Mountains, John must partner with the CIA and MI6 in a race against the clock to stop the threat of nuclear war and save the lives of everyone he holds dear.

The concluding story in the Shepherd Suspense trilogy is a globe-trotting, action-packed adventure with threads of biblical truth woven in. Fans of high-octane thrillers will be on the edge of their seats with Right Cross.

My Thoughts:

Right Cross is the continuing adventure of John Cross's transformation from a CIA agent, to pastor, back to CIA. This is the third in the series and it is pretty much non-stop from the beginning. John has gone undercover in a prison to get to his asset who is keeping some big information away from the authorities. Americans and the British spy agencies are both involved and trying to take down very dangerous hackers. In light of news today, this story was very believable and a bit frightening as well.

Along with the action packed danger, there is the camaraderie of the team as they work together, and bit of romance as well. I really enjoyed author Huff's writing and the way he was able to pull me into the story. Cross is an interesting hero especially as his faith has him doing his spy work in a bit of a different way.

This is the last of this series, but I was glad that Author Huff has another one coming out where another beloved character will be starring. I think this story would appeal to a great many people, especially fans of spy novels. My daughter enjoyed this series and I plan on recommending it to the men in my life as well. I really like the out of the box stories, especially one as intriguing as a CIA Shepherd.

I was provided 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:

Andrew Huff is the product director at Igniter Media, one of the largest church media companies in the nation. He has also spent ten years in church ministry as both a youth pastor and creative arts pastor. Andrew currently lives in Plano, Texas. This is his first novel. Learn more at www.andrewhuffbooks.com

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Friday, May 14, 2021

Review and Giveaway: The Ack Ack Girl by Chris Karlsen

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Ack Ack Girl

By Chris Karlsen

Historical Romance

Paperback & ebook, 221 Pages

February 14, 2021

Love and War

A country under attack and the story of one woman's fight to protect England and her heart.

1941. The German war machine has crushed all of Europe-only England holds fast. To force a surrender, the German Luftwaffe bombs cities and villages the length of the country. As the battle rages, Britain is in desperate need to put more pilots in the air.

To free up more men a new unit is formed: The Ack Ack Girls. These special teams of courageous women will now fight in the anti-aircraft stations. Determined to be part of the effort, Ava Armstrong, volunteers for one of the special teams.

Her unit just happens to be located near an RAF airfield teaming with pilots. Sparks fly, and not just from artillery, When Ava crosses paths with Chris Fairfield, a handsome and cocky pilot stationed there. But nothing is easy in time of war, not even love.

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My Thoughts:

Love in the time of war seemed to be quite the challenge, and maybe even a little more sweeter as couples lives were in constant danger. This story is told through the eyes of Ava Armstrong who was a woman living in Britain during the time of World War 2. There are some major events that happen to her that make her stand up and say enough is enough and to join up with the war effort against Germany. I have not heard of the Ack Ack girls before, I am quite amazed at their role and the danger they undertook as women to help their country.

What really gripped me was the strong emotion that these women had. They were not damsels in distress, nor did they want to be super women. They wanted their home and country back. They were tired of the destruction and death that was rained down on them and they wanted a bit of normalcy back. So they joined up in dangerous combat missions, that could take their lives, and fought back with their fellow countrymen. And along the way, some of them fell in love.

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

I was raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor, and my mother, a voracious reader who passed on a love of history and books to me along with a love of travel.

I am a retired police detective. After twenty-five years in law enforcement, I decided to pursue my dream of writing. I write a historical-time travel romance series called Knights in Time and a historical suspense called The Bloodstone Series.

I also have a historical romance series called Love & War. A free copy of the first book in this series is available through my newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Moonlight_Serenade.

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Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

Two winners will each receive a $20 USD Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)

Ends May 19, 2021

ENTER HERE

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Secret Place by Camille Eide

About the Book

Book: The Secret Place

Author: Camille Eide

Genre: Contemporary women’s fiction/romance

Release date: April 15, 2021

How far can love bend before it breaks?

