The Awakening of Miss Adelaide Celebrate Lit Tour and Giveaway

Posted on by abbasprayerwarriorprincess

Thanks for joining my stop on Celebrate Lit’s tour of The Awakening of Miss Adelaide.  I have information on the author and book as well as my review.  Be sure to sign up for the giveaway at the end, too.

My Thoughts:

This is an historical Christian book centered around the Great War, WWI.  The author reached inside for my emotions with this book and tore at them until they were raw.  I cried often while reading this and actually had to put it down at times.  It is an astounding story of love, family, the cruelty of man and the healing power of music.  Expect suffragettes, music, mystery, discrimination, romance, and so much more.

The opening chapter captured my attention and I was immediately invested.  I felt for Birdie instantly and loved the hymn she sang.  What I didn’t like was the way she was being treated in the Texas Asylum.  It was horrible.

Then the story switched to Italy and we met Adelaide Fitzgerald.  Adelaide was a strong, determined, caring, wonderfully complex woman.  The friendship with her housekeeper grew into a beautiful sisterhood in Italy.  The Italian was an added treat to the book.  The food was so well described that I could almost smell the tantalizing aromas.  Miss Adelaide had a strong faith and love for God.  It was woven all throughout the story. Through hymns, scripture, prayers, and acknowledgments, God was ever present in this poignant tale.

Author Linda Brooks Davis has a style of writing that is pleasant and very much to my liking.  The subject matter was at times gritty and harsh, but at others loving and beautiful.  It was very realistic.  This is no sweet bit of fluff, but rather built upon the cruel things life hands to people and how they choose to respond. At times the reality was too much for me.  There were twists and turns galore in this lovely book.

I loved the poetic way the author writes.  Her book had a nice lyrically flow.  Conversations sounded accurate and believable.  Places and details were spot on.  She had obviously done thorough research on this.  The book was well organized and written  extremely well.  My only complaint is I don’t like reading about the rougher things in history.  It hurts my soul just knowing they existed.

This isn’t a book for everyone.  If you enjoy historical books, especially those set during the War, this one will thrill you. The romance is sweet and breathtaking.  The mystery made me want to skip to the back and get the answer.  I didn’t and encourage you to keep reading, too. For me there was an abundance of heartache, trials, and hurt – just like life.

I rated it a 5 out of 5 stars only because there were no more stars!  Celebrate Lit provided a copy but I was under no obligation to write a review.  These are my own thoughts.

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About the Book

Book: The Awakening of Miss Adelaide

Author: Linda Brooks Davis

Genre: Historical 

Release Date: July, 2019

The Awakening of Miss AdelaideOrphaned as an infant, Oklahoma heiress Adelaide Fitzgerald has enjoyed every advantage. She possesses a unique gift for music and has excelled on the opera stage in Italy. As a philanthropist, she’s adored from America to Europe.

But Miss Adelaide is about to awaken in a 1918 nightmare. The Great War—and the Great Influenza—knock, and Adelaide finds her uninvited guests more than unwelcome. They threaten her life and alter her identity and purpose.

Snatched from a quiet life in an Italian villa, Miss Adelaide is thrust into conflicts others have created. What battle scars will she sustain? And where will love lead her?

In The Awakening of Miss Adelaide, war and peace, laughter and heartache, love and loss come together to ignite a fresh fire that reveals one woman’s hidden needs and potentials. 

What will gaining a fresh understanding of herself require of the Angel of the Opera?

About the Author

Linda Brooks DavisLinda Brooks Davis was born and reared, educated, and married in Texas. Her children and six grandchildren were born in Texas. She devoted the bulk of her 40 years as a special educator in Texas schools. But her mother and grandmother hailed from Oklahoma, the setting for Linda’s 2015 debut novel, The Calling of Ella McFarland, which won the 2014 Jerry Jenkins Operation First Novel Award and the 2016 American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award. Linda continues to write from her home in San Antonio, Texas. She and her beloved husband Al worship and minister at Oak Hills Church. Linda enjoys chatting with readers through her website www.lindabrooksdavis.com.

 

More from Linda

Awakening Miss Adelaide begins with my mother’s cedar chest, which bore an unwritten warning: Hands off! Priceless treasures resided in its depths. My parents’ wedding suits. An old tattered quilt. Mother’s felt hat with a jaunty feather at the rolled-up grim. Bible notes. A stained tablecloth. Equally stained ladies’ handkerchiefs. And old, crocheted, scorched pot holders.

My paternal great-grandmother wrote letters and created intricate, painstaking handwork while she was committed to an asylum in Terrell, Texas. They represent the dearest items in the cedar chest.

Incalculable are the times over the years when a family member would comment Great-granny didn’t appear insane at all. I often wondered how it was she resided at a state mental hospital from 1900 until her death in 1948. How could an insane person write coherent letters and create such handwork?

Mystery shrouds those answers as surely as Great-grandmother herself.

Family legend developed around her. Stories varied from “She wasn’t crazy. Her husband wanted to get rid of her” to “She was an Indian who chose the name McFarland to avoid White bias against the indigenous people.” The truth hides somewhere amid the deadfall of her tragic life.

Sometimes research for a novel can feel like digging up bones. In a way, it is.

One such “bone” I got my teeth around and refused to let go was an article in a 1913 edition of Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It described a murder committed in the lobby of the Metropolitan Hotel. This violent act occurred in connection with an adulterous affair.

Consequently, heightened emotions, lowered common sense, and the control males exerted over females resulted in one man’s murder and the murderer’s acquittal. The “offending” woman’s husband dragged her home kicking and screaming and committed her to a mental asylum for “emotional insanity.”

I wondered if the “offending” man had been treated in like manner. Hardly.

How could I NOT include this morass in a novel?

Someone ought to write a book about that was often said around our family reunions. My interest in doing just that developed little by little over the years. The Women of Rock Creek series deals with some of the ways in which women were denied equal rights when they were denied the vote. Such realities presented an ideal platform for illustrating some women’s plight in the hands of unscrupulous men–inequality in education, the courtroom, and even in mental health care.

With an abundance of love and respect for my great-grandmother; her daughter, my grandmother; and her grandson, my father, I offer this imaginary story. It contrasts two different women: one with a voice heard around the world and the other with no voice at all.

I offer The Awakening of Miss Adelaide to the Lord to do with it as He sees fit. May this story inspired by the agony experienced by my great-grandmother serve to lighten someone else’s load.

Blog Stops

Bettimace, August 10

Godly Book Reviews, August 10

Reflections From my Bookshelves, August 10

Connect in Fiction, August 11

Mary Hake, August 11

Genesis 5020, August 12

Through the Fire Blogs, August 12

For Him and My Family, August 13

Just Your Average reviews, August 13

Life of a traveling wife, August 14

Connie’s History Classroom, August 14

Bigreadersite , August 15

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 15

Blessed & Bookish, August 16

Emily Yager, August 16

CarpeDiem, August 17

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 17

Daysong Reflections, August 18

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, August 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 19

Pause for Tales, August 20

For The Love of Books , August 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 21

Texas Book-aholic, August 21

janicesbookreviews, August 22

A Reader’s Brain, August 22

Inklings and notions, August 23

Simple Harvest Reads, August 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize of an eBook copy of her book and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/e682/the-awakening-of-miss-adelaide-celebration-tour-giveaway

Daughters of Northern Shores Celebrate Lit Book Tour

Posted on by abbasprayerwarriorprincess

Welcome to my stop on Celebrate Lit’s book tour fir Daughters of Northern Shores.  I am so happy you came by.  I loved this riveting book and am excited to share information on it.

My Thoughts:

Daughters of Northern Shores is Book Two in Author Joanne Bischof’s Sons of Blackbird Mountain Series.  This is a historical romance set in post Civil War in the Appalachian Mountains.  It is gritty, realistic, and hard to put down.

The author has a poetic style of writing.  It is easy and unrushed.  Her story unfolds in its own time and will not be rushed nor slowed.  It has its own pace which is just right.

The characters are complex and yet lovable.  Some are beyond redemption and are down right despicable.  They are well defined and vividly described.  The women are capable, loving, and supportive of their men and family.  The men are strong, hard, and loyal to their family and friends.  Children are the highlight and lend their softness and humor to the story.

