Charting the Course

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Charting the Course by Leslea Wahl, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Charting the Course
Series: Finding Faith series
Author: Leslea Wahl
Publisher: Vinspire Publishing
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: YA Christian Adventure

Stuck on a ship with her estranged father for this high school reunion – not a merry way to spend the holidays. But could an onboard mystery and a cute boy be the course correction Liz needs? 

Set amid the beauty of the Caribbean islands, Charting the Course delves into the topics of fractured families, generational high-school dramas, taking responsibility for your actions, and focusing on faith to keep us anchored. The twists and turns in this high-seas adventure will keep the reader bracing for the next wave of intrigue.

My thoughts: I can only imagine being in Liz's shoes, to be a high school age kid stuck on a cruise with your parent for their class reunion. Not the most fun way to spend part of your Christmas break! Although, a cruise does sound nice.... 
This book has a lot going on, with Liz being in high school and still being in the thick on things, while her dad is at his 30th class reunion. They also have the chance to work on their relationship. The author weaves quite a bit into this story, with it's surprising twists and turns. It's a fun read to pick up and enjoy!

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

Also Available

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About the Author

Leslea Wahl lives in beautiful Colorado and is the author of several award-winning teen novels. She strives to write stories that encourage teens to grow in their faith through fun adventurous mysteries. Leslea is often inspired by her family, their travels, and real-life adventures. She particularly enjoys including the furry, four-legged members of her family in her novels. Besides writing Leslea also reviews faith-based novels on her website and is a founding member of CatholicTeenBooks.com.

Connect with Leslea by visiting lesleawahl.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(3) winners will each win signed copies of Charting the Course, Into the Spotlight, and Where You Lead by Leslea Wahl!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 26, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 3, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Dedicated to the One I Love

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Dedicated to the One I Love by Beth K. Vogt, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Dedicated to the One I Love 
Author: Beth K. Vogt
Publisher: White Glove
Release Date: June 20, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

She doesn’t believe in love anymore. He doesn’t either.  

They’re perfect for each other. 

Beloved romance novelist Kylie Franklin walked away from her pen-name career as bestselling and award-winning Veronica Hollins the day her husband died. Her loyal readers are eager for the final book in her sensational series. But Kylie’s given up on love, both fictional and in real life. Behind her back, Kylie’s agent contrives a way to get her writing again. 

Joe Edwards has made a name for himself with his popular military suspense novels under the pen name Tate Merrick. Yet he can’t quite break onto the bestseller list. What his books need, his publisher suggests, is some romance. Joe flat refuses. However, his publisher is determined and hires Veronica Hollins to save the day—and his career. 

Veronica and Tate quickly realize they’re Kylie and Joe, good friends who connected online via a popular word game and their mutual love of trivia. Surely they can wrangle their alter egos into this literary collaboration. But as the deadline looms, their differences threaten the romance developing off the page.  

From a Christy Award-winning author comes this charming mash-up of hidden identities, literary tug of war, and falling in love when you least expect it.

My thoughts: This is such a fun story! I enjoyed the characters as they got to know one another through the course of their relationship. Kylie was especially well written, as she works through some of her grief after losing her husband several years previous. I love that she has a group of friends who have been by her side! Having gone through seasons of loss and grief, I know how important it is to have that support group. 
I also love the anonymous friends story line, since it is a fun way for characters to get to know one another on a deeper level. Kylie and Joe go through quite a few different levels of friendship, which kept me turning the page to figure out where they would eventually land!

This is such a delightful, well written story. I recommend picking it up.

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review. 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

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About the Author

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a  RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, releases June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people.

Connect with Beth by visiting bethvogt.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 Etsy Gift Card, a print copy of Dedicated to the One I Love, a box of typewriter themed gift note cards, Novel Teas Book Lover Teas, and a 24 oz insulated Tervis Floral Tumbler!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 19, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 26, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

The Best Summer of Our Lives

 

Twenty years ago, the summer of '77 was supposed to be the best summer of Summer Wilde's life. She and her best friends, Spring, Autumn, and Snow—the Four Seasons—had big plans.

But those plans never had a chance. After a teenage prank gone awry, the Seasons found themselves on a bus to Tumbleweed, "Nowhere," Oklahoma, to spend eight weeks as camp counselors. All four of them arrived with hidden secrets and buried fears, and the events that unfolded in those two months forever altered their friendships, their lives, and their futures.

Now, thirtysomething, Summer is at a crossroads. When her latest girl band leaves her in a motel outside Tulsa, she is forced to face the shadows of her past. Returning to the place where everything changed, she soon learns Tumbleweed is more than a town she never wanted to see again. It's a place for healing, for reconciling the past with the present, and for finally listening to love's voice.

