Saturday, November 21, 2020

Blue Moon

By the Light of the Moon series:
“Readers who love being trapped in a character’s mind should relish this finely written, gripping series. A must read for fans of historical fiction.”–The Prairies Book Review

A tale of precious things more rare than a blue moon…

The year is 1885 and unwed Vanessa Gulet must surrender her newborn son to her married twin sister, Valerie, to raise. A seed of bitterness grows in Vanessa. When the opportunity arises for her to have what she’s always wanted, Vanessa takes it despite the consequences to her family, getting more than she bargained for.

Meanwhile, Valerie, overcome with loss and grief, faces a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Will she and her husband, Felix, forge through their trials together, or will these upsets cause them to drift apart?

Will Vanessa and Valerie remain at odds, or will they allow the power of forgiveness to heal their strained relationship?

Love seems to bloom in the most unlikely of places in Webaashi Bay for an old friend of Jenay’s and a woman who owns the local dress shop. A parallel tale of love, forgiveness, and reuniting lost things is spun by a local author adding another dimension to the tale of the Gulet twins and their saga.

Fans of historical fiction, Christian historical fiction, clean romance, and literary fiction will enjoy this dramatic read!

My thoughts: I thought that this book was an interesting and unique bit of history! What would happen in the old days when a young woman found herself in "the family way" without a husband? Well, in the case of Vanessa, she goes on an extended trip with her twin sister and brother in law to cover it up by passing the baby off as her nephew. In the case of this story, where the character is a twin, it would of been a little easier to just swap places if meeting up with causal acquaintances. I thought that it was fascinating to explore that side of the story, as well as tie some of this book in to the previous one. I would recommend reading Ruby Moon first.

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

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

Jenny Knipfer Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.

Jenny’s education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions. She spent many years as a librarian in a local public library but recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability.

She authored and performed a self-published musical CD entitled, Scrapbook of a Closet Poet.

Jenny’s first three books earned five-star reviews from Reader’s Favorite, a book review and award contest company. Their praise: “Ruby Moon is entertaining, fast-paced, and features characters that are real. Blue Moon continues a well-written and highly engaging saga of family ties, betrayals, and heartaches… Silver Moon is a highly recommended read for fans of historical wartime fiction, powerful emotive drama, and excellent atmospheric writing.”

She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Historical Novel Society, Wisconsin Writers Association, Indie Christian Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.

Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set. She has self-published the first two books, Ruby Moon and Blue Moon in her four-part series. Two more novels to complete the series are planned for 2020. She is currently writing a new historical fiction series called, Sheltering Trees.

Libraries and retailers may find Jenny’s books on Ingram. Support your local bookstores, and request a copy of Jenny’s books there. Purchase paperbacks retail on Amazon. Ebooks are available through your favorite ebook retailer.

Keep current with Jenny by visiting her website at https://jennyknipfer.com.

More from Jenny

In Blue Moon I play off a minor character from Ruby Moon, Vanessa Gulet. When Ruby Moon ended, I started wondering what Vanessa’s life had been like, rejected by Renault, her old flame who had promised her his devotion.

Vanessa’s story grew along with Valerie’s, her identical twin sister. Asking the question of what could divide twin siblings drew me deep into the drama of the Gulet sisters, and a story of desire and loss sprang from my imagination.

An even richer depth occurred when I brought the main character from Ruby Moon, Jenay, into the thick of the twins’ saga. Vanessa must come to grips with what really happened to Renault and who was involved. Will she forgive the past and the unintentional wrongs committed and embrace the new friend she has made or not?

Also, I wrote from experience in Blue Moon, as Valerie must face the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and how to live with the fear of the unknown shadowing her life. It was therapeutic for me to write some of my own feeling and thoughts through Valerie. Journaling has always been a way for me to manage my emotions, and writing via story form was no different. Chances are you either know someone with MS or know of someone with MS. The disease is very prevalent in the U.S., and through Blue Moon I want to draw some awareness to what I and many people live with every day.

I hope in Blue Moon that the theme of forgiveness will encourage readers through their own struggles and believe that choosing to forgive is always the better choice, often bringing unforeseen blessings.

