Saturday, February 6, 2021

Faith's Mountain Home

 


Nate Long has always watched over his identical twin brother, Aaron, even when it put him on the wrong side of the law. When Aaron is wounded in a shootout, the brothers are taken to Settler’s Fort to recover. As Nate works to make reparations for their past, he marvels at the nursing Aaron receives under the care of a woman with all the reason in the world to resent him.

Laura Hannon knows what it is to start over, and she knows Nate’s newfound faith is real. What she can’t look past is how far he allowed himself to be led astray by his brother’s weaknesses.

As a fledgling trust grows between Nate and Laura, they stumble upon a mysterious cave in the mountains that may not be as uninhabited as it seems.

As they work together for a common cause, will the new lives they seek for themselves include love, or is there too much that stands between them?

My thoughts: I enjoyed returning to this series with Faith's Mountain Home! The author does  fantastic job of bringing the characters and history to life, with little tidbits of history thrown into her stories that I look forward to. I thought that this story was fantastic, with the unusual setting the characters find themselves in. I can imagine what it would be like to be in Nate's shoes, with being close to your sibling and wanting to keep them out of harm, even when they make poor decisions. I liked the bit of suspense this story has! This is an excellent historical fiction series to pick up! While you can enjoy this book as a stand alone, I would recommend reading the series in order to get the full scope of things.

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

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

Misty-M.-Beller-photo-1-768x694Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

 

More from Misty

Who doesn’t love a good cave?

Well, maybe not everyone, but I have to confess, I love exploring!

While there aren’t many caves near my South Carolina home, I’ve always loved the idea of finding an opening hidden in the rocks. Then venturing in and finding a huge cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites and a host of other beauties I can’t pronounce!

And dark tunnels? As long as I have a light and a string to unravel as I go so I can get back out, I’m game!

Unfortunately, I’ve never found a large cave in real life that had never been explored, but in Faith’s Mountain Home, Nate and Laura found exactly that! Although…turns out, it had been discovered by someone already. I won’t give you (too many) spoilers, but let me just tell you there’s a precocious Native American girl involved, and a few other things not so delightful.

The good news is, you can enjoy the story without actually entering the pitch black cavern!

Last summer, I had the opportunity to tour a cave with many features like Nate and Laura discovered in their hidden cave. The Caverns of Sonora in Sonora, Texas was a fantastic experience! As you can imagine, it’s hard to get good pictures in solid darkness, but here are a few of the amazing formations still growing in those two miles of underground tunnels.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 26

Artistic Nobody, January 26 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Connie’s History Classroom, January 27

Bigreadersite, January 27

Jeanette’s Thoughts, January 27

Betti Mace, January 28

Connect in Fiction, January 28

Texas Book-aholic, January 28

Lighthouse Academy Blog, January 29 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

lakesidelivingsite, January 29

Bizwings Blog, January 29

Through the Fire Blogs, January 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 31

Fiction Book Lover, January 31 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Inspiration Clothesline, January 31

Wishful Endings, February 1

Life of Literature, February 1

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, February 1

deb’s Book Review, February 2

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, February 2

Blossoms and Blessings, February 2

For Him and My Family, February 3

Splashes of Joy , February 3

Simple Harvest Reads, February 3 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Blessed & Bookish, February 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 4

To Everything There Is A Season, February 4

Older & Smarter?, February 5

Sara Jane Jacobs, February 5

Pause for Tales, February 5

For the Love of Literature, February 6

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 6

Remembrancy, February 7

Inklings and notions, February 7

Hallie Reads, February 7

She Lives To Read, February 8

HookMeInABook, February 8

Genesis 5020, February 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize package of the entire Hearts of Montana series, plus a “Faith Moves Mountain” sign!! (See Here: https://etsy.me/2JjZAVV)

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/1062c/faith-s-mountain-home-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, February 5, 2021

Amelia's Heartsong

 


Richmond high society isn’t at all what she expected, neither is the man who’s captured her heart. 

Amelia Williams is only a humble farmer’s daughter, so her move from the Shenandoah Valley to stay with her grandparents in the big city of Richmond, Virginia opens a host of new opportunities. 1868 is shaping up to be her best year ever, especially when her new friendship with the genteel Bryon Preston grows into more. But when his mother catches wind of their courtship, Amelia learns the hard lesson that her humble roots will never be enough for the future Preston heir. Love might not see boundaries between the aristocrat and the pauper, but the high society of Richmond surely do.

Reeling from the pain of half-truths and broken promises, Amelia packs her heart away. Life will be much safer if she pours her focus into nursing. Yet, like a beautiful tapestry, God weaves Bryon back into her life. When her nursing duties bring her face to face with the pain of her past, is it too late to stitch the threads of trust and love back together?

