Monday, September 7, 2020

Review: The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright

Welcome to Bonaventure Circus,

where misfits go to hide.

In 1928, the Bonaventure Circus has become a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby and is no longer content to leave the reason for that rejection unquestioned. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Decades later, an old circus train depot's future hangs in the balance--it will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its fate rests on Realtor Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

My Thoughts:

I am a very sated reader at this time since I have just finished this story. This was a read that captivated me with the time split storyline and the circus was the main theme of each.

In 1928 Pippa Ripley is a young woman who has her life all planned out- just not by her. Her adopted father is a very controlling man of his wife, daughter, circus, and even of Forrest her fiancé. Even though Pippa grew up in a well to do home, she has never felt like she belonged. It was no secret she was abandoned as a baby, that her mother died, but she longed to know who her parents were anyway.

Chandler Faulk is a modern day young woman and single mother who is also trying to prove herself. She travels to the old Bonaventure Circus grounds with plans to persuade her uncle to revive it into shops with a circus theme. But the moment Chandler gets there the ghosts from the past begin to make a little more noise than usual. What really is going on and does Chandler have the strength to find out?

I was engrossed in each timeline as each were so closely tied together. There were secrets from the past that continued to invade the present. There was a creepy unknown character called the Watchman, a couple of romances to root for, and the love and sacrifices of family was prominent. The heroines both had limitations. There were murder mysteries and generational guilt, blame, and shame. (I tried to guess the culprit and failed.) And there was a sweet puppy and baby elephant. Toss in some genuine creepiness with a couple of rough heroes and you have a sublime read.

This was my first book that I have read by author Wright and I am a fan. I look forward to reading more of her stories.

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:

Jaime Jo Wright (www.jaimewrightbooks.com) is the author of five novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap'n Hook; and their littles, Peter Pan and CoCo. To learn more, visit www.jaimewrightbooks.com.

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Cover Reveal: Of Gold and Iron by Nicki Chapelway

I am very excited to share in this cover reveal for Nicki Chapelway's newest read coming soon.

What is it about?

“Swear on something else. Swear on your humanity.”

I suddenly find it very hard to swallow. My humanity? With a jolt I realize that there are far greater things at risk here than just my life. I’m in the faerie world, anything could happen. Even immortality.

The Otherworld is the home of the faeries, deceitful, decadent, and deadly. As the next in line to be-come Guardians, Jaye and her brother Thomas are tasked with defending the human world from all things magical. But when a routine scouting mission ends with them trapped in the Otherworld, it becomes pain-fully clear that someone doesn’t want them to leave the world of the faeries. Determined to not become an immortal’s pawn, Jaye kidnaps Ravven Crowe, an arrogant solitary faerie, so that he can guide them safely home. But things quickly go from bad to worse when they are captured by the Winter Court and embroiled in a plot to start a faerie civil war. Thomas is enslaved by an Unseelie faerie, and it seems that the only way to save her brother and avoid a war is for Jaye to ally herself with Ravven.

The faeries are governed by a set of strict laws. For their own safety, the Guardians have their own rules. But with Thomas’s life hanging in the balance there is only one way to save him that does not include breaking the faerie’s Fair Law, a crime that ends in death. Together Jaye and Ravven must compete in a series of deadly tests given by the faerie courts in order to earn Jaye the right to be named the Fair Assassin and wield the Blade of Gold and Iron. As the Fair Assassin she will be permitted to kill any faerie she so chooses, but first she has to live long enough. Walking a fine line between destruction and further entanglement with Crowe, Jaye is going to have to break her own rules if she wants to win. She must trust a faerie. Her life and humanity depend on it.

And now for the cover reveal, and it is a stunning one:

And the Print

Links:

Blog:https://nickichapelwayauthor.blogspot.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nickichapelway/boards/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14921514.Nicki_Chapelway

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Year the Stars Fell by Elizabeth Wehman

About the Book

Book: The Year the Stars Fell

Author: Elizabeth Wehman

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: April 14, 2020

In the spring of 1833, newlywed Betsey Baker-Swain’s simple life changes when she and her husband, Aaron, make a hasty decision to join Betsey’s family on a move from Pennsylvania to Michigan Territory.

