Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Promo Blast for Live Without You

LWY Kindle Cover

Author: Sarah Grace Grzy

Blurb: Piper Redding is a loner, but lonely. Everyone she loves has abandoned her and opening her heart to others is just asking for more pain. She can’t help but blame herself for her brother’s tragic death six years ago, and in her guilt, she shuts herself off from the world. No one could love her—not even the God who promised to be there for her but wasn’t.

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For paramedic Ezra Bryant, failure is not an option. He’s had enough of it, and only by God’s grace is he able to put it behind him. But when a traumatic event brings Piper’s greatest fear and Ezra’s failures to light, can they use that event to allow God to mend their broken pieces? Can love triumph over fear, and grace over guilt?

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Living Without You addresses the pain and loneliness that comes from feeling guilty over the death of a loved one.  I can not begin to imagine the pain and heartache that would come from that kind of loss.  Piper is strong yet she needs someone to walk alongside her.  At the same time, Ezra finds himself caught up looking after Piper, his best friend’s sister.

This book illustrates how even times of utter despair, someone can reach out to God for answers.  Even when we feel the farthest from God, we can still talk to Him and desire answers.  I expect a book set during the holiday season to be filled with lightness and happiness instead of death, nightmares, violence, and loneliness.  But this book pulled me into the story.

So check it out for yourself.

Autho Image - Sarah Grace Grzy

Author Bio: Sarah Grace Grzy is a voracious reader, and if it weren’t for this crazy thing called ‘Life,’ she’d be tempted to spend all her days in front of a wood stove, book in one hand, coffee mug in the other.

LWY Quote 2

A lover of learning, she finds enjoyment in many things and has more hobbies than she knows what to do with. Sarah Grace is a freelance web and graphic designer, and when not working, spending time with her ever-growing family, or reading, she can be found painting, playing the piano, or fangirling with her sisters and friends. Sarah Grace inhabits the State of Great Lakes, and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else–unless it meant she could have a baby penguin, in which case, she’d gladly move to the South Pole.

You can find Sarah Grace Grzy on Social media on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest: @sarahgracegrzy

You can purchase a copy of this book here.

 

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Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Promo Blast for Unwilling Promise

Unwilling Promise

 

Book Back Cover Copy:

Klarysa Tutko, a young single mother, moves to Caribou, Minnesota,
where her family is now living, to put her life back in order. All she
wants is to leave the past in the past; though a family friend has
other ideas and persuades her to make a promise that she is unwilling
to keep.

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Unwilling Promise includes elements of abuse, death, as well as attempts to put lives back together.  I found the book was somewhat enjoyable to read, but I will not say it was my favorite book.  I felt the story was somewhat easy to figure out what was going to happen next at times.  At other times,  I found it difficult to concentrate on the story.

I find it difficult to imagine my best friend asking me to marry her husband after her death.  At the same time, I can not imagine trying to rebuild a life after divorce either.  I have seen the effects divorce can have on someone because my parents divorced when I was in my twenties. The one wish I would have for this book would be faith to play a more prominent role in the story.

Check it out for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.

Emily Yager-Author Photo
Author Bio:

Emily Yager writes Inspirational Romance novels set among the lakes,
rivers, and north woods of Minnesota. Is the author of the Pursuing
Voyageurs series.

When Emily is not writing, she is doodling over her notes, listening
to music, searching for a new history book to explore, or dealing with
the dramas of a bi-polar prima donna canine and writing puppy
sidekick, Xian. She lives on the family farm in northwestern Minnesota.

Social Media Links:

Facebook @emilyyagerauthor (https://facebook.com/emilyyagerauthor/)
Twitter @TheEmilyYager (https://twitter.com/TheEmilyYager/)

You can purchase a copy of the book here.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Check out this 7 Day Weight Loss Prayer Challenge

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As a new year is about to begin, it is the perfect time to focus on prayer and weight loss.
Check out this FREE Prayer challenge to lose weight and grow in faith in 2020. 🙏🏼😁
 
7 Days – 7 prayers. Lifetime results. Fun & prizes, too!🎉
 
Sign up here – (Log in to your Teachable account and change this to your affiliate link https://theholymess.com/7-day-weight-loss-prayer-challenge/) 👈🏼
 
Join us for this life-changing 7 day prayer event to focus on God’s power in your weight loss journey in 2020. 🙌🏼❤️🙏🏼
 
They are giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to one lucky participant! The challenge is completely free to join. 😱
 
** How To Join ** 👇🏼
 
The 7-Day Challenge is free and no purchase necessary.
 
