Friday, December 30, 2016

First Line Friday - A Moonbow Night






                                                  

About the book:

After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River. It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke--men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew looking for an experienced guide. When his guide appears, Sion balks. He certainly didn't expect a woman. But it is not long before he must admit that Tempe's skill in the wilderness rivals his own. Still, the tenuous tie they are forming is put to the test as they encounter danger after danger and must rely on each other.
With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons readers to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.


GOODREADS

AMAZON PRE-ORDER


First Line

April 1777
What cannot be cured must be endured.

Visit these lovely ladies and see their first line and leave yours in the comments.

All The Book Blog Names Are Taken 

Bookworm Mama 

Encouraging Words From the Tea Queen 

Faithfully Bookish

Reading is My SuperPower 

Robin's Nest





Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Favored Reads of 2016


Each year it gets harder and harder to choose my favorite reads of the year. I've even been really picky the last couple of years in my choices of books and if anything that has made the task more difficult.

My choices for Biblical Fiction

Miriam by Mesu Andrews

The Prophetess; Deborah's Story by Jill Eileen Smith

The Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar 

Mary Chosen of God by Diana Wallis Taylor

My Choices for Contemporary Fiction

Finding Margo by Jen Turano

A Twist of Faith by Pepper D. Basham

What Matters Most by Kellie Coates Gilbert

The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck

A Glimmer of Hope by Julie Lessman

Can't Help Falling by Kara Isaac

Love Everlasting by Julie Lessman

My Choices for Historical Fiction

The Thorn Healer by Pepper D. Basham

Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

Playing the Part by Jen Turano

The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof

The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron

Stars Over Sunset Blvd. by Susan Meissner

The Thorn Keeper by Pepper D. Basham

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

My Choices for Slipstream / Suspense/Thriller Fiction

The Long Journey to Jake Palmer by James L. Rubart

The Progeny by Tosca Lee

Trial and Tribulation by Rachel Dylan

My Choices for Christmas Fiction

The Royal Christmas Wedding by Rachel Hauck

God Bless Us Everyone by Eva Marie Everson

A Cowboy Christmas Homecoming by Mary Connealy, Julie Lessman, Ruth Logan Herne and Anna Schmidt


This is my list, in no particular order. As I look back over these titles and reviews I am reminded once again how very blessed I am that I get to read so many wonderful books, by so many amazing authors. Each of these books touched my life this year and I am looking forward to reading new books in 2017.

Thank you, my dear author friends for sharing your babies with me.

Happy New Year!



Friday, December 23, 2016

First Line Friday . . . Mary, Chosen of God








"Blessed are you, Mary, chosen of God."Mary is ordinary girl from Nazareth. She helps her mother with household chores, she daydreams about a handsome carpenter's son named Joseph, and at night she lies on the roof and contemplates at the stars. But one evening, a heavenly visitor comes with unexpected news; and her life is changed forever. Experience the life of the Messiah from the perspective of his mother, who must place her trust and obedience in Adonai, the Most High, as he fulfills centuries of anticipation in the middle of her daily life. Walk with Mary as she witnesses Yeshua grow, mature, minister, and even crucified; and then raised again, to the kindling of her new faith.

First Line:
With a sigh, Mary paused to sit on a nearby rock and tie the leather strap again.


Visit these bloggers, read their first line and leave yours in the comments.

All The Book Blog Names Are Taken

Bookworm Mama

Encouraging Words From The Tea Queen

Faithfully Bookish

Reading is My SuperPower

Singing Librarian









Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Mary, Chosen of God by Diana Wallis Taylor

About the book:

"Blessed are you, Mary, chosen of God."Mary is ordinary girl from Nazareth. She helps her mother with household chores, she daydreams about a handsome carpenter's son named Joseph, and at night she lies on the roof and contemplates at the stars. But one evening, a heavenly visitor comes with unexpected newsAnd#8212;and her life is changed forever. Experience the life of the Messiah from the perspective of his mother, who must place her trust and obedience in Adonai, the Most High, as he fulfills centuries of anticipation in the middle of her daily life. Walk with Mary as she witnesses Yeshua grow, mature, minister, and even crucifiedAnd#8212;and then raised again, to the kindling of her new faith.


