Monday, July 30, 2018

Misstep by Deborah Lee Harper



Strangest Town on Earth

 Pastor Hugh Foster: His heart was in the right place, even if, in hindsight, it appeared he’d clearly taken leave of his senses. It’s December in Road’s End, Virginia, a tiny town long forgotten by anyone but its residents, where Colonel Hugh Foster and his wife, Melanie, have chosen to live—for better or worse. The jury’s still out on that one! 

 Road’s End is comprised entirely of senior citizens whose kids have grown and left for greener pastures. Hugh, Melanie, and Bristol (one of the few sane people in town) are faced with a crumbling church in desperate need of repair and renovation, a dwindling congregation of opinionated, ornery senior citizens, and a camel—yes, a camel. And if that's not enough, the trio and the rest of the Road's End residents are soon mired in danger and intrigue when a group of gun-toting drug dealers arrive in town, bent on killing the church handyman, and conspiring to ruin the doggonedest record-breaking blizzard the town has ever seen.

 Poor drug dealers.

My Review:
Do you need humor? (I do!) You have found the right book to read. Hugh Foster has retired from the Air Force, as a Chaplin. I loved him already for that. He and his wife, Melanie decide to open an inn in the little town with an apt name, Road's End. I love these characters, their town, the crime and mystery, church issues, the entire story was just what I needed right now. From the blizzard to the author "getting" small town life which I know about first hand, this entire book is fantastic. I really appreciated the multiple points of view, it's realistic and refreshing! Even the animals are fitting and well written. I want more. 

  5 Shining stars! 


About the Author:

Deborah Dee Harper writes from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and specializes in humorous, inspirational Christian books for both children and adults. Her novel, Misstep, is the first book in her Road’s End series for adults (although children are welcome to read them as well). She’s also written a children’s adventure series, Laramie on the Lam, that is inspirational, humorous, and full of fun. (Many of Laramie’s fans are adults!)

Her website is at www.deborahdeeharper.com.

This copy came from Celebrate Lit as part of a Review Blast tour. My thoughts and opinions and my review are my own. I have left this review of my own free will. 


Thursday, July 12, 2018

Minding the Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Minding the Light FB Banner copy

About the Book

Book Title: Minding the Light
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Historical Romance
Release date: July 3, 2018
FIsher_MindingtheLight(2)Six long years ago, Captain Reynolds Macy sailed away from his bride, looking forward to the day when he would return to Nantucket Island with a ship’s hold full of whale oil. But when that momentous day finally arrives, Ren soon discovers that everything has changed in his absence. Everything. “Is nothing on this island as it appears to be?” he whispers in despair.
Unlike most islanders, bold and spirited Daphne Coffin doesn’t defer to Ren as an authoritative whalemaster, but sees through his aloofness to the aching heart beneath. She encourages him to return to his Quaker roots and “mind the Light,” finding solace in God and community. As Ren becomes the man she believes him to be–honorable, wise, faithful–she finds herself falling in love with him.
But how can she, when her heart is spoken for? Tristram Macy is Ren’s business partner, cousin, and best friend–and Daphne’s fiancĂ©. Love always comes at a cost, but when is the price too high?
Suzanne Woods Fisher welcomes readers back to the Quaker community on Nantucket Island for this riveting love story, full of unexpected moments.
Click here to purchase your copy!
 My Review:
I liked Phoebe's Light. This is the second book in the series. I'm enthralled by Minding the Light. I don't know how it's possible for me to be more captivated by this book than the last, but I stand amazed by this book. 

This book is also set in Nantucket and continues with Quaker history. Again we have a story in two timelines. Mary Coffin Starbuck's journal is still going. Ren and Daphne both captured my heart. I loved how the author showed God's hand in things that aren't expected in life. The history aspects always fascinate me or remind me of history I have forgotten from my childhood. This story is full of difficult issues that persist today, such as prejudice, weak faith vs. strong faith, unforgiveness and forgiveness, addictions and their effects, to name a few. The generational spectrum of this series is something I'm really happy to read. 

I have heard the term "Minding the Light, and "The Light Within." To me, this speaks of not only making sure your light doesn't go out but that you tend to your light and keep your light shining. It reminds me of the verse that our light should shine before all men, that they may see our works and glorify God and that we are the light of the world, so we have to keep the Light inside us shining brightly, not clouded by things that don't belong in our lives. 

