Friday, March 27, 2020

Turning Tide by Melody Carlson (Sunset Cove #4)

About the Book

Book: Turning Tide

Author: Melody Carlson

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: Feb 15, 2020

As the Great War rages on, Sunset Cove continues to feel its impact. Running the small town newspaper, Anna McDowell can’t escape the grim reports from the other side of the world, but home-front challenges abound as well. Dr. Daniel is serving the wounded on the front lines. And Katy, expecting her first child, with her husband in the trenches, tries to support the war effort with her Red Cross club. Even as the war winds down the costs are high—and Sunset Cove is not spared.

Click here for your copy!

My Review:

This is another super book in this series. The only bad part, this is the last book in the series. That's always bittersweet for me. Surviving the war, and keeping relationships together are the core of this book. Folks are praying and coping and it's both sad and uplifting. (Wounded Vets are something I'm very familiar with.) As the characters, we have come to love deal with life and death, and the Spanish flu, it drives points home more than usual as the world we know is affected by this current virus issue. It made the book even more poignant for me. I am looking forward to what Carlson writes next.

5 Stars

About the Author

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

More from Melody

Writing about the WW1 era has definitely been a good history lesson for me. Prohibition laws in Oregon (and rum-runners breaking them) combined with a massive war that changed the world and a global epidemic is worth paying attention to. Especially since history sometimes repeats itself. The early 20th century had a lot going on—much that seems nearly forgotten. I’m glad to see the movie 1917 is doing well—and we plan to see it this week. Although I’m not a fan of gruesome war movies, this era continues to intrigue me. Even as I wrapped up my Sunset Cove series with Turning Tide I was left wondering . . . what’s next? But isn’t that the beauty of story?

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, March 16

For the Love of Literature, March 16

Through the Fire Blogs, March 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 17

Inklings and notions, March 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 18

deb’s Book Review, March 18

All-of-a-kind Mom, March 19

By The Book, March 19

Wishful Endings, March 19

Texas Book-aholic, March 20

She Lives To Read, March 20

Betti Mace, March 21

Remembrancy, March 21

janicesbookreviews, March 22

Mary Hake, March 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 22

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 23

For Him and My Family, March 23

Maureen’s Musings, March 24

My Devotional Thoughts, March 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 24

Christian Bookaholic, March 25

Artistic Nobody, March 25 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Older & Smarter?, March 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 27

Blogging With Carol, March 27

Daysong Reflections, March 27

SPLASHES of Joy, March 28

Vicky Sluiter, March 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 29

Pause for Tales, March 29

For the Love of Books, March 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Melody is giving away the grand prize package of a complete set of The Legacy of Sunset Cove series!!

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/f6e9/turning-tide-celebration-tour-giveaway

Escape to Vindor by Emily Golus

About the Book

Book: Escape to Vindor

Author: Emily Golus

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release Date: December 1, 2017

For as long as she can remember, Megan Bradshaw has imagined herself as the heroine of Vindor, her own secret world populated with mermaids, centaurs, samurai, and more. When school pressures and an upcoming move make life unbearable, Megan wishes she could escape to Vindor for real.

And then she does. Megan finds herself trapped in Vindor, with flesh-and-blood versions of her imaginary characters. Dreaming about being a hero and actually fighting monsters are two very different things–especially when the Shadow, the frightening creature now tearing Vindor apart, is one Megan doesn’t remember putting there.

Megan, playing the part of her alter ego, Selena, embarks on a dangerous journey, accompanied by a know-it-all centaur and a goblin she’s not sure she can trust. Will the Shadow destroy her before she can find a way to save her world?

My Review:

Vindor is definitely an escape, in every definition of the word. It's a fantastic and well-written world, that you don't want to leave. It's an escape for the reader, both teens, and adults. It's an escape for Megan as she traverses a world where her visual twin is nothing at all like her, until one day, nothing is the same. Now everything depends on Megan, and I felt for her. Frankly, I think we all deal with some of these core issues regularly in life. I loved this story. I am waiting excitedly for the next book in the series. This is a five star read, and then some. It's everything I like in a good fantasy!

About the Author:

Emily Golus has been dreaming up fantasy worlds since before she could write her name. A New England transplant now living in the Deep South, she is fascinated by culture and the way it shapes how individuals see the world. Golus aims to create stories that engage, inspire, and reassure readers that the small choices of everyday life matter.

Her first novel, Escape to Vindor, debuted in 2017 and won the Selah Award for young adult fiction. Its sequel, Mists of Paracosmia, released in April 2019.

Golus lives in Upstate South Carolina with her woodworking husband, an awkward cat, and the world’s most talkative baby.

More from Emily

In Escape to Vindor, teen Megan Bradshaw spends nearly every quiet moment she has in a world of her own imagination. Writing this part of Megan’s story came naturally to me, because that was the way I spent my adolescence, too.