Along the way, rainstorms, freezing temperatures, seasickness, and lack of privacy pale in comparison to what the family will encounter once arriving at their destination. Soon, daily trials will include ear-piercing howls of wild wolves, bad weather, clouds of mosquitoes, and disturbing situations with the natives. Even then, Betsey wonders if this trip will finally quench her father’s adventurous spirit.

Over the next year, the Baker family will gain incredible strength, divine trust, and unexplainable courage, but will it be enough to keep them at the tiny cabin by the twisting Shiawassee River? Will uncertainty overtake their determination or will God’s intervention sustain them enough to become a part of the history of a new land?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

I am often amazed and very grateful for those pioneering ancestors that left the comfort of their already established homes and went West. To fill this great land up. When reading such a pioneer story, I often wonder if I would have the strength, the guts to do that. I find more often than not the answer is no and I often find myself getting frustrated with the patriarch of the family in the story.

Hosea Baker has decided to uproot his family: his wife and three daughters, and move west from Pennsylvania to the Michigan territory. His son Ambrose is already there and now it is time for them to join him. Understandably Mrs. Baker and her three daughters do not want to go to no man's land. They have friends and a life where they are at. Their newlywedded sister Betsey is also aggrieved at the thought of her family moving away. What if she and Aaron, her husband went too. So that is how the adventure begins and the story unfolds and this family goes through a lot together from the getting there to the building the homestead and everything in between.

I felt for Betsey and her feelings. Being a wife now she has certain other responsibilities besides her parents and siblings. Is it right to ask Aaron to set down his career aspirations and leave his family and go west? Many what ifs and did we make the right decision plague Betsey as she and Aaron follow her family.

I found that this story was based on actual historical characters fascinating. The author gives us a good amount of historical facts and even the reason for her title. I look forward to more stories based on those rugged pioneers and how they forged their way onward.

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

Elizabeth Wehman’s writing career spans over thirty years and encompasses curriculum, periodical, journalism, and novel writing.

Her dream has always been to write novels and Elizabeth launched her first contemporary fiction, Under the Windowsill, in 2014. Since then, she’s added four titles to her shelf. They include: Promise at Daybreak, Just a Train Ride, Mere Reflection, and her latest complete historical work, The Year the Stars Fell.

She found the historical genre to be filled with rabbit trail research as well as walks through bygone cemeteries. The pioneers, of the early nineteenth century, reflected an amazing stamina and a determined courage to venture into the unknown. The Year the Stars Fell is based on a forgotten village established in the Territory of Michigan in 1833. She fell in love with the Baker family and the information she discovered about them gave way to folklore and tales of the early homesteaders. Two future novels are planned that will include the continuation of the nineteenth century farming community. The series will be called, ‘The Newburg Chronicles’.

In her spare time, Elizabeth loves to read and enjoys being out in nature. Her favorite places are digging in her flower garden, listening to the birds as they herald a new day, or taking a walk on the country roads surrounding her home in Michigan.

Elizabeth has been a trucker’s wife for over thirty years which helps supply the needed solitude to produce extraordinary stories. She has three grown children, four grandpuppies, and two sons-in-law.

More from Elizabeth

My “Stars” book began to emerge after doing research about the county where I live, here in Michigan. On an information discovery about another book, I came across the story of the Baker family. They were highlighted as the one of the first farming families to enter Michigan Territory in 1833. Hosea Baker brought his entire family from Pennsylvania to settle on 600 acres in an area beside the Shiawassee River.

Joining him there were his wife, Sally, his grown son Ambrose, his daughter and her husband, Betsey and Aaron Swain, and some younger daughters. While there, they hooked up with a boy named Alexander Stevens. Their first year included: building a home and barn, clearing and planting the first crops in the county, setting up a household, and Betsey giving birth to the first recorded child in the county. Betsey and Aaron named their new baby, Julia.