It’s super easy to join the challenge:
 
1. State that you are going to the event by tapping Going.
2. Register here and get a free printable prayer journal instantly.
Remember, weight loss isn’t easy but we are here to support you. With God’s power, all things are possible! We absolutely believe you can get to your goal weight and stay there for a lifetime.
 
** Disclaimer **
This event and giveaway hosted by The Holy Mess & Faithful Finish Lines and is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

 

Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Reviews and Giveaway for Mistletoe Melody and Mistletoe Mission

About the Books

Book:  Mistletoe Melody and Mistletoe Mission

Author: Stacey Weeks

Genre: Contemporary inspirational romance

Release Date: Book 1 (December 1, 2018) Book 2 (December 1, 2019)

MistletoeMelody_w12697_750Mistletoe Melody:

Former musician, Melody Staff, spends Christmas at a bed and breakfast in the village of Mistletoe Meadows. While everyone sings familiar carols of Christ drawing near, Melody stumbles over misplaced notes. Her recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has scared off her fiancé and thrust her life into a grand pause. She’s not sure her heart will ever sing again.

Quentin Oxford has endured a devastating year. His preteen daughter suffered a stroke, and they’ve grieved his wife’s sudden death, but the Lord coaxes a surprising refrain from Quentin’s heart as God rewrites his and Melody’s score into a holiday love song that will last for Christmases to come.

Mistletoe Mission: MistletoeMission_w12873_750

While her own relationships always end up doomed, Emily Colt is still determined to create happily-ever-afters through her wedding and event planning business. In hopes of expanding her business, she enters her latest project–staging the Christmas wedding of the year–into a town-wide contest. But between crossing paths with the first man to break her heart and dodging a saboteur, she doubts even career success is within her grasp.

Jilted pastor, Luca Wilson, fled to the mission field to escape a broken heart. All the hurt rushes back when he returns home to officiate his cousin’s wedding, and he finds Emily, the girl to whom he once promised forever, organizing the celebration. Despite his lost faith in love, their unforeseen reunion rekindles a spark, and Luca vows to help her save her struggling business. But to succeed, they will have to learn what it means to trust each other and believe in the God of Christmas miracles.

 

Click here to purchase Mistletoe Melody and here to purchase Mistletoe Mission.

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Mistletoe Melody Review

Perhaps because our family’s lives are in flux right now as we wait for military orders to move us to our next and final duty location, I can relate to Melody’s story.  At the same time, I can not imagine the devastation Quentin must be feeling with the death of his wife and his daughter’s stroke. Stacey Weeks does a masterful job of pulling her readers into the story.

With a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, Melody can understand Janie, Quentin’s daughter, in a way no one else can.  This story touches the heart and soul.  It illustrates the power of having faith in God.

Mistletoe Mission Review:

Mistletoe Mission demonstrates the power of second chances and God’s love.  Emily and Lucas need to find the power of God’s love.  He’s been jilted.  She wants to create happily ever afters through her wedding planning business. Melody wants her to find the same happiness she found with Quentin in Mistletoe Melody.

These two books weave together to create an inspirational and heart-warming pair of stories.  So check them out for yourself.

I received a copy of these books for my fair and honest review.

 

 

About the Author

Stacey Weeks is the multi-award-winning author of Glorious Surrender (2016) and Chasing Holiness (2020), inspirational romances The Builder’s Reluctant Bride (2016), Mistletoe Melody(2018), Mistletoe Mission (Dec 2019) and inspirational romantic suspense novels In Too Deep (2017), and Fatal Homecoming (2019). Stacey lives in Ontario where she speaks at women’s conferences, teaches writing and bible study workshops, and writes about the things of the Lord. www.staceyweeks.com

 

More from Stacey

It is strange, sometimes, what inspires a story. At the time of writing Mistletoe Melody, the ten-year-old daughter of a good friend was on the recovery side of a massive stroke. This young girl inspired Janie, and she gave the character her contagious smile, a mischievous pre-teen sense of humor, and a fierce love for family. You don’t read all of Janie’s story in Mistletoe Melody, but perhaps you will in a later novella.