About Diana
A winner of the “Writer of the Year” award by the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild, Diana Wallis Taylor has been writing since the age of 12 when she sold her first poem to a church newspaper. She has completed four novels of Biblical Fiction for Revell, one novel of Biblical Fiction and a Halloween book, “Harmless Fun or Risky Business” for Whitaker House. Her fourth book, Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate, was nominated for ACFW’s Carol Award. She won first place in the San Diego Book Awards for her short story “Phipps and the Jay”; First place in Christian Romance for her book Smoke Before the Wind; First place in Christian Fiction for her e-book, House of the Forest; Second place for Martha, First place for her manuscript for A Distant Mountain (now Shadows on the Mountain); all in Reader’s Favorite Book Review and Award Contest. Her collection of poetry, Wings of the Wind came out in 2006. Her writing contributions appear in various compilation books and magazines. Diana wrote the words and melodies for an Easter cantata called “Glorious” recently completed with her fellow collaborator, Carolyn Prentice, who did the orchestration.
Diana lives with her husband Frank in San Diego, California. Between them they have six grown children and nine grandchildren. She enjoys speaking and sharing her heart with women of all ages.

My Thoughts:

Biblical fiction is another one of my favorite genre's. I've read most of Diana's books, I found Mary, Chosen of God on Goodreads, a friend was reading it and I thought it was a perfect read for Christmas and I was right! Diana takes you right into the heart of Mary, the words from Luke 2:19, Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart, become alive and real. I've always been amazed at Mary's faith in God as she walked through her pregnancy of Jesus, raising him, watching him begin his ministry and then seeing her child die a criminal's death. In this book we not only watch Mary as Jesus grows, we see how his siblings handle having him as their brother, and the struggle with unbelief.
I loved this book and it will become a book I will read at Christmas each year. Highly recommended!




Tuesday, December 20, 2016

2017 Spring Christian Fiction Releases



As promised here are my most desired books that will release in the Spring of 2017, March, April and May.


Jen is a favorite for her quirky, humorous stories and characters and I can't wait for this book to come out.

Miss Permilia Griswold, the wallflower behind "The Quill" gossip column, knows everything that goes on in the ballrooms of New York. When she overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Asher Rutherford, she's determined to warn him. Away from society's spotlight, Asher and Permilia discover there's more going on behind the scenes than they anticipated.

This book is set to release on April 4, 2017.






 Kristy Cambron captured me with her first book The Butterfly and the Violin. Her book The RingMaster's Wife was a slam dunk, and I can't wait to read this beauty!


Harry Houdni’s one-time apprentice holds fantastic secrets about the greatest illusionist in the world. But someone wants to claim them . . . or silence her before she can reveal them on her own.

Boston, 1926. Jenny “Wren” Lockhart is a bold eccentric—even for a female vaudevillian. As notorious for her inherited wealth and gentleman’s dress as she is for her unsavory upbringing in the back halls of a vaudeville theater, Wren lives in a world that challenges all manner of conventions.

In the months following Houdini’s death, Wren is drawn into a web of mystery surrounding a spiritualist by the name of Horace Stapleton, a man defamed by Houdini’s ardent debunking of fraudulent mystics in the years leading up to his death. But in a public illusion that goes terribly wrong, one man is dead and another stands charged with his murder. Though he’s known as one of her teacher’s greatest critics, Wren must decide to become the one thing she never wanted to be: Stapleton’s defender.

Forced to team up with the newly formed FBI, Wren races against time and an unknown enemy, all to prove the innocence of a hated man. In a world of illusion, of the vaudeville halls that showcase the flamboyant and the strange, Wren’s carefully constructed world threatens to collapse around her.

Layered with mystery, illusion, and the artistry of the Jazz Age’s bygone vaudeville era, The Illusionist’s Apprentice is a journey through love and loss and the underpinnings of faith on each life’s stage.