So much intrigued me about their story. I was excited to flesh it out with the help of short excerpts written in a Shiawassee County history book from 1888. From these short tidbits about the family, I soon embellished a story which is a mere glimpse into what their story could have included during their first year as settlers in a vast wilderness.

Much of the story is from my own imagination, but many of the highlights include the excerpts written about the family in 1888. After writing their story, I now feel a specific kinship to them. This is my first complete historical fiction work. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 25

lakesidelivingsite, August 25

Inklings and notions, August 26

For Him and My Family, August 27

21st Century Keeper at Home, August 27

Connie’s History Classroom, August 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 29

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 30

deb’s Book Review, August 30

For the Love of Literature, August 31

Older & Smarter?, September 1

Joanne Markey, September 1

Artistic Nobody, September 2 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Betti Mace, September 3

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 5

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, September 5

Pause for Tales, September 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elizabeth is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of The Year the Stars Fell and a $25 gift card to Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, which can be used online!!

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/fff0/the-year-the-stars-fell-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Swift by RJ Anderson

About the Book

Book: Swift
Author: RJ Anderson
Genre: Christian Fantasy
Release Date: August 18, 2020

To save her people, a wingless girl must learn to fly.

As a piskey girl born without wings and raised underground, Ivy yearns for flight almost as much as she misses her long-lost mother. But the world outside the Delve is full of danger, and her dreams seem hopeless until she meets a mysterious faery who makes her an enticing offer: If Ivy helps him escape the Delve’s dungeon, he’ll teach her how to fly.

Freeing Richard could cost Ivy her reputation, perhaps even her life. But when her fellow piskeys start to disappear and her beloved little sister goes missing, Ivy has no choice but to take the risk.

Deadly threats and shocking revelations await Ivy as she ventures into a strange new world, uncovers long-buried secrets about her family’s past, and finds that no one—not even herself—is entirely what they seem.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Swift was an engaging read that blends Cornish folktales with the modern day human world. I had never heard of piskeys and wondered if it was a misspelling. I ended up looking it up and found out about a new to me little person.

This story starts out six years before the main action begins. Something dreadful happens that affects the life of a family- at the time, the main charactrer Ivy is 13. Ivy is a piskey girl who was born without wings, only knubs where they should have been, and for awhile had been very sickly. But as she grows and secrets of her past and of her beloved home come to the surface, Ivy finds strength to pursue the truth even when the fear is very great.

Ivy also meets some characters who actually end up being good for her and trustworthy companions no matter the scary stories that have been told about their kind.

This story was about finding truth and stepping out of your comfort zone and realizing that fear can and will control you if you let it. This is just the first in this series and I look forward to the others. I recommend this book to adults, young adults, and even younger children who would like to listen to it. This was a fun fantasy mixed with our world fairy tale.

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

Born in Uganda to missionary parents, R.J. (Rebecca Joan) Anderson is a women’s Bible teacher, a wife and mother of three, and a bestselling fantasy author for older children and teens. Her debut novel Knife has sold more than 120,000 copies worldwide, while her other books have been shortlisted for the Nebula Award, the Christy Award, and the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Science Fiction. Rebecca lives with her family in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

More from R.J. Anderson

FEAR, FAITH AND LEARNING TO FLY

What would you give to feel safe? If you could hide from all life’s dangers and anyone who might harm you, and spend your whole life in a beautiful, comfortable home surrounded by friends, family and all the necessities of life, would you?

That’s the kind of place that Ivy, the teenaged heroine of Swift, has grown up in — a glittering underground complex called the Delve, where safety and protection are paramount, and young girls especially are warned not to take foolish risks. Like climbing the wall of the Great Shaft that leads to the surface, for instance. Or going outside for any reason, except for two special nights of the year. In the world of modern-day Cornwall, the converted tin mine where Ivy and her fellow piskeys live is their only refuge from scheming faeries, greedy humans, and their deadliest enemies of all, the spriggans. And since Ivy’s mother was stolen by the spriggans six years ago, Ivy knows all too well how dangerous the outside world can be.

