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Saturday, October 31, 2020

Grow Over Your Wall

 


Experience Gods Unstoppable Blessings and Breakthrough!

You may be facing an issue that’s seems like an insurmountable barrier in your life. Or, your circumstances may be so difficult you feel surrounded by walls with no way out. You ask God to knock down those walls, just as He did for Joshua at Jericho. But they’re still standing. Sometimes, God removes the obstacles from our lives immediately and dramatically. But what can we do when the change doesn’t occur, when the breakthrough doesn’t come, when God’s promises aren’t fulfilled, even when we pray?

That’s when we have to plant ourselves in God’s Word and presence and let Him grow us over the wall. The breakthrough starts as our roots grow deep. This is what Joseph did when he was in the pit and the dungeon. He grew over his wall by adopting a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one. The result was a multitude of blessings for him, his family, and the world: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; his branches run over the wall (Genesis 49:22).

You can grow over your own wall of difficulty, opposition, hindrance, or limitation. As you grow, your wall won’t look as high as it used to. And one day, you will grow over it. Every negative situation will divinely position you to be where you need to be in life. You will grow over circumstances you thought were too powerful for you. You will grow over the wall of limitation that once surrounded you. You will grow over the dead end or impossibility that threatened to defeat you. The trials of life have no power to stop you from being abundant and fruitful in God, receiving His blessings, and fulfilling the plans He has for you. Like Joseph, let your branches grow over the wall. Then, your breakthrough will become a breakthrough and blessing for others, too, enabling them to grow over their own walls of difficulty.

My thoughts: We all face complications in life. This study is an excellent one to go through to remind us that we are not alone, that the God of Joshua, who took down the walls of Jericho, if the God that we serve. I loved the reminder in this book that nothing is to difficult for God. I look forward to going through this book at a slower pace next time. This book is an excellent resource to help grow your faith!

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

Matt Sorger is a prophetic minister and a strong preacher and teacher of God’s Word, mentoring and equipping the body of Christ to live in the realm of God’s power and glory. He carries a unique anointing that fills entire rooms with the tangible glory of God, with many people saved, healed, set free, and filled with God’s presence. Through Matt Sorger Ministries, he has ministered in more than thirty-five nations and has reached more than two hundred nations by television and other media. He is the author of Power for Life: Keys to a Life Marked by the Presence of God. Matt and his wife, Stephanie, oversee Rescue1, an organization that rescues children from trafficking around the world. Their vision is to see at least 1,500 children set free. The Sorgers have two children and reside near Charlotte, NC.

 

More from Matt

Turn your pain into power and experience God’s unstoppable blessings and breakthrough.

Blog Stops

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 24

Artistic Nobody, October 25 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Texas Book-aholic, October 26

For Him and My Family, October 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 29

Simple Harvest Reads, October 30 (Spotlight)

deb’s Book Review, October 30

Older & Smarter?, October 31

Inklings and notions, November 1

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 2

Spoken from the Heart, November 3

Captive Dreams Window, November 3

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 5

Through the Fire Blogs, November 6

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Matt 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/102aa/grow-over-your-wall-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

Friday, October 30, 2020

The Red Ribbon

 


An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912

Book 8 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History

In Carroll County, a corn shucking is the social event of the season, until a mischievous kiss leads to one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history. Ava Burcham isn’t your typical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. She has a bad habit of courtin’ trouble, and her curiosity has opened a rift in the middle of a feud between politicians and would-be outlaws, the Allen family. Ava’s tenacious desire to find a story worth reporting may land her and her best friend, Jeremiah Sutphin, into more trouble than either of them planned. The end result? The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912.

My thoughts: I have enjoyed each of the books in this series and the variety of stories that these mysteries have brought to light! I knew a few of the historical events before reading the books, but had never heard of the Hillsville Courthouse Massacre that inspired this story.

I thought that Pepper did an excellent job of taking the known details and inserting a few fictional characters into the mix. This is a story from American history that will keep you on the edge of your seats.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

PepperBashamPepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains where her family have lived for generations. She’s the mom of five kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus, and proud AlleyCat over at the award winning Writer’s Alley blog. Her debut historical romance novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015, and the second in February 2016. Her first contemporary romance debuted in April 2016.

 

More from Pepper

Feuds, Moonshine, and Family Loyalties by Pepper Basham

My upcoming release for Barbour’s True Colors series is really close to my heart…and pretty close to my house.