5 Huge stars, more akin to a lighthouse shining. 

About the Author
suzanne woods fisherCarol-award winner Suzanne Woods Fisher writes untold stories about inspiring people. With over one million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the bestselling author of fiction and non-fiction, ranging from Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World to the historical novel Anna’s Crossing.

Guest Post from Suzanne

8 Curious Facts you Probably Didn’t Know about Nantucket Island

This beautiful island, thirty miles off Cape Cod, is steeped in history. Here are just a few interesting reasons to add a visit to Nantucket to your bucket list.
1) During the first half of the nineteenth century, Nantucket was considered to be the wealthiest port in the world…all because of whale oil.
2) Petticoat Row is a 19th century nickname for a portion of Centre Street between Main Street and Broad Street. Many shops on Nantucket were run by women while the men were off to sea in whaling ships for years at a time. Quakerism, with its emphasis on equality, provided working women with community respect, value and esteem. The next time you’re visiting Nantucket, be sure to stop by the Petticoat Row Bakery for a morning glory muffin.
3) The use of laudanum (opium) was described by a visiting French as prevalent among the women of Nantucket. Loyal Nantucketers vehemently denied his claim. However, in the 1980s, construction workers digging to Nantucket’s sewer lines found heaps of opium bottles buried in the ground.
For centuries, laudanum was considered to be not only harmless but beneficial. Its very name in Latin is landare, which means to praise. Other names for it: Mother’s Helper (to sedate children), Sea Calm (for seasickness). It was used for all kinds of ailments, from sleeplessness to menstrual cramps to treatment of chronic pain, and available without prescription up until the twentieth century, when it was found to be highly addictive.
4) Nantucket Cent Schools were a carryover from England and the cost was exactly what the name implied. In New England they were kept by refined, thrifty women who often taught their own or their neighbors’ children until they were old enough to enter schools of a higher grade. I came across a story of a boy whose mother stuck a penny in his mouth each day so that he would remember to pay the teacher.
5) Moby Dick, written by Herman Melville in 1851, was based on a true-life event that occurred in 1820 to the Nantucket whaleship Essex and her crew. You can find out more about this ill-fated voyage if you visit Nantucket’s awesome whaling museum.
6) Speaking of…the whaling museum on Nantucket Island is called the Peter Foulger Whaling Museum. Peter Foulger was one of the early settlers to the island, and could be considered a Renaissance Man: inventor, surveyor, teacher, missionary to the Wampanoag Indians. And his grandson was none other than Benjamin Franklin.
7) Nantucketers were, for the most part, related to each other in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The prosperous island was settled by a small group of families, with less than a dozen surnames: Coffin, Macy, Starbuck, Bunker, Hussey, Gardner, Mayhew, Swain, Barnard, Coleman, Worth, Mitchell. Those names are still common on the island.
8) There’s a good reason those surnames sound familiar to you—many of those early settlers had descendants who started business empires. Recognize these? Macy (retailer) and Folger (coffee).

Blog Stops

Carpe Diem, July 3
Livin Lit, July 3
Mary Hake, July 7
Simple Harvest Reads, July 8 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Book by Book, July 9
Splashes of Joy, July 10
Vicky Sluiter, July 11
Among the Reads, July 12
Bigreadersite, July 15
Pause for Tales, July 16

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a $10 Starbucks gift card to five winners!!
Be sure to leave a comment on one of the blog stops for 9 extra entries into the giveaway. Click link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d1c4/minding-the-light-celebration-tour-giveaway

Plain Everyday Heros: An Amish Summer Collection by Laura V. Hilton, Rachel J. Good & Thomas Nye