But as Ivy discovers when she stumbles on a mysterious Shakespeare-quoting prisoner in her people’s dungeon, safety isn’t everything. If “Richard” is telling the truth about what happened to Ivy’s long-lost mother, there may be more going on in the Delve — and outside it — than Ivy ever guessed. How far will she go to find the truth?

When I first started writing Swift, one of the ideas I wanted to explore was how much our prejudices and false perceptions limit us. Ivy’s been taught to fear everything and everyone outside the Delve, and that her poor health and lack of wings means she will never be worthy or whole. But when she starts to ask questions and search for answers, Ivy discovers that much of what she’s always believed is a lie.

What I didn’t realize until I’d finished writing the whole Flight and Flame trilogy is that in many ways, Ivy’s story parallels that of Moses in the book of Exodus. Like Moses when God first called him, Ivy doesn’t think she has anything to offer her people, or any chance of convincing the stern, suspicious piskey queen to set them free. But when Ivy learns to look beyond her fears and self-doubts and step out in faith — even if she’s not sure yet what it means or where it will lead her — extraordinary things happen and her world begins to change.

We all crave safety and security. But if we refuse to step outside our comfort zones or ever question our prejudices, our lives and hearts will stagnate. It’s only when we open ourselves up to truth and act on it, even if it’s hard or unpopular to do so, that we can truly soar.

I’ve loved writing Ivy’s story. I hope you’ll love reading it, too.

— R.J. Anderson (www.rj-anderson.com)

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, August 31

Blogging With Carol, August 31

Through the Fire Blogs, September 1

Pause for Tales, September 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 2

Worthy2read, September 3

Texas Book-aholic, September 4

The Book Chic Blog, September 4

For Him and My Family, September 5

deb’s Book Review, September 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 7

Mia Reads, September 7

Artistic Nobody, September 8 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

For the Love of Literature, September 9

Daughter of Increase, September 9

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 10

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

Vicky Sluiter, September 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 12

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, September 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, R.J. is giving away the grand prize package of a signed and personalized bookplate, two bookmarks, and two beautiful blank-inside notecards with artwork by Kirk DouPonce and Rory Kurtz!!

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/fff5/swift-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Sinner in Mississippi by D.L. Lane

The Sinner in Mississippi FB Banner

About the Book

Book: The Sinner in Mississippi
Author: D.L. Lane
Genre: Historical Fiction, Inspirational Romance
Release Date: May 1, 2020

Not expecting me to live, the midwife cleaned me up, wrapped me in an old tea towel, and placed me in a knitting basket beside the wood-burning stove. According to Mama, the storm raged until morning, but I never made one sound. So, hours later, when they peeked in at me, they were surprised to see me sucking my thumb, staring up at them with eyes the color of bluebells.

Mama told me, that’s when she cried.

See, she hadn’t shed a single tear during the harsh pain of giving birth or out of fear of the horrible storm taking the house and her with it, but she sobbed when she saw me. To her, it would have been better for all of us if I’d passed on in the night, carried off on the wings of angels, never to suffer the evils of this world. And sometimes, I wondered if she hadn’t been right.

–Mississippi Singleton

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Going into this story I didn't really know what to expect. This was a new to me author and the back blurb only talks about Mississippi's birth. And what a scene that was. So going into this story was a treat and a lovely surprise.

Mississippi, so named because the river flooded when she was born, has lived in an abusive, dirty shack of a home her whole life. At seventeen she is smart enough to know that when her father comes home drunk with her brothers and their friends, it is time for her to hide. Her mother having died when Mississippi was 14, was the only other female and both of them took plenty of physical abuse.