Melody was the result of my lovely twenty-something niece receiving a shocking diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. She endured painful tests, had hopes raised and dashed, and was blessed when the Lord saw fit to work through a drug trial to ease her suffering. Watching her life, her plans, and the things she assumed were a given for her future get shaken to their core sent me to the Scriptures.

Not too long before drafting Mistletoe Mission (book two set in Mistletoe Meadows), my husband and I travelled to Haiti. As our driver transported us from the airport to the compound on which we stayed for the duration of our trip, he pointed in the general direction of the beach that receives cruise ships and tourists. He said that portion of Haiti is separated from the rest and is considered by some to be the most beautiful section of Haiti. I disagree.

To be fair, I didn’t visit the cleaned-up beach just around the other side of the mountain, but I saw something most tourists do not get to see. I met the people and visited several in their homes. I witnessed the determination and hard work that life requires from them. I observed a light in their eyes, fueled by a love for Jesus. There is nothing more beautiful than a person on fire for the Lord, a person who is ready to be a light in a dark land.

Luca’s character is loosely based on the Director of Missions and Compassion at Hope Bible Church in Oakville, Ontario. He arranged our trip – my first overseas mission trip – and it changed my life. I have huge respect for the work he is doing, and I am thrilled to see how God is blessing the work.

Another real-life connection that made its way into Mistletoe Mission is a business that inspired the fictional start-up I called One Village. Little by Little is a business for mission committed to empowering Haitian parents. Little by Little sells the Morse Code bracelet featured in Mistletoe Mission. I fell in love with the concept of this business, and it was my delight to write a fictional version into the story. You can visit Little by Little’s website and order a bracelet like the one featured in the book (or maybe you’ll win the one I am giving away on this tour!). http://www.littlebylittle.ca/store/p326/morse-code-bracelet.html

Be blessed this holiday as you seek the Lord who has done and is doing great things.

Stacey

 

Gift From Stacey

Here are a few fun coloring items from Stacey!

 

Get your copy of Under the Summer Mistletoe for free here. (For Canada, click here)

 

Mistletoe Melody Bookmark

 

Mistletoe Melody Poster

 

Mistletoe Melody Coloring Page

 

Mistletoe Mission Coloring page

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, December 20

My Devotional Thoughts, December 20

Blossoms and Blessings, December 21

Blogging With Carol , December 22

A Reader’s Brain, December 23

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 23

Emily Yager, December 24

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, December 25

Deanne’s Book Thoughts, December 26

Genesis 5020, December 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 27

Remembrancy, December 28

Inklings and notions, December 28

Quiet Quilter, December 29

For the Love of Literature, December 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 30

Texas Book-aholic, December 31

janicesbookreviews, January 1

Reading Is My SuperPower, January 2

Batya’s Bits, January 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Stacey is giving away the grand prize of the winner’s choice of a Morse Code Bracelet!! (found here: http://www.littlebylittle.ca/store/p326/morse-code-bracelet.html)

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/f2eb/mistletoe-melody-and-mistletoe-mission-celebration-tour-giveaway

Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Review and Giveaway for Forget Me Now

Forget me now FB BannerAbout the Book

Book: Forget Me Now

Author: Alana Terry

Genre: Christian Mystery and Suspense

Release Date: July 19, 2019

Forget me NowShe’s forgotten everything … including who it is that wants her dead.

Mia’s trapped in a nightmare inside her own mind. After a brain injury leaves her unable to form new memories, all she knows is that entire months of her life are missing. Those closest to her are dead, and someone’s on their way back soon to finish the job.

Heart-gripping, page-turning Christian suspense from the author whose books are called “intense,” “life-changing,” and “impossible to put down,” Forget Me Now is a psychological thriller with enough twists to keep you reading … and guessing … late into the midnight hours.

Download your copy today for a fast-paced adrenaline rush you’ll never forget.

 

Click here for your copy.

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Alana Terry does a remarkable job of writing Christian Suspense novels that pull the reader into the stories.  I always find myself unwilling to put her books down until I have finished them, and this book is no exception.  I find it hard to imagine what it would be like to have to deal with a memory loss along with losing those nearest and dearest to me.

I love suspense novels that keep me guessing until the end about how the story will end.  This book provides the perfect level of suspense along with a message of faith.  I wanted to find out how Mia’s story would end.