Themes of redemption, love, family, strength, faith, trust, forgiveness, feuds, helping others, and drawing deep inside for inner strength fill this intense mountain tale.  At times it was hard to read, but I was mesmerized and wanted to know what would happen next.  My emotions were raw and needed a break, but I kept reading.  I had fallen into this extremely well written book and was held captive on Blackbird Mountain until I finished it.

The author provided many surprises, twists, and turns in her plot.  She is a talented wordsmith.  I would love to see Book 1 and Book 2 be made into a movie.  As I read them,  I visualized scenes and actors.  It would be wonderful!

The author did impeccable research and I learned many things.  Discussion Questions are included so this would be a perfect book club read.  I wish the author had gone a little more in depth with what the women cooked and included recipes.

I highly recommend this captivating book.  While it could be read as a stand alone, you would miss so much if you skipped Book 1.  I rated it a 5 out of 5 stars.  A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but I was not required to write a review.  These are my own, honest words.

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About the Book

Book: Daughters of Northern Shores

Author: Joanne Bischof

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: March 12, 2019

Daughters of Nother Shores CoverAven Norgaard understands courage. Orphaned within an Irish workhouse, then widowed at just nineteen, she voyaged to America where she was wooed and wed by Thor Norgaard, a Deaf man in rural Appalachia. That the Lord saw her along the winding journey and that Aven now carries Thor’s child are blessings beyond measure. Yet while Thor holds her heart, it is his younger brother and rival who haunts her memories. Haakon—whose selfish choices shattered her trust in him.

Having fled the Norgaard orchard after trying to take Aven as his own, Haakon sails on the North Atlantic ice trade, where his soul is plagued with regrets that distance cannot heal. Not even the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s pursued can ease the torment. When the winds bear him home after four years away, Haakon finds the family on the brink of tragedy. A decades-old feud with the neighboring farm has wrenched them into the fiercest confrontation on Blackbird Mountain since the Civil War. Haakon’s cunning and strength hold the power to seal many fates, including Thor’s—which is already imperiled due to a grave illness brought to him at the first prick of warfare.

Now Haakon faces the hardest choice of his life. One that shapes a battlefield where pride must be broken enough to be restored, and where a prodigal son may finally know the healing peace of surrender and the boundless gift of forgiveness. And when it comes to the woman he left behind in Norway, he just might discover that while his heart belongs to a daughter of the north, she’s been awaiting him on shores more distant than the land he’s fighting for.

Click here to grab your copy!

About the Author

Bischof JoanneJoanne Bischof is an ACFW Carol Award and ECPA Christy Award-winning author. She writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the heartstrings. She was honored to receive the San Diego Christian Writers Guild Novel of the Year Award in 2014 and in 2015 was named Author of the Year by the Mount Hermon conference. Joanne’s 2016 novel, The Lady and the Lionheart, received an extraordinary 5 Star TOP PICK! from RT Book Reviews, among other critical acclaim. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her three children. Visit her online at JoanneBischof.com; Facebook: Author, JoanneBischof; Instagram: @JoanneBischof.

More from Joanne

One of the questions I receive most often is “How do you get it all done?” As a single, homeschooling mom, I’ve long-since learned that there would be easier ways to have a day job than being an author, but God has been gracious in providing abundantly in so many areas. Here are four that I am most thankful for as I look back over the last few years, including this season of writing Sons of Blackbird Mountain and Daughters of Northern Shores.

Togetherness

Now, most authors would agree that “togetherness” isn’t exactly conducive to quality writing time – especially when kids are involved! And while I do need quiet focus to be able to work through a scene or chapter, what I’ve been thankful for is the chance to share story and research discoveries with my children. It’s created more unity around the stories. Instead of needing to usher the kids away, isolating them from the novels I’m writing, I’m able to invite them into them. For the Blackbird Mountain series, I walked them through the Pinterest boards, showing them the different characters. Then we did a history unit on Vikings since that’s the Norgaard Family’s background. We had a blast and it helped make “the story that Mom was working on”, something that they were more aware of and interested in. For my current work-in-progress, we just recently finished an all new history unit including visits to a few local museums and stories that the kids wrote on their own!

Patience

I used to want to write, write, write all the time. And often, that’s what I did! Well, I still would love to write as often as I can, but God has been teaching me something oh-so-important: patience. As part of this, I set aside certain parts of the week for writing office hours. These slots of writing time typically occur on Tuesday evenings, and include a few additional 1 ½ hours slots during the week, once homeschooling is done. In this manner, I am able to carve out some quiet writing time while still making sure the kids are having a great and productive day. But for any writer or working mom, we can agree . . . that’s not a lot of time when added up! In God’s wonderful provision, though, He seems to extend much richness to those little snatches of time. They might not be many, but they are mighty! It’s been a prayer of mine for several years now, that by keeping my writing below these other priorities, that God would help me fill in the cracks of time and energy—and He has been so faithful to supply. I still have my moments when I feel frazzled,  especially when deadlines are near, and that’s why I am thankful for this next lesson that God has been teaching me . . .

Communication

The thing about living with a writer, is that you often find them staring at a computer screen. That doesn’t look all that productive, does it? But what we’re doing on the other side of that screen is weaving a story-world of plot, characters, purpose, and heart. Typing words onto the page that we hope will touch lives, digging through old articles for research, or jotting down messy plotting notes that we pray will somehow amount to a story one day. By communicating with my kids (like sharing with them about the story and characters) I’m able to help them see what I’m doing and why. And since kids can be rambunctious and full of life (and questions, and needs for snacking, and ideas, and messes . . . *wink*) and since this writer works well with quiet, I have a little chalkboard that I hang on my doorknob when it’s one of my “office hour” slots. I jot down my start time and end time for that 1 ½ hour block, add a heart or smiley face, and often make note of what our next task will be like preparing a meal or doing an activity together. Then I shut my door and the little sign dangling from the knob outside helps the kids remember what I’m up to. It reminds them that I won’t be tucked away for long, but that I do need to focus for a little while. They’re always allowed to come knocking if a need arises, but for the most part, they’re happy on these afternoons with their own projects. When the hour or so is up, we reconvene and go back about our day, usually slipping into something fun that we do together. By having these slots of time in the week, and by communicating carefully with them in a way they can understand, it helps to bring us all what we need.

Grace

There are days when I blow it, and days when I need a lot of grace. Maybe I’ve spilled iced tea on one of the research books (don’t worry, this is a hypothetical example 😉 ) or maybe I didn’t save a scene properly, or just feel stuck and exhausted with a plot thread. These days can certainly tamper with the harmony, which begins with my heart and the need to remember the reason for why I write these stories: for God’s glory. When I begin to lose my calm, or grow frustrated or weary with the challenges afoot, I know it’s time to circle back to what it’s all for. It’s for the readers, it’s for my children, it’s for my joy, and most of all, it’s for God’s glory. By me being harried or stressed, very little of this is being accomplished! God has used the writing process to speak to my heart in ways that have reminded me of what I can surrender, and more and more of the ways that I can look to HIM for guidance. The lessons aren’t always easy, but through each season, and through each book, I have come to see more and more all the ways to be thankful.

Blog Stops

Retrospective Spines, August 6

Just the Write Escape, August 6

KarenSueHadley , August 7

Batya’s Bits, August 7

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, August 8

By The Book, August 8

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 9

Adventures of a travelers wife, August 9

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, August 10

Betti Mace, August 10

Connie’s History Classroom, August 11

Christian Author, J.E. Grace, August 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 12

Moments, August 12

Simple Harvest Reads, August 13

Connect in Fiction , August 13

For the Love of Literature, August 13

Aryn The Libraryan 📚 , August 14

Through the Fire Blogs, August 14

Bigreadersite , August 15

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, August 15

Daysong Reflections, August 16

Living Life Free In christ, August 16

A Reader’s Brain, August 17

Texas Book-aholic, August 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 17

Inklings and notions , August 18

janicesbookreviews, August 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 19

LifeofLiterature, August 19

As He Leads is Joy, August 19

 

 

Jessie and James Celebrate Lit Tour and Giveaway

Posted on by abbasprayerwarriorprincess

Welcome to the Celebrate Lit’s Book Tour and Giveaway for Jessie and James.  You will learn all about the book, author, and be able to sign up for the giveaway.  Two entrants will win an Amazon gift card.  Will one of them be you?

