Wednesday, May 27, 2015

In Firefly Valley by Amanda Cabot








Marisa St. George is devastated when she is a victim of downsizing and has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up. Though it's a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow's End resort. The only silver lining is Blake Kendall, a new guest who is making her believe in love at first sight. But will her dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers who he really is?






About Amanda:

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.  





My Thoughts:

I didn't read the first book in the series, that had no bearing on me following the story line.
I found the characters well developed and interesting. For me the book was slow, and I had a hard time being glued to the page. Overall it was a sweet read, that would be a great beach read.




When Hope Rises by Dora Heirs

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
When Hope Rises
Pelican Book Group (May 2015)
by
Dora Heirs


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a successful auditing career, Dora left the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom to her two sons. When her youngest son no longer wanted her hanging out at school with him anymore, Dora started writing Heart Racing, God-Gracing romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and her local chapter, Carolina Romance Writers.

Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina. When she takes a break from cranking out stories, she enjoys reading, family gatherings, and mountain cabin getaways. She despises traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, and a sad ending to a book. Her books always end with a happily-ever-after!



ABOUT THE BOOK

Art teacher Shelby Coltman transforms junk into treasure and longs for a place to showcase her creations. She’s thrilled when her friend volunteers to room with her. Shelby can finally buy a storefront. Unfortunately, Kennedi’s brother can't seem to let go.

Abandoned as a teenager, guidance counselor Tate Malone has become surrogate and over-protective father to his sister. Life is great until Shelby Coltman wheedles his impressionable sister into sharing an apartment. Raised in wealth, the beautiful Shelby could never understand poverty or rejection, and Tate doesn't appreciate her uprooting his sister. When Shelby hands over her savings to a homeless student, will God obliterate Tate's fears and deliver all of Shelby’s dreams...when hope rises?

If you would like to read the first chapter of When Hope Rises, go HERE.




Saturday, May 23, 2015

19 Kids and Counting . . .Forgiveness . . . Stoning . . .



I am not a fan of the Duggers and an even less fan now. I have never watched an episode, I personally think making a show out of procreation is ridiculous. In light of yesterday's revelations Josh Dugger seems to be doing damage control. Coming out with a statement of apology, that he's apologized to the victims, his parents knew about it when it happened and that's when he became a believer in Christ, he resigned from the Family Research Council. . . blah-blah-blah . . . Nothing has been said about these girls, how old they were when it happened, how they are doing now, and for his sisters how their relationship is with him now.

Had TLC not made a public announcement about dropping the show we would be none the wiser and I have to say I think TLC has done a real disservice here. In REAL life unless this happened in our community we'd not even know about any of this. The Christian community seems to be split down the middle as to the feelings regarding this, some forgive and forget, others stone him. There does seem to be a small group that aren't really on any side. I am not in the forgive and forget camp, nor am I in the camp wanting to stone him.
My position is . . .the family is reaping what they sowed. Had Jim Bob and Michelle dealt with this at the time, when he was 14, cancelled the show for personal reasons, allowed the families of his victims, and the court system handle this in the steps that are in place for a juvenile, he and his victims would've been protected. Now, it is all out in the open for everyone to see, and speculate about. Which isn't doing anyone any good.
As a woman who was assaulted as a teen, and endured verbal abuse by my former husband, this whole situation makes my skin crawl. Forgiving Josh Dugger is not for me to do, he didn't assault me,  continuing to exercise forgiveness toward the guy that violated me and my ex-husband for his verbal attacks, is what Christ has called me to. That doesn't stop the tape from playing in my head, or triggers from coming. It just means that when those pop up in my head like yesterday when I heard about this I give it into the hands of my heavenly Father to deal with. I propose that is what we as Christ followers do . . . place the Duggers into the hands of the Father and let Him handle it. He knows all about this, and speculating about what did, or did not happen does nothing but divide.
My heart breaks for all of the girls involved. This is hard enough to deal with quietly, having it splashed across newspapers, and all over the internet has to be unbearable.