PlainHeroes FB cover

About the Book

Title: Plain Everyday Heroes
Author: Laura V. Hilton, Rachel J. Good, Thomas Nye
Genre: Christian Amish
Release Date: July 4, 2018
PPlain everyday heroes finallaying with Fire
Arie Zimmerman has been in love with Noah Behr from almost the moment they met, but after a devastating wildfire destroys the community, everything changes. Noah questions how a loving Gott could allow such things to happen. As Arie and her family struggle to rebuild their home and lives, Noah escapes to California to fight another off-season wildfire—and maybe find Gott in the process.
When Noah returns, he promises Arie the prize money if she will help him with a chili cook-off to fund the fire department. Of course, in order to spend more time with the girl he loves, he’s also willing to pitch in unloading the new furniture and animals her daed bought at an auction. He’ll even help Arie slice and dice vegetables if he can taste test the recipes.
More than just the kitchen heats up as they spend time together. But will Noah find a still missing Gott in the process and discover there’s more to life than what he initially believed?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Unlikely Hero
Mysteries intrigue secondhand shop owner Benuel Miller. Although strangers may think a blind man would be easy to cheat, those who know Benuel realize he’s honed his other senses to pick up clues his eyes don’t see, making him a savvy business owner. When a stranger enters Benuel’s secondhand shop, the man is shocked by Benuel’s accurate assessment and unsolicited advice. Wary, he hopes Benuel won’t find out his true intentions, but the shopkeeper is already on the case.
Later, Mari and her twin sister, Frannie, stop in Benuel’s shop with Frannie’s three-year-old son, and Benuel senses trouble. His hunches have never led him astray, but is he misreading something here? He can’t help being drawn to Mari, yet is she as sweet and loving as she seems? Or is she hiding a deep, dark secret?
One explosive night when tragedy strikes, Benuel risks his life to find out the truth. Can he unmask the stranger from his shop to foil a sinister plot? And will what he discovers destroy his only chance for love?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Racing the Slow Girls
A recipe for fast-paced, comical, Amish adventure— Ingredients: Three fun-loving teenage boys on bicycles. Mix in an adorable little girl on a pony, a few spunky teenage girls, and a hint of romance. Directions: Place the characters in a beautiful setting, such as Holmes Co. Ohio. Roll in the boys on bikes. Stir up a few harsh words spoken carelessly. Add plenty of retaliation by the girls. Place in the heat of a family emergency until everyone is completely undone. Sit back and enjoy an Amish adventure with a cup of coffee.  
Click here to purchase your copy!
 My Review:

Since I have read some of these authors before, I was happy to pick up this collection to read. Laura Hilton gave us Noah Behr dealing with a fire. It fit in so well with her book I just read, Firestorm. 
This story is 5 stars. 

Rachel Good's story gives us a mystery with a second-hand store type thing. Benuel is blind, but oh, what he can see! 
I didn't quite understand a few things in this story. 
This story is 4 stars. 

Racing the Slow girls by Thomas Nye was a fantastic little read! I really liked this story as it focuses on horses, bikes, people and a missing girl. Libby is the star of this tale. 
This story is 5 stars. 

Total review - 5 stars

About the Authors

Laura pictureLaura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with almost twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write and Putting on the New.
Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.
When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.
rachel goodRachel J. Good is the author of several Amish series in print or forthcoming—Sisters & FriendsLove & Promises, and two books in theHearts of Amish Countryseries—as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Books and the contemporary novella, Angels Unaware, part of the Hope Chapel series. Visit Rachel at her website: www.racheljgood.com.


IMG_0731xThomas Nye writes novels about horses and Amish life, with a touch of romance, and a foundation of faith in Christ. He and his wife, Shari, live on her family farm where they raised five children. Their six grandchildren love to visit Karma and Karla, a team of draft horses which Thomas purchased from an Amish friend.



Arie’s habanero chili

1 lb stew meat: venison, or beef
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/2 Onion, diced
Green pepper, diced
2 cans of habanero Rotel
1 can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1/2 cup sliced jalapenos
1 TSP cayenne pepper
3 TB chili powder
2 TB beef bouillon
1 TSP paprika
1 TSP pepper
2 TB garlic
salt to taste
Saute onion and pepper, set aside. Sear stew meat in hot pan until brown. Do not over cook. Add meat and other ingredients to pot and simmer until done. Add water if necessary. Serve with cornbread. Approximately 7 servings
Recipe compliments of Michael Hilton (Laura’s son)

Blog Stops

Mary Hake, July 11
Quiet Quilter, July 13
Carpe Diem, July 16
Splashes of Joy, July 18
Bigreadersite , July 19

Giveaway

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To celebrate the tour, Celebrate Lit is giving away
Grand prize: a $25 Amazon gift card
1st – 4th place: eBook copy of Plain Everyday Heroes!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/d19d/plain-everyday-heroes-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Blind Betrayal by Nancy Mehl (Defenders of Justice #3)





About The Book: 

After two years at the St. Louis U.S. Marshals Office, Casey Sloane is tasked with escorting a reporter to Washington to testify before a grand jury. The reporter's research on an up-and-coming environmentalist who suddenly disappeared is now even more vital than anticipated.