My Thoughts:

Author Jennifer Beckstrand has written a Christian Historical Western Romance novel for the Gold Diggers Series.  This is a sweet, humorous, inspirational novel that had me giggling many times.

It is the story of feisty Jessie.  She is a pretty, family loyal heroine that always can be seen with her trusty gun.  It is also the tale of geologist James.  Poor James has been sent to the Western mining town and gets teased about wearing the wrong hot.  When he and Jessie meet, one of them gets hurts, they both get a surprise and sparks start.

The author has done a wonderful job with this.  It captured my attention from the beginning and I was eager to see what would happen to this mismatched pair.  The characters seemed real and were easy to imagine.  The plot was well planned and researched.  Humor, mystery, faith, and romance were all woven together into one magnificent novel.

This book taught me a few things about mining.  I love books from which I can glean tidbits of knowledge.  It is readily apparent this is a Christian book.  I love that, too.  Author Beckstrand seems to know what readers want and delivers.

I would highly recommend this book.  It is a delightful tale that will take you out West and give you a taste of the mining life, which wasn’t easy.  I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.  Celebrate Lit provided a copy but these are my honest opinions.

 

About the Book:

Book: Jessie and James

Author: Jennifer Beckstrand

Genre: Western Historical Inspirational Romance

Release Date: July 24, 2019

BECKSTRAND_Jessie _JamesJessie Madsen has her hands full helping her parents run their small farm and boarding house while every fortune-seeker in the country seems to be flocking to her small town in search of gold. It’s bad enough that claim jumpers won’t quit trespassing on her property, but geologist James Kelsey, mildly intriguing and surprisingly handsome for an Easterner, seems more interested in her than the mining business. Jessie is certain she doesn’t have the time or the need for a man, and after getting her heart broken, she has resolved never to fall for an outsider again. Add stolen cash, a fast-talking con man, and a pair of bandits, and Jessie is indeed up to her eyeballs in trouble. Will she soften her rock-hard exterior and let the geologist discover the hidden treasure in her heart?



About the Author


Jennifer beckstrandJennifer Beckstrand is the two-time RITA-nominated, #1 Amazon bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hillseries, The Honeybee Sistersseries, and The Petersheim Brothersseries for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer and Home on Huckleberry Hill were both nominated for the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the Honeybee sisters’ aendiBitsy, and Alfie and Benji Petersheim. Jennifer has written twenty-one Amish romances, a historical Western, and the nonfiction book, Big Ideas. She and her husband have been married for thirty-four years, and she has six children and seven adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.


 


More from Jennifer


Jessie and James is my first published Western historical novel, and I couldn’t be more excited. The first book I ever wrote was a historical Western, and I’ve been wanting to write another one for ten years. (That first Western is still hanging around my house somewhere. I might decide to publish it next. J) For my research, I traveled to a real mining town about two hours from my house. Yes, it really is named Eureka, and it was a boomtown in the 1880s, the period in which my book is set. I met an old-timer in Eureka who told me some fascinating stories about mining then and now.


Did you know that you may own the ground your house sits on, but you only own it to sixty feet deep? So a mining company can come in and dig a mine right under your house, and it’s perfectly legal. Many mines were dug straight down or in any direction that would get them to ore faster. In the 1880s in Eureka, often they’d dig straight down using only picks, shovels, and dynamite. A plumb bob was utilized to make sure their tunnels were straight up and down. They usually dug down 600 feet then drifted horizontally a couple hundred feet, then dug down again. Some mines went deeper than 1800 feet. Nowadays, there aren’t many mines that deep. They’re more dangerous, so they’re too expensive to insure.


In Jessie and James, James is an ex-cowboy turned geologist looking for gold. Jessie is a feisty, independent woman who runs a boarding house with her parents and thinks Eureka needs a little more fire-and-brimstone preaching to keep the incorrigible miners in line. Jessie doesn’t want anything to do with a gold digger, and she’s willing to use her shotgun to run James off. But James doesn’t scare that easy, especially when the woman on the other end of that shotgun might turn out to be the love of his life.


Jessie and James is full of shotguns, bandits, and heart-stopping romance. Don’t miss it!


Blog Stops


Reading Is My SuperPower, August 1


Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 2


Betti Mace, August 2


Inklings and notions, August 3


Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 4


Blossoms and Blessings, August 4


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 5


Christian Bookaholic, August 6


Splashesofjoy, August 6


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 7


Connie’s History Classroom, August 8


Maureen’s Musings, August 8


Through the Fire Blogs, August 9


Bigreadersite, August 9


A Reader’s Brain, August 10


Blessed & Bookish, August 10


Texas Book-aholic, August 11


For Him and My Family, August 12


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 12


Just the Write Escape, August 13


Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 14


janicesbookreviews, August 14


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to two winners!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e57b/jessie-and-james-celebration-tour-giveaway




 

	


	



					
						


	

		
Cross My Heart Celebrate Lit Book Tour and Giveaway

				

			Posted on  by abbasprayerwarriorprincess		

			


	
	
			


	

		
Welcome to my stop on the Cross My Heart Celebrate Lit Book Tour and Giveaway.  Please sign up at the bottom for the giveaway.  This is a wonderful book that I rated 5 stars!


My Thoughts:


Cross My Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher is a Christian contemporary romance.  It is Book Two in her A Legacy of Faith Series, but it can be read as a stand alone.  This book is so captivating that it grabbed my attention early and held it until the final page.


Author Hatcher is one of the elite group of wordsmiths that always produces a God glorifying, uplifting, page turning novel.  Always.  This one was no exception.  The story has been well planned and organized.  The details were well researched and I learned some things about equine therapy.  The duo story and time period was done flawlessly.


Christian inspiration and messages are not hidden or gingerly sprinkled, but instead given the attention they deserve.  I was left feeling delighted and refreshed.  This is such an encouraging tale.


Characters are unique, flawed, lovable, and realistic.  The small town in Idaho was a quaint setting.  Hatcher’s descriptive words brought it and the horse rescue farm to life.  I felt like ai was there.


Life issues tackled are tough ones.  Drug and alcohol abuse are in this novel along with recovery and healing.  Forgiveness, others and oneself, helping others, redemption, salvation, trusting God, and love are all in there, too.


I highly recommend this book especially if you are a contemporary romance fan.  The romance is sweet.  Everything about this book is lovely.  It gets a 5 star rating from me.  A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but these are my honest thoughts.


About the Book


Book: Cross My Heart




Author: Robin Lee Hatcher




Genre: Contemporary Romance


Release date: June 25, 2019


Cross My HeartCan two broken paths lead toward God’s redemption?


When Ashley Showalter and Ben Henning meet on Ashley’s horse rescue farm, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Both were raised by single moms. Both want to help where they see a need. And both work with horses in the Boise valley. Ben needs Ashley’s help and expertise after starting an equine therapy barn on his great-great-grandfather’s farm—and the more time they spend together, both Ashley and Ben have the feeling that there could be something more between them.


They also carry the burden of past experiences that may drive them apart if the truth is ever revealed. Ben is a recovering alcoholic with five years of sobriety behind him, while Ashley’s brother is an opioid addict residing in court-ordered rehab. Holding fast to the belief that addicts can never be cured, Ashley has promised herself she will never walk knowingly into the chaos created by addiction. Ben knows that with God, all things are possible—but will Ashley find it within herself to give love a chance? Or will her brother’s mistakes and the pain of her past jeopardize her future with Ben?


Cross My Heart threads together a contemporary love story with the heartwarming tale of Ben’s great-great-grandfather, Andrew Henning—reminding us that God’s Word is timeless and that His promises are new every morning.


 


Click here to grab your copy.


About the Author


Hatcher Robin LeeRobin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 75 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Robin is an ACFW Carol Award winner and an eight-time finalist and has won two RITA Awards and been a finalist eleven times. Her numerous other awards include the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. She is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.