One of my husband’s favorite verses is Romans 8:28 which states, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  This book does a fantastic job of illustrating that point.  Truly this is a book worth reading.  Mia is a character whose story is worth listening to, so check out this book for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.

About the Author

alana terryAlana 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.

 

More from Alana

I love writing Christian fiction suspense. I have multiple series for sale and one of the things my readers have grown to appreciate is how many of their favorite characters show up in more than one series. Another aspect of my books that readers’ enjoy is the mystery, intrigue, and twists and turns involved as they reach the final page.

My new novel, Forget Me Now, has all the favorite elements mentioned above, but includes a new psychological thriller element that I hope readers will love as much as I loved bringing it to them. This novel asks the question, “What would you do if you woke up to find three months of your memory entirely gone? Who would you turn to for answers during that confusing time … and how would you react if you began to question the ones you turned to for the truth?

Read all about how Mia handles a predicament just like this (except even more dangerous) in Forget Me Now, complete with all the thrills and gripping suspense you’ve grown to love from Alana Terry novels as well as the reminder that God is always in control.

If you want, let me know your thoughts after you’ve had a chance to dive into this thriller that is truly unforgettable by emailing me at alana@alanaterry.com.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 27

Back Porch Reads, December 28

Rebecca Tews, December 28

Blogging With Carol, December 29

Mamma Loves Books, December 29

Betti Mace, December 30

Genesis 5020, December 30

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 31

For Him and My Family, January 1

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, January 1

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, January 2

Emily Yager, January 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 3

Inklings and notions, January 4

Quiet Quilter, January 5

For the Love of Literature, January 5

Texas Book-aholic, January 6

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 6

Hebrews 12 Endurance, January 7

Bigreadersite, January 7

janicesbookreviews, January 8

Maureen’s Musings, January 9

Mary Hake, January 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away the grand prize of a $30 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/f380/forget-me-now-celebration-tour-giveaway

Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Review and the Giveaway of The Wedding Dress Christmas

The Wedding Dress FB Banner About the Book

Book:  The Wedding Dress Christmas

Author: Rachel Hauck

Genre: Romance, Christmas

Release Date: October 22, 2019

The Wedding Dress Christmas CoverDecember covers quaint Heart’s Bend, Tennessee with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there’s no place like home. It’s her safe place. Her one-time love of adventure ended when life in the big city shattered her hopes and dreams. Now that she’s returned to Hearts Bend, she never wants to leave again.

Buck Mathews, the biggest country singing sensation in decades, has the world on a string – his guitar strings, to be exact. However, when news of his mother’s illness sends him back to Hearts Bend for the holiday season, he remembers how good it can be to live among family and friends.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. Leaving home, surrendering her heart again, is just too risky.

When she runs into her friend and high school crush Buck Mathews, she discovers Love might have other plans for her[BV1] .

Buck’s career is on the verge of an momentous leap. But seeing JoJo awakens feelings he’d buried long ago. Falling in love is easy, but winning her heart will take more than one of his melodic tunes and clever lyrics.

JoJo and Buck want opposite things for their lives, leaving no room for compromise. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmastime, overcome her fears andhis quest for greatness?

When a very special gown – the wedding dress – begins to make its presence known, JoJo and Buck’s hearts bend in a way neither ever thought possible.

 

Click here to get your copy.

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Having read The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck, I was pleased to have the opportunity to read The Wedding Dress Christmas.  Working in a wedding gown shop when you have no significant other seems to be a terrible.  Having experienced something devastating in  Dallas, JoJo has returned to her hometown.  She is involved in all things Christmas when she discovers her best friend from high school is back in town.  Buck is a famous singer and songwriter.  The storyline is well-developed and well-paced.

Whether you have read the previous stories in this collection or not, you will enjoy this book and be able to follow the storyline.  I love the combination of Christmas and weddings.  The characters pull you into their world and are enjoyable to get to know.

This book illustrates how sometimes you have to turn things over to God and see where He leads you.  So check it out for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.

About the Author

rachel-hauck-HR-5Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.

Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.

At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.

A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.

She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

More From Rachel

Hello Royal Rockstar Readers!

I’m thrilled to share The Wedding Dress Christmas with you. I’ve heard from so many how much The Wedding Dress has touched them, and as I noodled over new story ideas, my thoughts drifted toward the wedding dress and Christmas. What’s more romantic than a Christmas wedding?