This book is set to release in March, 2017.

 Terri Blackstock is a master at suspense and I always feel like I am sitting on the edge of my seat as I read her books. 


Is Dylan hunting Casey to prosecute her or protect her?

Casey Cox is still on the run, fleeing prosecution for a murder she didn’t commit. Dylan Roberts—her most relentless pursuer—is still on her trail, but his secret emails insist that he knows the truth and wants to help her. He’s let her escape before when he had her in his grasp, but trust doesn’t come easily.
As Casey works to collect evidence about the real murderers, she stumbles on another unbearable injustice: an abused child and a suicidal man who’s also been falsely accused. Casey risks her own safety to right this wrong and protect the little girl from her tormenters. But doing so is risky and just may result in her capture—and if she’s captured, she has no doubt she’ll be murdered before she ever steps foot in a jail.
In this riveting sequel to the USA Today bestseller If I Run, evil lurks, drawing Casey out of the shadows . . . but there is light shining in the darkness. Is Dylan a provision from the God who loves her, or another heartache yet to happen?

This book is set to release on March 21, 2017.


If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that I am one proud Navy brat! I love Sarah's books not only for the military aspect but for the romance. 


The last thing naval officer Dan Avery wants to see on his radar is glamour girl Quintessa Beaumont—even if she has joined the WAVES.

When fun-loving glamour girl Quintessa Beaumont learns the Navy has established the WAVES program for women, she enlists, determined to throw off her frivolous ways and contribute to the war effort. No-nonsense and hoping to make admiral, Lt. Dan Avery has been using his skills to fight German U-boats. The last thing he wants to see on his radar is a girl like Tess. For her part, Tess works hard to prove her worth in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit in Boston—both to her commanding officers and to the man with whom she is smitten. When Dan is assigned to a new escort carrier at the peak of the Battle of the Atlantic, he’s torn between his lifelong career goals and his desire to help Tess root out a possible spy on shore. The Germans put up quite a fight, but he wages a deeper battle within his heart. Could Tess be the one for him?

With precision and pizazz, fan favorite Sarah Sundin carries readers through the rough waters of love in a time when every action might have unforeseen world-changing consequences.

This book releases on March 14, 2017.


Hayden McCarthy is on track to become the youngest partner in her prestigious D.C. law firm . . . if the case she's just been handed doesn't destroy her first.


Hayden McCarthy knows firsthand the pain when justice is not served. It's why she became an attorney and why she's so driven in her career. When she's handed a wrongful death case against the government, she isn't sure if it's the lucky break she needs to secure a partnership—or an attempt to make sure she never gets there. She keeps the case alive through sheer determination and more than a little creativity, but then she's fired by a partner with a vendetta.


Further complicating matters, Hayden keeps finding herself completely distracted by Andrew, her roommate's cousin. But his father is a Congressman and she's currently taking on the government. Could the timing be any worse?


The longer she keeps the case active, the higher the stakes become. Unknown enemies seem determined to see either the case—or her—die. Should she fight alone for the dead young man by launching her own unfinanced firm, or abandon the case in order to save her own life?

This book is set to release on April 4, 2017. 

I have loved every one of Melanie's Fairy tale retellings and I can't wait to read this one!


She lost everything to an evil conspiracy . . . but that loss may just give her all she ever wanted.

Since meeting Steffan, the Duke of Wolfberg, at Thornbeck Castle, Lady Magdalen has not been able to stop thinking about him. She knows—as a penniless lady with little to offer in terms of a dowry—she has no real hope of marrying such a highly titled man, so it comes as a great surprise when she receives a letter from him, asking for her hand in marriage.

But all is not what it seems at Wolfberg Castle. Steffan has been evicted by his scheming uncle, and his cousin has taken over the title of duke. Left for dead, Steffan is able to escape, and disguised as a shepherd, hopes to gain entry to the castle to claim the items that will prove he is the true Duke of Wolfberg.

Journeying to the castle, Magdalen has no idea what awaits her, but she certainly did not expect her loyal maidservant to turn on her. Forcing Magdalen to trade places with her, the servant plans to marry the duke and force Magdalen to tend the geese.