For more information, visit robinleehatcher.com; Facebook: robinleehatcher; or Twitter: @robinleehatcher.


 


More from Robin


MY WRITING DESK

ROBIN LEE HATCHER


I have a wonderful home office with a large screen iMac and the perfect place to keep important papers and reminders right in front of me for easy access. There is also a bed for my dog, Boo, because no office is complete without a bed to welcome the dog. Right?


I also do a lot of writing while seated in a big easy chair in the living room. It all depends upon my mood and how many reference books I might need at the time.


My office usually looks neat when I begin a book. By the time I’m writing the end, the room has become a disaster—stacks of papers demanding my attention and a layer of dust are the most obvious issues.


My office also serves as my art studio (where I do decorative planning and Bible art journaling), so every inch that isn’t taken up by writing related items is filled with art related ones—paints, washi tape, stickers, pens galore, etc.


An early riser naturally, I consider sleeping in to be anything after 6 AM. On a normal writing day, I try to get in half an hour on the treadmill first thing in the morning (and often return to it for ten minutes segments a couple other times during the day). Then I sit at my desk or in my easy chair to do my Bible study. And finally I begin writing.


I can usually create new words for about four hours or so a day. The rest of the work day is filled with editing, revising, research, and correspondence with publisher, agent, readers, and other writers. I have an active online presence which needs attention daily, as well.


I am also a late-in-life part time college student, taking my classes online, so at least a couple of days a week, you’ll find me doing assignments and taking quizzes. For some reason, I rarely use my office for that. The kitchen table seems to suit me better. Probably because it is a large table and I can really spread out.


I feel very blessed to be able to work at home. I had a full time job when I wrote my first book. In fact, I wrote nine novels over the course of nine years while still working full time. The month my ninth book released, I quit my job in order to write full time. Seventy books and almost 28 years later, I’m still at it. As I said, I am blessed.


Blog Stops


Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 27


The Christian Fiction Girl, July 27


The Power of Words, July 27


Carla Johnson-Hicks, July 28


Christian Bookaholic , July 28


Through the Fire Blogs, July 29


A Baker’s Perspective, July 29


Back Porch Reads, July 30


Cultivating Us, July 30


Godly Book Reviews, July 31


For Him and My Family, July 31


God’s Little Bookworm, August 1


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 1


Daysong Reflections, August 2


EmpowerMoms, August 2


Southern Gal Loves to Read, August 2


Christian Chick’s Thoughts, August 3


Moments, August 3


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 4


Remembrancy, August 4


Pause for Tales , August 5


For The Love of Books, August 5


All-of-a-kind Mom, August 6


Hallie Reads, August 6


Living Life Free in Christ, August 7


To Everything A Season, August 7


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 7


Wishful Endings, August 8


Texas Book-aholic, August 8


janicesbookreviews, August 8


A Reader’s Brain, August 9


Inklings and notions, August 9


Simple Harvest Reads, August 9


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away a grand prize of a copy of her book!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.


https://promosimple.com/ps/e5a6/cross-my-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway


 

	


	



					
						


	

		
Midnight on the River Grey Celebrate Lit Tour and Giveaway

				

			Posted on  by abbasprayerwarriorprincess		

			


	
	
			


	

		
Welcome to my stop for the Midnight on the River Grey Celebrate Lit Book Tour and Giveaway.  The is a Christian Historical Romance Mystery that is written by author Abigail Wilson. She is also giving away a copy of her book, so don’t forget to sign up at the end.


My Thoughts:


This was a great book.  It had mystery, drama, intrigue, and romance.  It took me one page to become invested and want to read this riveting story with the haunting blue cover.  This was a page turner.


This is the tale of feisty, determined Rebecca Hunter.  Her brother, Jacob, has been murdered, and Rebecca has determined Lewis Browning also known as the Midnight Devil, is responsible. Since all of her immediate family are dead, Rebecca and her aunt must live with her new guardian, who happens to be Browning.


The twists and turns are plentiful as well as much drama in this exquisite Regency romance.  I was very disappointed it was listed as a Christian novel.  The faith and inspirational message is very light.


Author Wilson has done a great job with her second novel.  Her writing style is even and has a nice, steady pace.  I enjoyed the authentic dialogue and her exceptional descriptions which whisked me off to Regency England.


The characters were not developed enough for me to become totally engaged with them. I was to a degree but not totally.  They just needed a little more honing.


I definitely recommend this to Regency lovers and mystery lovers.  A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but I was under no obligation to write a review.  These are my own words.  I rated it a 4 out of 5.


 


About the Book


Book: Midnight on the River Grey




Author: Abigail Wilson




Genre: Historical Romance/Mystery


Release date: July 2, 2019


Midnight on the River GreyAbigail Wilson returns to Regency England with another tale of murder, mystery, and romance.


After her elder brother’s mysterious death, Rebecca Hunter vows to expose the man she believes responsible-Mr. Lewis Browning-known by the locals as the Midnight Devil and by Rebecca as her new guardian. He alone was on the bridge that fateful night and openly admits striking her brother with his horse, but he claims he remembers little else.


Summoned to his reclusive country estate to await her London season, Rebecca plans her own secret investigation. Yet, Lewis Browning is not as she once imagined, and his motivation is horribly unclear. Recurrent nightmares and Rebecca’s restless feelings are further complicated by the shadow of her mother’s prior descent into madness and whether she too will follow the same heartbreaking path.


Even as midnight rides, strange injuries, and further murders lead back to Lewis, Rebecca can’t ignore the subtle turn of her heart. Has she developed feelings for the man she swore to see hanged? And moreover, can she trust him with her uncertain future?


 


Click here to grab your copy.


 


About the Author


Abigail-Wilson-1-200x300Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children. Connect with Abigail at www.acwilsonbooks.com; Instagram: acwilsonbooks; Facebook: ACWilsonbooks; Twitter: @acwilsonbooks.


 


An excerpt from Midnight on the River Grey


My heartbeat turned sluggish as an ache swelled in the back of my throat. This man—the


person responsible for my brother’s death—expected me to live with him? In his house? Madness.


“And if we refuse?”


“I’m afraid there is little choice in the matter at this point. The arrangements are already complete.”


Mr. Browning narrowed his blue eyes, scrutinizing me, no doubt, as the numbing shock of his declaration faded to resignation across my face. He sighed. “I do realize Greybourne Hall might hold unfortunate associations for you—”


 “Unfortunate?” My voice came out a bit louder than I’d expected. “Is that what you choose to call it?”


He gave a sideways glance at Aunt Jo then returned to me, a pained look hovering about his eyes. His voice, however, remained firm. “Forgive me if I startled you. I hadn’t expected such a violent reaction to what I assumed was the logical next step. Perhaps I should make myself a bit clearer.” He gave a curt sigh. “I only intend for you to stay at Greybourne Hall till some place more suitable can be arranged. Unfortunately, there are few options at present.”


Ice enveloped my heart. I had no wish to travel to, let alone live at that dreadful house, not even for a single night. In his letters, Jacob had described the rambling structure as a gray pile of stones fit for vampires, or worse. I could only image Mr. Browning, this dark-headed devil before me, at home in such a place.