At first, Casey's assignment seems routine. But a dangerous attack on the Marshals Office puts everyone on high alert. When Casey and two other Marshals--one a man from her past--are forced on the run with the reporter, they'll do whatever it takes to protect their witness and make it out alive.

My Review:  

I really enjoy this author's books and this one was a page-turner for me. I didn't want to leave it or be interrupted. It's even stronger than the last books in the series. I liked the few twists and turns that did work as such for me. The suspense level will have you riveted and forgetting to eat or do anything else. Casey and E.J. are fantastic and I can't wait to read another book by this author. 

5 stars because we can't have more. :/ 

About the Author:



Nancy Mehl (www.nancymehl.com) is the author of more than thirty books, including the Road to Kingdom, Finding Sanctuary, and Defenders of Justice series. She received the ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award in 2009. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their Puggle, Watson. She is part of The Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com, along with several other popular suspense authors. She is also very active on Facebook.
Reviews
The final book in the Defenders of Justice series comes to a climactic end with bombs exploding, kidnappings, hit men and bad guys who will stop at nothing to make sure their empire stays intact. . . . Nancy Mehl is a talented author who knows what fans of her books expect, and she never disappoints. Readers won't be able to anticipate Blind Betrayal's twists and turns!"

RT Book Reviews
"Award-winning author Mehl leaves readers on the edge of their seats. The conflict and characters are sharp and dynamic, and the adventure in Blind Betrayal is memorable."

Christian Market

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Breath of Heaven by Alana Terry




Breath of heaven FB Banner copy


About the Book

Title: Breath of Heaven
Author: Alana Terry
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Release Date: December 9, 2017
Breath of HeavenShe hasn’t fallen out of love with her husband. She just can’t stand his church.
Nobody told Katrina being a pastor’s wife would be easy. But she never imagined that the stress she and her husband would face from his new job could so easily destroy their marriage.
In spite of her mother’s disapproval, Katrina marries a pastor whose job immediately plucks her away from her music, her symphony, and the city life she loves and plants her in the small town of Orchard Grove, Washington.
If she knew going into her new life that she’d be sacrificing her music career for a congregation full of gossips and backbiters and that the pressure of her husband’s new job would turn him into someone she hardly recognizes anymore, she might have reconsidered marrying him in the first place.
Unfortunately, it’s too late to do anything about that now.
Or is it?
Click here to purchase your copy!

My Review:

This is the third book in a series, and it also stands alone. I couldn't resist this book because of the title, even if it makes me sing a Christmas song everytime I read it. Now, I'm a PK, who has a parent who was a PK. (Preacher's kid.) I know *exactly* how Katrina feels. I adore the fact that Katrina plays the violin. That was yet another connection I felt with her. Then there's the "child" issue, and you just have to read about that. I can't write that up, not just so that it isn't a spoiler, but because it's that personal. 

Katrina's husband Gregg, did typical guy things that drove me bonkers. He wasn't putting his wife first as an example of Christ to her. As we know, that is the start of all kinds of horrible issues. 

Then there's the "church politics" as we have long called them. The constant battering of issue after issue. This is the reason to pray over your pastors. This book did a super job of showing what life is like in this position. 

Strong themes of forgiveness, openness and honesty run through this book, as well as a focus on our Saviour. I will be looking for the next book that comes out from this author. 

5 stars

alana terry

About the Author

Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.
Guest Post from Alana Terry
I used to think being a pastor’s wife would be glamorous. Now I know better!
Although I’ve loved the different churches where my husband has been called to serve, being a couple in full-time ministry can definitely take its toll on a marriage.
Breath of Heaven is a novel in my Orchard Grove Christian women’s fiction series, which deals with real-life couples facing real-life issues. In Breath of Heaven, two newlyweds are thrown into the world of church politics, and the honeymoon period is quickly over.
I wrote this novel to give an inside peek at what it’s like if you’ve never been a pastor’s wife as well as to offer some hope and encouragement to women who know the stress of being married to someone in full-time ministry.

Blog Stops

Quiet Quilter, June 29
Splashes of Joy, June 30
Mary Hake, July 1
Carpe Diem, July 6
Bigreadersite, July 7
Margaret Kazmierczak, July 8 (Interview)

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a grand prize of books 1-3 in the Orchard Grove Christian women’s series (paperback or ebook)!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/d06f/breath-of-heaven-celebration-tour-giveaway