Then one day things change for Mercy. She meets a man by the name of Mr. King. Now, I don't want to say anything more, but from that moment on I was reading and flipping pages as quickly as possible as I was very invested in her life now. This story is very drama filled and a bit of a roller coaster of a ride. I will say that that this is a clean read, but there is abuse and a horrific sexual abuse encounter. But overall, this story is a redemptive piece about one woman's life who most people thought she was better off dying in infancy and how she overcomes her circumstances to find true love, family, and a God who sees her. And to forgive.

This is the first time I have read author Lane. I went searching for her previous works and they are all in my wish list now. I look forward to more of her storytelling.

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

D.L. Lane is a wife, musician, a graduate of Liberty University, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. In 2010 she walked away from the day job and started a writing career using a pen name. As far as the world was concerned, she was very successful writing romances, however, success aside, she knew she wasn’t on the right path but stubbornly kept on going for nine years. Although a Christian and raised in a religious home, D.L went her own way, leaving God out of her choices until He said, “Enough.”

Weary and seeking guidance, she finally listened and left the course she was on as an established novelist to take a new path—putting God first in her life where He always should have been.

More from D.L.

I love writing, and I love to challenge myself as an author, and so I thought, why not write a fictional historical piece. This was a test for me since there are many things to research when writing during a different era, especially when I wasn’t around at that time. But I prayed about it, grabbed my laptop, and started writing about a poor, uneducated girl who grew up in Louisiana during the Great Depression in a motherless home with a group of reprobate males.

Not unlike the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, a boy despised by his brothers who plotted against him, later rose from the depths to become one of the most powerful men in Egypt, facing the very men who had been responsible for the atrocities he’d suffered. Joseph had a choice. Let them die or help the ones who never helped him? This story weaves some of that same treachery with truth, teaching not only the heroine but the hero the ultimate meaning of love.

I wanted to give readers a book demonstrating the fact God will never leave us, even if we have left him for a time. That a personal relationship with Christ is our ultimate source of strength, and with His help, we can be pulled out of the depths of great sorrow, rising to heights we never imagined possible.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 23

Inklings and notions, August 24

Genesis 5020, August 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 25

For the Love of Literature, August 26

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 27

Maureen’s Musings, August 27

For Him and My Family, August 28

Godly Book Reviews, August 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 30

Labor Not in Vain, August 30

deb’s Book Review, August 31

Pause for Tales, September 1

Betti Mace, September 2

Rebecca Tews, September 2

Daysong Reflections, September 3

Connie’s History Classroom, September 4

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, D.L. is giving away the grand prize package of a $10 Amazon eGift Card and a free Audiobook of The Sinner in Mississippi!!

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/ffa5/the-sinner-in-mississippi-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, August 31, 2020

Review: A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham

Where you come from matters far less than where you're going

Six years ago, a shocking secret sent Agnes Pratt running in search of a new start. She found it in Penance, a rugged town of miners and lumberjacks in the Dakota Territory. In the shadow of the Black Hills, she became Miss Aggie, respected schoolteacher and confirmed old maid--despite being only twenty-four. But the past has a way of catching up with people.

When childhood friend and former sweetheart James Harris accepts a position as the town doctor, Aggie's pleasantly predictable days suddenly become anything but. James wants to know why Agnes left behind the life they had dreamed of creating for themselves--but he is precisely the one person who can never know.

Can a healing light be shed on the past? Or will the secret Agnes can't seem to outrun destroy her chance at happiness?

My Thoughts:

This is another gentle and sweet tale of true love and becoming who we are meant to be. From the very beginning Aggie has a secret that she is convinced that is the most horrible thing in the world that she leaves everything she knows to become a teacher out in the west. Even leaving the man she loves and whom she intended to marry, James.

Six years later Aggie has settled into her life intent on staying a teacher for life. No marriage or family for her. Her students and their families will need to be enough. But James has never gotten over Aggie leaving with no good-bye or explanation. I so enjoyed his character. He has matured since last he and Aggie saw each other and now he is a doctor. Something he chose for himself against his parent's wishes.

