Sunday, June 7, 2020

The Story Hunter by Lindsay A. Franklin (The Weaver Trilogy Book 3)

About the Book

Book:  The Story Hunter
Author: Lindsay A. Franklin
Genre:  Christian Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Release Date: May 19, 2020
Franklin - The Story HunterRedeeming the past is a fatal quest.
In the wake of a deadly coup, the capital city of Urian has descended into chaos. Heartbreak and bloodshed await Tanwen and her friends as they discover the unlikeliest leader now rules Tir.
If they want to save the realm, Tannie and the Corsyth weavers must rescue Queen Braith and unmask the Master, ending the strife once and for all. But the success of their hunt depends upon an ally no one trusts.
The Master has a new target in sight: fragile, trauma-scarred Digwyn, whose unique weaving ability could turn the tide of any war. When the desire for vengeance proves too powerful for Digwyn to resist, Tanwen must face a terrifying truth: the fate of Tir rests in the hands of a volatile, shattered girl.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Have you ever read a series and when you close the book, on the last page of the last book, that everything feels perfect? It's totally wrapped up, complete with a happy sigh? That's true of this series and this book. It has all the "feels" and so many fantastic points of view.  I can't go into it all and do it justice, or without giving something important away. So, instead, I will tell you that this series is simply fantastic and this book is amazing. So many, many emotions flow throughout this book. So many dear characters to laugh, cry, and love with them on their journey. Two themes stick out the most to me, justice and redemption. Twists and turns, love, betrayal, like I said you name it it's in here. I will be recommending this series to many.

5 Stars

About the Author 

Franklin, Lindsay2018 - Author PhotoLindsay A. Franklin is a Carol Award–winning author, freelance editor, and homeschooling mom of three. She would wear pajama pants all the time if it were socially acceptable. Lindsay lives in her native San Diego with her scruffy-looking nerf-herder husband, their precious geeklings, three demanding thunder pillows (a.k.a. cats), and a stuffed marsupial named Wombatman.

More from Lindsay

Someone asked me recently where my story ideas come from. In fact, that’s one of the author questions I get asked most often. Honestly, the answer is different for every single project I’ve worked on, every single thing I’ve written. I’ve gotten ideas from news headlines, from dreams, from random musings while washing dishes. I even got an idea for a novel from a throwaway remark made by an editor teaching a workshop (that’s how The Story Peddler started).
The idea for The Story Hunter started with a title that turned into a girl.
After The Weaver Trilogy was acquired, my publisher and I brainstormed a list of titles for books two and three in the series. My editor loved the title The Story Peddler and wanted to keep that format for subsequent books. On his brainstorming list was the title The Story Thief. Obviously, this title did not make it all the way to publication. The middle-grade best-selling series Story Thieves wasn’t on our radar at the time, and once it was, I knew we would have to work with a different title (and I absolutely love the title The Story Hunter, so there’s no lingering sadness over here). But the moment I saw that phrase, The Story Thief, a new character popped into my head. It was one of those rare instances when a complete person arrives in my imagination all at once. I knew who she was, what she wanted, and what her unique gift would be. She was Diggy, my story thief, and I knew book three would belong to her.
There were many things I loved about writing this final installment of The Weaver Trilogy but none more than getting to write my story thief’s journey. That’s her hand on the cover of the book, stealing lightning and battling her inner monsters. Though I knew who Diggy was the moment I imagined her, I wasn’t sure how her story was going to end until I wrote it. I can recall saying to my best friend during Hunter’s writing process, “I don’t know if Diggy is going to be okay.” Her backstory is very difficult and deeply personal to me. When we’re facing the kind of odds Diggy is facing, sometimes we don’t win. And even if we do, rarely do we come out unscathed. So I built the book around that question: is Diggy going to be okay? And I didn’t know the answer until I scribbled it down on my outline.
When readers reach The End for the final time in this series, I hope they will feel I’ve done Diggy’s story—and the stories of all my beloved Weaver characters— justice.