My thoughts: When unpleasant circumstances drive Amelia away from home and into the big city life in Richmond, she is little prepared for dealing with the different layers of society. When she falls for a wealthy young man, she little realizes the heartbreak she is in for when his parents discover her humble beginnings.

I enjoyed this story and the many layers to it. I also loved that we get more of Katherine's story since the first book in the series, Katherine's Arrangement. I felt like you don't need to read the books in order to enjoy this story, though it does help to read the first book before this one to know more about Katherine. 

This is a delightful series to pick up and enjoy!

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

Blossom Turner_smallBlossom Turner is a free-lance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, an avid blogger, and published novelist. Her authentic understanding of the power of love in the darkest of circumstances is woven masterfully through her first novel Anna’s Secret (a contemporary romance), in book one of the Shenandoah Brides series, Katherine’s Arrangement and again in this second book, Amelia’s Heartsong. Being a hopeless romantic, Blossom, endeavors to give you, the reader, entertainment value with an inspirational twist. She and her husband, David, have two grown children and live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Read more at blossomturner.com.

 

More from Blossom

Are You a Romance Reader Like I Am?

Long before I even knew I could write, I loved to read. Being a hopeless romantic I gravitated to all romance stories either contemporary or historical. I soon realized that finding clean fiction but still written with the passion of love that God created humans for, was hard to find. (Just read Song of Solomon, God was not afraid to express passion without being explicit.)

Given the gift of a writing career later in life one thing was for sure…I wanted to write clean romance, with a Godly message, but realistic romance depicting real passion. My favorite theme was an arranged marriage…so birthed the first book of the Shenandoah Brides that has now morphed into a series of 5 sisters and their 5 love stories. February 4th 2020 is launch day for book two called Amelia’s Heartsong. Every six months, another book in the series will be available.

Where-as book one was set in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, post-civil war, Amelia’s story takes place in the big city of Richmond Virginia where balls, debutants, pomp and circumstance matter. Though Amelia has aristocratic roots, she has been raised a farmer’s daughter and has much to learn about the ways of this much different and often unkind world.

However, Amelia is not easily dissuaded, especially when the handsome Bryon Preston comes calling. Born to please with a genteel personality and quick mind she throws herself into this new life, far from the corn fields of the Shenandoah Valley and a recent heart break. Finding love with the goal of being a mother and wife consume her days until…heart break finds her once again. Seems there are those who cannot abide the notion that not all are born into privilege. They demand those lines are clearly drawn and absolute.

Amelia surprises everyone including herself when she finds that she is far more capable than she gave herself credit for. Nursing becomes her new trusty love, one that will not let her down. Will Bryon and Amelia ever find their way back together?

Although this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, if you read book one and wondered what happened to the handsome Colby, there is a surprise awaiting you.

Writing historical fiction is my new passion. At the ripe old age of 58, I finally know what I was born to do.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed the write. I love to hear from my readers. Contact me at http://blossomturner.com

Blog Stops

Connie’s History Classroom, February 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 4

Artistic Nobody, February 5 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Inklings and notions, February 6

Sara Jane Jacobs, February 7

Splashes of Joy, February 8

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 8

Texas Book-aholic, February 9

For Him and My Family, February 10

deb’s Book Review, February 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 12

Simple Harvest Reads, February 13 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

CarpeDiem, February 14

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, February 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Blossom 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/1068e/amelia-s-heartsong-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Driven

Driven JustRead Blog + Review Tour 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Driven by Sara Davison, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Driven

Title: Driven 
Series: Night Guardians #3
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: February 1, 2021
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Children aren’t the only ones who can disappear. 

Driven by ongoing grief and relentless dreams, Holden Kelly is determined to track down the child his brother Gage abducted eight years earlier. The kidnapping that saved Matthew Gibson’s life had cost Gage his. Proving his brother hadn’t sacrificed his life for nothing might be the only way Holden can start fully living his again. And it could be the last chance he has to find his way back to the wife he loves but who is also mired in grief and a crisis of faith. 

Mikayla Grant has nightmares of her own. A road trip with private investigator Jax Rodriguez—a man she is drawn to even though his primary goal seems to be to drive her crazy—can’t be the way to heal from a terrible loss. Can it? 

 As Holden, Mikayla, and Jax follow the missing child’s trail from Toronto to Chicago, their mission is not as secret as they thought. Someone knows they are coming and will stop at nothing to prevent them from finding Matthew. 

And to make sure that no one ever hears from the three of them again.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | BookBub

My thoughts: This book starts off at a fast pace, and doesn't let up until the last page! I would recommend reading the series in order, so you know the back story to some of the characters. 

Having lost children through miscarriage, I could relate to the anguish that Christina and Holden suffer at the beginning of the story, through losing a child of their own. To add to the heartache, Holden has a reoccurring nightmare involving a child and not being able to save them in time. 

As the stories intertwined, they reveal a beautiful story of  love, grief, and grace. The author does a wonderful job of handling the touch subjects and offering hope through this story. 

