The Best People In The World!

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Merry and Bright



Online dating. It seems to be the "in-thing" when it comes to finding love these days. Gone are the trips to the local watering hole after work or searching the personal ads in the paper. For Merry Knight, Christmas was the time of the year she looked forward to. Spending time with family, celebrating the joy of simply being together and participating in all the traditions her family embraced is what kept her focused on the month ahead of her. Working as a temporary data input employee for Matterson Consulting, she knew just how many days she had left to deal with an overbearing boss, Jayson Bright. He was someone who did everything by the book and even had the employee handbook so memorized he could tell Merry exactly where her current violation of company standards of decorating her cubicle or even eating lunch while she worked was frowned upon.Clearly the Christmas season was not allowed within her workplace or even at her cubicle location.

Jayson Bright had a lot to prove to his father who expected him to fail at every turn. Not one for being together as a family, he watched his father move from relationship to relationship without questioning what caused all those failures. It seemed as if the apple didn't fall far from the Bright tree and now Jayson could see that he was slowly becoming his father. He didn't have time for family or even socializing as with this upcoming potential contract proposal for Boeing, he might just prove to his father, he is able to take on the role of leading the company. While he watches his best friend find true love through an internet dating service, Mix and Mingle, one he strongly advises Jayson to try. But all he can see it work and more work, if he ever hopes to find acceptance in his father's eyes.

Since Merry can't find time to socialize, her mother and younger brother take it upon themselves to enroll Merry in an internet dating site, Mix and Mingle and instead of a profile picture of Merry, they add one of their lovable dog. They reason if someone is willing to judge a person based on looks, they might not look far enough into someone to discover who they truly are on the inside. Funny thing is she agrees to see where it might take her, after all, once she finishes her contract at work, she will have plenty of time to see where love might find her. She just doesn't expect to find Mr. Wrong on the other end of the email conversation.

I received Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber compliments of Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. If you LOVE the movie, "You've Got Mail," then you will love this different spin on the premise of internet dating. It is a wonderful heartwarming story of what really makes us fall in love and how we can keep those embers burning alive after the physical changes in our appearances begin to change and fade. If all we see is the beauty on the outside, we may be missing more than we hoped for by ignoring what's on the inside that truly counts. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and could easily see this being made into a Hallmark Christmas movie!

For more information about Merry and Bright, Debbie Macomber or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Debbie Macomber on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Merry and Bright, please visit Random House Publishing Group's website.


Monday, October 30, 2017

Home, Hearth and the Holidays



Daphne Ballinger might seem like she has it all together, but upon closer inspection and those secrets she only shares with her closest friends and her attorney. When Daphne's Aunt leaves her an inheritance, which comes with a wonderful old Victorian home nestled in the charming small town of Appleton, a classic old car and enough money to keep her comfy, it all sounds like a perfect dream come true. Yet is also comes with a clause that unless she finds herself married by the end of the year, she will lose it all. Sounds easy or chaotic?

Not only that but she is also raising Mabel, a young girl that was left behind by her dying mother until her only living relative, Daniel, an active duty Marine returns home to collect her. But Daphne is more than attached to Mabel, but knows that she promised her mother that she would see that Mabel settles with her Uncle Daniel and hopefully that might be in Appleton. She finds herself at odds with spending time with the two of them and wonders if getting married might solved more than one dilemma. If she marries Daniel, she can become Mabel's mom and also keep her inheritance by meeting all her Aunt's requirements to retain everything she had left her. Daphne is also the writer behind the love advice column her Aunt left behind as well. Something she has enjoyed and it adds to the extra money she uses without touching any of her inheritance.

She just isn't sure if she can marry just to satisfy her need to keep Mabel close and when Daniel informs her that he might not be done with his active duty, she isn't sure she is ready to walk away from all the friends and family she has made in Appleton, especially her southern fireball Sabrina who lives across the street and considers herself Daphne's closest friend in the world. Her attorney doesn't see any loopholes within the law that would allow Daphne to retain custody if Daniel decides to move to the east coast where he is currently stationed. Makes one wonder just how far you would go for love, and then there is the idea that Daniel is very handsome, but he hasn't exactly hinted at the perfect love match for the two of them either. This will be one unforgettable Christmas for sure.

I received Home, Hearth and the Holidays by Melody Carlson compliments of WhiteFire Publishing. I have had the wonderful opportunity to read this entire series and absolutely LOVE it! From her neighbor Sabrina whom I adore, the the unforgettable men that she tries to set Daphne up with, things are about to get more than interesting. This is the third novel in the Dear Daphne series and there is definitely a fourth one coming. I am rooting for one of the characters in the book and hopefully Daphne and him will fan the flames that seem to almost be there if other people won't interrupt the process, but definitely a romantic comedy just in time for Christmas! I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in this readers opinion.

For more information about Home, Hearth and the Holidays, Melody Carlson or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Melody Carlson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

For more reviews on Home, Hearth and the Holidays, please visit WhiteFire Publishing's website. 


Friday, October 27, 2017

Christmas Grace



Looking for some Christmas stories guaranteed to pull on your heart strings? Are you a fan of Traditional Regencies? Then you will love Christmas Grace, a compilation of four novellas written by four talented authors, Jennifer Moore, Krista Lynne Jensen, Anita Stansfield, and Chalon Linton. Not only are there four incredible Christmas tales tucked inside, but also a listing accompanying each of the writers novella's sharing other great books that they have written, just in case you find yourself wanting a bit more. All four novellas take place during the Christmas season and offer readers not only a touch of romance, but a theme of grace in each one.

Let Nothing You Dismay by Jennifer Moore conveys a couples plans to escape into the night and journey onward to adventures across the continent until an unexpected delay causes them to both consider that they other had a change of heart. Can the explanation reunite them again 8 years later?

Christmas at Canterwood by Krista Lynne Jensen addresses a young governness who makes plans with the help of handsome vicar to surprise the children's parents who are due to arrive home just in time for Christmas.

Winter Angel by Anita Stansfield shares a heartwarming tale of a young woman who wants to help the impoverished people in town with more than tasty treats her family makes each day at the local bakery. She finds a wounded man she has seen on each of her travels and feels a connection between them that surpasses human logic.

Christmas Grace by Chalon Linton portrays a young widow who has spent the last year in mourning for her husband and wants to carry on his tradition of bring Christmas spirit to those in her hometown, yet when an unexpected accident leaves her stranded in a wealthy mans estate, could God have planned a divine appointment instead?

I received Christmas Grace by Jennifer Moore, Krista Lynne Jensen, Anita Stansfield and Chalon Linton compliments of Covenant Communications. These stories are so amazing that you feel like you are getting a full length novel instead of a short novella. Reminders of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen a breathed into each and readers will find themselves transported back in time when love was in the air and the Spirit of Christmas Hope and Grace remains alive even to the least of them. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion and will now be searching out their other books to add to my personal library.