James has come to the town to not only be a doctor but also to regain Aggie and find out the answers that has so haunted him. James was a sweet man, who was often mischievous, but he had deep hurts. As I read the story and understood due to the times why Aggie left, I was very happy that James came for her. To woo her and show his love in spite of everything. I think he has become one of my favorite book heroes.

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:

Rachel Fordham

Rachel Fordham is the author of The Hope of Azure Springs and Yours Truly, Thomas. She started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She'd pull a book from the shelf, but they'd insist she make one up. Finally, she paired her love of good stories with her love of writing and hasn't stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Lady Airell's Choice by Rachel Skatvold

About the Book

Book: Lady Airell’s Choice
Author: Rachel Skatvold
Genre: Christian Medieval Romance
Release Date: January, 2019

Will one choice save her kingdom from destruction?

During a time of peace and prosperity, Princess Airell of Daireann is given the rare privilege of choosing her own suitor. As eligible rulers from all over Ardena vie for her hand, a betrothal to Prince Tristan of Órlaith seems to be the clear choice. Yet, in the midst of Lady Airell’s happiness, the winds of change are coming.

When an evil usurper from the north rises to power and his forces attack the southern kingdoms, peace in Ardena is shattered. With Daireann under siege, the princess must find the courage to protect her people. Will Lady Airell choose to sacrifice her own happiness in order to save her kingdom?

Get swept up in an epic adventure while reading this Christian medieval romance filled with themes of faith, redemption and forgiveness.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

I am truly excited to have started this new medieval series and I just don't think there is enough of those stories out there.

This story was full of twists and turns, family, love, and heartbreak. The characters were all set up and very easy to follow, especially with all the kingdoms involved. I enjoyed the charts in the back of the book as a handy reference as well.

This was at times an emotional read and compelling. Especially as the characters found themselves in situations that were not healthy or happy. Airell finds herself in such a situation that she can neither control of get out of. But as she stays strong and hopeful, she does come to see that her captor is also a captive as well.

I look forward to the rest of the series and how all these characters take their rightful places.

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

Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author and stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing inspirational romance and encouraging blogs. Rachel completed her first series, the Riley Family Legacy Novellas in 2014 and is now working on the Hart Ranch Series, set in the Montana wilderness and the Ladies of Ardena Series, set in medieval times. She is also a contributing author in the Whispers in Wyoming, Brides of Pelican Rapids and Independence Island Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons. You can find more information about Rachel and her books on her website: www.rachelskatvold.com.

More from Rachel

The Ladies of Ardena Series has been by far my favorite series to write because the stories are adventurous fast-paced tales with themes of faith, hope and redemption. While I am more well-known for my contemporary western and small-town romance series, I have always been interested in history and fascinated with the medieval time period. Although Ardena is a fictional land, it is inspired by Irish and Scottish culture, in honor of my ancestors. Each book is also inspired by one of my six nieces and is dedicated to them. For that reason, these stories have a special place in my heart.

Lady Airell’s Choice follows the eldest daughter in the Daireann royal family who has come of age. Since it is a time of peace in the land, her father allows Airell to choose her own suitor. She is excited to start a new chapter in her life, but her dreams for the future are shattered when a usurper from the north kills her father and wages war against Daireann. Princess Airell is forced to choose between her own happiness and the survival of her kingdom.

Lady Airell’s story is inspired by Psalms 23 1-3 NLT which says: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” This verse is relevant during Airell’s time and in our lives today as well. We may not face the same perilous circumstances with evil kings and perilous voyages across the sea. Our battles are a little different these days, but God is still the same. He can help us through any trials and lead us down the correct path if we put our faith in Him.

Thank you for following this Celebration Tour for Lady Airell’s choice. To learn more about this book and the others in the series, please read the summary below and visit the series page on Amazon. Also, don’t’ forget to sign up for the giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! Blessings.