Blog Stops

Mia Reads, June 1
Hallie Reads, June 9
Remembrancy, June 9
Worthy2Read, June 11
Pause for Tales, June 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lindsay is giving away the grand prize package of a signed set of The Weaver Trilogy paperbacks, set of four character cards with art by Laura Hollingsworth, set of three Weaver-themed Novelly Yours candles (The Corsyth, The Cethorelle, and The Craigyl), an “I Ship It Mor” enamel pin designed by Dust & Pages, Custom tea tins from Adagio Tea (Braith’s Blend and Diggy’s Spikefruit), and an assortment of bookmarks, stickers, and art prints!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Heart of the Ajs by T. E. Bardford

About the Book

Book:  Heart of the Ajs
Author: T.E. Bradford
Genre:  Fantasy / Sci-Fi blend
Release Date: September 16, 2019
She has magic she cannot use…
He has a secret she must uncover.
THE SIX WORLDS OF BAQA
ASFAR, first planet from the sun is a desert planet steeped in superstition and tradition. Nafisa el Faruz is the princess, defender of the sun and champion of her people. Hers is the most powerful magic—zaman, holder of time.
TRINITOS, third planet, is home to the sky gate and the wicked man who controls its use, the Ajs An’hlj. He is yunfah—a wind walker, one who can control the air itself. The only thing he covets more than control is power, and he has his sights set on Nafisa.

Click here to get your copy.

My Review:

What a surprisingly awesome book! It exceeded my expectations. The Sci-Fi type feel is perfect. It's so much deeper than I anticipated. I didn't want to tear myself away from this story at all. I was pulled right into the other universe, the planets, and this amazing young woman. A princess with a gift she isn't supposed to use. The deep teaching or lessons were so well done. You wind up thinking without realizing it at first. Good vs. Evil is very clearly shown. Nafisa is fantastic. I really want more of this series! 

5 Stars 

About the Author 

Tracy is the author of the Divide Series, Six World Sagas, and International Bestseller: Kindled Legends – Written in the Stars.
When she’s not busy writing, she can be found taking a scenic drive with her family, snapping photos, or giving voices to her son’s stuffed animals. She reclines her feet in Upstate New York with her very own grumpy kitty, the husband God made just for her, and the son who is her forever best story.

More from Tracy

A large part of the plot for Heart of the Ajs stemmed from a conversation I had with my son. He’d asked me why he still had bad dreams, even after praying for God to take them away.
I searched for the words to explain why God doesn’t always say yes. Sometimes he says no. Or maybe. Or wait–which for me is the hardest answer of all. I thought of an example from when we’d been looking for a new house and didn’t get the one we’d been hoping for. We were so disappointed. But God had a better house in mind for us. We just didn’t know it yet. And at one point my job became very toxic, when after seven years of work I got pregnant and suddenly managers who’d promoted me several times were telling me I wasn’t cutting it. God had a better job in mind for me. I just didn’t know it yet.
I started to wonder if I could weave this truth into a story I’d been working on about a girl who didn’t feel her father or God were listening. She couldn’t see a way out, or understand how anything good could come from where she was.
Yet our precious Heavenly Father always has a plan. A perfect, incredible plan far beyond our wildest imaginings. One He is faithful to reveal with perfect timing.
Even if we may not know it yet.

Blog Stops

Artistic Nobody, May 22 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, May 24 (Author Interview)
By The Book, May 26 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, May 28 (Author Interview)
Wishful Endings, May 30 (Author Interview)
A Baker’s Perspective, June 2 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, T.E. is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of my book Child of Prophecy, a piece of raw onyx, and a genuine Jasper stone heart necklace!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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Sunday, May 31, 2020

When I Met You by Olivia Newport (Tree of Life Book #3)