For more information about Christmas Grace, Jennifer Moore, Krista Lynne Jensen, Anita Stansfield, Chalon Linton or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Jennifer Moore on Facebook, to stay up to date with all her latest novels. 

You can find Krista Lynne Jensen on her blog to stay up to date with all her latest books.

You can find Anita Stansfield on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

You can find Chalon Linton on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

For more reviews on Christmas Grace, please visit Covenant Communications website.

A Woman Overwhelmed



"So much to do. So little time."

So much can be said in those two statements and most of the moms, wives, sisters, women, and more can attest to how truthful it feels like for us on a daily basis. What about you? Feeling like at times your day can feel overwhelming? How can women handle the day to day stresses without falling apart? How can we hold it all together when it seems like it is all falling apart at the seams some days?  Where is God in all of this and how can He help?

You might want to pick up a copy of Hayley DiMarco's latest book, A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life. It might just provide the encouragement we all need. What overwhelms you? Is it finances, trying to make ends meet when there simply isn't enough to go around? What about a health issue you've been diagnosed and it seems like prayer just isn't working and it's getting worse? What about your marriage that you've been struggling to hold onto knowing God can do all things? Do you ever wonder if the reason you feel overwhelmed is because we are NOT in charge? Tough question but one easily answered. If you were in charge of those situations, would they overwhelm you any longer? Not a chance.

Whatever is out of our control is what is overwhelming us. So often our goal in life is to find the best way to control, well, everything, including those around us. Especially the ones we consider our people, our kids, our spouses, our friends and family. In fact if you take any of the online stress surveys available, if four or more symptoms stress you out, they suggest a bigger problem. A problem with too much to handle. Let's see how you do. Do you struggle with any of the following, and be sure to be honest, at least with yourself.

Emotional eating
Insomnia
Digestive Problems
Ulcers
Anxiety
Tension Headaches
Weight Gain
Quick Irritation

When life is more than we can handle, just looking at it reveals our complete inadequacies, and failures and all we long to do it simply to go back to bed. We know we are overwhelmed and not in a good way. When our bodies are begging us for a straightjacket and a padded cell, and we start to at least consider it, we know its time to reassess our priorities and to look for the flaws in our logic and planning. Aren't you tired of being overwhelmed by life. Don't you want something more? Don't you?

I received A Woman Overwhelmed by Hayley DiMarco compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity. Almost every single woman can identify with feeling overwhelmed at some point in their life and she gives you the tools and encouragement you need, not only to realize you are not alone, but how to manage quickly through them and get to the other side of the issue. She opens up her own life and that is how I feel she wins readers over. We realize someone else has been there with us and the feelings she relates are exactly how we have felt. By the conclusion of this book, hopefully you can see the depths of God's love for you and maybe even the ability to catch a glimpse of the comedy of an overwhelmed life seen from the rearview mirror or the passenger seat of our car, and you will discover freedom. You will find grace to begin to close your worldly eyes to the messiness of life as you open your spiritual eyes to the beauty surrounding our messes. I easily give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars and plan on referencing it often along with prayer to get through my own issues that threaten to overwhelm me.

For more information about A Woman Overwhelmed, Hayley DiMarco or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Hayley DiMarco on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on A Woman Overwhelmed, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.


"A woman overwhelmed"-is this a phrase you can relate to? If you answered yes, you need to read Hayley DiMarco's new book, A Woman Overwhelmed. The best-selling author shares biblical insights and personal stories to offer a glimpse at the comedy of an overwhelmed life while encouraging us to discover the depths and heights of God's love and power. Choose to bask in the abundance of the Father instead of the abundance of life as his unfathomable depths can surely replace our fathomable messes.

Become a woman less overwhelmed by life and more overwhelmed by God and enter to win Hayley's $75 Merry Maids Visa Card Giveaway to help lessen your daily load.


One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A copy of A Woman Overwhelmed
  • A $75 Merry Maids Visa Cash Card
Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 3. The winner will be announced November 6 on the Litfuse blog.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Know The Word KJV Study Bible



I love reading the Bible. There is so much based on historical and archaeological evidence that to question its relevance in the world today, would be a huge mistake. In fact many libraries, museums and even archaeologists reference the Bible because its accuracy can't be questioned. From the ancient civilizations founded at the beginning of the world in Mesopotamia according to our history books, evidence has been found, and continues to be found to support every single book of the Bible. Makes you wonder why there are so many wanting to keep people from reading its very contents to see what it contains. Others make a mockery of it, calling it a random library of ancient made up myths from men in the desert who rode camels. Funny how this very book is the most published book in all of history and yet it continues to change lives forever.

This will be my 4th time reading it from cover to cover and what I have found is that each time, I gain greater understanding of what it going on in my life at the time, and how I can work through it. Think of it as our book of instructions if you will to get you through life. What I have found that benefits me is reading a different version each time and following up what I don't understand with a Bible Commentary. It makes it come alive in new and exciting ways because that is the beauty of God's Word. It is a living document of our entire past and our future that awaits us all.

I have been using the Know the Word Study Bible in the King James Version during my morning reading time because it helps you understand more of what your reading in vastly different ways. You can read it book by book which is how I have been doing it, but more along the lines of the chronological way the events happened, or you can just study the Bible verse by verse or even topic by topic. I find most people gravitate to the Bible by the topic at hand in their life the most when they reference it, like a quick answer guide of sorts. The King James Version is probably one of the most accurate versions of the Bible based on its interpretations from the the Greek and Aramaic texts found within the Dead Sea Scrolls word for word. For those new to reading the Bible, this version might turn you off, because it is like reading Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare's old English interpretation. There are a lot of thee's and thous, with might frustrate a new time reading it.

However whatever version you choose, you can find valuable insights into every version. What I love about this version is the More Insight sections you find scattered throughout. It's like having a commentary right there and also provides you with additional resources to study in the Bible that will make the topic a bit more clear to the reader. I love following references that will help me understand what I am reading a bit more. Like a sequel to the book almost! Its almost like getting a commentary all in one place. There are also great resources included in this Bible, like full color maps, which I love to use to see where these places were in the past as compared to now, a concordance, which allows you to look up specifics words like "love," or "angels," to see where in the Bible these topics are referenced. This also includes Jesus' words in red so you can separate what others say compared to the exact words He spoke. Like most Bibles, I love the hard cover format. It makes it easy to keep your notes all tucked in one place and use for note taking by having something hard to write on in church.