Thank you for taking the time to read a little about Blue Moon and its origin! I hope you get a chance to read it and the twins’ tale of forgiveness. If you do, please let me know, and please leave a review.

Blessings, J

P.S. Did you know I include a recipe pertaining to the story in most of my books? In Blue Moon, I include an old family favorite: butter tarts. Lily, a daughter of the man Vanessa meets and is drawn to in Webaashi Bay, loves butter tarts. Vanessa and Lily make them together. Following is the recipe.

Lily’s Butter Tart

1 C sugar

¼ C softened butter or butter substitute

2 eggs

juice of half a lemon

½ C golden raisins

½ C sweetened shredded coconut

Your favorite pie crust recipe for one 9” crust

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and lemon juice. Beat well. By hand mix in the raisins and coconut. Line pastry tin with pie crust and fill with mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until set.

I based this recipe from an old one of my grandmother’s from the late 1800’s. NOTE: You can also cut rounds of pie crust to fill muffin tins to make smaller tarts. (Lily’s style) I make the one dish version because it’s less fuss.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 20

lakesidelivingsite, November 20

Texas Book-aholic, November 21

Inklings and notions, November 22

For Him and My Family, November 23

KarenSueHadley, November 23

Rebecca Tews, November 24

deb’s Book Review, November 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 26

Captive Dreams Window, November 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 27

Artistic Nobody, November 28 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 29

Betti Mace, November 30

Sara Jane Jacobs, December 1

Connie’s History Classroom, December 2

Splashes of Joy, December 3

Bizwings Blog, December 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jenny is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card, a copy of Blue Moon, and a pair of earrings reflecting Blue Moon’s theme!!

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/103ed/blue-moon-celebration-tour-giveaway

Trouble Blows West

Putting her body in motion before her brain is in gear creates a mountain of problems for 12 year-old Ginnie West. She is certain that defending her twin brother, Toran, from the biggest bully in sixth grade was the right thing to do. But Ginnie couldn’t be more wrong. She quickly learns that Toran doesn’t appreciate being rescued by a girl any better than Pierce likes being knocked down by one.

When Pierce seeks revenge on Ginnie, Toran sets aside his anger and helps her plot a payback prank at Pierce’s house. Sadly, Ginnie learns that Pierce has a reason for being a bully when she sees his dad drop him to the floor like a ragdoll. Realizing he’s a boy in big trouble, Ginnie decides to be his ally, because he won’t let her be his friend.

My thoughts: I have enjoyed this series and getting to know the characters! Originally, I had thought that it would be a good series to read with my daughter, but then found that it is geared more towards middle school readers and is best suited for the struggles that some of the kids in that age bracket deal with. The first book dealt some with divorce and an abusive father (though tasteful and not a lot of details), as well as grief and the different ways that people deal with it, while this one deals some with bullying. I love the lessons that Ginnie learns along the way in this series! I look forward to reading the other books.

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

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

When Monique isn’t writing, you can find her playing taxi driver to one or more of her 12 children, plotting her next novel, scrapbooking, or being the “Mamarazzi” at any number of child-oriented events.

Even though she realizes there will never be enough hours in any given day, Monique tries very hard to enjoy the journey that is her life. She shares it with a terrific husband, her dozen children, twelve grand-darlings, too many cats, and many real and imaginary friends. She is the author of several books in three series and hopes to write many more.

More from Monique

Hello Everybody,

I’d like to welcome you to the second book in my Ginnie West Adventure Series: Trouble Blows West. The journey to writing this book started a long time ago as a promise to my high school creative writing teacher, Mrs. Marion Joyce Johnson.

It took me longer than I planned to start the series, but has been a fun adventure.

Because Mrs. Johnson was such an inspiration to me, I made her a character in this book, Trouble Blows West to help my main character, Ginnie, nicknamed, “Trouble”, who gets into quite a pickle and needs a little help turning things around.

On page 2, Ginnie gets on the wrong side of the biggest bully in 6th grade. Pierce Owens goes after Ginnie’s twin brother, Toran. Ginnie knocks Pierce on his rear in front of the entire cafeteria—causing a big problem for Ginnie, Toran, and Pierce.