Blog Stops


Fiction Aficionado, July 11


All-of-a-kind Mom, July 11


The Power of Words, July 11


Emily Yager, July 12


Blogging With Carol , July 12


Stories By Gina, July 12


Just the Write Escape, July 13


D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 13


Simple Harvest Reads, July 14 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)


For Him and My Family, July 14


Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 15


Wishful Endings, July 15


Godly Book Reviews, July 15


Texas Book-aholic, July 16


Retrospective Spines, July 16


Seasons of Opportunities, July 17


For the Love of Literature, July 17


Mary Hake, July 17


Genesis 5020, July 18


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 18


Bigreadersite, July 18


Blessed & Bookish, July 19


Through the Fire Blogs, July 19


Blossoms and Blessings, July 19


Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 20


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 20


Remembrancy, July 20


Inspiration Clothesline, July 21


Locks, Hooks and Books, July 21


Pause for Tales, July 21


A Reader’s Brain, July 22


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 22


Inklings and notions, July 22


Hallie Reads, July 23


A Good Book and Cup of Tea, July 23


janicesbookreviews, July 23


A Baker’s Perspective, July 24


Ashley’s Bookshelf, July 24


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Abigail is giving away a grand prize of a copy of her book!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.


https://promosimple.com/ps/e5a8/midnight-on-the-river-grey-towers-celebration-tour-giveaway


 

	


	



					
						


	

		
Blessing Bentley Celebrate Lit Book Tour and Giveaway

				

			Posted on  by abbasprayerwarriorprincess		

			


	
	
			


	

		
Greetings and welcome to my stop on Celebrate Lit’s Book Tour and Giveaway for Blessing Bentley.  This sweet Christian romance by author Chautona Havig is a page turner.  Read all about the book, the author, and the giveaway below.  Thanks for stopping!


My Thoughts:


This is a contemporary Christian romance that glorifies God without needing to get out a magnifying glass to see if it does.  It unapologetically gives glory to our maker throughout the entire book.  Bravo!  Author Havig is a modern day story teller extraordinaire.  She takes words and weaves them into the most entertaining stories using her God given talent.


”Blessing Bentley” is my favorite one written by here.  It is Book 1 in her new Marriage of Conviction Series.  The author has done a thorough job researching scripture on marriage.  She has compiled arguments on both sides of her debate.  As I read this delightful novel, I found myself nodding my head and talking to the book, the characters, or perhaps Chautona, the author.


The characters are lovable.  Some are predictable while others are complete surprises.  The differences in ages allow for some humor and heartwarming moments.  Bentley’s idea is good in theory but I can’t imagine doing it.  However, television is filled with reality shows that are similar, just without the scripture.


So many life lessons are included in this book.  Faith, family, forgiveness, friends, finances, trust, leaning on God, and praying.  Communicating between a couple is essential and the shows that.


I loved this fiction offering by author Havig.  I was invested in it within the first few pages and my attention stayed until “the end.”  The conversations were witty, barbed, and humorous.  The storyline had some twists and turns to keep it interesting.  Characters were like old friends that I adored.  My dishes piled up while I kept reading.  It is that good!


I highly recommend this book.  There were two things that I missed.  Discussion Questions is the first.  This book is perfect for a book club, maybe a newly engaged ladies’ group.  Questions would be such an added bonus.  So would recipe’s from the story.  That’s becoming a common thing and I love getting to read about someone making and enjoying cookies or a casserole and then find the recipe in the book.  Even without these, I still rate this 5 out of 5 stars.


A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit, but I was under no obligation to write a review.  These are my own thoughts.


6BF9E402-A121-4CEB-BA3E-E56AFBB7929B


About the Book


Blessing Bentley Cover-sm


Book: Blessing Bentley




Author: Chautona Havig




Genre: Fiction / Christian / Romantic Women’s Fiction


Release date: June 13, 2019


Bentley Girard’s about to propose… to a guy she doesn’t even love.



Not THAT way anyway.



After studying everything the Bible has to say about marriage, she’s decided she wants in. Now. So who’s going to take her up on that offer?



And just why did no one reminded her that those vows include that little word, “love.”



Oops!



With her Bible in her hip pocket, and a shiny new ring on her finger, Bentley navigates this new world of marriage with grace and… oh, who is she kidding? She flounders until she gets a sure footing and hangs on tight.


About the Author


ChautonaChautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her on the web and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.


 


More from Chautona


If You Need to Save Time, Don’t Ask for Help


Not from my friend anyway. It all started with a conversation about Bentley…


She pops up now and then—the most ubiquitous (and yet not) of my unpublished characters, you might say. Who is this unsung Bentley, and why should we care about her? For that matter, why has her story been languishing in my “to be edited” pile for over a decade?”


It’s worse than that. Bentley isn’t the only book that’s been sitting there, unedited, waiting for a chance at daylight. There’s also Tait’s story. Andi’s story. Ami’s story… all the unpublished stories. Those don’t even include the partially done ones.


It’s an illness, I tell ya.


Some people may not know this about me, but I plot out my books while I’m driving. I get in the car, turn on my voice recorder, and talk to myself. You can’t know how grateful I am for cellphones. I don’t own or use one, but man I’m glad they exist. Know why? Because people don’t give you weird looks when you talk to yourself in the car now. When I was a kid, that wasn’t true. Not that I know from personal experience or anything. *whistles*


So one trip down south (it’s an hour and a half to go anywhere from my house, and most of my trips are at least three hours one way), I realized that Tait and Bentley’s stories could be merged. It would be awesome. Two books. One stone. If I did that to a bunch of my languishing manuscripts, I could clear out that unfinished file in no time! (Okay, let me dream here. Eternal optimist, remember?)


And that brings us back to Blessing Bentley


I was at my friend Sandy’s house (if you know Celebrate Lit, yes, that Sandy), and I told her I needed a new title. Why? Because now it included Tait and his story.


We talked. We schemed and plotted. Sandy wanted something to happen that just can’t. I’d seriously have to rewrite the entire series. Oh, and then there would be issues with already published books. Ahem.


Then it happened. She said the words. “It needs to be two books.”


I could have put an ice cube down her shirt. Do you remember how excited I was to have two combined into one??? Now we’re back to two books. Still, they were written as two. I just don’t have a satisfactory ending for Tait’s.


That’s when things got fun. Sandy tossed out one idea. I tossed it back. She remolded it and flipped it in the air. I caught it, made a few changes, and voila! We had a BOOK. And it would be adorable.


Then she swore at me.


Okay, so she actually just said, “You really need a third book, friend.”


Anyone who has ever heard her talk, can hear her voice there. I know you can. Still, as sweet and kind as she might have meant to sound, I heard swearing.


Another book. You’ve got to be kidding me! I went from having two books morphed into one being split back in two, and now you want to add one? I’m trying to reduce the to-do pile!


But then I remembered another story that’s been percolating since I wrote 31 Kisses.Carson’s brother is newly single. And well…


Yep. Enter trilogy.


Marriage of Conviction—that was supposed to be the title of Blessing Bentley. Who knew that when I started writing that book fifteen years ago—who knew it would end up being the title of a series instead. Marriages of Conviction. Blessing Bentley, Tempting Tait, and Charming Chloe.


Welcome to a new look on marriage and a wild ride with these characters!


And remember… if you think I have too many series… Well, this one’s Sandy’s fault.


Blog Stops


Among the Reads, July 8


Cultivating Us, July 8


Texas Book-aholic, July 9


janicesbookreviews, July 10


Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, July 10


A Reader’s Brain, July 11


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 12


CarpeDiem, July 12


Retrospective Spines, July 13


Splashes of Joy, July 13


Back Porch Reads, July 14


Inklings and notions, July 15


Through the Fire Blogs, July 16


Godly Book Reviews, July 16


Lots of Helpers, July 17


Captive Dreams Window, July 17


Daysong Reflections, July 18


She Lives To Read, July 19


Blogging With Carol, July 19


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 20


For Him and My Family, July 21


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 21


 


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a Blessing Bentley grand prize package that includes a paperback copy of the book, a book cozy, a Blessing Bentley Candle, and a $25 Amazon gift card!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e550/blessing-bentley-celebration-tour-giveaway




 

	


	



					
						


	

		
Hadassah by Diana Wallis Taylor, Celebrate Lit Tour & Giveaway

				

			Posted on  by abbasprayerwarriorprincess		

			


	
	
			


	

		
Today my blog is a stop on the Hadassah, Queen Esther of Persia Book Tour and Giveaway.  Could anyone use a $20 gift card to Starbucks and a surprise book?  Well, be certain to register at the end of the blog and daily at the other stops.  Now, let’s talk book!


My Thoughts:


I love Biblical fiction if it aligns with scripture and this one does.  “Hadassah, Queen Esther of Persia,” is a 302 page paperback Biblical Fiction by author Diana Wallis Taylor.  The first thing that drew me in was the absolutely gorgeous cover.  From now on that is how I will picture Queen Esther.