I received Know the Word KJV Study Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Book Tours. You can even download a sample of this Bible for your reference first by going to downloads.thomasnelson.com/KJVknowtheword. That is a great resource to use before deciding on whether this might be the type of Bible for your use. This Bible also comes with resources to enable you to receive a lifetime guarantee on this Bible. Don't let reading the Bible intimidate you, simply pray and ask God to show you what He wants you to know and you're off and running. For me this one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Know the Word KJV Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers or where you can pick this Bible up today, please click on the links below:


You can find Thomas Nelson Publishers on Facebook, to stay up to date on all their latest products.

To read more reviews on Know the Word KJV Study Bible, visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Diving deeper into God's Word can be easy and rewarding if you break it down book by book, verse by verse, or topic by topic with the new KJV Know The Word Study Bible by Thomas Nelson. The book-by-book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The verse-by-verse notes help you to dig deeper into God's Word. The topic-by-topic articles, which cover 21 theological topics, guide you through a series of insightful notes and give you a thorough biblical understanding of each topic. With the beautiful and timeless text of the KJV translation, the KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers you choices of how to study Scripture and grow in your relationship with Christ.

This fall, become a regular student of the Bible and enter to win the Kindle Fire giveaway!


One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A copy of the KJV Know The Word Study Bible
  • A Kindle Fire 7
  • A Kindle Fire case (winner's choice)
Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on October 31. The winner will be announced November 1 on the Litfuse blog.

Murder Misread



I can honestly say that I have not read the entire Maggie Ryan series of books, but I have read book 6 and now book 7. I had hoped that there might have been something to draw me into each of these murder mysteries, but to try and hold a reader through at least the first 50 pages, is a true challenge. Not sure if it is simply the way the book begins, because the writing style is so difficult to garner the readers concern enough to even care what is happening in the book.

In Murder Misread, there is an ongoing study with Maggie's alma mater at college to work as a statistician for Professor Charles Fielding. He is conducting a study to figure out how adults read and retain knowledge so well so they can come up with a plan to teach young children. The theory implies that if you can begin with those who are mastering it, then you can dissect it enough to figure out a better way to teach it. So just as Maggie begins her first day, they all agree to meet for lunch to celebrate Tal Chandler's great news. What it is remains a mystery but one he plans to share with whomever can come to lunch. Unfortunately he doesn't make it and is shot in what appears to be a suicide attempt. Of course, Maggie is one of the first on the scene and since she has no emotional attachment to any of the people who arrive on scene, she uses her previous powers of deduction to begin her own investigation.

But who would want to murder Professor Chandler? Was it his wife, that also works on the college campus, who seems a bit removed emotionally from it when she arrives to find her husband dead? Or could it be one of his partners in the study? All Maggie can deduce is who it isn't, but firmly believes it has to be one of those working in close proximity to the Professor, but soon pieces of evidence found at the scene lead Maggie to wonder if it wasn't all staged to look like a suicide when it is clear to her, that it is indeed a murder.

I received Murder Misread by P.M. Carlson compliments of The Mystery Company and Partners in Crime Tours. I had hoped based on reading previous reviews of this series, that perhaps one book might just be flawed in some way, however that is not the case. I'm not sure what I would change if anything but perhaps it is the over the top language used that keeps readers from truly connecting to the characters. I know that they are college professors, but it shouldn't require readers to figure out what is being said or isn't said with the intellectual introduction. The book doesn't begin to even gain interest until somewhere after page 50 and by then, you just want to know who did it and what their motive is. For this reader, I couldn't really buy into those Maggie interviews, especially the wife. She remains emotionally unavailable whereas I believe most would be more than shocked to learn that her husband has been apparently murdered. Not sure I would want to chance reading another Maggie Ryan mystery and for that reason I give this one a 3 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Murder Misread, P.M. Carlson or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find P.M. Carlson on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews of Murder Misread, please visit Partners in Crime Book Tours page below: . 


http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/murder-misread-p-m-carlson/

Murder Misread

by P.M. Carlson

October 1-31, 2017 Book Tour

Synopsis:

Murder Misread by P.M. Carlson
In 1977, statistician Maggie Ryan returns to her alma mater to help Charlie Fielding analyze his reading research. Charlie, professor and film buff, is studying the eye movements of skilled readers. Maggie’s work is interesting, her kids have good daycare, and her actor husband Nick O’Connor is working nearby. But the happy summer plan is disrupted when Charlie’s popular colleague and rival, Tal Chandler, is found shot near campus.
When a turf war between town homicide detectives and image-conscious campus police hinders the investigation, Maggie and Nick team up with Tal’s grieving widow to get some questions answered.

Don't Miss These Great Reviews:

"Maggie is an engaging everywoman– wife, mother, professional– who conducts her crime-busting with quiet panache." — Margot Mifflin, Entertainment Weekly
"Thoroughly believable characters with depth and humor and finely realized senses of grief and anger. Carlson plays fair with the reader while making the unmasking of the criminal a surprise indeed." — Susan L. Clark, The Armchair Detective
"As usual, P.M. Carlson gives us a spell-binding, multidimensional puzzle, interesting background material, and fascinating and appealing characters." — Phyllis Brown, Grounds for Murder
​“[Maggie Ryan] has been a role model for women since the beginning and I loved watching her merge marriage and children with her talent for solving mysteries!” — Margaret Maron

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Mystery
Published by: The Mystery Company / Crum Creek Press
Publication Date: August 2015
Number of Pages: 241
ISBN13: 1932325468 (ISBN13: 9781932325461)
Series: Maggie Ryan and Nick O'Connor #7
Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Smashwords  | Goodreads 

"Murder Misread" by P.M. Carlson, the Maggie Ryan Mystery #7

Statistician Maggie Ryan, actor Nick O’Connor, and their two small children are looking forward to a relaxing summer away from New York City. Maggie’s working at her alma mater as consultant to reading expert Professor Charlie Fielding, and Nick has a gig at a summer theatre nearby. But then the body of Charlie’s retired predecessor, Professor Tal Chandler, is found near campus. It seems to be suicide–– but the gun was in left-handed Tal’s right hand. With help from Tal’s grieving widow, Professor Anne Chandler, Maggie and Nick find that friendly, nosy Tal had uncovered some dark secrets about his university coworkers––secrets that could lead to murder.