This novella is set in Hearts Bend, Tennessee, the fictional town ofThe Wedding Chapel and The Wedding Shop. Even if you’ve never read one of books inThe Wedding Collection, you’ll enjoy this story, the mystery of the dress, and the women whose lives it changed.

I love weddings. They remind us of the purity and the hope of love, the power of commitment. Something powerful is released when two people pledge to spend their lives together, loving and serving one another in both good and bad times. Every wedding I attend reminds me of the vows I made to my husband and I sign up all over again.

Stories are a powerful reflection of life. Yes, fictional stories are often told with wild hyperbole, but that’s what makes them fun to read.

I also love wedding stories because they remind us of God’s love for us, and that one day there will be the grandest wedding of them all. Isn’t it wonderful that God planned a wedding before He created the earth?

In The Wedding Dress Christmas, JoJo and Buck have their issues, but love proves strong enough to conquer them all.

Thanks for going on this little tour with me and The Wedding Dress Christmas.

Yours,

Rachel

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, December 18

Through the Fire Blogs, December 18

Livin’ Lit, December 18

Robin’s Nest, December 18

Reading Is My SuperPower, December 19

By The Book, December 19

Wishful Endings, December 19

All-of-a-kind Mom, December 19

Among the Reads, December 20

Genesis 5020, December 20

Life as Lanhams, December 20

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 21

Daysong Reflections, December 21

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, December 21

Bigreadersite, December 21

Simple Harvest Reads, December 22 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Remembrancy, December 22

Britt Reads Fiction, December 22

She Lives to Read, December 23

Empowermoms, December 23

Inside the Wong Mind, December 23

Mia Reads Blog, December 23

Splashes of Joy, December 24

Christian Bookaholic, December 24

Hallie Reads, December 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 25

Where Faith and Books Meet, December 25

Blogging With Carol, December 25

For Him and My Family, December 26

Hebrews 12 Endurance, December 26

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 26

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, December 27

My Devotional Thoughts, December 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 27

Mamma Loves Books, December 27

Betti Mace, December 28

Batya’s Bits, December 28

The Christian Fiction Girl, December 28

Quiet Quilter, December 29

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 29

janicesbookreviews, December 29

A Reader’s Brain, December 30

Inklings and notions, December 30

Texas Book-aholic, December 30

Carla Loves to Read, December 30

Back Porch Reads, December 31

CarpeDiem, December 31

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, December 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a print copy of the book and a Visa gift card for $25. Swag!!

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/f1fe/the-wedding-dress-christmas-celebration-tour-giveaway

Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Review for The Dating Charade

The Dating Charade FB Banner

About the Book

Book:  The Dating Charade

Author: Melissa Ferguson

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Romantic  Comedy

Release Date: December 3, 2019

The Dating Charade coverCassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband—and children—altogether.

But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.

No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?

Melissa Ferguson’s hilarious and warmhearted debut reminds us that love can come in very small packages—and that sometimes our best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding and fun as the surprises that come our way.

 

Click here to get your copy!

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As a debut novel for Melissa Ferguson, this book captures your imagination and your heart.  Dating is hard enough under the best of circumstances, but when you have to deal with a large number of bad first dates it adds to the problems.

Cassie works with girls and wants to find someone to love, but is having no success.  Jett has people trying to force him to find love as well.  Jett and Cassie went to school together but never really knew each other.  However, life has plans for the two of them.  But when both of them wind up having three children a piece dropped into their lives, hiding the truth from each other seems to be the only option.

Broken homes, broken hearts, and more occupy the pages of this book.  But love, hope, and chances for a better life also exist.  So check out this book for yourself.  I promise it is worth reading.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.

About the Author

Melissa FergusonMelissa Ferguson lives in Bristol, Tennessee, where she is an adjunct professor at King University and pens books that make her laugh and grow. She used to have hobbies like running and backpacking the Appalachian Trail outside her door. Now she and her husband are outnumbered, and her hobbies include diaper changes, chasing toddlers in parking lots, and admiring the Appalachian Trail out her minivan window while singing “Winnie the Pooh.” She survives by Jesus, rom coms, and roughly two espresso shots a day. The Dating Charade is her first novel.

 

Read an Excerpt

Read an excerpt of The Dating Charade here.