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About the Book

Book:  When I Meet You
Author: Olivia Newport
Genre:  Christian fiction
Release Date: May, 2020
When I Met YouBook 3 in the Tree of Life Series: A Father-Daughter Genealogy Team Link Faith Journeys on Family Trees
A trunk abandoned at Denver’s Union Station more than a century ago leads Jillian and Nolan to untangle the mystery of its contents—including correspondence with the head of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency Denver office. While Nolan digs into the legalities of the findings, Jillian searches for the descendants of a stolen identity who might not be who they think they are on Colorado ranch land. When Drew seems anxious to hear what Jillian has to say but his Great Aunt Min slams the subject closed—twice—Jillian is all the more determined to find out what happened to the woman who never claimed her luggage, why Min doesn’t want to talk about it, and what will happen for Drew if he gets the answers he seeks.
When I Meet You is the third book in the Tree of Life series by Olivia Newport. You’ll want to return to the lovely Colorado mountain town of Canyon Mines again and again to explore and celebrate unforgettable family stories that will inspire you to connect with your own family histories and unique faith journeys.

Click here to get your copy!
 My Review:
What a fantastic book in this series. It's possibly my favorite so far. Way off from me, in Colorado, we venture to a place called Canyon Mine due to a trunk that Nolan gets, that dates to 1909. Can the museum the trunk was found in use or keep it? This father-daughter team on are the case. With two time frames, we get two stories. They are fantastically put together. Lynelle, long past and Jillian, learning about her in the present have so many connections in some ways. While Jillian traces the past, Nolan is also whipping up some good sounding recipes. Fear not, because as the past is researched, faith isn't left out. This is a beautifully told story, and I enjoyed it greatly. It has so many things in it that even if you didn't think you liked genealogy when you started, you will appreciate it in a new way by the end of this book. 

 5 Stars

About the Author 

OliviaNewport (1)Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to find where faith and passions meet. Her husband and twentysomething children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak.

More from Olivia

Stolen Identity or Stolen Secrets?
Years ago I made a business trip to a country in Asia. Somehow I managed to pack for two weeks in carry-on luggage. This was before everyone started carrying electronic devices that required a bag of their own, and the impoverished area I visited had only intermittent electricity anyway.
When it was time to come home, my luggage met the requirements to keep it with me as I traveled halfway around the world through several airports. But at the boarding gate, a woman pushed a cart stacked with six oversized and overstuffed suitcases, insisting she had to take all of them on the plane. Her argument was that she couldn’t risk losing her personal belongings. She was moving back to the States, this was everything she owned, and she just wasn’t having this nonsense about abiding by the same limitations as the other 300 people in line or that none of those bags would fit in an overhead compartment anyway. The airline staff began waving people around her to get the large aircraft boarded on time for an international flight. She was one of the last people to take her seat—without her bags.
I admit I prefer keeping my bags with me and getting in and out of airports quickly. And once my bags didn’t come off the same plane I did, and it took a few hours for them to be delivered to me.
But what happens to truly unclaimed baggage? One-half to one percent of baggage that goes through American airports is never claimed. Airlines will try for ninety days to find the owners. If they can’t, they have to do something with it. Generally, it’s sold, sight unseen, to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama. There it is opened and sorted into what can be cleaned and sold in their store, what might be donated, and what has no value and is disposed of as trash. They find some pretty interesting things! 
But my brain goes back to the curious question of why the baggage is unclaimed in the first place. 
It’s not just because the airline lost it. We’ve all seen the lines of suitcases that baggage handlers remove from the circling conveyer belt because they’ve been around enough times that it’s obvious no one is there to pick them up after the flight. People got off the plane and left the airport without their bags. Why?
My new book, When I Meet You, raises the same question about travel in the railroad era. A trunk abandoned at Denver’s Union Station more than a century ago surfaces, leading genealogist Jillian and her lawyer father, Nolan, to untangle the mystery of its contents—including correspondence with the head of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency Denver office. While Nolan digs into the legalities of the findings, Jillian searches for the descendants of a stolen identity who might not be who they think they are on Colorado ranch land. When Drew seems anxious to hear what Jillian has to say but his Great Aunt Min slams the subject closed—twice—Jillian is all the more determined to find out what happened to the woman who never claimed her luggage, why Min doesn’t want to talk about it, and what will happen for Drew if he gets the answers he seeks.
When I Meet You is the third book in the Tree of Life series. Return to the lovely Colorado mountain town of Canyon Mines again and again to explore and celebrate unforgettable family stories that will inspire you to connect with your own family histories and unique faith journeys.