While other girls were thinking about—I don’t know what they were thinking about, actually. Boys, maybe?—I was creating epic melodramas about rival mermaid queens or magical rainforest civilizations. The world of my imagination filled my quiet life with vivid technicolor.

My stories also helped me survive. Worldbuilding was a welcome escape from my ever-growing list of fears.

See, I was the extra-good girl, the one who followed every rule to a T, always giving a hundred and ten percent. Few people suspected I did all of this not because I had a lot of drive and confidence, but because I thought I had to be extra-perfect in order to be loved—by people, and by God. I had a deep-seated terror of making one little mistake, losing my way, and being abandoned forever.

The world of Vindor started out as a private daydream, a way for me to work through my anxieties. But as I grew, I discovered something amazing—and the story took an unexpected turn.

I wrote Escape to Vindor for the dreamers, the bookworms, and anyone who enjoys dazzling new worlds. More importantly, I wrote it for the quiet ones who struggle without anyone knowing, who need to hear: You are seen, you are known, and you are loved.

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, March 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 20

Texas Book-aholic, March 21

Wishful Endings, March 22 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, March 23

For Him and My Family, March 24

deb’s Book Review, March 25

Through the Fire Blogs, March 26 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 27

Emily Yager, March 28

Vicky Sluiter, March 29 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Pause for Tales, April 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Emily is giving away the grand prize package of signed copies of both Escape to Vindor and Mists of Paracosmia, an amethyst pendant, and a $25 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/f663/escape-to-vindor-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, March 16, 2020

His Unexpected Amish Twins by Rachel J. Good

About the Book

Book: His Unexpected Amish Twins

Author: Rachel J. Good

Genre: Amish Romance

Release Date: February 28, 2020

When Micah Miller’s brother and sister-in-law are killed in a buggy accident, he’s devastated, but he fulfills a promise to raise their seven-year-old twins, Abby and Isaac. While struggling to deal with the twins’ grief and Abby’s anger toward God, he discovers an Amish farm offering horse therapy for grief. And he’s thrilled to find the owner cares about and prays for the twins.

Hope Graber had to find a way to save the family farm after her daed’s unwise decisions. Even selling off many of the horses didn’t cover all the bills. After deciding to use the remaining horses for animal therapy, she brings on Logan Russell, an experienced trainer, to help her. Together they not only start paying off the debts, but they also make positive changes in children’s lives.

Hope loves helping each child, but she takes a special interest in the twins and determines to help them heal both emotionally and spiritually. As she gently guides Abby back to God and makes the little girl smile again, Hope also makes Micah’s life brighter. As he emerges from his depression, he longs to make them one happy family, but only God can overcome the many obstacles in their path.

Click here for your copy!

My Review:

Twins! I have worked with them, so I know first hand, they are double everything. An accident kills the parents of a set of twins, leaving Micah to raise his niece and nephew. It's quite a shock to be a parent overnight, much less to twins. Hope was on the scene of the accident and she has been working with the twins. I liked her instantly and felt deeply for Micah as he had so much to work through.

This story tackles grief and great loss, fear, healing, second chances, forgiveness, and trust issues. It's got plenty of faith in it, combined with an emotionally packed story. I can't think of anything I didn't like about it, and I really want to read the next book in this new series.

5 Stars

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author RACHEL J. GOOD writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her Amish novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events.

Rachel is the author of several Amish series in print or forthcoming – the bestselling Love & Promises, Sisters & Friends, Unexpected Amish Blessings, Surprised by Love (2021), and two books in Hearts of Amish Country – as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Books. In addition, she has stories in many anthologies, including Love’s Thankful Heart,Love’s Christmas Blessings,Plain Everyday Heroes, Love’s Truest Hope,and the forthcoming Amish Christmas Twins (Fall 2020) with Shelley Shepard Gray and Loree Lough.

More from Rachel

Phobias and Faith

“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 27b KJV)

In every book I write, I like the hero and heroine to experience character growth. I think it’s important that they change and become different. So, in His Unexpected Amish Twins, Micah faces several life-changing events. First, his life is turned upside-down when he becomes the guardian of his niece and nephew, seven-year-old twins. Although he loves the children dearly, as a young, single man, he isn’t quite ready to handle his lively, rebellious niece and his silent, withdrawn nephew, especially not when he’s grieving himself.

But with the help of horse therapist, Hope Graber, Micah puts aside his own pain to concentrate on caring for the twins. But Micah is also hiding a deep-seated phobia.

As a child, he had a terrible experience, one that scarred him for life. One that still haunts him and terrorizes him. One that may destroy his future relationship with Hope.

Getting over fear is never easy, and Micah prays for strength. But it isn’t until he’s forced to make a choice – give in to his fear or save a life – does he push past that fear.

Like Micah does, we often go through life hiding our fears. We make excuses not to do something that frightens us. When a fear turns into a phobia, it can become paralyzing.

For me, public speaking was my greatest fear. I managed to avoid it until I was asked to do a simple two-minute introduction each month for the Christian Women’s Club. I didn’t have to answer right away. They asked me to pray about it, and let them know my answer in a few days.

