A Heart's Home

The sad part is here, and that is the Journey of the Heart series by Colleen Coble is unfortunately here. In the final novel in the series, A Heart's Home is the sixth book in this wonderful historical western series that is stationed at Fort Phil Kearny in Wyoming in 1866. Readers have gotten bite size chunks of this heartwarming series in each subsequent book that has lead us to the final part, and that is dealing with Emmie who has finally decided that she will put aside her past, and move forward in a future with Isaac Liddle. The women have formed a united front in this series with each taking a lead role at some point in their own book, and with the conclusion it's going to be one that you don't want to miss.

As we left Emmie in the last book, she was facing a future with a child she had with a man she believed was her husband. When she learned he never conveyed the truth that he was already married, Emmie realized that all she was counting on to help her move forward in the loss wasn't rightfully hers so she headed west to stay with her good friends in Wyoming. Only it seems that no matter where she goes, the truth of her situation follows her and threatens her potential marriage to Isaac if the truth gets out. If only Emmie can find a way to tell Isaac herself before someone else does, she might stand a chance. But when tragedy strikes the heart of the fort, Emmie's only chance at happiness slips away like the sand in an hourglass and there isn't anything she can do about it if she believes she is a good Christian woman!

I received A Heart's Home by Colleen Coble compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation outside of a free copy of the book for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This is such a poignant way to end the series, and find myself now wanting to go back and read them all in one sitting. Each of these books feels like a full length novel and the women I've gotten to know through each of these books feels like friends and not just characters in the story. They all have their own challenges living at the Fort and must band together to help each other out in the face of rising hostilities among the Sioux Indians! I'd give this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion and hope Colleen Coble decides to write more western romances in the very near future.

For more information about A Heart's Home, Colleen Coble or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Heart's Home by Colleen Coble 

You can find Colleen Coble on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

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


A hidden pregnancy, a promise sure to break hearts, and a tragic loss at Fort Phil Kearny: Don't miss the gripping conclusion in book six, A Heart's Home, of Colleen Coble's A Journey of the Heart series. With the Sioux Wars threatening outside the fort, Emmie’s solemn vow threatens her happiness from within. Will she honor a promise sure to break her heart—and Isaac’s? Or is there another way to find a home for her heart?

Colleen is celebrating the final book release of her A Journey of the Heart series by giving away the entire series and the chance to host Colleen virtually at your book club, local library, or women's group to talk about the series.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• Books 1–6 of A Journey of the Heart series
• A chat with Colleen via Skype or Google Hangout
• A custom book-club kit PDF, featuring Colleen's favorite recipes and group discussion questions

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 31st. Winner will be announced September 1st on Colleen's website.

A Bride at Last

Even though Kate Dawson, knew this day was coming, it still caught her by surprise. She had known Lucinda Riverton has been sick for quite some time and it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to her illness, and she made arrangements to have Kate take on raising her only son Anthony when that time came. She even wrote to the boy's father advising him of the circumstance, but Kate believed that to be a man named Richard, who she had helped Lucina and Anthony escape from his violent ways. Now it turns out that Lucinda has been married to a man named Silas Jonesey who has arrived to hope to make amends with Lucinda and restore their relationship. But when he gets there, Lucinda has died and she failed to tell him that he has a son. To make matters worse, Richard arrives in time to attempt to collect Anthony who he had used in the past as a pick pocket to make a little money on the side. Yet no one is considering what Anthony wants in this matter, and with Kate being unwed, it is unlikely a judge will rule in her favor to keep Anthony.

Anthony solves the issue when he runs away without anyone's knowledge and now it is a race against time to see who can find the boy first. In order to sway the odds a bit in his favor, Richard goes to see the judge just prior to the ruling on Anthony's fate, and since he is the only one there, the judge rules in his favor. Seems he might have not been as forthcoming to convincing the judge to postpone the trial while they attempt to locate Anthony. Even while Kate struggles to find him, she finds herself at the hands of the school board when they believe she is acting in a way contrary to what the town would like to have in a school teacher. Being seen arriving late to school and other questionable conduct, she is put on notice to straighten up otherwise they will be forced to find another teacher and she will lose her job. But what is more important finding Anthony or keeping her job?

I received A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review aside from a free copy of this novel and the opinions contained in this review are strictly my own. Christian Western Romances have long been my favorite genre and it's been quite some time to have such a treat as this one. It showcases once again the struggle women had when faced with certain circumstances and keeping up ones reputation and propriety even though Kate isn't doing anything wrong. It is that perception that women had to struggle against during the late 1800's as some were willing to answer ads as a mail order bride and found themselves with men who were less than respectable. I never realized the outcome of the children who were forced to grow up as orphans, most being given away to those who might be able to raise them or placed in orphanages. The only other option was living on the streets. This is another great look our the historical past and how some had to make a go of things when the odds were stacked against them. I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars. This is the 3rd book in the Unexpected Bride Series!

For more information about A Bride At Last, Melissa Jagears, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Bride At Last by Melissa Jagears 

You can find Melissa Jagears on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Bride At Last, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.


Can Silas and Kate overcome their rocky start and experience healing—and possibly love? Discover the answer in Melissa Jagears' new book, A Bride at Last. Neither Kate nor Silas is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light as they attempt to prove nine-year-old Anthony's paternity to the court. Can their wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever?

Celebrate the release of A Bride at Last by entering to win a $100 Memory-Making giveaway and RSVPing to Melissa's August 4th author chat party!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 gift card to Netflix (for a family movie night), Shutterfly (to create a family memory book), or TablePlayGames (for a family game night)
• One copy of A Bride at Last

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 8/4. The winner will be announced at Melissa's 8/4 A Bride at Last Facebook author chat party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Melissa and fiction fans, as well as for a chance to win some great prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!