Blog Stops

Lighthouse Academy Blog, May 30 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
CarpeDiem, June 1
Hallie Reads, June 2
Betti Mace, June 3
Bigreadersite, June 4
Worthy2Read, June 5
Mary Hake, June 9
Remembrancy, June 9
Moments, June 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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Saturday, May 30, 2020

Storing up Trouble by Jen Turano (American Heiresses Book #3)

Storing Up Trouble FB Banner

About the Book

Book:  Storing Up Trouble
Author: Jen Turano
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: May 6, 2020
Storing Up TroubleWhen Beatrix Waterbury’s train is disrupted by a heist, scientist Norman Nesbit comes to her aid. After another encounter, he is swept up in the havoc she always seems to attract—including the attention of the men trying to steal his research—and they’ll soon discover the curious way feelings can grow between two very different people in the midst of chaos.
Click here to get your copy!

My Review:
I just like this series more and more. This one has plenty of Turano's humor built into it. Norman is a ton of fun. He's a fantastic blend of Science, hero, and nerd. This book has plenty of small twists that make it such a pleasure to read. The romance is not overworked or underplayed. The story is a page-turner. Beatrix is so opposite of Norman, and they fit so perfectly. Aunt Gladys and her many cats are fantastic and I can't leave out the mule because I love animals in my books. Add all that to the fact that this story is set while dealing with women's suffrage; from New York City to Chicago; back in the days when they were places filled with opportunities and you have yet another amazing book by this author. 
5 Stars 

About the Author 
Turano_Jen1Jen Turano, (www.jenturano.com) a USA Today bestselling author, has written four historical romance series. She is a member of ACFW and RWA and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

