First Line Friday #32

Welcome to First Line Friday. Today I am going to feature a book by four of my favorite authors, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, and Alton Gansky.




The Next Wave of Stories in the Harbingers Series Arrives
Cycle 2 of the Harbingers series continues the story of four gifted strangers brought together to fight a growing darkness.
In Bill Myers's "The Revealing," the team finds themselves in Rome trying to retrieve the mystical spear Hitler once owned--the very spear that pierced Christ's side. This task will take them from hidden chambers inside the Vatican to a mysterious seaside cave with powers they could never expect.
Frank Peretti's "Infestation" unleashes a microscopic evil on the world that deceives, blinds, kills, then spreads. The Harbingers team must confront a monster bent on seducing and destroying mankind.
In "Infiltration" by Angela Hunt, the team is wounded and barely holding together. Forced to split up, they realize their investigations have led them into dangerous waters.
Alton Gansky's "The Fog" unleashes a supernatural mist unlike any other. There are vicious things in the fog that kill whatever they find. One team member realizes that the ultimate sacrifice                                                               may have to be made.


First Line:

"What're you sketchin' now?" Cowboy asked. I flipped my notebook shut like a kid caught with porn.
The big guy smirked, "You know, Miss Brenda, you don't have to keep hidin' your gift under a bushel."

Quite a hook, huh?! What's your first line? Let me know in the comments, and then go visit my blogging friends and see their first line.

With A Joyful Noise   Faithfully Bookish   Bibliophile Reviews 

Reading is my SuperPower   Encouraging Words From the Tea Queen  

A Baker's Perspective  Kathleen Denly   Fiction Aficionado  

Bookworm Mama  Robin's Nest  

All the Book Blog Names are Taken  Singing Librarian  Moments Dipped in Ink  

Cafinated Reads   Joy of Reading   CJ Reads   Romances of the Cross 

Reviews by Van Daniker   Iola Goulton  Christian Fiction Girl

Just Look Up by Courtney Walsh - Reviewed

About the book:

After tirelessly climbing the ranks of her Chicago-based interior design firm, Lane Kelley is about to land her dream promotion when devastating news about her brother draws her back home--a quaint tourist town full of memories she'd just as soon forget. With her cell phone and laptop always within reach, Lane aims to check on her brother while staying focused on work--something her eclectic family doesn't understand.
Ryan Brooks never expected to settle down in Harbor Pointe, Michigan, but after his final tour of duty, it was the only place that felt like home. Now knee-deep in a renovation project that could boost tourism for the struggling town, he is thrilled to see Lane, the girl he secretly once loved, even if the circumstances of her homecoming aren't ideal.
Their reunion gets off to a rocky start, however, when Ryan can't find a trace of the girl he once knew in the woman she is today. As he slowly chips away at the walls Lane has built, secrets from his past collide with a terrible truth even he is reluctant to believe. Facing a crossroads that could define his future with Lane and jeopardize his relationship with the surrogate family he's found in the Kelleys, Ryan hopes Lane can see that maybe what really matters has been right in front of her all along--if only she'd just look up.


My Thoughts -

I remember reading Ms. Walsh's Sweethaven series and I absolutely adored her story-telling. When I saw she had a new book releasing I knew I'd have to read it and I really enjoyed it.

Have you ever stopped to think about what a leash our smartphones are to us? We watch our kids, or the teenagers and can't believe how tied they are to their phone. God forbid they put it down for more than a minute and walk away. Teenagers aren't the only ones who are held captive to their phones. We are too, which is pretty scary when you think about how much time we spend staring at it.

In Ms. Walsh's new book, Just Look Up, she shows the struggle of a woman in the corporate world who doesn't realize how her phone is dictating her life, until she actually goes home and through a series of events sees how attached she is to her phone. Throughout the story both Lane and Ryan have past hurts they need to deal with, and forgive those who have hurt them, even forgive themselves. Watching them go through this journey was both eye opening and encouraging.