Author Taylor has a style that was pleasant but did not seem consistent throughout the book.  The beginning read more like a novel for teenagers or older girls.  It was enjoyable but a little slow and stripped down.  Then after a few chapters it picked up a bit.  For me, I could not become emotionally invested in this novel.  The writing was nice, details were accurate, but it lacked feeling.


The familiar bible story of Esther has been written into an excellent fictional account.  The author did her homework and provided accurate details.  She researched Hadassah in scripture, the Persian Empire and its culture, and the Greek/Persian War.  This helped her fill in the blanks to the story.   She penned a mesmerizing love story about a beautiful Jewish girl and a pagan king.  The result was a wonderful book that made Hadassah more real while keeping true to scripture.


I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys Biblical Fiction.  After the story are pages of author notes and about the author.  There are no Discussion Questions which is a shame because this would be a great church reading group selection.  I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.  A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but I was under no obligation to post a review.  These are my own thoughts.


About the Book


Book: Hadassah




Author: Diana Wallis Taylor




Genre: Christian Historical Fiction


Release date: July 2, 2019


HadassahOne of the great heroines of the Old Testament, Hadassah was a beautiful, graceful young woman who put her faith in God and her guardian, her cousin Mordecai.

She dreams of marrying Shamir, a tall, handsome, studious young man who is the rabbi’s son. Her heart beats faster when she hears the sound of his deep voice as he reads the Torah. And she hopes that he will visit Mordecai soon to present a betrothal request.


Then, an upheaval in King Xerxes’s palace changes everything. Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen.


Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. Since he works as a record-keeper at the king’s gates, he can keep tabs on how she is doing.


Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia imagines what life was like for the woman who saved her people—and perhaps found love in the process.


Click here to purchase your copy!


About the Author


Wallis-Taylor, DianaDiana Wallis Taylor was first published at the age of twelve, when she sold a poem to a church newsletter. After receiving her B.A. in Elementary Education at San Diego State University, she was an elementary school teacher for twenty-two years. Diana has also sold real estate, opened two coffeehouse/used book stores, and was a conference director for a private Christian college.

She has an extensive portfolio of published works, including a collection of poetry; an Easter cantata, written with a musical collaborator; contributions to various magazines and compilations; and several books, including Lydia, Woman of Philippi; Mary, Chosen of God; Ruth, Mother of Kings; and Halloween: Harmless Fun or Risky Business?


Learn more at www.dianawallistaylor.com.


 


Read an Excerpt


Besides the usual vendors, there were strange, sweaty men with beady eyes who were looking to get rich from the additional population.


In the wee hours of the morning, while Mordecai sat with his head in his hands, silently praying, Jerusha stopped breathing, slipping away so quietly that Hadassah thought she was still sleeping.


One day, to the people’s relief, the news was spread that the unwelcome banquet guests had been ordered back to their provinces—to prepare for war.


Instead of bowing, Hadassah smiled unabashedly and gazed directly at the king, who at that moment had turned his head.


“Do not give your name as Hadassah, but tell them it is Esther, which is a Persian name. I would have you hide your Jewish heritage for now.”


She felt their eyes silently appraising her; some with open interest, some with sympathy, and others with calculating shrewdness.


Esther asked each maid gentle, innocuous questions about her homeland, favorite foods, culture, and the like, listening attentively to their answers and making sure to speak to them by name both to let them know they were important to her and also to help her remember who was who.


“If you maidens help me to be my very best when I am called to the king’s chambers, if he honors me by selecting me as his queen, I will not forget you, who helped to put the crown on my head.”


Esther had seen some of the women pass her quarters so laden with jewelry they could hardly walk. She wanted to laugh out loud, but suppressed even a smile.


Recognition came. “Ah, the maiden in the crowd. I thought about you many times.” He moved closer. “I remember your hair, like a cloud around your face.”


Blog Stops


Back Porch Reads, July 4


Retrospective Spines, July 4


Hallie Reads, July 4


My Devotional Thoughts, July 5


Through the Lens of Scripture, July 5


For The Love of Books, July 5


Fiction Aficionado, July 6


The Becca Files, July 6


For Him and My Family, July 6


EmpowerMoms, July 7


Madeline Hope, July 7


Locks, Hooks and Books, July 7


A Baker’s Perspective, July 8


Godly Book Reviews, July 8


Moments, July 8


Stephanie’s Life of Determination, July 9


Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, July 9


Emily Yager, July 9


Aryn the Libraryan, July 10


Purposeful Learning, July 10


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 10


Through the Fire Blogs, July 10


Lights in a Dark World, July 11


Mary Hake, July 11


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 11


Splashes of Joy, July 12


Simple Harvest Reads, July 12 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 12


Bigreadersite, July 13


Pause for Tales, July 13


Texas Book-aholic, July 13


Creating Romance, July 14


A Good Book and Cup of Tea, July 14


janicesbookreviews, July 14


Older & Smarter?, July 15


She Lives To Read, July 15


A Reader’s Brain, July 15


For the Love of Literature, July 16


Just the Write Escape, July 16


Inklings and notions, July 16


Henry Happens, July 17


Hebrews 12 Endurance, July 17


Little Homeschool on the Prairie, July 17


Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 17


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Diana is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks card and a surprise book!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.


https://promosimple.com/ps/e5a0/hadassah-celebration-tour-giveawa


 

	


	



					
						


	

		
Married to a Stranger Book Tour & Giveaway

				

			Posted on  by abbasprayerwarriorprincess		

			


	
	
			


	

		
Welcome to my blog and the Married to a Stranger Celebrate Lit Book Tour.  Author Laura V. Hilton has penned another spectacular novel that is featured here.  The giveaway is a $20 Starbucks card (yum) and a surprise book, so be sure to enter at the bottom.


My Thoughts:


“Married to a Stranger” is Book Three in Laura V. Hilton’s Amish of Mackinac series.  It can be read as a stand-alone with no confusion.  The other two books are so captivating you will want to read those, also.  This is a compelling Christian Amish Romance novel that was a page turning wonder.


Author Hilton has written a book that is filled with life lessons.  Telling the truth, forgiveness, starting over, faith, truth in God, obedience, and caregiving are just a few in this God glorifying story of love and family.  From the beginning I was drawn into the story.  Never did the story drag or get boring, but it held my interest throughout the entire book.


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The characters were realistic.  Each one had a unique personality. They were all well described and relatable.  I loved the descriptions of Amish life, especially the cooking.  The author writes in such a way the tempting aromas almost waft off of the pages.


This is the tale of Bethel.  She has had an unwanted suitor after her.  Each one of his past girlfriends ends up missing so she is cautious and fearful of him.  Through a series of events she ends up marrying Gideon, a widower in another district.  He lives with his parents, sister, and his infant son.


This fascinating story is filled with mystery, intrigue, romance, danger, inspiration, and faith.  Author Hilton is a fabulous storyteller and writes page turning, do no put me down books.  I enjoy her clever descriptive wording and smooth dialogues.  She has a way of transferring emotions from the characters to readers and making them unforgettable.


This is definitely a Christian book.  I didn’t need to search to see that.  That is so important if a book is classified as Christian.  I learned more about the Amish.  That is another thing important to me.  Gleaning information from a book is such a bonus.


I highly recommend this Amish novel to everyone that is a fan of Amish stories.  It would also be good for those wanting to explore this genre or that like romance and family books.  It is a beautiful story with many life lessons to discuss.  I rated it 5 out of 5 stars.  A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but I was not obligated to write a review.  These are my own words.


6BF9E402-A121-4CEB-BA3E-E56AFBB7929B


Click here to purchase your copy.


About the Book


Book: Married to a Stranger




Author: Laura V. Hilton




Genre: Christian Amish Romance Fiction


Release date: July 2, 2019


Married to a strangerHe marries her out of need. She marries him to escape. What does love have to do with it?


When her father falsely accuses a stranger of dishonoring her, Bethel Eicher finds herself promised in marriage to a man she’s never met. Not exactly a dream come true, but since she has spent several years caring for her handicapped mother, she’s already considered an old maid at twenty-five—and she longs to escape her lonely life as permanent caregiver.