Read an excerpt:

Sunlight sifted through the trees. The creek giggled below. A little child galloped down the path, paused to pick up a pebble from the mud, ran back to her smiling mother. They moved on past, until their happy chatter merged into the rustling of the leaves.
A sweet day for a murder.
***
To get to Plato’s for Tal’s celebration, they had to cross the gorge. Maggie unhesitatingly chose the right path from among the several that meandered down into the wooded ravine. “I see you still know your way around,” Charlie observed.
“Yeah, it comes back. It was only seven years ago that I left. Which way do you prefer here?” Maggie paused at a fork in the trail, where one path led to a green-painted metal pedestrian bridge, and another wound lower and under the bridge along the edge of the little creek that had patiently carved out this gorge.
“The lower one’s prettier if you don’t mind steps. But it may be soggy still from the thunderstorm yesterday. I generally use this upper path.”
“Fine, let’s be prudent.” That warm Diane Keaton smile again as she turned toward the bridge. “I love this walk, don’t you?”
“Yes. I’m a hiker. You must miss the woods, living in New York.”
“Not as much as I expected. We’re only a block from Prospect Park, so we’ve got plenty of woods and meadows and ravines to explore.”
“Aren’t those big city parks dangerous?” He had to stretch to keep up with her athletic strides.
“Well, I don’t wander through them alone at night.” She hesitated, glancing at Charlie with an ambiguous smile. “Somebody did try to rape me once. But it wasn’t in Prospect Park. It was only a few miles from this very spot, when I was a student here.”
“God!” What could he say? What a horrible experience, to have someone forcing himself…. He mumbled inadequately, “That must have been terrible!”
“Yeah. Well, help arrived fast and we sent him up for ninety-nine years. Happy ending.” She didn’t sound happy, her shoulders hunching under the sky-blue cotton. “Anyway, I’ve learned to stay alert. Did you notice the guy under the bridge just now?”
Charlie looked back, frowning, and pushed his glasses up on his nose. The ravine was a visual crazy-quilt patched from dark earth, green leaves, splashes of sunlight. The original camouflage design, quivering as the breeze riffled the leaves. Below, the creek glinted; trunks and branches traced irregular dark lines through the trembling foliage. Nearer, the artificial pea-green of the bridge shafted straight-edged across the little chasm. “I don’t see anyone.”
“See where the trail widens? That muddy patch?”
“Yes. Oh!” He saw him then: standing nearly hidden by a clump of bushy young maples, only a bit of gray sleeve and a dark shoe visible from here. “Wonder what he’s up to?”
“In Prospect Park he’d probably be a bird-watcher,” Maggie said lightly, and turned back up the path toward College Avenue and Plato’s.
* * *
Excerpt from Murder Misread by P.M. Carlson. Copyright © 2017 by P.M. Carlson. Reproduced with permission from P.M. Carlson. All rights reserved.
P.M. Carlson

Author Bio:

P.M. Carlson taught psychology and statistics at Cornell University before deciding that mystery writing was more fun. She has published twelve mystery novels and over a dozen short stories. Her novels have been nominated for an Edgar Award, a Macavity Award, and twice for Anthony Awards. Two short stories were finalists for Agatha Awards. She edited the Mystery Writers Annual for Mystery Writers of America for several years, and served as president of Sisters in Crime.

Catch Up With Our Author On: Website , Goodreads , Smashwords, & Twitter !

 

Tour Participants:

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for P.M. Carlson. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card & 5 winners of one (1) P.M. Carlson eBook. The giveaway begins on October 1 and runs through November 2, 2017.
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Monday, October 23, 2017

The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey



Women's rights and duties have come a long way since the 1800's where most women of title we're educated on how to land themselves a suitable husband and increase their financial holdings. They were refrained from sharing their personal opinions especially among the men, and there were certain things they could and could not do, especially if one's family was of the upper social elite class. I can't imagine a time, when if you failed to do any of those things, you were banished as an old maid, but not only your family, but also society as a whole. Those friends you grew up with could no longer consort with you because society deemed that something you have done, or rumored to have done, now has caused great shame not only for you, but on your families name as well.

I found myself favoring the character of Miss Clara DeLancey, who found herself rejected by a suitable man she had dreamed of marrying. After that, it seems like every single season just brought more and more disgrace to the DeLancey name. She can't imagine trying to fit in again with another season of London, but her mother seems determined to find "someone" suitable to marry her. Unfortunately for Clara, she has resolved to stay an old maid at 25 rather than go through all the fake smiles and acting, just in hopes that someone will marry her. Her heart remains broken by the one man she thought she would be spending a lifetime with.

Captain Benjamin Kemsley has finally returned home after years of being away at sea. Hailed as a hero when his ship went down in an unexpected storm, he hopes he can finally put that behind him and try to find a future for himself. He knows his youngest sister has her heart set on finding the right man to marry as their oldest brother is a baron, so she can attend some of the social functions in London. He just never expected to find the perfect woman of his dreams falling into his arms when he rescues her from falling from a cliff. Was it merely an accidental mis-step or had she been trying to kill herself. With her running away from him, all he can remember about her is her raven hair. Now if he can only figure out just who this mystery woman is, and perhaps find a way to get to know what could drive someone to end their life so suddenly. Surely nothing can be that dire!

I received The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey by Carolyn Miller compliments of Kregel Publications. I have had the glorious opportunity to read every single book in this series, and I am sure that this might just be my favorite because of how strongly I felt about Clara. To be pushed and pulled in so many directions and nothing she does right means much in her mother's eyes except to find the right man, and the right title. She refuses to allow her to socialize with anyone she doesn't not approve of, including Benjamin's sister Tessa, whom she adores. They accept Clara without any pretense and that is something she is desperate for, not all the foolishness of trying to find the right man to marry. This is the third novel in the Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace series and am looking so forward to her next series!!! For me, this one easily garners a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. I am a traditional regencies fan, so this series really appealed to the romantic at heart in me.

For more information about The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, Carolyn Miller or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today,


You can find Carolyn Miller on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, please visit Kregel Publication's website. 

Friday, October 20, 2017

Christmas At Carnton



It's hard to imagine that war once divide this great country. That men and women both lost those they loved when the North divided against the South. Men ill equipped to go to war went anyway and so much blood was shed on both sides of the country. For Aletta Prescott, she learned that her husband would not be returning home from the war as he had hoped and now she has learned she is about to be laid off from her job at the Chilton Textile Mill. It wasn't due to her work, but as a matter of last hired is those who would have to face the burden of no longer having a job, a ways to provide for their family and for Aletta, now seven months pregnant and with a young boy at home, she struggled to figure out how she was going to pay for their mortgage now with winter coming.

She had hoped that the bank would be understanding regarding her recent loss and now unemployment, but despite all the bank manager's assurances that they might be able to work something out, the bank's board members refused to allow her any more time. They felt they were being generous in letting her have two weeks before they foreclosed on her home. But where could they go? When she learned that the Carnton estate was looking for help in preparation for an upcoming auction to lend financial resources to help the war effort, she felt assured this would be an answer to prayer. She had to find something otherwise she didn't know what she would do or where they would go.