Without their respective titles—and the privileges that came with them—Steffan and Magdalen are reunited in the shepherd’s field. Together they conspire to get back their rightful titles. But they must hurry . . . or else they risk losing it all to the uncle’s evil plan.

This book is set to release on May 9, 2017.


Lady Sabine is harboring a skin blemish, one, that if revealed, could cause her to be branded as a witch, put her life in danger, and damage her chances of making a good marriage. After all, what nobleman would want to marry a woman so flawed?

Sir Bennet is returning home to protect his family from an imminent attack by neighboring lords who seek repayment of debts. Without fortune or means to pay those debts, Sir Bennet realizes his only option is to make a marriage match with a wealthy noblewoman. As a man of honor, he loathes the idea of courting a woman for her money, but with time running out for his family’s safety, what other choice does he have?

As Lady Sabine and Sir Bennet are thrust together under dangerous circumstances, will they both be able to learn to trust each other enough to share their deepest secrets? Or will those secrets ultimately lead to their demise?

This book is set to release March 7, 2017.


On the day of a late spring storm, in Chicago, Autumn Manning boarded an “L” train. A bomb explodes, killing everyone in the train car except for Autumn—the sole survivor. A year has passed and Autumn suffocates under a blanket of what ifs and the pressing desire to bring the victims back to life, every day, if only for her. She doesn’t want their stories to be forgotten. She wants to undo what cannot be undone. An unexpected ally joins her efforts, also seeking answers and trying to find a way to stumble ahead.
But one victim’s husband, Paul Elliott, prays to let the dead—and their secrets—rest in peace, undisturbed and unable to hurt his loved ones.
Caught between loss and hope, these restless souls must release the past to embrace a sovereign God.

This book releases on April 18, 2017.


 The first book I read of Sue Meissner's was a Shape of Mercy. Then I found out we had gone to the same h.s. It's so fun to read and review her books!


Wartime intrigue spans the lives of three women past and present in the latest novel from the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life.

February, 1946. World War Two is over, but the recovery from the most intimate of its horrors has only just begun for Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina desperate to escape her past, and Simone Deveraux, the wronged daughter of a French Resistancespy.
Now the two women are joining hundreds of other European war brides aboard the renowned RMS Queen Mary to cross the Atlantic and be reunited with their American husbands. Their new lives in the United States brightly beckon until their tightly-held secrets are laid bare in their shared stateroom. When the voyage ends at New York Harbor, only one of them will disembark...
Present day. Facing a crossroads in her own life, Brette Caslake visits the famously haunted Queen Mary at the request of an old friend. What she finds will set her on a course to solve a seventy-year-old tragedy that will draw her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides and will ultimately lead her to reconsider what she has to sacrifice to achieve her own deepest longings. 

This book is set to release on March 14, 2017.


Living in rural Georgia in 1941, sixteen-year-old Alice-Ann has her heart set on her brother's friend Mack; despite their five-year age gap, Alice-Ann knows she can make Mack see her for the woman she'll become. But when they receive news of the attack on Pearl Harbor and Mack decides to enlist, Alice-Ann realizes she must declare her love before he leaves.Though promising to write, Mack leaves without confirmation that her love is returned. But Alice-Ann is determined to wear the wedding dress her maiden aunt never had a chance to wear--having lost her fiance in the Great War. As their correspondence continues over the next three years, Mack and Alice-Ann are drawn closer together. But then Mack's letters cease altogether, leaving Alice-Ann to fear history repeating itself.Dreading the war will leave her with a beautiful dress and no happily ever after, Alice-Ann fills her days with work and caring for her best friend's war-torn brother, Carlton. As time passes and their friendship develops into something more, Alice-Ann wonders if she'll ever be prepared to say good-bye to her one true love and embrace the future God has in store with a newfound love. Or will a sudden call from overseas change everything?
Release set for April 4, 2017.

 I haven't met a Billy Coffey book that I haven't loved and I can't wait for this one!