My thoughts: Four friends are sent to a camp in nowhere-ville Oklahoma as punishment during the summer between high school and college. As they seek to have the best summer of their lives, secrets and past hurts rise to the surface. 20 years later, the 4 girls are barely in contact with one another. Is there hope for healing?

I loved how each chapter has a title, that is part of a song from the 1970's. While that was before my time, I still enjoyed the mentions of some of the things that happened between the 70's and 90's time lines. 

The camp was a fun setting, and I enjoyed getting to know the girls, though Summer is a hard character to like. I could relate to Snow having a hard time with her. Overall, a great, nostalgic story that is the perfect summer read!

I received this book from the author. This is my honest review.

This is Where It Ends

 

Award-Winning Author Pens a Unique Southern Tale

When Minerva Jane Jenkins was just 14 years old, she married a man who moved her to the mountains. He carried with him a small box, which he told her was filled with gold. And when he died 50 years later, he made her promise to keep his secret. She is to tell no one about the box or the treasure it contains.

Now 94, Minerva is nearing the end of what has sometimes been a lonely life. But she's kept that secret. Even so, rumors of hidden gold have a way of spreading, and Minerva is visited by a reporter, Del Rankin, who wants to know more of her story. His friend who joins him only wants to find the location of the gold. Neither of them knows quite who they're up against when it comes to the old woman on the mountain.

As an unlikely friendship develops, Minerva is tempted to reveal her secret to Del. After all, how long is one bound by a promise? But the truth of what's really buried in the box may be hidden even from her.

My Review: I enjoyed the setting of this story, with it being in the mountains of Kentucky. The main character is a spunky, 90+ year old who has held on to the secret of her husband's, which has lead to years of loneliness. I love how things come together when a journalist stumbles into her life. 

I received this book from the author. This is my honest review.

The Keys to Gramercy Park

 

 

About the Book

 

Book: The Keys to Gramercy Park

Author: Candice Sue Patterson

Genre:Christian / Historical / Romance

Release date: April, 2023

Secrets Sealed Within a Wall Come to Light in Lower Manhattan

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Investigative historical journalist Andrea Andrews is tired of waiting tables to make ends meet. If she could find and write the next breakout story, she could secure a promotion with Smithsonian Magazine as their writer-at-large. But not much happens in lower Manhattan out of the ordinary until she discovers post-Civil War counterfeit bills hidden in the wall of her historic district apartment.

Politics have always been Beau Davidson-Quincy’s passion, despite his family’s real estate empire. His clean image and single status make him a target in the media as he prepares to build his campaign for New York governor. He has nothing to hide until a cute waitress unravels a mystery that could destroy his family’s reputation.

Two centuries earlier, wounded Civil War veteran Franklin Davidson lost everything—his house, his wife, his standing in society. In his darkest moment, he’s awarded a position with the newly formed Secret Service to combat the spread of counterfeit U.S. currency. His life and new home in Gramercy Park are the envy of his peers, but nothing is as it seems. Secrets are meant to be kept, and Franklin will take his to his grave.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My thoughts: I enjoy stories like this one that have a historical time line and a current one. I enjoyed getting to know Andrea as she sniffed out the secrets of Gramercy Park and sought to write a compelling story. 

I have to say, the historical side of the story was not my favorite, for multiple reasons that I don’t want to go into and spoil the story over. It was hard for me to like him after some of his actions.

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

About the Author

Candice Sue Patterson studied at the Institute of Children’s Literature and is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, splitting wood, or decorating cakes, she’s working on a new story. Candice writes Modern Vintage Romance—where the past and present collide with faith. Her debut novel How to Charm a Beekeeper’s Heart was a 2012 ACFW First Impressions finalist and made INSPYs Longlist for 2016.

 

More from Candice

A locked secret garden in Manhattan with historical significance and the only ones privileged to step inside are the wealthy residents who purchase a key—count me in! The plot for The Keys to Gramercy Park was born at our dining room table when my husband looked up from the book he was reading and asked if I knew about Gramercy Park. I hadn’t, so we started Googling and discovered it was a real garden in Manhattan built in 1841 for the cream of society. The fact that it’s been off-limits to the public for one hundred and eight-two years instantly brought all kinds of story ideas to my mind.

Not long after, I discovered that Barbour Publishing Inc. was looking for dual-time stories to fill their Doors to the Past series. I love reading dual-time novels but I’d never written one. I love a good challenge, so I began plotting and before I knew it, I had another first—creating a villain.