Jake Winston felt that his life was spared when he was shot in the shoulder, but it also allowed him to deal with the loss of his eyesight even temporarily. He would have to wear glasses now to miss seeing the sharp details a marksman like himself would need if he was to be an use of continuing in the war effort, but such was not to be the case just yet. His commanding General has asked him to travel to Carnton Estate and lend in the security of helping the women raise funds to benefit the war. It would also give him time to continue to allow his eyesight to return. But there was no winning this battle with the General. He just didn't plan on having his heart fall for a young mother due with another child and her sweet, young, impressionable son as well. He will have to maintain the respect due to her after learning she had lost her husband while trying to do as ordered, but will God have other plans in store for them all?

I received Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is such a heart warming book because it really takes the readers into the very heart of both Aletta and Jake. You can understand how difficult both the timing and the circumstances surrounding them both would be, and with time running out for them both, anxiety only increases the need to figure out the future, even if it is out of their hands for the time being. I love the generosity of Mrs. McGavock, who is the wife of the Carnton Estate in how she is with her hired staff. She keeps the respectability of her position, but treats them all like family. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Christmas at Carnton, Tamera Alexander or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Tamera Alexander on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Christmas at Carnton, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 


Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Across The Blue



Some of my favorite novels are about strong women characters. Those that go against the grain of what society might think would be considered inappropriate for that time frame. I often think that if I were a character in a novel, I would tend to go against societies norms of the day and create my own mark as it were. The latest novel from best-selling author Carrie Turansky, Across the Blue features just a determined and strong-willed woman, Isabella Grayson. Just her name speaks of where her family falls in terms of social standing in my opinion, but she is likeable and relateable to the characters I lean towards. Her family has been pushing for her to find a suitable match, one that would guarantee that she will add to her families fortunes instead of the other way around. Now already two seasons since her debut to society, she has much different interests in mind, much to her mother's dismay and frustration.

Her father is the owner of three of the leading newspapers in England, thus the reason for the families fortunes and social standings within the communities. Bella finds her father's newspapers interesting because she yearns to be a writer. Yet she isn't sure how to go about earning her wings with persuading her father to give her the opportunity to write for one of his papers. That would be against everything her family wishes for her future, maintaining a proper reputation is key to finding a suitable husband. Bella only wants to pursue her own future and hopes that one day, the right man may just fall into her lap, that shares her interests and passions in hopes of marrying for love and not just for money.

Lucky for her, that is just what has happened upon touring her families new home, a young aviator soaring overhead, crashes into the property, but has managed to escape unharmed. While the agent leading the family is aghast that such a thing has happened, Bella and her father, share a love for aviation and hope that England will be the first to launch a solo trip across the English channel and hopefully paving the way for more financial contributions that would lend to adding air support towards keeping their country safe. In fact, her father has been instrumental in creating interest in doing just that, with a promise of a thousand pounds to the first person to do it. When he hears rumors that the French might be further along in their progress and testing, he offers his assistance to aid James Drake in his efforts to be the first to fly across the English channel. It might just be more than good luck that landed him on that fateful day and with it the passions ignited between James and Bella! Will that be enough to build a future on?

I received Across The Blue by Carrie Turansky compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers. I absolutely LOVED this novel from the very first page. Not only did the premise hook me based on the back cover, my love for aviation and its history made me want to explore those first flights from a different perspective. I found myself relating to Bella's character quite a bit, her love for writing, her passion for adventure and progress as well as have a determined sense of what she wants for her own future, but curbs some of that enthusiasm around her family, especially her father, whom she adores and deeply respects. I love the chemistry between James and Bella, first to help one another in any way and by becoming their own personal cheerleaders and encouragers in any endeavor. I love all the random situations that they find themselves in together, without any pre-planning to make that happen. I guess I am a firm believer in a happily ever after ending and if you love adventure coupled with romance and bit of that traditional regency, then you will absolutely adore this novel and thus the reason for my 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Across The Blue, Carrie Turansky, or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today, which is due out in February 2018, please click on the links below:


You can find Carrie Turansky on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Across The Blue, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah Publisher's website. 


Friday, October 13, 2017

A Promise Child



We have all heard of the Great Depression from either our history books or perhaps a family member has shared their experience with you, but very few have been impacted by it except those who have experienced it. I have heard it said, that the reason so many people are 'hoarders' is that they remember living through the Great Depression years. It is a by-product of those times. Yet we don't really understand or even empathize with those who have because it hasn't impacted us. I have had the distinct honor to read a series of novels by Kathryn Spurgeon who has based each of her novels around the true stories of her parents or grandparents stories of what they dealt with during their times of growing up.

In the novel The Promise Child, she takes readers into the very heart of what the Great Depression felt like for the Trimble/Pope family. For Sibyl Trimble Pope, she remembers the life of prosperity her family had had during her younger years when she was a child. They never had want for anything. They may have watched the beginning signs of struggle for others but it never really impacted them until she married and watched the signs of the times and had hoped that they would weather the storm. She watched her father leave their family and divorce her mother leaving their children behind to fend for themselves. This was a time in which divorce was considered a bit of a curse in small towns. No one did that. No one had an affair in affluent families and simply walk away for greener pastures elsewhere. But that is what her father had done.

Now with the Depression hitting everyone, her mother and remaining siblings were struggling to make ends meet. To find ways to make clothes and shoes last a bit longer. To find ways to even put food on the table. Sibyl herself in her own new family feels like she needs to help. Her own husband Fremont hold on to the filling station they purchased to help make ends meet. Yet with fewer and fewer people being able to fill their cars, their own business is falling apart. She tries to reach out to her father who is well enough to help but figures out that they need to manage their finances better and refuses to help any of them. Her only option is to take her father up on a job offer and leave her family for a short time to send back money working in the bigger cities or pack up what they have and head for the west where people have been heading since this began.

I received A Promise Child by Kathryn Spurgeon compliments of Memory House Publishing. This really opened my eyes up to the struggle of families have to endure the effects of the Great Depression. Trying to stretch your food sources as much as possible, even doing without food so your own children didn't go hungry. It really grabs hold of you and makes you a witness to what is happening not only to the Pope family but others that they are watching go through it with them. I didn't want to put this book down because I was emotionally invested in their family and their struggles. I was praying and rooting for them to make it every step of the way and for me, those are ear-marks of an exceptional book and the reason for my 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about A Promise Child, Kathryn Spurgeon or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Kathryn Spurgeon on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on A Promise Child, please visit Memory House Publishing's website. 