She whispers, “I’m supposed to take you home.”

“Not yet,” Abel says. “Please, just not yet.”

All Abel wants is a little bit of magic in his life. Enough money so his mom doesn’t cry at night. Healing for his broken body. And maybe a few answers about his past.

When Abel discovers letters to him from the dad he believed dead, he wonders if magic has come to the hills of Mattingly, Virginia, after all. But not everything is as it seems.

With a lot of questions and a little bit of hope, Abel decides to run away to find the truth. But danger follows him from the moment he jumps his first boxcar, forcing Abel to rely upon his simpleminded friend Willie—a man wanted for murder who knows more about truth than most—and a beautiful young woman who was already on the train. From Appalachia to the Tennessee wilds and through the Carolina mountains, the name of a single small town beckons: Fairhope. That is where Abel believes his magic lays. But will it be the sort that will bring a broken boy healing? And is that the magic that will one day lead him home?
 

This book is set to release on March 14, 2017.

 
There is no cover art for Pepper Basham's new book Just the Way You are. I am a huge fan of Pepper's and am so excited to read this one. It is scheduled for release in April 2017.

Single mom, Eisley Barrett, prefers to keep romance safely housed within a centuries-old mystery, but when she travels to England to unearth the secret, an actor with a sordid past offers her reluctant heart a very different type of discovery.

Wes Harrison has a past he’s ashamed to confess. Suspicious and cyncial, he’s managed to avoid romantic entanglements since a tragedy upended his career and life, that is until American Eisley Barrett comes along. Her authenticity and kindness upend his bitter assumptions and send his heart into unscripted territory.

When his past threatens to ruin a second chance at love, can some Appalachian matchmaking and letters from the grave salvage their unexpected romance?
 





I am a huge fan of Steven Curtis Chapman, I read his wife's book about the loss of their daughter, and I am very excited to read this book.

For decades, Steven Curtis Chapman's music and message have brought hope and inspiration to millions around the world. Now, for the first time, Steven openly shares the experiences that have shaped him, his faith, and his music in a life that has included incredible highs and faith-shaking lows.
Readers will be captivated by this exclusive look into Steven's childhood and challenging family dynamic growing up, how that led to music and early days on the road, his wild ride to the top of the charts, his relationship with wife Mary Beth, and the growth of their family through births and adoptions. In addition to inside stories from his days of youth to his notable career, including the background to some of his best-loved songs, readers will walk with Steven down the devastating road of loss after the tragic death of five-year-old daughter Maria. And they'll experience his return to the stage after doubting he could ever sing again.
Poignant, gut-wrenchingly honest, yet always hopeful, Steven offers no sugary solutions to life's toughest questions. Yet out of the brokenness, he continues to trust God to one day fix what is unfixable in this life. This backstage look at the down-to-earth superstar they've come to love will touch fans' lives and fill their hearts with hope. Includes black-and-white photos throughout.

This book is set to release on March 7, 2017.

Here are the novels I'm looking forward to in the Spring. I know there will be books that will pop up between now and May that I will want to read, but these are the ones I know about and want to read.

  

Monday, December 19, 2016

Shaken (Discovering Your True Identity In The Midst of Life's Storms) Tim Tebow

About the book:

First, he was a beloved college football champion, Heisman trophy winner, media sensation, and best-selling author drafted in the first round of the 2010 Draft. Then he had a miracle playoff run with the Denver Broncos before being traded to the New York Jets. After one season he was cut by New York. Next he was signed by the New England Patriots then let go after training camp—a scenario that repeated itself the following summer with the Philadelphia Eagles. Tim Tebow has achieved big victories and plunged the depths of failure, all while never letting go of his faith, even in the face of doubt and disappointment. In Shaken he explains why neither the highs nor the lows of his life can define him—and he reveals how you, too, can find confidence in your identity and know who you are. In revealing passages, Tebow pulls back the curtain on his life, sharing the vulnerable moments of his career that have shaken him to his core—while also teaching the biblical principles that will enable you to keep the faith, no matter what comes your way.


