GIVEAWAY: THE SECRET KEEPER

Book Blurb:

The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII, as a young woman is caught between love and honor.

Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight in Marlborough. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father’s business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his business with Juliana’s father’s estate and sees instantly that she would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in the Parr household for “finishing” and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly. For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king’s daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.

As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII’s court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will upset everything she thought she once held dear.

I have a copy of this book to giveaway. To enter you must be a follower of my blog. Leave a comment saying you are a follower with an email address to reach you. (at) and (dot) are ok. If you do not leave a comment saying you are a follower with an email address your comment will be deleted.
To receive extra entries you can tweet this contest and come back and leave an extra comment with the tweet link. You can also blog about this contest and leave an additional comment with the blog link.
The contest will start today, Saturday, 6/9 and I will use a randomizer on Saturday, 6/23 to pull the winner. 
GOOD LUCK!

Preview: Touching The Sky

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Touching The Sky  Bethany House Publishers (June 1, 2012)  by  Tracie Peterson   



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 85 novels.

She received her first book contract in November, 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishings' Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row.



In December, 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers to co-write a series with author Judith Pella. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers.



She teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research.



Tracie was awarded the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for 2007 Inspirational Fiction and her books have won numerous awards for favorite books in a variety of contests.



Making her home in Montana, this Kansas native enjoys spending time with family--especially her three grandchildren--Rainy, Fox and Max.  She's active in her church as the Director of Women's Ministries, coordinates a yearly writer's retreat for published authors, and travels, as time permits, to research her books.    





ABOUT THE BOOK

 When Laura Marquardt first meets Brandon Reid, their encounter is anything but pleasant. But when the two are seated together at a dinner party, they soon find that they share similar interests--Laura desires to educate blacks, and Brandon, as a white officer over colored troops, eagerly supports her cause.



When Laura's sister, Carissa, marries her Confederate beau, Laura finds herself in a difficult situation when she overhears plots to kill Union soldiers. Though in her heart she feels she should share this information with Brandon, Laura fears she will betray her sister's trust and possibly endanger her sister's life. And when Brandon's motives for pursuing her come into question, her heart is even more conflicted. Where is God leading her?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Touching The Sky, go HERE.

The Secret Keeper - Reviewed

Book Blurb:
The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII, as a young woman is caught between love and honor.

Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight in Marlborough. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father’s business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his business with Juliana’s father’s estate and sees instantly that she would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in the Parr household for “finishing” and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly. For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king’s daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.

As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII’s court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will upset everything she thought she once held dear.

My Thoughts:  I am a huge Tudor fan and I fell in love with this book. Instead of reading straight through like I normally would, I had to slow down and take my time as the book was filled with such rich detail. 
Julianna has the gift of prophecy and becomes a lady in waiting to Kateryn Parr, King Henry VIII's final wife. There were many times when Julianna wanted to go home, but she knew she was where God wanted her and she stayed. 
For anyone who loves historical fiction and the Tudors this is a must read!

Preview: Harvest of Rubies

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Harvest of Rubies  River North; New Edition edition (May 1, 2012)  by  Tessa Afshar  



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   

TESSA AFSHAR was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life.  She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently.  Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School.  She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.





ABOUT THE BOOK   

Remarkable Talent Threatens to Cloud a Life



The prophet Nehemiah’s cousin can speak several languages, keep complex accounts, write on tablets of clay, and solve mysteries. Her accomplishments catapult her into the center of the Persian court – working long hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and becoming the queen’s favorite scribe.



Not bad for a woman living in a man’s world: so why does Sarah feel like a failure?



A devastating past has left Sarah with two conclusions: that God does not love her, and that her achievements are the measure of her worth – a measure she can never quite live up to.



Darius Pasargadae is accustomed to having his way. A wealthy and admired aristocrat, the last thing he expects is a wife who scorns him.



Can two such different people help one another overcome the idols that bind them?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Harvest of Rubies, go HERE.

Seeds of Discovery

Book Blurb:
Quinn Robbins' life was everything she thought a teenager's should be. She has good friends, a family that she loves, good grades, and an after-school job she enjoys. And, she's just been asked out by Zander Cunningham, a popular football player and great guy. But one day when driving home after picking up her little sister from the baby-sitter's, she nearly hits a boy who, after running blindly into the street, mysteriously disappears.

The mystery only deepens as she figures out who the boy is; William Rose, a reclusive, awkward boy from school who always has his nose in a pile of books.

As she becomes more aware of his behavior it becomes more obvious how out of the ordinary William is and how hard he deliberately tries to blend into the background. This only intrigues her more and she finds herself working to find out more about him, and exactly where he keeps disappearing to.

On a whim one night she follows him and suddenly finds herself in a new world. One where William is a prince, literally, and she is treated like a princess. She also discovers that she is stuck; the gate back to her own world isn't always open.

Quinn finds herself smack in the middle of a modern-day fairy tale, on a course that will change her life forever.

Decision to Love - Reviewed

Book blurb:
Eight years after Tony and Hope's affair ended, new problems arise. Jimmy has gone off to college, but returns home with a startling revelation that devastates his father and causes his final heart attack. Now Hope is grieving the loss of both her husband and their son. She tries to make sense of everything, and in the end she decides to love her son through the grief. More than that, she makes the decision to love whoever her son chooses to love, whether she agrees with his choices or not.

Tony's life has its own disaster tearing through it. First, he is accused of killing his ex-wife, but he is soon released once the authorities realize he had nothing to do with it. The tragedy with his ex led to some major changes in his life, however, and some soul-searching that ultimately turns Tony's life around. While he is still adjusting to his new perspective on life, his long-lost daughter Nina contacts him and has some secrets of her own. He is overjoyed to be reunited with his daughter, but with their relationship comes an entirely new set of challenges.

Jimmy is confused about his faith, his life, and ultimately, whom he should love. After some severe trials knock him off what he thought was the right course for his life, he makes the decision to love himself enough not to be used by someone again. But will his decision protect him in the end?

My Thoughts:  Michelle has written a very daring book about subject matter that is very real in today's Christian world. Making a decision to love someone. This has to be my most favored book out of this entire series! She writes cleanly and clearly. The characters have depth and have grown from the first installment. You can't miss this book! It kept me reading late into the night and then first thing in the morning! I did not want to put it down! It is a must read!!!! Grab your copy ASAP!!!! 

What Do You Think?

I heard this in passing and thought I'd pose this to my readers. As someone who grew up in the church do you think that a person who grows up in the church is more mature spiritually than someone who hasn't or do you think it is a matter of each person's tenderness towards God.
As someone who has grown up in the church I've seen so many play church that to me I don't think growing up in the church means anything. We each have to make a choice, and God has no grandchildren, so being in the church from infancy in my opinion has no bearing.
I would love to hear what you have to say on the matter!