Friday, March 15, 2019

Spring into Christian Books Blog Hop!

It's SPRING! I'm so thankful to see the blooms start to show. Yes, I did have to mow, but what a joy to be out of the colder days of Winter. This year was a particularly hard time for me, so let's celebrate God's wisdom that seasons change with some great books!

I will be giving away an e-book copy of Beauty For Ashes as well as an ebook copy of Monstrous Beauty. Both books are in the same series. To win a copy, please post in the comments. Winners will be drawn at random. :)

You can see all my books here: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B011N0L4NM

Please visit the rest of the authors in the hop! We have all kinds of giveaways going for you.

Blessings, Carol :)

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Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Uninvited by Beckie Lindsey

About the Book

Book: Uninvited

Author: Beckie Lindsey

Genre: YA

Release Date: 9/16/2018

Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find— but the demons already have.

Battles between unseen forces of good and evil have made unlikely friends out of high school juniors Krystal, Mackenzie, Tammi, and Sadie, who share similar secrets from their traumatic pasts.

As Krystal’s lifelong friendship with Bryce grows into something more, her new friendship with Mackenzie is tested.

While Tammi and Sadie heal from their injuries caused by a horrific accident, their deeper wounds fester as tension grown between them.

When a handsome nurse and a sultry singer join the group, things become even more tangled.

Will the relationships survive the epic spiritual battles raging around them? Or will the demons keep them chained to their secrets?

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review:

This book is shockingly good! The four teenage girls we met in book one, are back in book two. Hard, heavy topics, such as eating disorders, sex in some of it's worst forms, are a few of the issues that are covered while showing the spiritual warfare involved. These books aren't just for teens, this hits adults as well. The realism is palatable and I'm looking forward to the third book in this series, as this book leaves things unresolved but with more coming soon!

5 Stars

About the Author

Beckie Lindsey is an award-winning author, poet, blogger, and the editor of Southern California Christian Voice, a division of One Christian Voice, a national news syndicating agency. She is a major coffeeholic and enjoys a good book with a cat on her lap. She also loves to hike and hang out with family and friends. Beckie and her husband, Scott have three adult children, two adorable cats and live in California.

Guest Post from Beckie

WHY I WRITE YA AND THE BFA SERIES

I believe a teenager still exists inside each of us.

We hear a familiar tune from our “glory days” and are instantly tapping our toes. Mentally, we’re back in high school —poofy bangs, scrunchie, neon off-the-shoulder sweatshirt — and all. Oh, wait. That’s me back in the ‘80s!

Ah, yes. There is something wonderfully awful about those coming-of-age years.

From the first kiss to the first breakup, there are memories we cherish and some we don’t care to ever revisit. Being a teen can be exciting, confusing, painful, joyous, or even all of those things at once!

No matter how different your teenage experience was from mine, one thing is true for us all: these years have an enormous impact on who we become as adults. We can all sympathize with the plight of puberty and the longing for independence and acceptance. Yeah, there’s still a teenager in all of us!

These are the reasons I write YA.

My hope is to use the power of storytelling to move past barriers and open hearts to accept how much God loves and desires a personal relationship with us.

At every age, we all need the grace and love of Jesus.

In the Beauties from Ashes (BFA) series, I write about relatable characters with difficult issues and traumatic pasts to enlighten readers about the unseen spiritual battle referred to in Scripture. Each character has a secret that has left them vulnerable to the battle in an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep them chained to their pasts and angels of light work to free them.

The characters and their issues are complex, just like real life. In fact, some of the topics are often considered too taboo to talk about openly. But what is left in the dark, festers and grows. It is only in the light that we can be free. In the BFA series, readers experience the character’s quest for truth, love, grace, and freedom while hopefully finding the same for themselves.

Blog Stops

Real World Bible Study, March 12

Through the Fire Blogs, March 13

Blogging With Carol, March 13

Genesis 5020, March 14

Seasons of Opportunities, March 15

Godly Book Reviews, March 16

Remembrancy, March 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 19

Ashley’s Bookshelf, March 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 20

The Becca Files, March 20

Texas Book-aholic, March 21

janicesbookreviews, March 22

Bigreadersite, March 23

A Reader’s Brain, March 24

Inklings and notions, March 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Beckie is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/dcc2/uninvited-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, March 10, 2019

American Omens by Travis Thrasher

About tHE Book:

In this taut thriller that imagines a near-future America following the decline of the Religious Right, the Christ-followers who have anticipated a rising intolerance for their beliefs for decades find out they're right after all.