I’ve only ever seen the New York City skyline from the New Jersey ferry that travels to and from the Statue of Liberty, so after the story was contracted, I spent several weeks researching Manhattan and Gramercy Park. New York is full of rich history and it was so fun to stumble across the historical details of The Player’s, Edwin Booth, and the stories behind each home along Gramercy Square.

One of my favorite things about writing this story was the juxtaposition of the timelines. We don’t have the present without the past, and what happens in the past affects the future, but the future can also determine how we view, feel, and learn about the past. That’s essentially what The Keys to Gramercy Park is about—the butterfly effect of past events reaching ahead two centuries with dire consequences. I love how in one scene the characters are sending telegraphs and in the next scene, they’re sending text messages.

What’s your favorite thing about dual-time novels? Make sure to check out the other books in the Doors to the Past series!

Blog Stops

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Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Candice is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-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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If I were a Tiger

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for If I Were a Tiger by Caroline Coleman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: If I Were a Tiger
Author: Caroline Coleman
Publisher: WaterBrook
Release Date: October 25, 2022
Genre: Christian Children's Picture Book

A whimsical and playful rhyming picture book about a young boy who imagines himself as a tiger to overcome his fears — only to realize that he can trust in God. 

Meet Tim Bone. He has a big imagination, and when it roams wild, he’s afraid of a lot of things. He's scared of the moon and the wailing typhoon, and he won't wear his sneakers because he fears hidden creatures. Tim's nervous at home, at school, and at play! 

Fed up with being frightened, Tim comes up with a bold He’s going to become a tiger so he can be fiercer than his fears! There’s just one If he’s a tiger, he can’t be Tim. Could there be a better solution? What if Tim puts his trust in God—who made both boys and tigers—instead?   

If I Were a Tiger invites kids of all ages to live in the comforting truth that no one has to carry their fears alone, and offers the reminder that God is only a prayer away.

My thoughts: This is a sweet childrens book that does a great job of talking about fear and anxiety. I love how Tim likes to pretend that he is a tiger to combat his fears, until he realizes that there are things he enjoys doing as a little boy that he wouldn't be able to do as a tiger. The message of putting your trust in God is a good one for children and adults alike! My children and I enjoyed reading this book and going through the story!

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

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About the Author

Caroline Coleman's debut picture book, IF I WERE A TIGER, was recently released by Waterbrook Press, a Christian imprint of Penguin Random House. Her novel, LOVING SOREN (B&H 2005), tells the true story of the woman who loved the Danish Christian philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard. She has an English degree from Princeton University, a fiction MFA from Brooklyn College and law degrees from Columbia Law School and Christ Church, Oxford University. She used to be a lawyer and now teaches English literature as an adjunct to the English department at Hunter College in New York City, where she lives with her family.

Connect with Caroline by visiting carolinecolemanbooks.com to follow her on social media and sign up for blog updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will receive a Stuffed Tiger Nightlight, a print copy of If I Were a Tiger, and a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 5, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 12, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Ned

 

After four years of training to become a Navy SEAL, Ned Marshall is finally ready to marry the woman of his dreams, Shae Johnson. And Shae’s been uber patient, waiting, building a life as a free-lance graphic artist, moving around the globe to be with him. So, when she said yes to his proposal in Geneva, he fully expected to live happily-ever-after.

At the very least, he expected her to be waiting at the hotel for him three days after an emergency call-out. And maybe it was unreasonable to expect her to be sitting in the hotel, working on her watercolors—Shae, after all grew up in Montana, and she has adventure in her blood. So of course she’s going to go climb the beautiful Swiss mountains. Even make a friend.

But Ned isn’t thrilled with her new friend, and something about him doesn’t feel safe…

So she’s made some friends while waiting for Ned to return? Shae can’t believe that after years of sacrifice, Ned is actually angry at her—what did he expect, that she’d sit by the window? Dana and his friends are harmless, right?

Not so much. Because when Shae finds herself kidnapped, and brought to Russia, she fears the worst—she’s been swept up in a human trafficking ring. And when she’s sent to, of all places, Siberia how will Ned ever find her?

But Ned isn’t going to lose her—not after everything they’ve been through, and he’ll stop at nothing to rescue her. But when he discovers the real reason she’s been taken, he will have to become a traitor to his country if he wants her back.

My thoughts: I enjoyed returning to this series and finding out what was going on with Shae's disappearance! I like how each the previous book will give the reader a glimpse of the couple that will be featured in the next story, so I felt like I was getting to know new friends better through this story! 
When Ned discovers that Shae has been kidnapped, it sets his course on a whirlwind journey to save her from the hard life of being trafficked. The author does a wonderful job of handling difficult subjects, but there are some triggers in this one. 
Ned is a fast paced, well written story. I look forward to reading Iris' story next!
I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

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