Josie Norris became an instant mommy when her twin sister Nadine handed over her newborn son and vanished. What Josie saw as a temporary arrangement grew into a mother-son bond too deep to uproot. But with her irrational sister threatening to steal him back, Josie has been living the last few years with Kennedy in hiding, afraid to go home.

When Aunt Libby—the only person who knows the truth about Kennedy—suffers a traumatic head injury, Josie rushes to her McKenzie River home to help Gram care for the woman who raised her. But not only is Libby’s injury causing family secrets to spill, it’s forcing Josie to see the women in her life in a new light.

Will—a ranger who Kennedy adores and who Josie is determined not to—is desperate to help the woman who has stolen his affections. But can Josie ever truly be authentic with the man she loves? With her son’s fate hanging in the balance, she is faced with the choice to risk everything she loves in order to bridge the most impossible gulfs.

In this story of mothers, daughters, and sisters, Josie must find the grace to forgive people for not being who she needed them to be…and the courage to surrender her fears to the God who has never once left her side.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Mothers, daughters, and sisters, all women who are strong and play a role in each others lives. The Secret Place is a story of family, mostly women who are trying to find their place in the world and with each other.

In the Norris family theirs seems to be a cycle of missing fathers and of long held family secrets even up to the big secret that Josie is keeping from her son, 4 year old Kennedy. Always on the run and trying to stay a few steps ahead of her lies and past catching up on her, Josie's pace is brought to a complete stop when her Aunt Libby suffers a terrible accident. Josie and Kennedy must pack up again and return home to the one place Josie has tried to stay away from. But both her aunt and grandmother need her.

Libby suffered a severe brain injury and due to that and the way it affected her while trying to heal, secrets are unleashed. But in keeping these secrets, was that really for the best? Josie must comes to grips with reality and terms with her family, especially her twin sister before she can ever move on and have a normal life. Especially when a certain man steps into her life and wants to be more.

Author Eide has such a way with telling a story and pulling you in to care about these people's lives. Taking on the relationships of familial women and their hurts and sickness and the effects of abandonment on one's life- this story shows that women love fiercely.

I was provided 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

Camille Eide (EYE-dee) is the award-winning author of poignant, inspirational love stories including The Memoir of Johnny Devine. Camille lives in Oregon with her husband and has three adult kids and five grandkids. She loves baking, muscle cars, and the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She also loves the liberating truth and wisdom of God’s word, and hopes that her stories will stir your heart, strengthen your faith, and encourage you on your journey.

More from Camille

Secrets That Won’t Stay Hidden

Josie, the heroine in The Secret Place, faces more than one dilemma as a result of imperfect confidantes and their unkept secrets. So what inspired this story?

Many years ago, my late father-in-law suffered a traumatic brain injury and was life-flighted to a hospital 150 miles away. Family members gathered and were told to prepare for the possibility that he wouldn’t last the night. In an answer to many prayers, he made it through the night, but was in a coma, and no one knew what his future held or what long term effects his injuries would have.

His recovery was long, strange, and uncertain. In the first two weeks, he went from unconscious to incoherent to muttering. Then he progressed to forming real words, but what he said made no sense.

As his communication began to improve, his speech turned into an ongoing narrative. He talked about events and people and things long ago—including things we hadn’t heard before, things that confused and surprised family members young and old. We realized that these revelations were not simply a product of his addled brain, but in fact true. To our dismay, his social filters and verbal etiquette were gone, which made his kids and grandkids more than a little nervous. What kinds of memories and expressions would we hear from this beloved man of faith whom we all suspected had been a bit of a rascal as a youth?

To everyone’s relief, though my father-in-law said peculiar things and told us stories no one knew about, he didn’t have any shocking skeletons in his closet, and after eight weeks, he was pretty much back to his sensible, knowing self. But the fact that his private thoughts and potential secrets had at one point been so completely exposed sparked some intriguing “what if” questions in this writer’s mind:

What if you lost the ability to keep your private thoughts and secrets safe?
How might your life change if your secrets or some hidden past were exposed?
What if the person to whom you’ve entrusted a most crucial secret suddenly couldn’t?

The book’s title refers to several kinds of secret place. I look forward to hearing how many secret places readers can find in this story.