I hope the TLC executives realize what they have done with bringing this all public and learn from it so that it doesn't happen again.


Thursday, May 21, 2015

Bridge of Faith by Cathy West






Two lives taken down different roads - one enduring love - one shot at starting over.
If only they believed in second chances.

Julia Connelly is finally free from twelve long years in an abusive relationship. Now able to live the life she’s longed for, Julia takes her two children back home to Vermont, hoping for peace and healing. The last person she expects to see is the man she eloped with at eighteen—who then abandoned her two months into their marriage, with little explanation.

When an assignment in the Middle East ends in tragedy, popular news correspondent, Reid Wallace, returns to his hometown seeking answers and peace of mind.

Confronting his past was not in the plan.

Now he’s asking different questions. Like why the only woman he’s ever really loved still mesmerizes him. Why the haunted expression she wears reaches right into his soul.

And why her twelve year-old son looks just like him.

They say you can’t go home again. Sometimes you don’t have a choice.




About this author

:
Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Her first novel, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, released in 2011 and won the INSPY for Romance, a Silver Medal in the Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was a finalist in the Grace Awards. Catherine’s second novel, Hidden in the Heart, released in September 2012, was long listed in the 2012 INSPY’s and was a finalist in the 2013 Grace Awards. Catherine’s latest novel, Bridge of Faith, is now available on Amazon.
When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, and is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary. Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com 



My Thoughts:

This book is full of twists, and turns that will keep you up turning the pages until wee hours of the morning, I finished this at 2am. Bridge of Faith is an appropriate title, the characters are tearing down bridges, building bridges of hope and redemption. This would be a great beach read. Highly recommended!



Monday, May 18, 2015

The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Art of Losing Yourself
WaterBrook Press (April 21, 2015)
by
Katie Ganshert


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family. When she’s not busy penning novels or spending time with her people, she enjoys drinking coffee with friends, reading great literature, and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.

Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together. But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.

Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Art of Losing Yourself, go HERE.



New from Becky Wade | ‘A Love Like Ours’ $100 Cash Card and Prize Pack Giveaway


Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.
When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.
Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?







{More About Becky Wade}

Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, took time off to raise her children, then felt God nudging her to pursue contemporary Christian fiction. Becky’s work has been a finalist for both a RITA and an INSPY Award.
Find out more about Becky at http://beckywade.com.




 Fall in love with Becky Wade's new book, A Love Like Ours, a story of healing, romance, and cowboys. A glimmer of the hope Jake thought he’d lost returns when Lyndie lands back in Texas, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?




To celebrate the release of her new book, Becky is giving away a $100 cash card and a book-inspired prize pack!






lovelikeours-400 



One grand prize winner will receive:



  • A $100 cash card

  • A copy of A Love Like Ours

  • A copy of the Secretariat DVD

  • A scarf

  • A dog-tag/cross keychain

  • A pair of earrings

  • A Scarf

  • A Texas-shaped cutting board

  • A Jake Porter mug



love like ours - prize pack 



Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 26th. Winner will be announced May 27th on Becky's site.





lovelikeours-enterbanner



My Thoughts:

This was a great book from start to finish. I lost many nights of sleep staying up to read this one. While it was a great book, it was sad as well. Jake is a former Marine, and dealing with PTSD. Both Jake and Lyndie grow emotionally and spiritually through the book, which is always a plus for me. As a navy brat and navy wife I love that part of the proceeds from this book are going to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. I have a lot of respect for Becky that she would consider that. So, buy a great read and support a great cause!


Sunday, May 17, 2015

As Love Blooms by Lorna Seilstad



Tessa Gregory is nothing if not tenacious. Denied a position as a horticulturalist at prestigious Como Park in Saint Paul, she is not above a little benevolent deception in order to get the park superintendent to change his mind and hire her. She plans to infiltrate the world of wealthy and influential people in hopes of drumming up financial support for a world-class conservatory. But before she can put those plans into action, she meets Reese King, a handsome gardener at Como Park--and a major distraction. Still, Reese might be the key to achieving her dream. But is his goal to help her . . . or to capture her heart?