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, December 16

Genesis 5020, December 16

Kat’s Corner Books, December 17

Robin’s Nest, December 17

EmpowerMoms, December 17

Reflections From My Bookshelves, December 18

All-of-a-kind Mom, December 18

For Him and my Family, December 18

Carla Loves to Read, December 19

CarpeDiem, December 19

Cultivating Us, December 19

Quiet Quilter, December 20

Through the Fire Blogs, December 20

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, December 21

The Christian Fiction Girl, December 21

SusanLovesBooks, December 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 22

Texas Book-aholic, December 22

A Reader’s Brain, December 23

janicesbookreviews, December 23

Just Your Average reviews, December 23

Emily Yager, December 24

Vicky Sluiter, December 24

Hallie Reads, December 25

Remembrancy, December 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 26

Just the Write Escape, December 26

Simple Harvest Reads, December 26 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 27

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 27

Pause for Tales , December 27

As He Leads is Joy, December 28

A Rup Life, December 28

Batya’s Bits, December 29

With a Joyful Noise, December 29

Inklings and notions, December 29

Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Review and the Giveaway for The Seductive Slayers of Success

 About the Book

Book:  The Seductive Slayers of Success

Author: Rosalinda Rivera

Genre: RELIGION / Christian Living/Women’s Interests

Release Date: November 19, 2019

9781641233217“I am not a neat nut. Let me start with that confession. Don’t let the title of this chapter, Clean the Clutter, fool you into thinking I have all my ducks in a row. If I had ducks, they would not be in a straight line. Or all accounted for.”—Rosalinda Rivera

The snooze button on your alarm clock. The “brilliant shortcut” that makes you late. The unwritten to-do list that you follow from the time you get out of bed till the time you crawl back in it, making each day seem like the last.

These are some of The Seductive Slayers of Success—the little things that add up and try to stop you from moving forward and realizing your dreams. Rosalinda Rivera has been there and she knows just how to help you get up, move on, and Harness Your Strengths to Take Control of Your Destiny.
Using stories from her own life as well as Scripture, Rosalinda offers encouragement to help you kick the negative aspects of life to the curb and jump start your way to a brighter tomorrow. Like a close friend, she gives inspirational, down-to-earth advice with a dash of humor thrown in.

 

Click here to get your copy.

 

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Sometimes little things add up to become really big things that prevent us from becoming the person God intended us to be.  But this book does an excellent job of addressing those things and directing us in ways to become the person God intended us to be.  I found this book easy to read with worthwhile points throughout the book.

This book is for anyone who wants to step out in faith and become the person God intended going in the direction He intended them to go.  This book is written in a way that aims at directly connecting with the reader rather than talking at or above the reader.  Truly this is a book women should read.

I found the book insightful and worthy of my time and attention.  From discussions about everything from the snooze button on our alarm clocks to dealing with clutter to taming your tongue, there is a lot of information presented in this book.  Rosalinda Rivera does an excellent job of inspiring women reading her book to become more and aim higher.

So check out this book for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.

About the Author

Rivera_RosalindaRosalinda Rivera is both outspoken and passionate about helping others change their lives and accomplish their dreams. She is a sought-after speaker by major companies, non-profits, and ministries around the world for her high energy, humorous, and down-to-earth motivational style.

She is the executive director of New Life For Adults and Youth, Mercy House, and Mercy Moms House, a place for single mothers to find hope and healing. Rosalinda has been reaching out to families in crisis, poverty, and hopelessness for over twenty-five years.

Using her business skills, she developed a model of social enterprise to sustain the nonprofits she leads by creating businesses that train people in job skills and leadership.
Rosalinda is the founder of Bella Women’s Ministry in Richmond, Virginia, which hosts annual conferences for over five hundred women.

She is also the author of Dare to Begin Again: Let God Write Your Best Future and Wonder Women: Becoming a Hero for Christ.

Rosalinda has been a featured presenter at various events nationwide and has ministered throughout the world. From the White House to the local community, she has been nationally recognized for her impact in bringing hope to the hopeless. Rosalinda was appointed to the Board of Governors of the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations & Executives, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Style Magazineselected her as a “Top 40 under 40” leader for her impact in Virginia.

Rosalinda is the daughter of Victor Torres, an ex-gang member from the streets of New York, and his wife, Carmen, the founders of New Life For Youth and pastors of New Life Outreach International Church. She served as an associate producer on Victor, a movie about her father’s journey from drugs and gangs to Jesus and redemption.