Thursday, October 12, 2017

Blind Spot



Blind Spot as defined by Webster's is an area where a person's view is obstructed. That is a very fitting description of the latest novel from the Chesapeake Valor's Series, Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey. This is the third novel in the series and takes readers in the lives of the FBI once more with agent Declan Grey who is teamed up with an attractive crisis counselor, Tanner Shaw. They have been tasked with finding out about a terrorist threat that is taking the lives of each witness that would point them closer to finding out the source and what might be coming. It appears that they are trafficking in young girls, but just as they get one step closer to the truth, their witnesses are being murdered. Now that Declan and Tanner seem to be edging to close for comfort, their lives are now on the line.

Griffin and Finley are working on trying to figure out who is embezzling funds from the company Haywood Grant is a co-partner with and fears that he will be held liable to the clients who have trusted him to manage their financial investments. It appears he is being set up, but by whom. Haywood claims he is innocent and if they don't discover who it is, all the evidence piling up will put him in prison for a very long time. As they attend a weekend event, they learn that there are quite a few wealthy guests who know what is happening and confront Haywood about their missing investments. They vow they are going to the police once the weekend event is over, and Haywood appears distraught over the ongoing issues. However when he is found dead in his bathtub, with a suicide note explaining his actions in taking his own life as well as embezzling money from his clients, along with a cryptic note implying he has murdered the Markhams, thing begin to go from bad to worse.

I received Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey compliments of Bethany House Publishers. This is a non-stop, action-filled suspense novel that involves lots of bullets flying, high-speed motorcycle racing, and trying to figure things out before our characters do kind of novel. I have not read the previous two novels in the series, and understand that each of them introduces members of the team in more detail. This time the novel revolves around Declan and Tanner, who seem to be fighting more than those who are interested in seeing them dead, but also in the sparks that fly from the chemistry between them. If you love suspense thrillers and a bit of romance, you will LOVE Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey. I would give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Blind Spot, Dani Pettrey or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Dani Pettrey on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Blind Spot, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website. 


Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional



I fell in love the Random Acts of Kindness that first appeared in the movie Bruce Almighty, and even inspired me to spend my 49th birthday finding 49 different ways to do things for someone else instead of buying me more stuff I really don't need. And you know what, it is the only birthday I can remember over any of the other ones. I can even remember the things I did to make someone else's day instead of my own and the feeling was so amazing.

Now Tyndale House Publishers has appealed to me once again with The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional. In it readers will find themselves challenged not only by the daily Scripture reference from the Bible, but an applicable story that shows just how you can both apply the Scripture but also make someone else's day through random acts of kindness. At the conclusions of each days devotional, readers are challenged in some way to take that idea and make it their own, like Do something unexpectedly kind for a teacher, encourage someone else with your story of God's faithfulness, honor someone in your life by picking up the slack in their busy season, invite someone new to Thanksgiving this year and so many more.

Divided into daily devotionals, readers will love the ease and simplicity of being reminded it is about serving others through the daily acts we can perform to show them the love of Christ working within us. It keeps these reminders at the forefront and helps us to keep our hearts in the attitude of serving rather than being served. Each of the three authors, Kendra Roehl, Kristin Demery and Julie Fisk each take their turns at writing each daily devotional so in a sense they are sharing their own testimony and life with you as you work your way through each of the 365 days. The best part is that you don't have to wait to begin in January 1st, you can just pick up like I did right when I received my book.

I received The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional by Julie Fisk, Kendra Roehl and Kristin Demery compliments of Tyndale House Publishers. This is such a great book that I can speak more highly about, but that if you are looking at a way of making your daily life count more, looking for ways to serve others, and even ideas on incorporating daily acts of kindness into your day, than this book is perfect for you. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars because as a busy mom, wife and more, I need something to keep my heart in the right place and this works for me.

For more information about The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can read more reviews of The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional by visiting Tyndale House Publisher's website. 


Tuesday, October 10, 2017

These Healing Hills



Here's another wonderful novel that takes readers back for some historical fiction that is based around facts about Frontier Nursing. In These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart, Francine Howard defies her parents wishes and moves to the Appalachian Mountains of Hyden to learn about being a midwife to the people who have chosen to live away from the bigger towns. They have a different way to speaking, moonshine is still being processed and of course, people love their lifestyle but getting medical care can be time consuming especially with the terrain and often times weather.

Francine is a compassionate woman who loves learning about their way of life, even though those she works under remind her to keep her level of professionalism and not get to friendly with the people she treats. But how can you not be drawn into their simple ways of life, where money isn't the thing that motivates them and they take joy in raising their families away from the big city! She would have never dreamed this was the life for her, hoping instead to remain at home waiting for the man she believed would return home to her from the war and they would marry and begin their own family. Instead, Seth Miller, found himself another woman from England and was bringing her home to meet his family and how could she begin to compete with that?

So she took her broken heart and instead looked for ways to bring healing to others and catching babies, the Appalachian term for delivering newborns. She can't help but love each of the families she works with including Granny Em, an elderly woman who keeps to her way of life, handing out wisdom to Francine that flies in the face of the medical procedures she is being taught, including some weird medicinal home remedies using the plants she finds growing around the mountain. She just didn't expect to become part of the Locke family, treating their ailing young daughter, Sadie, as well as looking after their oldest daughter, Becca who is getting ready for her first child. Now that Ben Locke has returned home from the war, he can't help but fall for the one woman who would do more than heal the brokenness in their family but in his heart as well.

I received These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart compliments of Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. I love this story revolving around the historical facts about was started Frontier Nursing in 1925, that readers can enjoy at the conclusion of this novel in the Reader's Note section. You would wonder how people who lived far from town would have their medical needs addressed and so a nursing program was conceived that trained women to ride horses into the heart of the mountains, bringing with them healing and midwife skills to the people of the Appalachian communities. This eliminated the worry of how to pay for medical care since no one was ever turned away and the maternal and infant mortality rates decreased dramatically when this program was introduced. Well worthy of 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about These Healing Hills, Ann H. Gabhart or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Ann H. Gabhart on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on These Healing Hills, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 


Friday, October 6, 2017

Jeremy Camp - The Answer CD Review and Giveaway



Some of the most moving praise and worship songs, that have helped me to memorize scripture without realizing it has been thanks to Jeremy Camp. It makes me wonder at times if they face the same weary battles as believers that we do. Do they question their faith at times? Do they question God when adversity happens and they are trying to understand why? One of the songs that helped me deal with the fact that my husband's new job would require long periods of travel and would be gone for a time. It's a reminder that one day, tears will never become an issue again in eternity.

His latest CD, The Answer seems to define the very nature of the questions I posed at the beginning of this review. The title track, the answer seems perfect in spite of the recent tragedy of what happened in Las Vegas that reminds us that God's provision is always the absolute truth thanks to the suffering in life that Jesus Christ had to deal with in the very short time here on earth. One of my favorite tracks on this album is My Defender. Besides the lyrics that speak to our own Spirit, it reminds me that no matter what I am facing, no matter how dark things may look, God always goes before us defending us from the spiritual battles we face each day without being aware of them.