The bigger problem though, is the reader finds out fairly quickly that Pierce is being abused at home. Ginnie and Toran don’t find out right away—but when they do, they decide to be Pierce’s ally—because Pierce won’t let them be his friend.

My real-life teacher, Mrs. Johnson, used to speak with a cockney accent on occasion. She is American born, but was stationed in the United Kingdom with her husband and two sons, one of which is Astronaut, Col. (Retired USAF) Gregory H. Johnson, who piloted the Space Shuttle Endeavor twice.

I reached out to Greg earlier this year and he graciously met me on a zoom and has called and texted with me as I have revamped Trouble Blows West, into an audiobook with my very talented narrator, Hillary Straga. We decided to have Mrs. Johnson, the character, voiced with a cockney accent to make her “pop.”

Greg, his brother, Gary, and I talked on a number of occasions as I edited this book to make the character, Mrs. Johnson, an even more authentic representation of their mother. Part of that story is told in my expanded dedication of the book to Mrs. Johnson as well as in Col. Greg Johnson’s Foreword at the beginning of the book.

Trouble Blows West explores the hard reality of child abuse in an age appropriate way. Several teachers have read this book with their classrooms and shared with me that they have had great conversations on all aspects of bullying and being bullied, as well as what to do if you suspect someone is being abused.

As a former foster mom of over 100 kids, part of the reason I write the Ginnie West series is to empower kids being abused as well as encourage kids and adults alike to know they have the power to change their own stars.

My hope is that the story presented in Trouble Blows West will spark the courage some need to let their voice be heard, to make a difference in their own life, or in the life of someone who needs some help.

And believe it or not, kindness and humor are powerful tools that make life worth living. If you have to choose between being kind or being right, choose kindness.

Laugh lots, love much, write on!

Monique Bucheger

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 20

Blogging With Carol, November 20

Texas Book-aholic, November 21

Inklings and notions, November 22

Artistic Nobody, November 23 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 24

For Him and My Family, November 25

21st Century Keeper at Home, November 25

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 26

Through the Fire Blogs, November 27

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 28

deb’s Book Review, November 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 30

Mary Hake, November 30

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

Ashley’s Bookshelf, December 2

Vicky Sluiter, December 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Monique is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, or Kobo 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/103ef/trouble-blows-west-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Georgia Ann, English Rose

Two Charles Town men love Georgia Ann Cooper—Samuel Vargas and his step-brother, Joshua Becket—but only one both attracts and infuriates her. Even though he’s a dangerous budding patriot and a privateer—or more likely pirate—Samuel fills her dreams and waking moments. When he leaves Charles Town for high sea adventure on the legendary Spice Trail, she determines to push him out of her thoughts and her graces. A task made slightly easier when she sets out on her own journey to accompany her father on one of his merchant trips to the Mediterranean.

Samuel Vargas is determined to make his own way in the world, not live in the glow of his parents’ escapades throughout Charles Town and the seas surrounding the Spanish Main. There’s no better place to earn his fortune than the Spice Trail. But the adventure becomes more than he bargained for when he stumbles across a familiar face from Charles Town in Tripoli, and he’s forced to use all his abilities to save the life of the woman he’s been trying to forget.

As their paths intertwine on a journey filled with Barbary pirates, intrigue, and romance, only love and the grace of God can overcome the past and ignite a new beginning for Georgia Ann and Samuel.

My thoughts: I'm not usually a huge fan of love triangles, but it worked with this one for me, since there is more going on to the story. Even though Samuel has won her heart, when he leaves to make his fortune and it assumed to have died, Georgia Ann must continue on with her life. When plans go awry, there is a decision to be made.

I thought that the historical side of this story was fascinating! I enjoyed learning more about what it might of been like to live during this time period.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

Elva Cobb Martin is a wife, mother, and grandmother who lives in South Carolina with her husband and a mini-dachshund. A life-long student of history, her favorite city, Charleston, inspires her stories of romance and adventure. Her love of writing grew out of a desire to share exciting stories of courageous characters and communicate truths of the Christian faith to bring hope and encouragement. Connect with her on her web site at http://www.elvamartin.com.