When newly-called Amish preacher Gideon Kaiser learns he’s been accused of a dishonorable act, he’s horrified. But his wife died in childbirth and his baby needs a mother, so he figures marrying a woman he’s never met could be beneficial.


How can Bethel and Gideon possibly make their marriage work—especially when the truth behind the accusations is revealed?


 


About the Author


Laura pictureA member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Laura V. Hilton is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with more than a thousand reviews published on the Internet.

Laura’s first series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Seymour, includes Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts, and Promised to Another. In 2012, A Harvest of Hearts received a Laurel Award, placing first in the Amish Genre Clash. Her second series, The Amish of Webster County, consists of Healing Love, Surrendered Love, and Awakened Love, followed by a stand-alone title, A White Christmas in Webster County. Laura’s last series, The Amish of Jamesport, includes The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Birdhouse. Prior to Married to a Stranger, Laura published Firestorm, Love by the Numbers, The Amish Firefighter, and The Amish Wanderer.


Previously, Laura published two novels with Treble Heart Books, Hot Chocolate and Shadows of the Past, as well as several devotionals.

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Laura earned a business degree from Ozarka Technical College. She and her husband, Steve, have five children and make their home in Arkansas. To learn more about Laura, read her reviews, and find out about her upcoming releases, readers may visit her blog at http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/.


 


Read an Excerpt


He marries her out of need. She marries him to escape. What does love have to do with it?


He’s falsely accused of dishonoring her. She longs to escape her father’s household. Can they make their forced, arranged marriage work?


“Gideon, choose love. Not loss.” Lizzie gave a quiet sigh and then her eyes rolled back in her head.


“It’s a lie.” Bethel straightened. “Whoever he described has never touched me. Nobody has.”


Either he marry the woman who’d accused him of sexually assaulting her—a woman he had nein recollection of ever meeting, not to mention the fact that he had never touched any woman besides his beloved frau—or his name would be dragged through the mud for a sin he hadn’t committed, a sin for which he’d be forced to kneel and confess.


It wouldn’t do any gut to ask der Herr for this stranger—what was his name, anyway?—to be nice to her, because it seemed apparent Gott hadn’t heard one word of her endless prayers over the last few days. Either that, or He callously chose to disregard her requests.


It was probably the only wedding nacht in history during which the groom had hidden in the basement and raged, huddled upon and beneath a pile of blankets for warmth—warmth that never seemed to reach his core—before he cried himself into a fitful sleep.


At least, with this situation being handled directly between Gideon and both their fathers, with nein preacher or bishop involvement, none of the potentially damaging dirty laundry was hung out to dry.


The condemning stares from Gideon’s family members seemed to bore into Bethel’s back the entire time she prepared their breakfast and then washed the dishes.


She should’ve packed her bags and run away instead of going through with the wedding. Which was probably what her sister had done, kum to think of it.


He could see the hurt and bewilderment lingering in her eyes, as if she still didn’t fully realize how she’d gotten here, or why her father had chosen to believe an old widower over his own dochter.


Bethel’s first time changing Elam’s diaper didn’t go as badly as she’d feared. Lying on the changing table in his bedroom, the boppli waved his feet in the air and blew bubbles at her, completely winning her heart.


Blog Stops


The Avid Reader, July 2


Through the Lens of Scripture, July 2


Maureen’s Musings, July 3


Among the Reads, July 3


Emily Yager, July 3


Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, July 4


D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 4


For The Love of Books, July 4


EmpowerMoms, July 5


Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, July 5


Bigreadersite, July 6


Through the Fire Blogs, July 6


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 6


Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 7


Life of a travelers Wife, July 7


Texas Book-aholic, July 7


Daysong Reflections, July 8


Stephanie’s Life of Determination, July 8


Mary Hake, July 8


Blossoms and Blessings, July 9


Britt Reads Fiction, July 9


janicesbookreviews, July 9


Carla Loves To Read, July 10


Reading Is My SuperPower, July 10


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 10


For Him and my Family, July 11


Moments, July 11


A Reader’s Brain, July 11


She Lives to Read, July 12


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 12


Older & Smarter?, July 13


Inspiration Clothesline, July 13


Locks, Hooks and Books, July 14


Pause for Tales,  July 14


Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 15


Little Homeschool on the Prairie, July 15


Inklings and notions , July 15


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Laura is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks Card and a surprise book!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.  https://promosimple.com/ps/e594/married-to-a-stranger-celebration-tour-giveaway


 


 

	


	



					
						


	

		
LuLu’s Cafe Celebrate Lit Book Tour and Giveaway

				

			Posted on  by abbasprayerwarriorprincess		

			


	
	
			


	

		
To My Thoughts:


Author T.I. Lowe has created a novel that has a character I wanted to befriend  It did not take long to become invested in Leah and feel some of her her emotions.  The first part of the book was difficult to read and tore at my heartstrings.  Then the book lightened into a more fun, romantic tale.  I was captivated by this contemporary fiction early and it kept me interested until the end.


The characters are realistic.  I am sure we all have friends like most of the.  They are relatable and well described.  It was easy to fall in love with Leah and want to be her friend.  There are too many characters to mention that I loved.


The author has filled this book with humor, twists and turns, and life lessons.  Subjects tackled are relevant and timely.  Spousal abuse and rape, fear, terror, forgiveness, new beginnings, friendships, truth, helping others, and hope are just a few of the topics in this novel.  I did find it light on the faith and inspirational side, but it wasn’t altogether missing.


One of the things I really enjoyed was how food, healthy and junk, was incorporated into this story.  This was done in a nonchalant, easy way that should plant seeds of  healthy choices and lifestyles.  Loved that!


Because of the abuse, I would not recommend it to everyone.  A friend of mine in a somewhat similar situation declined reading the book saying it would bring back too many memories.  This is for a very selective reader.  I enjoyed it but thankfully have no history of being abused.


There are discussion questions at the end of the book.  With the right group of people this would be a great group read.  I wanted to discuss it with people.  A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but I was under no obligation to write a review.  These are my own opinions.  I give this book a 4 star rating.


About the Book:


Book: LuLu’s Cafe


Author: T.I. Lowe




Genre: Contemporary Romance


Release date: June 4, 2019


LuLu's CafeWhen a damaged young woman is given a chance to reclaim her life in a small South Carolina town, she must reckon with the dark secrets she left behind in order to accept the love she deserves.


On the run from a violent past, Leah Allen arrived in tiny Rivertown, South Carolina, battered and broken, but ready to reinvent herself. By a stroke of fate, Leah is drawn to the Southern hospitality of a small café, looking for a warm meal but finding so much more. Lulu, the owner, offers her a job, a place to stay and a new lease on life. Through Lulu’s tenacious warmth and generosity, Leah quickly finds herself embraced by the quaint community as she tries to put herself back together. Given she’s accustomed to cruelty, the kindness is overwhelming.


Soon Leah meets Crowley Mason, the most eligible bachelor in town. A lawyer and friend of Lulu’s, Crowley is wary of Leah’s sudden, mysterious arrival. Despite his reserve, something sparks between them that can’t be denied. But after all she’s been through, can Leah allow herself to truly love and be loved, especially when her first urge is to run?


Exploring the resiliency of both the heart and the spirit, Lulu’s Café gorgeously illustrates how old scars can finally heal no matter how deep they seem.


 


Click here to purchase your copy.


 


About the Author


TI LoweT. I. Lowe is a native of coastal South Carolina. She attended Coastal Carolina University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she majored in psychology but excelled in creative writing. Go figure. Writing was always a dream, and she finally took a leap of faith in 2014 and independently published her first novel, Lulu’s Café, which quickly became a bestseller. Now the author of ten published novels with hundreds of thousands of copies sold, she knows she’s just getting started and has many more stories to tell. A wife and mother who’s active in her church community, she resides near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with her family.


Read an excerpt of LuLu’s Cafe


The building was a two-story redbrick structure with expansive windows along the first floor’s front and sides. Each set of massive windows was shaded with sprawling royal-blue awnings, which were decorated with vibrantly painted sunflowers and whimsical white letters spelling out Lulu’s Café across the remaining space. It looked inviting from the outside. Peering into the window, Leah could see that the café was bustling with customers. Outside the café, the sidewalk was lined with wrought-iron tables and chairs. Every table was occupied with customers chatting as they sipped steaming mugs of coffee.