Against a lush backdrop of early twentieth century Saint Paul, Minnesota, Lorna Seilstad weaves a sweet and sassy story that is sure to please. Tessa's young romance opens like a rose, stealing readers' hearts and filling their senses with the intoxicating fragrance of dreams come true.



Lorna Seilstad
About this author


For as long as I can remember, I loved writing. I even dreamed in plots. I also grew up attending antique auctions nearly every weekend, so history was as much a part of my life as chores on our farm in Iowa, reading books, and playing with Barbies.

So, writing historical romances fit perfectly. Times may change, the style of clothes, the way we speak, but the common threads that unite us remain the same. Couples fall in love. Injustices
happen. We fight for what we believe in. We struggle. We endure. We grow.

After graduating from York College in York, Nebraska with an A.A. and then receiving a B.S.Ed. from Lubbock Christian University, I met and married the love of my life, David. God had
written our love story, and I knew from the moment we met that he was the one. It was not love at first sight by any means, but I was so sure he was "it" that I wrote that I'd met the man I would marry in my diary. We pledged our hearts to one another two and half years later.

I taught high school English until my oldest child was born. After that I began my career as a professional wiper. I wiped noses, counter tops, tiny tushes, tears, and scraped knees.

Deciding that my children were now older and less in need of my constant supervision, I started pursuing my first love again --writing. After joining American Christian Fiction Writers, I found a wonderful critique group and began studying the craft of writing.

David and I have three children ages 18, 16, and 11. We also work in youth ministry and teach youth and adult Bible classes.


My Thoughts:
It's 1913 and women are still fighting for women's rights. This is the third and final installment of the Gregory sisters. This book is about Tessa, yet the entire family is reunited in this final book. Sadly, I didn't find this book as humorous as the others in the series, it was slow in places, and it felt as though there were too many people in the storyline. The relationship between Reese and Tessa was sweet and filled with mishaps that provided laugh out loud humor. Whether you've read the other books in the series or not, this book can stand alone and would be a great beach read.

 

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

The Wood's Edge by Lori Benton




This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The Wood's Edge


WaterBrook Press (April 21, 2015)


by


Lori Benton








ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Lori Benton spent her late teens and early twenties pursuing a career as a wildlife artist, attending the Maryland College of Art & Design before she began painting professionally. When not writing or researching, Lori can be found exploring the mountains of southern Oregon with her husband, Brian. Lori's first novel, Burning Sky was nominated as an ECPA 2014 Christian Book Award Finalist and also received double nominations for 2014 Christy Awards. The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is her second novel.










ABOUT THE BOOK



At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact?




The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.




On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.




When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?




If you would like to read the first chapter of The Wood's Edge, go HERE.



Saturday, May 9, 2015

Side by Side by Jana Kelly






About the book:
Side by Side (New Hope Publishers, April 2015)

In the dusty, Islamic country of Sudan, Mia's life collides with that of another young woman.

A young Christian American mother, Mia finds more than one dark secret on the streets of Khartoum. She finds Halimah, a young, upper-class Arab student with a bright future in her family's business whose risky and secretive decision has put her life in danger. What happens when the path of young mother intersects with that of a spunky Sudanese student? God transforms them both . . . forever.

Part of New Hope® Publishers' contemporary missional fiction line, Side by Side opens the reader's eyes to the life of Muslims in Sudan as well as some of the struggles that Christians face when living under Islamic law. The reader will be inspired to pray for those who are persecuted for their faith as well as pray for the salvation of those who persecute.



Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1DPUKiO
 
 
 About the author:

Jana Kelley
is a Texan who hardly ever lives in Texas. Raised in Southeast Asia, Jana developed a love for cross-cultural living early in life. Her love for writing came soon after. Jana returned to Texas to attend college. She and her husband married a month after she graduated and by their second anniversary, they were living in a remote African town. Together with her husband and three boys, Jana enjoys travel and overseas living. After thirteen years in Africa and the Middle East, Jana and her family moved to Southeast Asia where they currently live.