Tim Tebow is one of the most accomplished players in college football history. A two-time winner of the NCAA National Football Championship with the University of Florida, Tim is also the first-ever sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. He then went on to become a two-time winner of the Maxwell Award for the nation’s top football player, while also winning the Davey O’Brien Award for the nation’s best college quarterback and the James E. Sullivan Award for the most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. He is the founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation which was started to bring faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in the darkest hour of need, and in April 2010, Tim was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He lives in Colorado.



My Thoughts:

Since it's Man Crush Monday, and I have finished reading Tim's new book Shaken, I thought today was a perfect day to post my review. First let me say that I am a HUGE football fan, it is my most favorite sport. I've been watching the Gators since I moved to Florida in 1982. Tim is my all - time favorite quarterback. I have followed his career from college, to the NFL, commentating for the SEC, and now his move to baseball. He is an all around American athlete. He is grounded in his faith, and family is the team that has supported him throughout his high's and low's.

In this book, Tim takes us from the high of being a Heisman winner, and an NCAA National Football Championship to being cut from four NFL teams, and having the media run him through a meat grinder. During all of the bad that happened to him, he knew that God had a "bigger" plan for his life, and he continued to give back to those in need. 
While this book talks about lots of disappointment, it is very encouraging, and gives hope. It was a very quick, enjoyable read. This would be a perfect read for the child who is seeking to play a sport, Tim is very candid about the elation of victory and the pain of defeat. I highly recommended!



Saturday, December 17, 2016

2017 Winter Christian Fiction Releases


With a new year comes new books, and I am beyond excited for these books to arrive.

Jocelyn Green's new book The Mark of the King is due to release on January 3, 2017. In just 17 days! Is this cover not beautiful?

Sweeping Historical Fiction Set at the Edge of the Continent
After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?
With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.



Tamera Alexander's book A Note Yet Unsung,  Belmont Mansion  # 3

I have enjoyed each of the Belmont Mansion series and can't wait to get my hands on this beauty! This book releases on January 31st.


Despite her training as a master violinist, Rebekah Carrington was denied entry into the Nashville Philharmonic by young conductor Nathaniel Whitcomb, who bowed to public opinion. Now, with a reluctant muse and a recurring pain in his head, he needs her help to finish his symphony. But how can he win back her trust when he's robbed her of her dream?




Jen Turano's new book At Your Request is set to release on January 3, 2017. This book is currently available for pre-order from Amazon and it's FREE!! YES! You read that right, FREE!

After Miss Wilhelmina Radcliff’s father lost the family fortune in a poor investment decision, she finds herself banished from the fashionable set within New York society and directly into the wallflower section. Taking on work as a social secretary in order to help with family expenses, she spends her time penning out invitations to all the most sought-after events, wondering if her life will ever improve.

While languishing one evening at a ball given by one of the esteemed New York patriarchs, Wilhelmina is appalled to discover that Mr. Edgar Wanamaker, her oldest and dearest friend, and the first gentleman to offer her a marriage proposal, has shown up at the ball unexpectedly, having been absent from New York ever since she rejected his offer years before.


AMAZON PRE-ORDER

 Jill Eileen Smith is one of my favorite Biblical fiction authors. I love how she takes Biblical truth and weaves an engaging story that makes you pick up your Bible and re-read the Biblical story.
Redeeming Grace is set for publication on February 14, 2017.

When famine visits Bethlehem, Boaz holds out hope for rain while his relative Elimelech moves his wife Naomi and their sons to Moab. For a while, it appears the Lord is blessing Elimelech's family, and his sons marry two lovely Moabite women. But calamities strike, one after another, leaving Naomi alone in a foreign land with only her childless daughters-in-law for comfort. When news reaches Naomi that the famine in Bethlehem has lifted, only Ruth will hazard the journey to her mother-in-law's homeland. Destitute and downhearted, Naomi resigns herself to a life of bitter poverty, but Ruth holds out hope for a better future. And Boaz may be the one God has chosen to provide it.