The title, Just Look Up, really made me stop and think about how much time I spend looking down, whether it's at my phone or even reading a book and what am I missing. I have decided to put my phone down and pay attention to those around me. I have grandchildren visiting and I have even turned my phone off so I can focus on them.

I highly recommend this book, and give it a 5 star rating. Image below is my five star rating quote image.

A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White - Reviewed

About the book:

A Name Unknown (Bethany House, July 2017)
She’s out to steal his name. Will he steal her heart instead?
Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets—now they focus on high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. Rosemary’s challenge of a lifetime comes when she’s assigned to determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany. How does one steal a family’s history, their very name?
Rumors swirl around Peter Holstein. Awkward and solitary, but with access to the king, many fear his influence. But Peter can’t help his German last name and wants to prove his loyalty to the crown—so he can go back to anonymously writing a series of popular adventure novels. When Rosemary arrives on his doorstop pretending to be a well- credentialed historian, Peter believes she’s the right person to help him dig through his family’s past.
Anger and danger continue to mount, though, and both realize they’re in a race against time to discover the truth—about Peter’s past and about the undeniable attraction kindling between them.
Learn more and purchase a copy.

   

{More About Roseanna M. White}

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of over a dozen historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly boring. She passes said boring life with her husband and kids in the beautiful eastern mountains of West Virginia.




My Thoughts:

This was quite a captivating novel, so much so that I found myself dreaming about this book with closed captions. I believe this is the first book of Ms. White's that I have read, and I know it won't be my last.
I loved how Peter felt the need to care for Rosemary and how the friendship between them developed into more. While romance is present in this story, there is a lot of intrigue and mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I really enjoyed this book. So, brew up a cup of tea and enjoy this wonderful book.

I enjoyed it so much that I made a quote meme that will be a book rating for me on my blog.

This is my 5 star book rating. What do you think?

I received this book from the publisher, compliments of Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest opinion, I was not paid for it.

Can't Wait Wednesday

Joining Wishful Endings again this Wednesday for Can't Wait Wednesday. With Fall right around the corner I thought I'd look at a 2017 fall release that I am anxious to read.



Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano. This is her debut novel. Reading debut novels is a favorite thing of mine. I love being apart of an author's journey of publication from the beginning. It's fun to watch them grow as a writer.
Her debut is historical which is one of my absolutely favorite genre.

It is scheduled to release on October 3, 2017. You can preorder it here.

About the book:

When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.
When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden while searching for the truth about her mother's disappearance--and perhaps even her father's death.
Author Joanna Davidson Politano's stunning debut set in Victorian England will delight readers with its highly original plot, lush setting, vibrant characters, and reluctant romance.


What book can't you wait for either to release or make it to the top of your TBR pile? Let me know in the comments.

Team Work, Favoritism, Competition. . . . .

In the last year I've noticed a sad trend within the in the Christian fiction blog reviewers community and it is breaking my heart. From my position it seems as though certain bloggers are receiving preferential treatment over bloggers with more knowledge and skill. Because of the preferential treatment some have thought it their job to correct others on etiquette when promoting authors.
If that wasn't bad enough the teamwork I remember between the bloggers is pretty much non-existent, and I believe it is because of the favoritism being shown, along with certain bloggers feeling as though they have to have the most followers, page likes, ect., there also seems to be the attitude that they know more about blogging/reviewing and are closer with authors, as if this is some competition. REALLY?!?!?!?
I thought the purpose of blogging and reviewing for authors was to encourage them, as well as draw new readers to their book(s).

I miss the teamwork among the bloggers and sadly I don't know how to fix that or get it back.

When I started blogging in 2007 Facebook was up and active but not to the degree it is now, ten plus years later. MySpace was still going pretty strong, I only know that because I was on it monitoring my teenagers. 😄 I point that out to say this, Christian Fiction author's weren't just hanging around on social media, like they are today, and if they were it was most likely on an author page, not their personal page like today.