More from Elva

Georgia Ann (& the Spice Trade) – Book 2 in my Charleston Brides Series

I enjoy researching material to make my novels richer and help readers learn something new while enjoying my Christian historical romances. In Georgia Ann, my hero, Samuel Vargas, sails off to make his fortune in spices we take for granted in our kitchens today. I loved doing the research about this flavorful commodity.

The Spice Islands are actually called the Maluku Islands and they lie in the Indonesian Pacific archipelago, north of Australia and south of Thailand and China.

The history of spices reveals a hazardous, exciting tale spread over centuries of daring, courage and greed and many countries and oceans.

The spice trade actually drove the world’s economy from the end of the Middle Ages well into modern times. But the economical importance of spices, recorded in the history of Kerala, referred to as “The Spice Garden of India,” goes back as far as 3000 BC which marks the beginning of the spice trade.

Wars have been fought on land and sea and nations have been made wealthy (and at least one annihilated) in the battle for control of the spice trade.

Nutmeg and New York

The spice trade brought great riches to Arab, Indian, Venetian, Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish traders. It once brought death to residents of the Banda Spice Islands over a nutmeg monopoly. In 1603 the Dutch East India Company (known as VOC) ousted the Portuguese control of nutmeg on these islands.

Here’s an interesting tidbit in the history of nutmeg. The English fought the Dutch over control of this spice. England finally handed their island of Rhun over to the Dutch in exchange for a swampy island trading post in North America, an unattractive property known then as New Amsterdam; today as Manhattan Island!

The search for cinnamon, ginger, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, cassia, in the ancient world gave rise to unbelievable tales. To satisfy the curious, to protect their market, and to discourage competitors the spice-source countries like India and Asia spread fantasy tales of danger, magic, strange animals, and snake-infested glens. Sinbad the Sailor stories grew out of this mindset.

For us in the USA, another most important fact stands out about the Spice Trade, besides it being involved in the trade for Manhattan Island. The Americas were discovered (1492) due to Spain sending Columbus to find a western route to India (from the Atlantic to the Pacific) to reap in the rewards for these valuable spices desired by all Europe.

The danger-fraught routes at that time (1400’s) from Europe were through the Mediterranean and Egypt (Alexandria) overland to the Red Sea and down the Persian Gulf, then sailing over the Indian Ocean to India, and to the Spice Islands.

Cloves

A native tradition of the Spice Islands was to plant a clove tree at a child’s birth, symbolically linking the child to the tree’s life.

The clove tree is an evergreen that grows up to twelve feet tall with large glossy leaves and crimson flowers in clusters that when ripe and dried become the cloves like we use in cooking.

Today, spices are grown in many countries other than the Spice Islands that have temperate climates.

The World’s Three Most Traded Spices Today

Pepper, vanilla, and ginger are spicing up lives and economies. Millions of dollars are earned in sales. Pepper is exported by Viet Nam, India, and China. Vanilla comes from mainly Madagascar, Indonesia, and Mauritius. Main exporters of ginger are China and the Netherlands.

And one last spicy tidbit: The United States leads the world in spice consumption and imports.

Hope I haven’t bored you, but I love discovering history like this and sowing bits into my novels.

Thanks for stopping by. And remember when you use cloves again to stick in that ham, or use the powdered form in an apple pie—a lot of “stuff” happened over centuries to get this spice so readily available in your kitchen.

Elva Cobb Martin

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 19

Simple Harvest Reads, November 19 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Inklings and notions, November 20

For Him and My Family, November 21

Texas Book-aholic, November 22

deb’s Book Review, November 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 24

Betti Mace, November 25

Labor Not in Vain , November 25

Daysong Reflections, November 26

Artistic Nobody, November 27 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Connie’s History Classroom, November 28

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 29

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 2

Connect in Fiction , December 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elva is giving away the grand prize of a $50 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/103eb/georgia-ann-english-rose-celebration-tour-giveaway

Watercolors

Strong-willed watercolor artist Amelia York thought she could paint the scenes of her own life – that is until she finds herself responsible for getting her brother, a paralyzed war veteran, home to Iowa and must deal with the moody Army captain God has painted into her life.