In the US in 2038, a secret society is imposing its agenda on outspoken Christian leaders, killing when necessary. Corporate regulations restrict religious expressions and policies. A recent convert, Hutchence, uses creative and guerilla-like techniques to spread the Gospel of Jesus. This enigmatic man enlists a rag-tag group of individuals to help him proclaim a warning to the rest of the country: God is sending his judgment on our nation, and his first act will be to destroy Chicago.

One recruit is a young and talented computer analyst who specializes in mastering algorithms for corporate and political use, and who is on the run from the company she works for while trying to discover the truth about her father's mysterious disappearance. Another is a conspiracy-theory-junkie and survivalist who has discovered proof of assault on people of the Christian faith. A widower with three girls is also recruited by this mysterious Hutchence to help lead a return to God in America.

MY REVIEW:

Chillingly realistic. From the microchip type brain implants that complete thought control sot that there is no privacy, this future is scary. Christians are on the hit list, because it's not complete conformity. There are three stories happening at once, but they don't intertwine. It's just three slices of things happening in the same time frame. People are dying and one character seems to be the rise of the anti-Christ. Some of the book was slow in pacing with long waits for an answer to burning questions. How faith survives in persecution is a theme in this book, something that is ongoing in many places and truly sad. The end of the book left me frustrated. While I'm sure it will have more answers in a sequel, this book doesn't stand alone and leaves a good bit muddled or unanswered.

My copy is from WaterBrook & Multnomah. My review is my own, left of my own free will.

About Travis Thrasher

Travis Thrasher is the author of more than 20 works of fiction, including collaborations with musicians like Jimmy Wayne and Thompson Square. Thrasher lives with his wife and three daughters near Chicago.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About the Book

Book: Mending Fences

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Christian fiction, Amish, Mennonite

Release Date: February 5, 2019

Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.

Luke Schrock is a new and improved man after a stint in rehab, though everyone in Stoney Ridge only remembers the old Luke. They might have forgiven him, but nobody trusts him. He has been allowed to live at Windmill Farm under two conditions. First, he must make a sincere apology to each person he’s hurt. Second, he must ask each victim of mischief to describe the damage he caused.

Simple, Luke thinks. Offering apologies is easy. But discovering the lasting effects his careless actions have caused isn’t so simple. It’s gut-wrenching.

And his list keeps growing. Izzy Miller, beautiful and frustratingly aloof, also boards at Windmill Farm, and Luke’s clumsy efforts to befriend her only insult and annoy her. Eager to impress, Luke sets out to prove himself to her by locating her mother. When he does, her identity sends shock waves through Stoney Ridge.

“A funny, heartwarming story of friendship, love, and the possibility of happily ever after.”—Amy Clipston, bestselling author of Seat by the Hearth

“Suzanne Woods Fisher has written a sweet and poignant story you won’t want put down. Definitely a must read!”—Kathleen Fuller, bestselling author of the Amish of Birch Creek series

Get a copy HERE!

My Review:

Oh my! I need some people willing to practice some of what's shown in this book. While I love this author's books, this one had some extra impact on me at this time in my life. This book is grounded in forgiveness and has wise things embedded throughout the book. Luke has so much work to do to repair multiple relationships, but those whom he seeks to reconcile with have to be willing to trust again. This book has so much depth. I am so looking forward to the next books in this series.

5 HUGE Stars!

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop’s Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher.

More from Suzanne

A Friend in Need

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” –Walter Winchell

Luke Schrock was nearly friendless. He returned to Stoney Ridge in Mending Fences after a stint in rehab only because his bishop, David Stoltzfus, strongly encouraged him. And everybody knows you didn’t say no to your bishop.

But nobody else in town wanted anything to do with Luke. They forgave him for the trouble he’d caused in his last downward spiral, the one that went too far. The one that even scared Luke. Forgiving him was the easy part. The Amish of Stoney Ridge were intentional forgivers. It was their trust—that’s what he would have to earn. Trust was a fragile thing. Once broken, it wasn’t easily mended.

Somehow, David was still able to look past the behavior to see the best of Luke Schrock. He didn’t stop there. He found a family who was willing to take Luke in, and he spent hours with him—at times as a mentor, at times as a father figure, but mostly as a friend.

A loyal friend can have a powerful impact. Consider those friends in the town of Capernaum, who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing—so determined to get to Him that they dragged his stretcher up onto a roof, broke through the roof tiles, and lowered him down. Can you imagine being in the crowd, listening to Jesus, as straw and tile pieces and branches and bugs started to drop down from the ceiling? A shocking display…of devoted friendship. And what a miraculous outcome for that paralyzed man!*

I won’t tell you how Luke’s story ends—only that he works hard to find ways to make amends to those he hurt, to regain trust. Especially the hard-to-earn trust of a brown-eyed beauty named Izzy.