I didn't even notice a lot of them there until 2008/2009. I remember when contacting an author meant you emailed them on their author website, prayed they'd get it and they'd have time to answer.
Thanks to the interactions between early blog reviewers and authors, they learned that we can be trusted. Loads of blog reviewers, I couldn't name all of them if I tried, paved the way creating the access to Christian author's through Facebook, and other social media platforms, which led them to feel safe enough to create Street Teams to promote their upcoming releases. They saw that bloggers could be trusted, we were out to promote their work, encourage them in their writing, with no expectation . . . except maybe the next book in the series. 😇😇 What I am attempting to say, and failing horribly, is that it took teamwork to create the kind of relationship between blog reviewers and authors, that is present today.

With the teamwork between bloggers pretty much nonexistent, it feels like a dog eat dog world, out for number 1.  I am incredibly saddened that something I love to do read, encourage, and promote authors seems to have turned into climbing the ladder of success.

To Wager Her Heart by Tamera Alexander - Review

About the book:

With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society's expectations must work together to achieve their dreams—provided that the truth doesn't tear them apart first.
Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father's name. One man holds the key to Sy's success—General William Giles Harding of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks. Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville's society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he's found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison's fiancee—and what has broken her heart.
Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen's university in the United States. But family—and Nashville society—do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both. Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy's roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?
Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn't count on is having to wager her heart to do it.
Set against the real history of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a stirring love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in history when both were tenuous and hard-won.

This my absolute favorite quote from the book, and will be my top book rating on my blog. That page is still under construction, so look for the updated page soon.


My Thoughts:

This is book 3, the final book in Ms. Alexander's Belle Meade Plantation series. I am sad to see this series come to a close, but this was a perfect ending to a great series. With great attention to historical detail, Ms. Alexander weaves a story rich in characterization, romance, and even a little mystery. I enjoyed the historical story, learning more about the Belle Meade Plantation, the Fisk University, and the Jubilee Singers. The romance between Sylas and Alexandra was not rushed, it progressed ideally with the time period. The supporting characters added drama, and fun to the story to even it out completely.

You can order a copy of  To Wager Her Heart, here.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My opinion is my own, I was not paid for it.

First Line Friday #31

The first Friday of August, really?! How did this happen? Seems like summer just started, at least the first football game of the season was last night. I figure if summer is going to end at least bring on the football!! Today I'm going to do something a little different. I'm going to feature Tamera Alexander's upcoming release but not the first line, instead I will feature my favorite quote from the book, that will be my 6+ review rating. 6+ review rating means the book is a must have, a keeper, one that evokes all the feels, has you thinking about the characters long after you've closed the last page, and my description is still growing.

About the book:

With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society's expectations must work together to achieve their dreams—provided that the truth doesn't tear them apart first.
Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father's name. One man holds the key to Sy's success—General William Giles Harding of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks. Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville's society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he's found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison's fiancee—and what has broken her heart.
Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen's university in the United States. But family—and Nashville society—do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both. Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy's roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?
Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn't count on is having to wager her heart to do it.
Set against the real history of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a stirring love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in history when both were tenuous and hard-won.

My favorite quote from this book. . .

His voice sounded like the rich taste of chocolate on your tongue. 

Is that not the best line ever?!?!?! I love it! Here is the quote meme I made for it.

This book releases on Tuesday, August 8th. You can pre-order it here. AMAZON



Our little group just keeps growing! Last week we had two new members join us, today we have a new member. Welcome Nicole from Christian Fiction Girl to our ever growing First Line Friday gang!

With A Joyful Noise   Faithfully Bookish   Bibliophile Reviews 

Reading is my SuperPower   Encouraging Words From the Tea Queen  

A Baker's Perspective  Kathleen Denly   Fiction Aficionado  

Bookworm Mama  Robin's Nest  

All the Book Blog Names are Taken  Singing Librarian  Moments Dipped in Ink  

Cafinated Reads   Joy of Reading   CJ Reads   Romances of the Cross 

Reviews by Van Daniker   Iola Goulton  Christian Fiction Girl