-Camille

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 27

Genesis 5020, April 27

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 29

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 30

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, April 30

deb’s Book Review, May 1

For Him and My Family, May 2

Blogging With Carol, May 2

Inklings and notions, May 3

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 4

Mary Hake, May 4

Texas Book-aholic, May 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 6

By The Book, May 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 7

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

Pause for Tales, May 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 9

The Adventures Of A Travelers Wife, May 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Camille is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon card & a signed 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/10b28/the-secret-place-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham

About the Book

Book: Hope Between the Pages

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Historical

Release date: April, 2021

Uncover the Story Behind a One-Hundred-Year-Old Love Letter

Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.

Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a struggling one-hundred-year old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man’s identity in her great-great-grandmother’s letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

What a lovely, romantic, magical, and bittersweet time split novel this was. I adore books and this story focuses on a few characters who also know the power of story and know their magical powers.

Clara Blackwell is a good woman. She owns a bookstore that has been in her family for a few generations and she cares for her mother who is ill with the help of her cousin while they all are missing her late father. Unfortunately, there is a missing deed that needs to be found and the mystery of her great grandmother Sadie, who started the bookstore.

I enjoyed traveling back in time to the Biltmore estate in 1915, at the beginning of World War One. I also enjoyed traveling along with Clara to England in the now and visualizing with her as a character the sights and sounds and smells she witnessed on her first trip there.

This was a magical story that drew me in as the stories within evolved. Both made my heart glad while also being bittersweet. Both Clara and Sadie had dreams of love and more, but both needed to wait for the perfect time. I really like the lesson that we must embrace our present. Like Clara, sometimes I long for the past and worry about the future too much, as I don't even see the time I have.

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

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

More from Pepper

Books are a uniquely portable magic – Stephen King

Appalachia is known for having a high illiteracy rate. A place of beautiful scenery and rugged landscapes, the people of the mountains developed stories through oral storytelling much more than “book learning”. As a young girl growing up in this world, I loved hearing my granny share tales from up to five generations ago, filling in the narrative gaps between a birth date and a death date on a tombstone – giving flesh and breath to the stone-etched names.

It’s no surprise then, with a heart cultivated from rich oral stories, I fell in love with reading. Books became that “portable magic” that took me places my little Appalachian community couldn’t provide. I fell in love with the Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew. Wept through the end of Bridge to Terabithia and Old Yeller. Traveled to the plains with Sarah Plain and Tall and fell in love with horses with The Black Stallion. But when I was in seventh grade, I read my very first “British” novel, The Secret Garden. In that one introduction, my world expanded into mysterious English manor houses and British classics. Before long, I’d consumed Jane Eyre, Austen’s classics, some Dickens, Dracula, Frankenstein…and the list goes on! And then…I found Tolkien and Lewis – and the ‘real’ world swelled into OTHER worlds.

I’m grateful for true stories of book-loving pioneers traveling into the world of Appalachia to provide books and literacy training to “my people”, because I know some of those books made their way to my tiny elementary school library…and not only brought me the chance to discover stories, but to write them too!

Isn’t it amazing how books can do that?

In Hope Between the Pages, I wanted to bring the same awe and discovery I felt as a child (and continue to feel as an adult reader) to the story of two people whose words had seemed small. Stories stretched their worlds, but the stories also gave them wonderful imaginations and positive perspectives. It’s still amazing to me that ink-and-paper words can make such a lasting impact on hearts and minds. They can lead us to dream, teach us new things, encourage our hearts, help us to think outside the box, swell our imaginations, broaden our horizons, and encourage our hope.

Books are not a replacement for real adventures and relationships, but they certainly provide a beautiful “door” into other lives and worlds that we may never have a chance to experience in real life. Sadie, my historical heroine, and Clara, my contemporary heroine, both have kept close to home but traveled greatly through books…and BOTH are given the opportunity to reach beyond the bindings to discover real-life adventures. I’d like to think that their love for stories helped them have the courage to step away from the page and into their own tales even more prepared than they would have been without stories.

What are some of your favorite books you read as a child? Did any of them influence you to become a more avid reader?