The Red Ribbon, my first foray into a historical suspense novel, takes place in the county where I grew up. Carroll County, Virginia, is a county on the border of Virginia and North Carolina, not too far from Mt. Airy (Mayberry).  Nestled in the foothills and mountains of the Blue Ridge, it is a part of the Appalachian Mountains, and with that comes similar histories as other backwoods Appalachian communities: feuds, moonshine, and family loyalties.

One thing I love most about my Appalachian upbringing is the intense closeness of family – and when I say ‘family’ I mean, of course, my mom, dad, and brother, but also my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents…the whole “gang”, as my granny used to say.

The closeness of family, and the protection of the family name, is a big deal in Appalachia. There’s a lot of pride in the way your ‘name’ is thought of throughout the community, so when someone insults your name, there’s a good chance the repercussions aren’t going to be pleasant. Especially back in the early 1900s, when The Red Ribbon takes place. In fact, insulting someone by “stealing a kiss” is one of the events that leads to The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre/Tragedy.

A long-time feud between the Allen family and the “Courthouse Clan” came to a head inside the Hillsville Courthouse in March 1912 and this event resulted in the largest shootout within a courthouse in Virginia history. The story followed with a nationwide manhunt and made national news until the sinking of the Titanic the following month.

Growing up in Carroll County, I knew a few things about this story. Rumors and whispers, really. Most folks didn’t talk about it because it still caused a stir among those who were descendants (because another thing about Appalachia is that families tend to stay on or around family land for generations). People still took “sides”. So, when I decided to write this book, I knew I was stepping into precarious territory. Not that anyone would start up a shootout nowadays because of a book, but because people still have some deep feelings about how their ancestors are portrayed in history, and since many of my family members still live in Carroll County, I wanted to tread carefully into the events of “The Allen Tragedy”.

What I discovered was a story that still held a whole lot of mystery even one hundred years later. Bullet holes still mark the courthouse steps from that fateful day, rumors still circulate about who was to blame, and no one knows who fired the first gunshot that began the tragic shooting.

I’m not a “scary” book writer or reader, but I love a good adventure, so this book takes the reader on an adventure into Appalachia to my neck of the woods, and follows the journey of Ava Burcham and Jeremiah Sutphin as they live among the illegal moonshiners, dirty cops, and mountain gunslingers of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

(To learn more about the true events of the Courthouse Tragedy, you can read about it here: https://roanoke.com/news/virginia/the-courthouse-tragedy-gunfight-in-hillsville-in-1912/article_45d0d7f3-6e1f-57c4-83be-fceb3d98dafd.html)

Have you ever read a book set in Appalachia? If so, what was the title and what did you learn about the Appalachian culture? Have you ever visited the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Let’s chat mountain people, mountain ways, and mountain books 😊

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 29

Fiction Aficionado, October 29

deb’s Book Review, October 29

Blossoms and Blessings, October 29

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 30

Texas Book-aholic, October 30

Blogging With Carol, October 30

Inklings and notions, October 31

Emily Yager, October 31

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 31

Hallie Reads, October 31

For Him and My Family, November 1

reviewingbooksplusmore, November 1

Christian Bookaholic, November 1

Betti Mace, November 2

Genesis 5020, November 2

For the Love of Literature, November 2

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess , November 2

Rebecca Tews, November 3

Robin’s Nest, November 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 3

Connect in Fiction, November 4

Older & Smarter?, November 4

To Everything There Is A Season, November 4

Artistic Nobody, November 4 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

21st Century Keeper at Home, November 5

By The Book, November 5

Remembrancy, November 5

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 6

Britt Reads Fiction, November 6

Life of Literature, November 6

Connie’s History Classroom, November 7

Splashes of Joy, November 7

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 7

A Reader’s Brain, November 8

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 8

Through the Fire Blogs, November 8

Godly Book Reviews, November 8

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, November 9

Bigreadersite, November 9

Where Faith and books Meet, November 9

Books I’ve Read, November 10

Just the Write Escape, November 10

Adventures of a Travelers Life, November 10

Amanda Tero, blog, November 11

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 11

Pause for Tales, November 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize package 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1032d/the-red-ribbon-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Miss Fanshawe's Fortune

 


Miss Frances Fanshawe’s past is shrouded in mystery. Raised genteelly as an heiress to a fortune, she is forced to question everything after her mother dies and leaves her with only a single clue to the money. Unless she can locate her father or otherwise prove her heritage, not only the fortune but her very respectability is at stake.