This latest CD features 11 songs, Word of Life, My Defender, The Answer, Storm, My Father's Arms, Never Stopped Loving, Heaven's Shore, Carriers, Love So Great and Awake O Sleeper. The best thing about songs from Jeremy Camp is while you're learning the lyrics to the song, you are memorizing Scripture at the same time without realizing it and that is always a plus for me. Never Stopped Loving is a song for those who have wandered away from God, church, and perhaps even questioned our faith, but this reminds us that we can never move so far away from God that He can't find us. He is always waiting for us to return. Guess that answers so many of my questions in life. Tell the World is the song for every new believer. That surreal feeling that we want to share how wonderful God is once we get saved or even throughout our own spiritual walk, we are reminded of our purpose and that is to share the good news of Christ with the lost. I especially LOVED Awake O Sleeper which reminded me of Jon Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive! This one will be replayed again and again!

I received Jeremy Camp: The Answer compliments of Capital Christian Music Group and Propeller LLC. This is the perfect CD that answers the questions every single believer has at times. For me this really reached into a dark place in my life, where fear was taking a bigger place that I wanted it to, even though I placed my trust in God. That enemy loves to linger around and cause us to keep our focus on the issues instead of the one who can carry those burdens in our life. I'd give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. The lyrics are including inside this CD for those of you, like me, that appreciate them when you purchase a CD. Thanks to the generosity of Capital Christian Music Group and Propeller LLC, they are offering a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart or my Facebook page, Reviews From The Heart. Here are your guidelines to enter.

1. "Like" Jeremy Camp's Facebook page.

2. Be a resident of the US and please No P.O. Boxes!

3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this CD. Don't forget to include your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols. Without an email address I have no way of contacting you if you're the lucky winner of this giveaway.

The giveaway will end on October 13th and I will be contacting the winner via email, so please be sure to include it.


You can find Jeremy Camp on Facebook to stay up to date without all his latest music!

To read more reviews on Jeremy Camp: The Answer, please visit Capital Christian Music Group's website. 


“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.



Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Same Kind of Different As Me - FREE Movie Ticket Giveaway!



A simple act of kindness can change everything.

In the upcoming movie slated to hit theaters on October 20th, this is a movie you won't want to miss. Long gone are those "cheesy" Christian movies most of us have seen in the past, and this one will be one that will undoubtedly provoke a change in your own life if not in your own heart. Based on the New York Time's Best Selling book by the same name, this is a movie that will live in your heart long after the credits roll.



An all-star cast featuring Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Jon Voight and Djimon Hounsou, viewers are taken into the lives of Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear) who is an international art dealer that seems to be too busy for his wife, Deborah (Renee Zellweger) and that places a strain on their marriage. She spends her time, caring for the kids and house, managing things so life is easy for Ron, even managing to find time to volunteer at the inner city rescue mission where she meets Denver, a homeless man, she has dreams about. The Hall's literally have more money than they need, and what they need is some help with their troubled marriage. She feels that she must find a way to befriend this man because he holds the answers to her problem with Ron somehow.

As arguments grow more heated between Ron and Deborah, she learns of Ron's unfaithfulness she gives him the ultimatum to leave. She will only allow him to stay if he spends some time doing something other than taking care of himself and thus the challenge to help Denver out, even if it means the possibility of losing his status with the elite people in his life. If he can accomplish that task, Deborah will consider making a go of their marriage again, but perhaps more than just the marriage will be saved in the end. Denver's motto: "Nobody can help everybody, but everybody can help somebody" is the theme of this incredible movie.

Now for the best amazing part. Thanks to the generosity of Pure Flix Entertainment and Lev3L Digital, I am giving away 2 movie ticket codes in time to see this incredible movie. Here is all you need to do to enter the giveaway.

1. Use your social media expertise to generate some interest in this film. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, you name it. The more you share, the greater the chances of winning a pair of these tickets. Each time you post, grab that link and share it back here under the comments window. Enter as many times as you want, post every day from now until the release date. Just make sure to come back here and post those links so we can track the response of your social media campaign.

2. Winner's must be in the US only at this time.

3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a pair of tickets to see this and who you plan on taking. You will receive the codes before the release date and the codes can only be used for this film. You will have some time to view it if you can't make it on October 20th.

4. Provide an email address in the comments section below. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols if you wish. Without an email address, I have no way of contacting you if you're the lucky winner.

You can even get pictures, trailers, ticket information and details from the film's website, Same Kind of Different as Me. 

Same Kind of Different As Me by Pure Flix Entertainment and Paramount Studios.

You can find more incredible information about the movie on the movie's Facebook as well. 
 

The Beloved Christmas Quilt



The Beloved Christmas Quilt is a wonderful collection of three short stories that span a generation of authors beginning with Wanda Brunstetter, who is a best-selling author of Amish novels, along with her daughter Jean and granddaughter, Richelle, who also have added their own stories to this book, that span an Amish families generation much like the Brunstetter women have.

Luella's Promise by Wanda Brunstetter takes readers in the beginning of the Ebersol family, beginning with Luella who was hired by Dena and Atlee Zook to help care for Dena and their son Daryl, as her health declines based on an issue with her heart. While Atlee works at his shop, Dena helps with housework and keeping Daryl busy while also helping Dena out as much as she can. They know the end is near and when she passes on a much beloved quilt to Luella as a way of saying thank you for being a friend and to promise to care for her family when she is gone, she never dreamed the turn her life would take as she spends more time with them.

Karen's Gift by Jean Brunstetter picks up the next generation that comes to the Zook family as their child Karen Allgyer grows and begins her own family. However when they discover her newborn daughter Nancy Anne is deaf, it begins to pull on the threads that held this family close. Her husband Seth pulls away to spend time hunting when he isn't working and with their parents so far away, Karen believes that it is time to move back home so she can have the love and support of both sets of parents.

In Roseanna's Groom by Richelle Brunstetter, the Zook family continues as the Roseanne Allgyer, Karen's daughter, finds herself preparing to be married, only to have her groom, John Beiler up and run away just as they are about to saw their wedding vows in front of family and friends. Without any explanation, he simply tells Roseanna, he can't marry her and moves away. Now left with picking up the pieces of her life, she tries to find a future while her heart is mending and that might be with someone who suddenly moves back unexpectedly. Will John realize his mistake before she gives her heart away to someone else?

I received The Beloved Christmas Quilt by Wanda, Jean and Richelle Brunstetter compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. These are three unforgettable stories of family, romance and the Amish faith, shared between three generations of writers but also written about three generations of one Amish family. I LOVE that they created this unique idea with each of them taking on a new generation and the beloved Christmas quilt that journeys along with them. There are delicious recipes tucked in to entice readers to try their own hand at making these wonderful dishes! I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and just the simplicity of these three stories gives readers an opportunity to take them in one at a time as their busy schedules allow.