Captain Braedon McCrae is ruled by honor and a strong sense of duty. Still, the deaths of two people close to him have left him angry at God and vowing to never love again.

After a steamboat incident forces Amelia and Braedon to marry, Amelia must decide if she will accept Braedon’s offer of an annulment or keep the sacred vows she made before God.

The more Amelia attempts to control her future, the more she muddies the picture, like watercolors in the hand of a child. Can she learn to love, respect, and trust a man she barely knows?

My thoughts: I recently read a history lesson aloud to my children that had to do with the Civil War, and it hit me just how hard it must of been both during and immediately following the war to deal with a nation that was so divided. It was cited that Abraham Lincoln was accused of being to lenient towards the Southern POW, but I can imagine that it would be hard not to be, since they are still your countrymen.

But, I digress. I have enjoyed this series and the variety of stories that it has brought to my attention! It's fun to have different authors write the books, since there are so many different styles. I enjoyed what Lorna Seilstad brought to the series, with this story of history and suspense. This book showcases a unique time in history with some delightful characters. I highly recommend picking up a copy!

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

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

The Gene

We are the dwelling place of God—it is woven into our very DNA. Do we change the core of who we are by manipulating our genes? Is gene-therapy a miraculous cure or a slippery slope into eugenics?

Following their marriage, Dr. Nicklaus Hart and Maggie Russell enjoy the splendor and passion of a honeymoon in Hawaii. They learn that their union has brought new life, but the overflowing joy of Maggie’s pregnancy and their romantic getaway is interrupted by the shocking news of a genetic disorder discovered in Maggie’s family lineage. The devastating possibility that both Maggie and the baby carry the mutated gene for the horrific Huntington’s disease, shakes their faith.

Faced with this dreadful diagnosis, Nick and Maggie seek peace as they wrestle with the heartbreaking discovery of a genetic disease versus the knowledge that God is good—He has made their baby in His image and knit him together in Maggie’s womb. Like the millions of people around the world affected with genetic disorders, Nick and Maggie look for answers. With the belief that people are the dwelling place of God, and He is woven into the DNA, what should they do when that DNA has been corrupted?

Nick and Maggie travel to Poland, where the top geneticist, Emmanuelle Christianson, has founded and operates BioGenics whose mission statement is: Advancing the Human Genome. They understand that medical advances always cost something, but they face impossible decisions. They are unaware that the sinister side of genetic research has slithered in from the horrors of Nazi death camps into this modern-day technology. Their journey reveals more than the fight for knowledge, it uncovers a simmering evil left over from World War II. One that puts their lives in danger.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this medical thriller! The story of Nick and Maggie is well written and kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen to the newly wed couple. I can only imagine the feelings that would come from having a genetic disease and seeing those you love suffer from it and know that your own children may have to deal with the side effects of something like Huntington's. I loved the twists and turns that came with this story! It is an excellent one with plenty of surprises.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

Timothy Browne, MD draws from life and work experience when writing. For many years, he has worked as an orthopaedic surgeon and medical missionary for Operation Blessing, Mercy Ships, and Hope Force International. His work has taken him to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Brazil, Ukraine, Borneo, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, North Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Haiti and Sierra Leone. He now resides in Western Montana with his wife, Julie, who along with their three sons, served with him.

More from Timothy

Christian Fiction that will get your heart pounding!

After finishing, The Gene, the fourth book in the Dr. Nicklaus Hart Series, I have been able to look back at this body of work. The heart of my prose remains the same: to entertain and educate—fueled with imagination, inspired by history, and grounded in truth. I explored the mystery of North Korea and the threat of bioterrorism in Maya Hope, the complexities of the middle East and the history of Mesopotamia in The Tree of Life, the controversies of Big Pharma and our health in The Rusted Scalpel, and now examine the history of eugenics and the pitfalls of gene-therapy in The Gene.

Writing The Gene has taken significant research: exploration of Poland, investigation of the Nazi doctors and their horrendous medical experiments, the history of eugenics around the world, and of course, the science of genetics. The work has been satisfying, edifying, and many times, heartbreaking.