In line for a baronetcy, Sebastian Arundell has no time for sorting out questionable tangles for young women with dubious histories. No matter if they are young, appealing, and have ridiculously large chocolate eyes to melt a man’s heart. But when it becomes apparent that other people are after Frannie’s supposed fortune, he is drawn to investigate. As the search deepens, Frannie falls in love with handsome, proper Sebastian. But if it only proves what he suspects—that she's an illegitimate pauper—will all hope to win his heart be lost?

My thoughts: The story of Fannie and the mystery surrounding her parentage is a delightful one! I would of liked for the story to move a little faster, or have more twists to it, but it was still a fun one to pick up. I thought that it was an interesting concept to have a young woman grow up with the promise of a fortune, but to not know where the fortune is coming from. In a world where you were defined by your heritage, this was an interesting twist. 

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author: 

Linore Rose Burkard is a serious watcher of period films, a Janeite, and hopeless romantic. An award winning author best known for Inspirational Regency Romance, her first book opened the genre for the CBA. Besides historical romance, Linore writes YA contemporary suspense and contemporary romance. Linore has a magna cum laude English Lit. degree from CUNY which she earned while taking herself far too seriously. She now resides in Ohio with her husband and family, where she turns her youthful angst into character or humor-driven plots.

 

More from Linore Rose Burkard

Introduction:

Today we have a multi-published author with us, Linore Rose Burkard. She writes “Romance to warm the Heart, Fiction to Stir the Soul.”  Linore’s first novel, an Inspirational Regency Romance, was actually the first of its kind and opened the genre for the CBA.  Linore, welcome. Please tell us more about yourself as a writer.  I understand  you feel very purpose-driven in you  vocation.

Linore:  I do.  Newer writers usually say their purpose is to write  whatever specific book they’re working on. But I believe our purpose goes deeper than that, deeper than any single book. My purpose—which  some may consider a humble calling—is to write smart, well-researched romance infused with humor that literally warms the heart. My readers close my romance novels with a smile and the feeling—at least for a few minutes—that all is right with the world.

  1. When did you realize that was your purpose?

A writer needs to be humble enough to accept what their giftings are.   I had to accept that I wasn’t going to write the next ‘great American novel.’ I wasn’t going to be a Hemingway.   Having been schooled in the classics, both British and American, writing inspirational romance seems lightweight.  Georgette Heyer, a writer I greatly admire, once said she ought to be shot for what she writes! Because there’s this perception among the literati that romance literature is less than respectable. But I’ve learned that heartwarming romance is worthy in itself, whether it is overtly evangelistic or not, and whether English professors would agree or not.  Readers have written to me with such gratitude that it showed me that what I write is no less valuable –to those who will be blessed by it—than the classics.

  1. How did you get started?

I’ve been an avid reader all my life and was always was drawn to write, even as a child. But I saw a need for something specific that wasn’t out there—Regency Romance that included a Christian worldview.  I wanted to read that book, but it didn’t exist.  So that’s what I started out writing. My first three novels   with Harvest House were Inspirational Regencies. The genre since then has grown by leaps and bounds, which I think is great.

  1. Would you like to give a tip for writers?

It’s important to write the book on your heart, not the one you think you should write because it will make money, or because it’s what people want.  A lot of gurus are out there saying you should research the audience before putting pen to paper to make sure your book will be marketable.  Well, there is some truth in that—if you write a book about some obscure dog breed that only 200 people own, you’re not gonna have  a bestseller. But there’s a big danger in that method, too. The book on your heart, the story that won’t go away, is most likely the one that will help point you to your purpose in writing; and it will be the one that resonates with readers.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 26

Genesis 5020, October 26

Texas Book-aholic, October 27

Blogging With Carol, October 27

Worthy2Read, October 28

deb’s Book Review, October 28

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 29

Labor Not in Vain, October 29

Inklings and notions, October 30

Heidi and Books, October 30

For Him and My Family, October 31

Mary Hake, October 31

She Lives To Read, November 1

KarenSueHadley, November 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 2

Remembrancy, November 2

Connie’s History Classroom, November 3

Artistic Nobody, November 3 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 4

Betti Mace, November 4

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 6

Blossoms and Blessings, November 6

Simple Harvest Reads, November 7 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Romances of the Cross, November 7

Splashes of Joy, November 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linore is giving away the grand prize of 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/102ab/miss-fanshawe-s-fortune-celebration-tour-giveaway


Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Song of the Sugar Sands

 


Award-winning book that recently earned acclaim from the prestigious 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!