Claiming Mariah

Just when things couldn't get any worse for Mariah Malone, in rode trouble. Tall, dark and handsome Slade Donovan was about to change Mariah's life in an unbelievable way. After losing her father, she has managed to attempt to hold down things at her father's cattle ranch the best she could, but after fighting a losing battle after two years of profits she wasn't prepared for what Slade had on his mind.

In response to her letter advising him that she had recently been made aware of her father stealing half of the gold between her father and Slade's, she wanted to make things right. She wanted to offer him a cut of her cattle in hopes of mending the broken fences that kept the two families at odds. Only Slade wanted more than simply a pay off from Mariah. Armed with proof that the mine that both men found gold in was in his father's name only, anything bought with that gold was his, and he wanted to make sure that he got back what he believed he was entitled to and that meant the ranch and everything on it.

Believing that God had an answer for this shocking revelation, Slade's brother Buck was able to convince Slade to allow Mariah and her aging grandmother to stay on the ranch until his family finally came to settle in, and would pay for her upkeep of the house and meals for him and his brother. Mariah knew that the only way she and her grandmother could hope of traveling back to Philadelphia was to accept Slade's offer and save everything she could.

But soon Slade discovers the reason why the ranch hasn't been turning a profit and believes that Mariah's mismanagement of the cattle sales to pay for her sisters school in Philadelphia is something she has long overlooked. Without giving her a chance to explain, he immediately shuts down any attempt she makes and keeps his opinions to himself. Mariah concedes to sign the deed to the cattle ranch over to Slade as long as he promises he will keep the real reasons for the sale private to keep her family name intact in town. Will the two of them be able to work together long enough for them both to benefit or will the anger that Slade has in his heart drive her away forever?

I received Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman compliments of Tyndale House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained in this review are strictly my own. I love how Pam wrote this story from the hearts and perspectives of both Mariah and Slade. Mariah's faith keeps her strong in spite of the circumstances that threaten to leave her homeless and with nothing, while Slade keeps fighting the faith that Mariah has to keep God out for the unanswered prayers he had as a child. He loves what he sees in Mariah but can't see past his own hard heart for the answers to peace and happiness. Where as his brother Buck who is facing his own challenging odds keeps God in perspective and realizes that nothing that happens is God's fault. It will take an act of faith to bring Slade around. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars! Pam Hillman is now one of my must have authors! I am completely addicted to her western novels.

For more information about Claiming Mariah, Pam Hillman or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman

You can find Pam Hillman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Claiming Mariah, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Valley of Dreams

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Valley of Dreams Bethany House (November 1, 2011) by Lauraine Snelling



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning and best selling author Lauraine Snelling began living her dream to be a writer with her first published book for young adult readers, Tragedy on the Toutle, in 1982. She has since continued writing more horse books for young girls, adding historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers to her repertoire. All told, she has up to sixty books published.



Shown in her contemporary romances and women’s fiction, a hallmark of Lauraine’s style is writing about real issues of forgiveness, loss, domestic violence, and cancer within a compelling story. Her work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish, and German, and she has won the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.



As a most sought after speaker, Lauraine encourages others to find their gifts and live their lives with humor and joy. Her readers clamor for more books more often, and Lauraine would like to comply ... if only her paintbrushes and easel didn’t call quite so loudly.



Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Winston. They love to travel, most especially in their forty-foot motor coach, which they affectionately deem “a work in progress”.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Cassie Lockwood's mother died when she was little, so Cassie traveled with her father's Wild West Show and became an amazingly skillful trick rider, likened by some to the famous Annie Oakley. When her father died, she continued to work with the show, having nowhere else to go.



Now Cassie has discovered that "Uncle" Jason, the show's manager, has driven the show into debt, and he's absconded with what little money was left. Devastated, Cassie decides to try to find the hidden valley where here father had dreamed of putting down roots. She has only one clue. She needs to find three huge stones that look like fingers raised in a giant hand. With Chief, a Sioux Indian who's been with the show for twenty years, and Micah, the head wrangler, she leaves both the show and a bundle of heartache behind and begins a wild and daring adventure.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Valley of Dreams, go HERE.

My Review:

I loved the simplicity of this storyline and how things appear to go from great to worse in a minute. When Cassie Lockwood learns after her performance at Lockwood and Talbot Wild West Show, that her Uncle Jason has squandered all the money the show has been making on some poor business decisions, he has left the show broke and now being handed over to the bank to pay the debts still owed. Now with only whatever supplies she can gather together in a gypsy-style wagon along with a few cattle, horses, her faithful dog, Othello, and a hand-raised buffalo named George, and heads out to find a place that her father promised to take her to, known as the Valley of Dreams. Yet he died before he was able to fulfill that promise.

Now banded together with her friends Micah and Chief, they head out to the Black Hills to search for the land her father told her about. Along the way she is challenged beyond belief, with challenges of striking out on her own and not knowing what her future holds. Left with meager supplies and a roll of money, she doesn't have any idea where she's headed, relying on the memories her father told her of what the valley looked like, unfortunately Mother Nature has other plans when an unexpected blizzard rolls in and buries them in snow and cold temperatures. Will they find the valley before they lose any of the animals or her traveling companions?

I received this book compliments Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review, and loved the independence and strength that emanates from the character of Cassie. Still dealing with the deaths of her parents, she is now forced to make a change from the life she has known since birth! I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and is the first book in an exciting new series, Wild West Wind.