Combining meticulous research with her endless imagination, Jill Eileen Smith gorgeously renders one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture. Readers will adore this third installment of the inspiring Daughters of the Promised Land series.


  Laura Frantz is one of my all time favorite Historical authors. I believe I've read everything she's published. Her new book A Moonbow Night is set to release on January 3, 2017.

After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River. It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke--men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew looking for an experienced guide. When his guide appears, Sion balks. He certainly didn't expect a woman. But it is not long before he must admit that Tempe's skill in the wilderness rivals his own. Still, the tenuous tie they are forming is put to the test as they encounter danger after danger and must rely on each other.
With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons readers to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.


  
Tosca Lee's new book, Firstborn (Descendants of the House of Bathory #2), has no cover art yet. I loved Progeny the first book in this series and I can't wait for the second! This is set to release on February 28th, from Howard books.

From New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee comes the much-anticipated, fast-paced sequel to The Progeny about the powerful descendants of the most notorious female serial killer of all time.

All at once, she remembers. The memories Audra had erased have returned. And now she knows why she did it—to save her daughter.

Now she must find her archenemy, the Historian, and put an end to the centuries old Progeny/Scion war once and for all. But first she has to rescue her husband, Luka, who is being held prisoner by the Scions, all while on the run from the law and struggling with her growing powers and their painful side effects.

But when a bitter betrayal stalls her plans, Audra doesn’t know who to trust. With the help of a heretic monk, her Progeny friends, and the hacker, Jester, Audra fights to defeat the Scions and find a way to save other Progeny in the process. The final confrontation with her surprising nemesis will put her powers to the ultimate test.


 

Jonathon Friesen is a new author to me, and this book sounds so good! Having epilepsy makes this book even more interesting to me, since the main character has epilepsy.
It is set to release on January 31, 2017.

Jonah wishes he could get the girl, but he’s an outcast and she’s the most perfect girl he knows.

And their futures seemed destined to fork apart: Jonah’s physical condition is debilitating, and epileptic seizures fill his life with frustration. Whereas Stormi is seemingly carefree, and navigates life by sensing things before they happen. And her most recent premonition is urging her to leave town.

When Stormi begs Jonah for help, he finds himself swept into a dark mystery his small town has been keeping for years. And the answers Stormi needs about her own past could possibly destroy everything Jonah has ever known—including his growing relationship with Stormi herself.
 



This new release of Liz Curtis Higgs, looks like the perfect book that will take you from the celebration of Christmas into the redemption of Easter. It is set to release on January 3, 2017.

You re about to meet three women named Mary, each of whom has a life-changing encounter with Jesus. Mary of Bethany prepares the way for the Lord s burial when she anoints His feet and fills the air with her perfume. His mother, Mary of Nazareth, remains by His side from His first breath to His last, her loyalty unwavering. Mary Magdalene, delivered of seven demons, bravely supports her Teacher through His darkest hours and then proclaims the glorious news of His resurrection.
What a trio. What a Savior!

Your mind and emotions will be engaged and your faith strengthened as each scene unfolds, preparing your heart for a richer, deeper Easter experience. Liz Curtis Higgs, a seasoned Bible teacher and award-winning novelist, combines her storytelling skills with a thorough verse-by-verse study of Scripture as together you explore the remarkable lives of the women of Easter. 


   Thomas Locke, also known as Davis Bunn has been writing Christian fiction for awhile now. This new book that is set for release on February 14, 2017, looks like a great book for young adults.

For a decade now, seventeen-year-old twins Sean and Dillon Kirrell have been drawn to a mysterious alternate world they've translated into hand-drawn images covering their bedroom walls. It's a world they've only seen in their dreams until now--when a stranger recruits them to train for a mind-bending mission of survival.





  Mary Connealy is one of the best when it comes to cowboy love stories. She has her own cowboy and they live on a ranch so she knows what she's writing about. This book is set to release on February 28, 2017.


The Boden clan thought their troubles were over with the death of a dangerous enemy. But with new evidence on Cole's shooting, Justin can't deny that the plot to take their ranch was bigger than one man. While the doctor and his distractingly pretty assistant help Cole, Justin has to uncover the trail of a decades-old secret as danger closes in.