The sign for the store hours indicated that, Monday through Saturday, the café opened at six each morning and closed at two each afternoon, and it was closed on Sundays. Leah found the hours a bit odd. Most restaurants served dinner and were open on Sundays too, or so she thought. She reminded herself that she was in a new environment and that the customs from the West Coast probably wouldn’t apply here.


The café had its fall decorations on display as well. Large planter boxes overflowed with giant yellow and orange mums. One had a wooden sign sticking out from the middle declaring, Happy Fall, Y’all.


Leah was beginning to think the place was too happy and, more importantly, too busy for her liking, when she spotted a vacant four-person table right inside the door. She made her way in and slipped into the chair closest to the window. She deliberately faced away from the entrance, hoping not to draw much attention. Once she was situated, she noticed that the back of the café was made up of a large butcher-block counter that housed a bakery case full of treats on the right. The remainder of the counter was lined with half a dozen stools, with customers perched on each one. Leah noted approvingly that the tables and chairs were a variety of mismatched shapes and sizes stained in the same mahogany tint. She liked the relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere.


Leah watched a petite lady behind the counter serving up coffee and laughs. Her stomach began to rumble at the fragrant smells whirling around her, so she turned her attention to the menu resting on the table. Turkey sausage, turkey bacon, egg-white omelets, whole grain breads and cereal, fresh fruit . . .


Leah blinked at the odd menu. She gazed around at the customers enjoying their healthy meals. Her heart had been set on a stack of pancakes and greasy bacon. She studied the bakery case but found no donuts hiding.


“Humph.” She went back to studying the menu.


“I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?” A Southern drawl interrupted Leah’s thoughts.


Leah looked up to find the petite lady with a perfectly coiffed silver bob smiling at her. She was so short that she was nearly eye level with a seated Leah. Her clear gray eyes seemed to bubble with hospitality. Leah instantly liked the woman and gave her a slight smile, being careful not to stretch her bottom lip.


“Well, you gonna keep giving me that sweet smile or are you gonna order something?” the lady asked in a teasing voice.


Leah pointed at the bright-orange cursive L embroidered thickly on one of the lady’s apron pockets. “Please tell me you’re Lulu.”


“Of course I’m Lulu. Why do you ask?” Lulu smoothed her ruffled apron, which swam in a variety of rich blue swirls.


“You match the happiness of the place perfectly,” Leah said.


“Well, that’s the nicest thing someone has said to me today. What can I get you?”


“Coffee and whatever you recommend.”


Lulu gave her a wink and strolled back to the kitchen.


Blog Stops


Back Porch wwwwwwahhReads, June 29


Godly Book Reviews, June 30


Daysong Reflections, July 1


Inklings and notions, July 1


Retrospective Spines, July 2


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 2


Quiet Quilter, July 3


For Him and My Family, July 4


The Becca Files, July 4


Maureen’s Musings, July 5


Through the Fire Blogs, July 5


The Becca Files, July 6


Ashley’s Bookshelf, July 7


janicesbookreviews, July 7


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 8


Remembrancy, July 9


Reader’s Cozy Corner, July 10


A Reader’s Brain, July 10


Pause for Tales, July 11


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 11


Living Life Free in christ, July 12


Texas Book-aholic, July 12


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, T.I. Lowe is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of LuLu’s Cafe!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e4f3/lulu-s-cafe-celebration-tour-giveaway












 

	


	



					
						


	

		
“Bipartisan Love” Celebrate Lit Tour & Giveaway

				

			Posted on  by abbasprayerwarriorprincess		

			


	
	
			


	

		
 My Thoughts:


This is an older Contemporary or newer historic Christian romance written by author and storyteller extraordinaire, Caryl MacAdoo.  The reason I say older is it is set right after the assassination of Bobby Kennedy.  While that might not seem historic to me, it actually is.


Bipartisan Love is another delicious serving of God glorifying fiction from author MacAdoo.  It is a different type of story and I loved every bit of it.  The author’s down home honest style of writing draws me right in from the first page and keeps me until the story is finished.  This was filled with emotions, life lessons, faith, humor, and of course romance.


The author has researched her material well.  The characters were delightful and very realistic.  Each seemed like someone we would know.  Conversations were saturated with colloquialisms, making them even more authentic.  With the author’s vivid descriptions I felt like I was in the middle of the story myself.


This is the story of Cynthia and Cody, high school sweethearts.  It is a tale of forgiveness, trusting God and His timing, starting over again, betrayal, love, and second chances.  It is about faith, family, and friends.


I highly recommend this delightfully written novel.  It gets a rating of 5 out of 5 stars from me.  A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but I was not required to write a review.  These are my own honest words.


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About the Book:


Book: Bipartisan Love




Author: Caryl MacAdoo




Genre: Historical Christian Romance


Release date: June 20, 2019




Don’t lean to your own understanding. Acknowledge God in all your ways, and He will direct your path.


Does time truly heal a broken heart?


Cody thought it had until she walked into the diner like she owned the world and back into his life as if she owned him.


Can betrayal ever be completely forgiven?


Cindy thought it could until she saw him with the bleached blonde. Her Cody!


Separated eighteen years, Cody Wayne Buckmeyer and Cindy think they can put the past behind them and work toward a common goal, a congressional seat . . . but is that possible?




About the Author:


Caryl McAdooPraying her story gives God glory, award-winning, best-selling author Caryl McAdoo loves revisiting beloved characters in her novels. And her readers are glad she does! She’s blessed that her titles earned over fifty-percent 5-Star ratings and eighty-five to ninety percent 4 & 5-Stars! With forty-four novels (thirty-four in the last four-and-a-half years), it’s obvious she loves writing, but singing the new songs the Lord gives her also rates high. (Listen to a few at YouTube.)


Married to Ron, her high school sweetheart, she counts their four children and eighteen grandsugars life’s best blessings. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.


 


More from Caryl:


I totally enjoy revisiting characters from previous stories! That’s one reason I love writing ‘Family Sagas” like the Texas Romances that has ten full length novels and Cross Timbers Romances with two books and counting! The third launches this coming September.


In BIPARTISAN LOVE, we get to spend time again with the Buckmeyers—Travis and Emma Lee from Texas Romance Book Ten CHIEF OF SINNERS. My heart could barely leave these dear people after book ten, so I’ve written a few “Companion Books” (five and counting 😊) that go with the Texas Romance series—either going back to meet ancestors or forward for their descendants or just more stories with the characters you already love.


Readers first met Cody Buckmeyer and his kissing cousin (by marriage) best friend Cynthia Kramer as pre-teens in SON OF PROMISE. In that story, Emma Lee, so longing to be a mom, gets her heart’s desire in Cody, her husband’s son she’s never known about. The two youngsters became fast friends, but Cindy went overseas when LBJ gave her father an ambassadorship.


It’s been eighteen years, and Cody’s engaged to another. After her letters stopped, he gave up all hope. A liberal Democrat, Cynthia comes home after working in Hubert Humphries’ losing bid for the presidency, and wants Cody, a conservative Republican, to run for a Congressional seat with her as his campaign manager!


How’s this supposed to work?


Blog Stops:


Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 24


Godly Book Reviews, June 25


Simple Harvest Reads, June 26 (Spotlight)


For Him and My Family, June 27


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 28


Connect in Fiction, June 29


Power of Words, June 30 (Spotlight)


Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 1


Just the Write Escape, July 2


Texas Book-aholic, July 3


Artistic Nobody, July 4 (Spotlight)


janicesbookreviews, July 5


A Reader’s Brain, July 6


Inklings and notions, July 7


Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away


Grand Prize – $50 Gift Amazon Card


1st Prize – Signed, Paperback copy of CHOICE of all my books


2nd Prize – Signed copy of Bipartisan Love


3rd Prize – eBook copy of Bipartisan Love


and


4th Prize – eBook copy of CHOICE of all my books!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e4f6/bipartisan-love-celebration-tour-giveaway