Acadia Powers knows herself to be too selfish, too sinful, and too skeptical in her faith to marry a preacher. And yet she does. God truly does work in a mysterious way. Acadia nearly lost her faith at an early age due to what she saw as the hypocrisy of her parents’ generation. In college—where the novel begins—she meets and falls in love with Peter O’Neil, who is fervent in his faith and wants to share the good news with the world. Can she reach deep enough inside, or beyond herself, to find what she needs to keep on trying, or has she made too many mistakes already?

My thoughts: I loved the premise of this story and the chance to get to know both Acadia and Peter as their relationship blossoms! I appreciated the honesty in which the characters are written, Acadia with her struggles to believe in God. I loved how their relationship develops and how it retained it's beautiful through the ups and downs of life. The characters are well written and I appreciated that there are some wonderful secondary characters as well. I highly recommend this one! It can be read as a stand alone or  with the other book in the series.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

Debra JeterJeter is thrilled her most recent novel, Song of Sugar Sands, has received acclaim as a Finalist in the Christian Fiction category of the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. A Professor Emerita at Vanderbilt University, Debra Coleman Jeter has published in popular magazines, including Working Woman, New Woman, Self, Home Life, SavvyChristian Woman, and American Baby. Her first novel, The Ticket, was a finalist in two categories for a Selah Award. Her short story, “Recovery,” won first prize in a competition sponsored by Christian Woman; and her book “Pshaw, It’s Me Grandson” was a finalist in the USA Book News Awards. She is a co-writer of the screenplay for Jess + Moss, a feature film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, screened at nearly forty film festivals around the world, and captured several international awards.

 

She loves to be in the water—whether snorkeling, water skiing, boogie boarding, or just floating around—which may explain the setting for her newest series. Her family suspects her of being selkie. The Sugar Sands novels are set in a small beach community in LA (lower Alabama). Each book in the series stands alone.

 

More from Debra

I’m thrilled that Song of Sugar Sands earned recent acclaim by being named a Finalist in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the category “Christian Fiction.”

 

Although I’ve always been someone who seeks a higher power (and feels such a presence in my life), I’m also a person who struggles with doubts: doubts about churches, denominations, religion, and myself.  So I decided to put a character with these kinds of doubts (Acadia) in a relationship with a man of such a deep faith he feels compelled to share his faith with everyone he encounters (Peter).

 

Song of Sugar Sands is a novel about—in the words of William Faulkner—the human heart in conflict with itself. Who hasn’t, at least occasionally, struggled with doubts about her faith in God or about God’s personal interest in her life? Also, relationships are difficult at their best, but particularly so when the individuals have differing views on faith. Still, there is hope. Song of Sugar Sands tells the journey of Acadia’s relationship with Peter and of her path toward deeper faith.

 

Inspiration for characters: My daughter, like Acadia, went to Pepperdine University. She met her husband, Jared, in California. Jared’s father and brother were both ministers, but Jared had no interest in this career path. I decided it would be more interesting to make Peter O’Neil the opposite—the first man of faith in his family, while Acadia struggles with her faith. In the novel, Beatrice Wood is a widow who befriends Acadia and helps her through a difficult time. Beatrice is based loosely on a friend of mine from church, who mourned the passing of her husband even as she became a strong business woman. The character Sybil was inspired by one of my former students.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 27

Batya’s Bits, October 27

Texas Book-aholic, October 28

Inklings and notions, October 29

Captive Dreams Window, October 29

For Him and My Family, October 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 1

Artistic Nobody, November 2 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

lakesidelivingsite, November 2

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 3

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 5

Simple Harvest Reads, November 6 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

deb’s Book Review, November 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 7

Splashes of Joy, November 8

Godly Book Reviews, November 9

CarpeDiem, November 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Debra is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and a signed 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/102ac/song-of-sugar-sands-celebration-tour-giveaway