More from Jen

Thank you so much for visiting me on my Celebrate Lit tour as we celebrate the release of my latest novel, “Storing Up Trouble.” I’m delighted to be here, and I reached out to my street team to help me with the questions you’ll find below. I’m hoping the answers to those questions will allow you to learn just a bit about my new book, as well as allow you to get to know me better. With that said, here we go!
Can you tell us a little about “Storing Up Trouble?”
I’d be delighted to tell you about my latest book. “Storing Up Trouble” is the third book in the “American Heiress” series, but you don’t need to read the first two books in that series (“Flights of Fancy” “Diamond in the Rough” to understand what’s going on. I’ve been writing my books more as stand alone stories, and “Storing Up Trouble” is no exception to that. With that said, this book centers around Miss Beatrix Waterbury and Mr. Norman Nesbit. Beatrix, unfortunately, has annoyed her mother to such an extent that she finds herself banished from New York and on her way to Chicago to spend time with her aunt, a lady Beatrix remembers as being a querulous sort. She, being Beatrix, a lady who lands herself in trouble at the most unexpected of times, soon finds herself a victim of a train heist. An unlikely hero in the form of Mr. Norman Nesbit, a gentleman with a brilliant mind but relatively few social graces, comes to her rescue, and from the moment they disembark from the train, they find themselves thrust into one escapade after another.
In “Storing Up Trouble,” is there a character you’d like to be friends with in real life, or better yet, a character you’d avoid at all costs?
I actually have an answer to both parts of that question. Miss Theodosia Robinson is a lady I would love to count as a friend because she’s loyal to a fault, and is a friend who’ll be there for you, no matter if you want to delve into an unusual scientific experiment, or take a jaunt to your local department store to do a bit of shopping. As for who I’d avoid at all cost – Mrs. George Blossom, who has a very small part in the story, but she’s a customer at Marshal Fields & Company who embraces an air of superiority over the sales girls, and I’ve never been one to enjoy people like that.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
That’s easy. Being Dominic’s mom. He was definitely a handful when he was little, which is why he’s an only child, but it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch him grow over the years. He recently graduated from college with a degree in engineering, and seeing him land a grown up job and begin to embrace the whole adulting thing makes me prouder than any book I’ve written or other job I’ve held.
What was the inspiration behind “Storing Up Trouble?”
There were quite a few things that inspired me to write this book. I’d set another one of my books, “Caught by Surprise” in Chicago, and because of the research I did for that book, research I wasn’t able to fit into that story, I knew I wanted to revisit that city at some point. Beatrix Waterbury gave me the perfect excuse to travel back there. I wanted to take her out of her usual setting of NYC, so off she went to Chicago, on a train ride that definitely turned concerning. I had also picked up a few research books about Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison and I’ve been itching to create a character after those brilliant gentlemen. Norman Nesbit turned into that gentleman, although I have to admit that some of the science Nikola and Thomas used was way over my head. My son, the engineer, tried to explain it to me, but I believe at one point I might have been drooling, and not in the good way, but the bored way. That’s when Norman really began to develop because I thought it would be amusing to have a character who was passionate about his field of study, but most of the people he tried to share that passion with had no idea what he was talking about and always got a bit of a dazed expression in their eyes as he waxed on and on about double-electrical currents.
What fun facts did you uncover while doing research for “Storing Up Trouble” but weren’t able to fit into the story?
There was so much fodder for additional storylines just with the research I did on Marshal Field and his department store. Did you know that the main store in Chicago burned down doing the Great Fire of 1871 and…it burned down several times after that? Who knew? There was also a lot of drama surrounding Marshal and his partner for years, Mr. Levi Zeigler Leiter. They had different ideas about how the store should evolve, which resulted in Marshal forcing Levi to sell his shares of the company to him, at which point the store turned from  Field, Leiter, & Company to Marshal Fields Company. It was also interesting to learn that Mr. Fields was notorious for paying his workers low wages, but those workers accepted those wages because of the prestige that came with working at his store. If you worked at any other store, you were considered common, but to work at Marshal Fields was a feather in your cap, even if you weren’t earning as much as you could have earned at another store.
What are quirky little things you keep on your desk?
At the moment, I have one little pig with googly eyes, one cow with googly eyes, and then another small pig that a reader sent me because she really liked Matilda in “A Match of Wits” and thought this little pig she found at a store was exactly what Matilda would look like.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Oddly enough, no, it never crossed my mind until Dominic was in third grade and we decided to write a book together after finishing this horrible series about this bird. That book was never meant for publication, but it did have me remembering that I had, at one point in time before I became a stay-at-home-mom, enjoyed using my brain. I started experimenting with different genres and learned everything I could about the publishing industry. It took me five years to find an agent, and then she sold “A Change of Fortune” to Bethany House, and I’ve been writing for them ever since.
Any words of advice for aspiring writers?
I get this question a lot, and I always answer by saying “Have an honest talk with yourself about what you really want to achieve with your writing.” It’s perfectly fine to want to write because you’re interested in turning it into a career. However, with that said, a writer needs to understand that writing and publishing are two different creatures. Publishing is a daunting business, and it’ll take a lot of perseverance to find success with it. With that said, if you have raw talent and are a story teller at heart, you should write all the time and do whatever you can to learn how to improve your craft.
What are you working on next?
I’m working on a new series right now – “The Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency.” The first book, “To Steal a Heart” releases in November, 2020. It’s about Miss Gabriella Goodhue, who spent her childhood living on the mean streets in Five Points. She’s currently living in a boarding house on Bleeker Street in New York City, and when a fellow resident gets unjustly accused of theft, Gabriella, along with the other ladies living in the boarding house, take it upon themselves to try and clear her name. That’s the beginning of the Bleeker Street Agency, and hopefully the ladies will enjoy much success as the series continues.
Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope all of you get an opportunity to read “Storing Up Trouble!”
Wishing you all the best,
Jen

Blog Stops

Rebecca Tews, May 24
Novelscorner, May 24
Simple Harvest Reads, May 27 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Mia Reads, May 29
Betti Mace, May 30
Emily Yager, May 31
Hookmeinabook, June 1
Mary Hake, June 3
amandainpa, June 3
EmpowerMoms, June 4
Hallie Reads, June 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jen is giving away the the grand prize package of all three books in the American Heiresses series and a $25 Barnes & Noble eGift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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