Rosalinda and her husband, Carlos, have three children: Alana, Gabriel, and Victor.

 

More from Rosalinda

Shoot Your Snooze Button
Time doesn’t stop and allow us to make up for minutes wasted. Procrastination is not preparation, no matter what we tell ourselves as we reach for that seductive slayer of success. Think I’m being dramatic? The snooze habit is a symptom of a much bigger problem—one that seeps into many areas of our lives. The struggle is real.

Delay is the destroyer of dreams. It reduces our resolve. Procrastination is the poison that paralyzes our potential. How many opportunities are you hitting the snooze button on? Putting it off until tomorrow can easily become the habit that defines our lives. Instead of building the life we hope for, we are adding another log to the fire of future regret.

Right now, you may recall specific life-goals that have fallen by the wayside. In what areas of life have you chosen to roll over, closing your eyes to what your inner dreams require of you? Look at your gifts. Your talents. Are you harnessing your strengths to propel you in the direction of your desires? Or are you letting that power go to waste?

You’ve likely heard someone say, “She has potential.” Sounds like a good thing, right? In truth, it’s a compliment with a caveat. To say someone has potential is like looking in their pantry and noting there’s ingredients in there to make a cake. It does not mean there’s a cake. It doesn’t mean they will ever bake a cake. It just means this person could make a cake, if they so desired.

If you want to have your cake and eat it, too, you have to do something with what you’ve been given. If you want red velvet deliciousness in your future, remember: it’s not going to bake itself. Potential is pointless until it’s proven in performance. Are you ready to see your possibilities manifest into something tangible?

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 21

Writer Without A Space, December 22

For the Love of Literature, December 23

Artistic Nobody, December 24 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, December 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 26

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 27

Simple Harvest Reads, December 28 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, December 29

janicesbookreviews, December 30

My Devotional Thoughts, December 31 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, January 1

Inklings and notions, January 2

For Him and My Family, January 3

All 4 and About Books, January 3 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rosalinda is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and finished 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f307/the-seductive-layers-of-success-celebration-tour-giveaway

Posted in Uncategorized

Review and Giveaway for Faith Forward Family Devotional

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For quite a while, I have been a follower of Ruth Schwenk’s blog and also a reader of her books.  I love having the opportunity to read books she collaborates with her husband on writing.  As a Christian parent, I love having family devotionals that the entire family can participate in together.

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Faith Forward Family Devotionals contain 100 devotionals suitable for today’s busy parents.  Each devotional contains key verses from the Bible, a devotion that is suitable for the whole family along with discussion questions along with a family prayer.  Each devotional also has a box with a key idea for the day. Click here to read a description of the book.

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The topics range from “God Creates” to “Worth the Wait” to “Joseph and His Dreams” as well “God Welcomes All” and more.  I truly feel this devotional is one that families can dig as deep as they want to and spend as much time as they feel is necessary.

I feel this devotional is one that would be perfect for families with children of all ages.  Older children and teens could use the devotional as a springboard for deeper studies. After all, parents are told in the Bible to train up children in the way of the Lord.

Click here or on the graphic below to enter a giveaway for your own copy of this book.

Win Faith Forward

So check out this devotional for yourself, and then come back and let me know what you think of it.

 

Disclaimer

Posted in Book Reviews, Celebrate Lit Reviews

Review and Giveaway for Wings Like a Dove

Wings like a dove FB BannerAbout the Book

Book:  Wings Like A Dove

Author: Camille Eide

Genre: Historical fiction/romance

Release Date: December 1, 2019

Wings like a Dove coverCan the invisible walls that separate people ever come down?

In 1933, Anna Leibowicz is convinced that the American dream that brought her Jewish family here from Poland is nothing but an illusion. Her father has vanished. Her dreams of college can’t make it past the sweat-shop door. And when she discovers to her shame and horror that she’s with child, her mother gives her little choice but to leave her family. Deciding her best course of action is to try to find her father, she strikes out…hoping against hope to somehow redeem them both.

When Anna stumbles upon a house full of orphan boys in rural Indiana who are in desperate need of a tutor, she agrees to postpone her journey. But she knows from the moment she meets their contemplative, deep-hearted caretaker, Thomas Chandler, that she doesn’t dare risk staying too long. She can’t afford to open her heart to them, to him. She can’t risk letting her secrets out.