Do you have a real friend like David Stoltzfus, who walks in when the rest of the world has walked out? Or maybe the better question, for you, for me, is to ask ourselves if we are friends to others like David Stoltzfus was to Luke Schrock. I know I want to be.

*This miracle is reported in three gospels: Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8, Luke 5:17-26.

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, March 4

The Avid Reader, March 4

Quiet Quilter, March 5

CarpeDiem, March 5

Among the Reads, March 6

Girls in White Dresses, March 6

A Reader’s Brain, March 6

Blossoms and Blessings, March 7

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 7

Southern Gal Loves to Read, March 7

Bigreadersite, March 8

Blogging With Carol, March 8

Eat, Read, Teach, Blog, March 8

God’s Little Bookworm, March 9

Just the Write Escape, March 9

Splashes of Joy, March 10

EmpowerMoms, March 10

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

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, March 11

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 12

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 12

Vicky Sluiter, March 13

Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, March 13

Caffeinated Christian Raves – N – Reviews, March 14

Lighthouse Academy, March 14

Texas Book-aholic, March 14

For Him and My Family, March 15

Mary Hake, March 15

janicesbookreviews, March 15

Literary Reflections Book Blog, March 16

Pause for Tales, March 16

Inspiration Clothesline, March 16

Have A Wonderful Day, March 17

Hallie Reads, March 17

Inklings and notions, March 17

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, March 18

For The Love of Books, March 18

The Becca Files, March 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a grand prize of an Amazon Kindle!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de7d/mending-fences-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, March 3, 2019

The Watch on the Fencepost by Kay DiBianca

About the Book

Book: The Watch on the Fencepost

Author: Kay DiBianca

Genre: Christian Mystery / Suspense/ Romance

A WATCH THAT REVEALS MORE THAN JUST THE TIME . . .

A mysterious gold watch propels 27-year-old Kathryn Frasier into a quest to prove her parents’ recent deaths were not an accident. Following a trail of cryptic clues, she encounters a remarkable cast of characters, including an actress with a talent for disguises, a politician with a dark secret, and a handsome businessman who shows a sudden romantic interest in Kathryn. Can she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review:

The title is a tad different, promising a mystery that needs solving. Mysteries are one of my favorite things. I love following clues and finding out who done it! It has a touch of romance, so we have great characters and a story inside of a story, and a dash of faith. I had so much fun putting all the pieces together. This fantastic debut book has me hungry for more.

5 Stars

About the Author

Kay DiBianca holds an MS degree in computer science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked in the IT departments of several major organizations, including IBM, UNC Chapel Hill, International Paper, and FedEx. She has an instrument rating in single-engine aircraft and competes in the Senior Olympics track events. She is a U.S. representative for Bridges for Peace, an international organization whose mission is to serve the people of Israel. She and her husband, Frank, live in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information, visit kaydibianca.com.

Guest post from Kay

WHY I WROTE THE WATCH ON THE FENCEPOST

I’m a runner. I spend a lot of time on the treadmill, at a local track, or running in a park near my home. When I’m outdoors, I usually listen to podcasts or audio books to keep my mind occupied.

Several years ago, I was listening to a mystery novel while running on a trail, and I began to put together a story in my own mind. Over the following weeks and months, I had created the characters of Kathryn and Cece, and I could see them in my mind’s eye.

On another long run, I passed an old fence post and a plot began to form itself. Other characters seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and soon I had the basic outline of the book in my head. Before long I was ignoring the audio book voices coming through my earbuds and just adding to my own story. That’s when I decided to write it down.

In the next few months, my story grew from a general outline to a narrative that stretched to over 60,000 words, and I loved the little surprises that popped up along the way. Although I had intended the book to be a straight mystery, I found some of the characters writing their own scenes, and soon there was romance!

As I chiseled away the extraneous parts and added detail and nuance, the important story elements of love, faith, and family rose to the surface. I delighted in Kathryn’s discovering more about herself and Cece’s unfailing wisdom and humor.

I spent over a year working with an editor to revise and strengthen the book. With every change in a word or addition of a plot twist, the story got better. It’s been three years since that first run in the park that got me thinking about the story. Now Kathryn, Cece, Phil, Mike, Tommy, and all the others are ready to tell their stories to the world.

I think I’ll go for a run tomorrow to see what Kathryn and Cece are going to be up to next.