 This new one of Susan May Warren is set to release on January 31, 2017.

When Deputy Sam Brooks commits to something, nothing can sway him--not just on the job as liaison between the Mercy Falls sheriff's department and PEAK Rescue, but in his private life. He's the one who stuck around to take care of his mother after his father's accidental death. And he's the one--perhaps the only one--who believes Sierra Rose is the perfect girl for him. Safe, practical, and organized, she's nothing like her hippie, impulsive, bleeding heart sister, Willow.

Willow, however, has been in love with Sam Brooks for as long as she can remember. But she wants her sister to have a happy ending. Besides, Willow has other things to focus on--namely, nabbing the job as youth pastor for her small-town church. Best thing for her to do is to purge Sam from her heart.

Neither can predict the events that will bring them together in a fight for their lives in the forbidding wilderness of Glacier National Park. Stranded, injured, and with the winter weather closing in, Sam and Willow will have to work together to save a crew of terrified teenagers. As they fight to survive, they might just discover a new hope for love.


  
I absolutely love this cover of Carrie's new book and I am super excited to read this one. It is set to release on February 21, 2017.

Separated by an inconceivable tragedy, can faith and love reunite childhood friends and light the way to a bright future?
In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible event reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart because she wonders if what happened that day on the lake might not have been an accident.
When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son and Maggie s estranged childhood friend, Nathaniel returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend.
Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate and reconciling with God? Will the search for the truth about her parents death draw the two friends closer or leave them both with broken hearts?"



   When Maddy McKay and Quinn Holcombe don't show up for Quinn's surprise birthday party, his friends know that something is very wrong. Their search turns up little beyond evidence that Quinn and Maddy just decided to take off for a long overdue vacation. But it soon becomes apparent that they did not leave of their own accord.

Maddy awakens in a cement room with no idea where she is. But it's not long before she realizes she's in the clutches of a madman exacting revenge by hunting. His prey of choice? Humans. Now Maddy and Quinn must run for their lives, hoping to find their killer before the next game begins. Because if they don't win this game, they die. 

This book is set to release on January 31, 2017.





Kristi Ann Hunter is a new author to me, and I am very interested in reading this book.


When her mother's ill-conceived marriage trap goes awry, Lady Adelaide Bell unwittingly finds herself bound to a stranger who ignores her. Lord Trent Hawthorne, who had grand plans to marry for love, is even less pleased with the match. Can they set aside their first impressions before any chance of love is lost?

It is set to release on January 3, 2017.



 I have read a few of Elizabeth Camden's books, and being a Navy brat this book sounds really good! It is set for release on February 28, 2017.


Naval officer Ryan Gallagher broke Jenny's heart six years ago when he abruptly disappeared. Now he's returned but refuses to discuss what happened. Furious, Jenny has no notion of the impossible situation Ryan is in. With lives still at risk, he can't tell Jenny the truth about his overseas mission--but he can't bear to lose her again either.







These are not even close to all the books I want to read this coming year. I am currently reading my first book for review for 2017.

 Is this not an adorable cover?! 


Jennings Offers Another Delightful Blend of History and Romance
Betsy Huckabee might be a small-town girl, but she has big-city dreams. Writing for her uncle's newspaper will never lead to independence, and the bigger newspapers don't seem interested in the Hart County news. Trying a new approach, Betsy pens a romanticized serial for the ladies' pages, and the new deputy provides the perfect inspiration for her submissions. She'd be horrified if he read her breathless descriptions of him, but these articles are for a newspaper far away. No one in Pine Gap will ever know.
Deputy Joel Puckett didn't want to leave Texas, but this job in tiny Pine Gap is his only shot at keeping his badge. With masked marauders riding every night, his skills and patience are tested, but even more challenging is the sassy journalist lady chasing him.



I will be posting another post of the books I am waiting for in the Spring of 2017. What books are you looking forward to reading??? Please post them in the comments!


 

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...