If they’d asked for an answer right away, I would have made an excuse. I had four small children and an ill husband. But the truth was – I was scared. Not just scared, but petrified. Petrified about even standing in front of an audience.

When I discussed this opportunity with my father, he suggested God might be giving me a chance to get over my fear because He had something greater for me to do in the future. My first thought was that it had better not have anything to do with public speaking.

Dad encouraged me to take a speech class, so I signed up for one. Eight people attended this informal course in the teacher’s living room. The first night we had to give a two-sentence introduction of ourselves. We didn’t even have to stand up.

I went last. My turn came, and my mind went blank. I couldn’t even remember my name. With prompting, the teacher got me to stumble through my name and hometown.

Our assignment for the following week was to prepare a three-minute demonstration of one of our hobbies. We could use notes and props. I mumbled through the speech, rushed out the door to my car, and vomited in the street. Yes, I was that frightened by public speaking.

I told my father I planned to quit the class, but he encouraged me to continue. And several months later, I stood in front of the women’s club. My eyes blurred, and I couldn’t see the people in front of me. I hurried through my memorized two-minute introduction clutching my note cards in case I forgot the words. I had no idea what I said, but several people mentioned that they liked it. And I went on to do it every month for two years.

And my father was right. God did train me for a future job. Wouldn’t Dad be surprised to know that, as an author, I speak in front of audiences around the country? He died before my first book was published, but I suspect he’s up in heaven cheering me on. And I could never have done it without God’s help.

Micah and I both had to learn to trust God’s promise: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1: 9 NIV)

Blog Stops

For the Love of Literature, March 4

Maureen’s Musings, March 5

The Avid Reader, March 5

Through the Lens of Scripture, March 6

Texas Book-aholic, March 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 7

For Him and My Family, March 8

janicesbookreviews, March 8

Inklings and notions, March 9

deb’s Book Review, March 9

Blossoms and Blessings, March 10

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 10

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 11

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, March 11

Vicky Sluiter, March 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 13

Splashes of Joy, March 14

Bigreadersite, March 14

Artistic Nobody, March 15 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Blogging With Carol, March 16

Genesis 5020, March 16

EmpowerMoms, March 17

My Devotional Thoughts, March 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away the grand prize package of an autographed copy of the book and $25 VISA 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/f72a/his-unexpected-amish-twins-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Killer Harvest by Tayna Stowe

About the Book

Book: Killer Harvest

Author: Tanya Stowe

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Release Date: March, 2020

Can she stop a deadly crop virus from ending up in the wrong hands? Biologist and single mom Sassa Nilsson just witnessed her mentor’s brutal murder by environmental extremists. Now she’s the last link to a deadly pathogen they plan unleashing—and their number one target! But can handsome border patrol agent Jared De Luca shield Sassa and her baby long enough to find a cure…before the entire world faces the unthinkable consequences? This is an action-filled book! Terrorists and crop issues, suspense, virus, and cures, that is just a part of what is going on in this book. Sassy Sassa and Jerod are a good fit for each other and then, there's the baby. It has a higher level of suspense than some reads, maybe due to the topic and what is currently happening in our real world. I found this book to be well written, with just enough faith elements, timely and suspenseful.

Click here for your copy.

My Review:

This is an action-filled book! Terrorists and crop issues, suspense, virus, and cures, that is just a part of what is going on in this book. Sassy Sassa and Jerod are a good fit for each other and then, there's the baby. It has a higher level of suspense than some reads, maybe due to the topic and what is currently happening in our real world. I found this book to be well written, with just enough faith elements, timely and suspenseful.

5 Stars

About the Author

Tanya Stowe is a Christian Fiction author with an unexpected edge. She is married to the love of her life, her high school sweetheart. They have four children and twenty-one grandchildren, a true adventure. She fills her books with the unusual…mysteries and exotic travel, even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a trip to foreign lands or a suspenseful journey packed with danger…be prepared for the extraordinary.

More from Tanya

As a teenager, I spent my summers water-skiing on the King’s River in Central California. Even though we lived on the coast and the ocean, we traveled inland to the smooth river waters every other weekend for our sport. We camped on a sandy beach, skimmed over the water all day long and at night sat under a sky full of brilliant stars and listened to the sound of the water rippling past. Since we lived on the coast with a heavy marine layer, the amazing sky always fascinated me. Surrounded by massive cottonwood trees, with the smell of ripe fruit drifting toward us, my river experiences were different from home and more than memorable. On some nights we’d hear the splash and laughter as teenagers, somewhere across the river, came down to swim. I always wondered what it would be like to live in the nearby small, neat-as-a-pin town, to know the same people all of my life and to be able to drive down to the river with my friends on any given night. I envied those teenagers and always knew I’d someday write a story about central California. I didn’t know it would involve biological warfare and crazed killers…but that transition is another story all its own! I’ll stop here and hope you enjoy Killer Harvest!