All too soon, the townspeople realize she’s not like them and treat her with the same disdain they give the Sisters of Mercy—the nuns who help Thomas and the boys—and Samuel, the quiet colored boy Thomas has taken in. With the Klan presence in the town growing ever stronger and the danger to this family increasing the longer she stays, Anna is torn between fleeing to keep them safe…and staying to fight beside them.

Oh, that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest

 

Click here to get your copy.

 

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Wings Like a Dove opens with Anna Leibowicz working hard and trying to help her sisters, brothers, and mother.  They had immigrated to the United States from Poland with plans of being reunited with Anna’s father.  Being a woman and a Jew brought difficulties, but when Anna realizes she was pregnant, and an unwed mother.  Refusing to allow her mother to railroad her into moving into a home for unwed mothers and giving up her child to potentially horrible circumstances, she winds up deciding to head to Chicago where rumors state her father has gone.

She finds her way to Indiana where she finds some young boys and their guardian to live with and to teach.  Her relationship with the boys and Thomas brings life to the story.  However, the hate from members of the community brings heartbreak to their community.  The story pulled me into the story.

So check it out for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.

About the Author

Camille EideCamille writes poignant, inspirational love stories some call “more than a romance.” She lives in Oregon with her husband and is a mom, grandma, office admin, lead foot, cinnamon roll baker, and a bass guitarist. She’s a fan of muscle cars, tender romance, and Peanut M&Ms.

 

More from Camille

If Only I Could Fly Away…

“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” -Psalm 55:6-8

What do you think of when you read this passage from Psalms? Does the idea of escape tempt you? Have you ever cried out for relief from life’s storms?

In Wings Like a Dove, Anna faces growing difficulties in her life. Psalm 55:6 is brought to her attention and she ponders it more than once, especially as the difficulties in her life steadily increase.

As Polish Jews in the early 1900s, Anna’s family lived in constant upheaval, so fleeing danger is nothing new to her. The problem is that Anna craves connection and community. While she was often uprooted, at least Anna enjoyed the security of family—until now. As the story begins, she is turned out of her home and must journey across the country alone, a heartache that only intensifies the persecution she faces as a Jew, an immigrant, and an unwed woman with child.

But her journey is temporarily delayed out of necessity, and she quickly falls in love with those who have taken her in. The idea of leaving them is as painful a prospect as leaving her own family, but because of the troubles that follow her, it seems she has no choice.

Psalm 55:6 isn’t tempting Anna to leave her surroundings; it tempts her to escape the negativity that robs her joy.

For Anna, and for the rest of us, we can’t flee trouble any more than we can grow wings and fly. The desire for relief is understandable. But what if there is a purpose in the difficult situations we face? What if we are called to more than simply outlast life’s storms? What if our weakest moment is exactly what God wants to use to show his power, love, mercy, and grace?

What if God is waiting for us to stop fluttering our wings and find joy in knowing that we are in the very place we need to be, for a purpose, for such a time as this?

Quote from Anna:

“If these past months have taught me nothing else, they have taught me that though I am only a seed blowing in the wind, I must still be fruitful wherever I land. I have learned that wherever we find ourselves, we must have the courage to stretch out roots and produce something useful, even in times of difficulty. We must bloom boldly in whatever field our seed has fallen.”

 May you find the sweet spot of joy and purpose in the midst of your storm!

 

-Camille

Blog Stops

KarenSueHadley, December 17

My Devotional Thoughts, December 17

Reflections From My Bookshelves, December 18

Mia Reads, December 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 19

Genesis 5020, December 19

Emily Yager, December 20

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 20

Betti Mace, December 21

To Everything A Season, December 21

Christian Bookaholic, December 22

April Hayman, Author, December 22

For the Love of Literature, December 23

For The Love of Books, December 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 24

Bloggin’ ’bout Books, December 24

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, December 25

For Him and My Family, December 25

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, December 26

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 27

Deanne’s Book Thoughts, December 27

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 28

janicesbookreviews, December 28

Pause for Tales, December 29

Texas Book-aholic, December 29

A Reader’s Brain, December 30

Inklings and notions, December 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Camille is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon card & a signed book!!

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/f2ec/wings-like-a-dove-celebration-tour-giveaway