For more information about The Beloved Christmas Quilt, Wanda E. Brunstetter or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Wanda E. Brunstetter on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Beloved Christmas Quilt, please visit Barbour Publishing's website.


Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Bygone Christmas Brides


Ah with Christmas just around the corner, time seems to slip away from us with simply too much to do. We all want to get into that perfect mood, to sit by the fire, on a cold night, sip our favorite beverages and just relax and find ourselves perhaps some place else for just a little while. Novella's or short stories that feel like novels are the perfect way to take that virtual vacation and escape into the historical past and visit different time periods and places all set during the Christmas season with romance at the heart of each of them. Bygone Christmas Brides offers readers six short novellas from six wonderfully talented authors. Not only do these feel like more than short stories, it also gives readers a look at each authors unique and heartwarming writing styles.

In Lost and Found by Ginny Aiken, takes us to Wales in the year 1870, where we meet Rhiannon Wylie who is taking care of her aging father and questions the faith she has despite the fear of the mines both her father and Trefor Davies works at. Will she be able to find the faith she needs to trust God when there is no other choice in order to find true love and a chance at happiness?

In Tis the Season by Carla Gade, introduces readers to Schooley's Mountain Springs of New Jersey in 1820's where Annaliese Braun finds herself in need of someone to repair her broken wagon after the accident where the wheel comes off. Enter our hero, carpenter, Stephen Yost, who is just in town to make a living repairing some businesses and homes, but may have met his match that fateful day.

I Saw Three Ships by Pamela Griffin takes readers back to 19th century Scotland where a long lost love between Malcolm Sinclair and Rachel McIvor might just be rekindled. But can Rachel forgive the man who left her once to find his fortune, in order to try and win back her heart or will she be willing to walk away as he once did?

In Colleen of Erin by Tamela Hancock Murray, can Donohue's Mercantile owner Finn Donohue find a way into Collin Sullivan's heart? After all whenever she visits him, he will always order whatever she fancies, but what will it take for her to notice him? Will the hardness he experienced in his own past keep him from ever opening his heart up to someone like Colleen's gentleness?

A Right and Proper Christmas by Jill Stengl, finds a soldier returning home to England from the war and happens upon a small church, believing that God has called him to preach. He finds something in common with the class of people he came from, those of a lower class, but it seems he can't find someone willing to teach him how. As he stumbles into the church, he finds something he never expected, a willingness to give him a second chance at life, and possibly a chance at love with a woman who sets her heart on marrying a local man. Will she see something in him that no one else possesses?

Mercy Mild by Gina Welborn is the final novella that takes readers into the brokeness of one young woman who has faced abuse at the hands of her own parents. She refuses to ever have children believing that she will do the same to a child of her own. But will a man with a love for war orphans teach her that she can change so she doesn't have to fear she will be like her parents. Will the love a child be able to break her hardened heart?

I received Bygone Christmas Brides compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. Just looking at the cover of this collection, brings a much wanted anticipation to what each of these six novellas contains. A trip back into the historical past, in various time periods and find true love in this heartwarming collection of wonderful Christmas themed stories. While I have read others novels from some of the authors in this collection, I also got the chance to meet new ones like Tamela Hancock Murray and Pamela Griffin. They each keep the stories authentic to both the country they are set in as well as the language and traditions of those historical time periods. I give this collection a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and makes it easy to just take time to read one each night.

For more information about Bygone Christmas Brides, any of the authors or where you can pick up this book today to add it to your Christmas collection, please click on the links below:


You can find Gina Welborn on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Carla Gade on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Jill Stengl on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Ginny Aiken on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Pamela Griffin on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Tamela Hancock Murray on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Bygone Christmas Brides, please visit Barbour Publishing. 





Tuesday, October 3, 2017

If We Make It Home



I love finding a new novel from a debut author that is simply so great I feel the need to tell everyone. If We Make It Home by Christina Suzann Nelson is one such novel. It is a novel that conveys friendship, loyalty, faith and hope as its central themes. The novel is about sorority sisters from Emery House, that find themselves strangely all returning back to their house based on an invitation that the house is about to be closed. Each of them has a very different reason for attending.  For Ireland, a tree-hugger, vegan, activist, she has been offered a speaking position at the local college and is strongly advised to do so by her present Professor who is trying to deal with a potential lawsuit involving Ireland and a former student.

For Jenna, a middle aged, empty nester who can't seem to find the meaning and purpose to life now that her three kids have left home. She is overweight, but happily married and struggles with self esteem issues even though her husband Mark supports her in everything she wants to do. She feels like her only purpose as a mom raising her kids is over and doesn't know what to do. For Victoria, a successful wife and mother who heads up one of the leading ministries devoted to marriage and family, suddenly learns that her husband is having an affair with her assistant and leaves town without a note, hoping they might get worried enough to find her. She knows once word gets out about her marriage, her career is over.

The one thing that didn't plan on, was the unexpected and unannounced news that their sorority sister Hope, has passed away from breast cancer. They learn from Hope's daughter that she always wanted to take a survival trip into the Oregon Cascades with trail guide Glenda who operates this trips, but was too ill to ever go. The three sisters, who have not spoken in 25 years, decide to take a trip in honor of Hope. However, these three are the worst prepared to undertake this journey. Jenna is completely out of shape and her only real fitness challenge has been walking around her home as of late, Ireland is a vegan who is probably the only one who might make the trek considering they have to live off the land, and Victoria, a beauty queen who can't live without looking perfect has bought just about everything they would need but hasn't figured out how she plans to carry it all. The group is in store for more than anyone could ever bargain for and I will leave this review at that, because this is where the novel gets going and never lets up until the very last page.

I received If We Make It Home by Christina Suzann Nelson compliments of Kregel Publications. This is such a great novel because as a reader, I found myself a part of this group having to endure everything that happens to them. I could smell the pine trees and struggle with the rocky terrain they have to hike in. I found myself relating quite a bit to Jenna's character because I am facing that empty nest soon as my youngest will be leaving home very soon. I could understand the struggle of wanting to give up and dealing with friends you thought you knew in college but lost touch with afterwards and now find themselves struggling to truly be themselves as they once were. I will be adding Christina Suzann Nelson to my watch list, because if this is her debut novel, I can't wait to see what comes next. 5 out of 5 solid stars for this novel!!!

For more information about If We Make It Home, Christina Suzann Nelson, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Christina Suzann Nelson on Facebook to stay up to date with her latest books.

To read more reviews on If We Make It Home, please visit Kregel Publication's website.