Find Jana online: website, Facebook, Twitter
 
 
 
 
This was a brave book to write. It was very real, my heart broke for the Muslim girls and how they are treated like property. I loved Mia, her desire to meet and witness to Muslim women was real and encouraging. While this is written as a novel, it reminds me of the Missionary books I read as a kid. It was a good book, filled with great detail about not only Sudan, and the people, but the reality of Americans living there.
Recommended.

 

Friday, May 8, 2015

Tamera Alexander’s To Win Her Favor Blog Tour and Kindle Giveaway


To Win Her Favor
A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who could help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing forever.

An Irishman far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He's come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and begin farming, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he'd wagered, especially when Maggie Linden's father makes him an offer he shouldn't accept yet cannot possibly refuse.

Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance---and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder---Maggie's father, aging, yet wily as ever, makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail---Maggie must marry a man she's never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1OYbn27
 
 
 Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious---and precocious---silky terrier.

Find Tamera online: website, Facebook, Twitter
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Can Maggie prove that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America? Find out in Tamera Alexander's To Win Her Favor. To give her that chance—and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder—Maggie must marry a man she's never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.




Celebrate the release of To Win Her Favor with a Kindle Fire and book giveaway!





to win her favor - 400



One grand prize winner will receive:



  • A Kindle Fire HD 6

  • A copy of To Win Her Favor


Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 10th. Winner will be announced May 11th on Tamera's blog. Plus stay tuned for more opportunities to win after May 11 with a special Pinterest contest—more details coming soon!





to win her favor - enterbanner


{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}
 
My Thoughts:
 
I fell in love with Cullen from the beginning. I understood why Maggie wasn't thrilled with the arrangement that followed, I waited, hoping that Maggie would fall in love with Cullen. 
This is a beautiful love story filled with faith, and grace. Include a beautiful horse named Bourbon Belle, and you have a book that will stay with you long after the last page.
Highly recommended!

 

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Tiffany Girl by Deanne Gist



From the bestselling author of It Happened at the Fair and Fair Play comes a compelling historical novel about a progressive “New Woman”—the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel—and the love that threatens it all.

As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany—heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire—seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen.

But when Louis’s dream is threatened by a glassworkers’ strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the New York Art Institute. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the “Tiffany Girls.”

Tiffany Girls is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world.

As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?


 Deeanne Gist has rocketed up the bestseller lists and captivated readers everywhere with her original historical and contemporary romances. A favorite among readers and reviewers alike, her popular titles include It Happened at the Fair and Fair Play. Her latest book, Tiffany Girl, is available May 5, 2015.

A popular speaker, Gist’s presentations have been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and in other publications. The Wall Street Journal’s accompanying online video was the most watched video on the FrontPageWSJ.com website for several days following their feature.

Gist has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel. She is also the creator of I Did It!®, a parenting line of products. Gist lives in Houston, Texas with her husband of thirty years. The couple has four grown children.

Gist’s fans enthusiastically interact with her at her popular online communities: IWantHerBook.com, as well as on Facebook (@DeesFriends) and Twitter (@DeeanneGist)



I finished this book last night just before 2 am. From the first page I was pulled into Flossie's world. Her desire to be a "New Woman", having a job, making her own money, and living on her own, is something that resonates with all of us. When the men go on strike Flossie is one of the women hired to pick up the slack at the Tiffany glass company. In the 500 pages of this story, Flossie finds herself not only as an artist but as a person, something that all of us go through at one time or another. 
The cast of characters are full of life, and laughter, you will identify with one, if not all of the characters at one point or another as you read this book. Seeing characters change and become a better person encourages us that we can do that too. These characters will stay with you long after you have turned the last page. I dreamt about them last night as I slept. 
While Deanne has two other books about the World's Fair, you can read this as a stand alone. I highly recommend this book!


First Line Friday Featuring Riot (A Breed Apart: Legacy #3) by Ronie Kendig and JJ Samie Myles

  Happy Friday!! Welcome to the weekend!!! Today I am featuring one of my favorite authors, Ronie Kendig. I loved A Breed Apart series and I...