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


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Davison

Sara Davison is the author of three romantic suspense series—The Seven Trilogy, The Night Guardians, and The Rose Tattoo Trilogy. She has been a finalist for ten national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol, a Selah, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children. The words on the mug she uses every morning pretty much sum up her life—I just want to sleep, drink coffee, and make stuff up. Get to know Sara better at www.saradavison.org and @sarajdavison.

CONNECT WITH SARA: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Driven and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!

Driven JustRead Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 1, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 8, 2021. 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 the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


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

JustRead Publicity Tours 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Endless Mercy

 


Madysen Powell has always been a forgiving person, but when her supposedly dead father shows up in Nome, Alaska, her gift for forgiveness is tested. With the recent loss of her mother, she searches for answers, leaning on Granny Beaufort, a neighbor in town, who listens with a kind heart. Still, Madysen is restless and dreams of performing her music around the world. The arrival of a traveling show could prove just the chance she needs, and the manager promises more than she ever dreamed.

Daniel Beaufort arrives in Nome, searching for his own answers after the gold rush leaves him with only empty pockets. Still angry about the death of his loved ones, he longs to start fresh but doesn’t have high hopes until he ends up helping at the Powell dairy making cheese. Drawn to the beautiful redhead with big dreams, will deceptions from the past tear apart any hope for the future?

My thoughts: First off, the cover of this book is so pretty, with all the beautiful green! You can tell I'm ready for Spring, since it made my heart happy to have this book in my pile. I enjoyed the unusual setting, since I have never read a book set in Nome, Alaska. While this is part of a series and I probably missed some things due to not reading the first book in the series, I felt like Endless Mercy does a good job of standing on it's own. From the get go, with a scene from Madysen's youth, the story drew me in. This is a delightful work of historical fiction to pick up! 

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 Authors

Tracie_PetersonTracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the award-winning author of over 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.

 

 

 

 

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Kimberley Woodhouse (www.kimberleywoodhouse.com) is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than fifteen fiction and nonfiction books. A popular speaker and teacher, she’s shared her theme of “Joy Through Trials” with more than half a million people across the country at more than 2,000 events. Kim and her incredible husband of twenty-five-plus years have two adult children. She’s passionate about music and Bible study and loves the gift of story.

 

 

 

 

 

More from Kim

It’s so exciting for book two in our Treasures of Nome series, Endless Mercy, to be heading out into the world! Tracie and I are so thrilled to bring you another story set in Nome, Alaska. And isn’t that cover gorgeous? Bethany House does such an amazing job with our books, it is an absolute joy to get to work with them.

In book one, Forever Hidden, we are introduced to three sisters and their family (and farm) in Nome. Forever Hidden is Havyn’s story. And did I mention there are chickens? Check out my blog for some interesting pictures and stories about how these chicken stories came to be…

Book two, Endless Mercy, is Madysen’s story. Madysen is the youngest sibling, and in our story, she’s a talented cello player. Oh, and there are some sheep, who just might help get her into mischief. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)

Book three will release January 2022 and will finish out the Powell girls’ stories with the eldest, Whitney.

This series is very near and dear to us because the Powell sisters in the books are actually named after three beautiful girls we adore. They were music students of mine in Colorado and when Tracie and I had a book signing for In the Shadow of Denali, the red-headed, musical sisters all came. Tracie made the comment that someone should write a book about them…so of course…we did!

I wish you could hear the girls play and sing in real life. They are such talented musicians, and I love them dearly. Huge thanks go to Monica and Merle Powell for allowing us to take their three girls and make fictional characters out of them.

Here’s a picture of Monica with me and Tracie at a book signing years ago. And then of course, I had to put in a picture of the real Powell girls.

We’d love for you to join us for The Treasures of Nome. Enjoy the blog tour!

Blog Stops

Through the Fire Blogs, January 25

Connie’s History Classroom, January 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 26

Breny and Books, January 26

Christian Bookaholic, January 27

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 28

Splashes of Joy, January 28

Batya’s Bits, January 28

She Lives to Read, January 29

Sara Jane Jacobs, January 29

Remembrancy, January 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 30

Older & Smarter?, January 31

deb’s Book Review, January 31

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 1

For Him and My Family, February 1

Bigreadersite, February 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 2

Inspiration Clothesline, February 2

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

Empowermoms, February 3

Texas Book-aholic, February 4

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, February 4

Vicky Sluiter, February 4

Inklings and notions, February 5

Daysong Reflections, February 5

The Avid Reader, February 6

Hallie Reads, February 6

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, February 7

Pause for Tales, February 7

Bizwings Blog, February 7

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Kimberley and Tracie are giving away the grand prize package of Forever Hidden, Endless Mercy, and this candle!! (https://etsy.me/2JvrO0a)

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/10686/endless-mercy-celebration-tour-giveaway