Feebs to the Rescue

 

Can a kitten help a dog in trouble? She can if she has compassion and courage! Even though she’s new to the farm, Feebs’ willingness to help Ollie outweighs her fear of being in a new place, alone, and at night. She leads a rescue after a storm causes a branch to break, fall, and pin poor Ollie to the ground. She’s awarded an awesome red “bandana” which shows she’s part of the bandana buddies – a club created by Maddie for the animals as they learn important lessons or show valuable friendship qualities. Feebs is introduced to a new friend the next day: a barn owl.

 My thoughts: My children and I enjoyed this book and reading about the adventures of Feebs. I love how this series uses animals to teach valuable lessons. This book was all about overcoming fears, since Feebs has to learn courage when she is put in a situation where she must save her friend. This is a delightful series for children and parents alike!

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

Click here to get your copy! This post contains affiliate links.

 

About the Author

After the passing of my parents, I re-evaluated what I was doing with my life and my contribution to others. A former classroom teacher and homeschool mom, I’ve always had a heart for educating kids. In 2016 my daughter and I attended a local arts and crafts fair where I stumbled upon some cute children’s art and thought, “That’s what I can do! Write children’s books.” I set my mission. I would do my best to affect our youth through wonderful stories full of timeless character struggles.

 

More from Kathy

What do your kids say courage is? Is it bravery in times of trouble? What does that look like? Do they have it? Feebs is a kitten, new to the farm, and timid. She befriends Ollie, the farm dog, and they go on an excursion to find his lost bone. Unfortunately, they wander too far and the weather turns stormy. Ollie becomes trapped by a log and it’s up to Feebs to find her way back to the farmhouse to get help. (Sort of like a reverse Lassie episode!)

Special things about this book (and series) include:

1. Proven easy-to-read font for early readers (Sassoon Primary)
2. In full-color with original watercolor artwork.
3. Leveled by Lexile and Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) for dialing in to your child’s reading level.
4. Red words are the character’s inside thoughts (rather than italics, which I thought would be harder to read). Kids enjoy the color. In fact, struggling readers love to read just the colored parts to start – and then want to continue reading! (Each book has its own color for this.)
5. A glossary of newer words with definitions.
6. A “What If” section for discussion with five questions about the story, and five questions of how the theme plays out in real life. (Parents and teachers love these books!)
7. Feebs to the Rescue is available in hardcover, softcover, ebook, audiobook, and even a read-along (combined ebook/audio/video). Help your kids learn to read with this fun story and cute watercolor illustrations. This early reader chapter book is perfect for ages 5-8 and can usually be read alone by 2nd or 3rd grades.

Blog Stops

deb’s Book Review, August 6

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 7

Blogging With Carol, August 7

Inklings and notions, August 8

For Him and My Family, August 9

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 10

Older & Smarter?, August 11

Texas Book-aholic, August 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 13

Remembrancy, August 13

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 14

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 16

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 17

Mary Hake, August 17

Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 18

Vicky Sluiter, August 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy 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/111b2/bandana-acres-feebs-to-the-rescue-celebration-tour-giveaway

Dual Power of Convenience

 

All they wanted was a happily-never-after.

When Richard Danforth inherits the family estate on Merriweather Island, he doesn’t have time to deal with it – especially not from halfway across the globe. He’s too busy working to become the world’s newest billionaire and avoiding the women who would detract him from his goals.

Enter Lyla Santana. Fresh out of Oxford University with a degree in antiques and a relationship that nearly killed her to leave, she’s eager for the isolation and treasure trove that is Danforth Hall. Lyla also is determined to avoid men at all costs. Forever.

It was supposed to be a match made on paper. With him halfway across the globe, they’d never have to see each other again.

So, what’s Richard doing on Merriweather just weeks after the wedding? And how will his arrival test Lyla’s faith, not to mention stretch their so-called relationship?

In a twist on billionaire romance and marriage of convenience, this Merriweather book kicks off a new series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Island Series: Beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

 My thoughts: This story is so much fun! I love that it is a billionaire story that meets marriage of convenience! I don't generally care for billionaire romances, but I loved this one, because it was so unique! Chautona does a wonderful job of kicking this series off with her wonderful character and faith filled story. This is an excellent story to pick up and enjoy. Christa does a great job bringing the story to life with her voice as she reads! 

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

Click here to get your copy! This post contains affiliate links.

 

About the Author & Narrator

Chautona Havig

Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

 

 

 

Christa DelSorbo

“The voice of a friend.”

Christa has a great sense of humor and extensive experience with accents, particularly those of the Southern United States and Great Britain. Her most recent credits include: local live musical theatre actress and choreographer, regional radio commercial voice actress, and speaker for national business

 

 

More from Christa

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 5

Blogging With Carol, August 5

Remembrancy, August 6

Inklings and notions, August 7

For Him and My Family, August 8

Batya’s Bits, August 8

deb’s Book Review, August 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 10

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 12

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 13

Pick a good book, August 13

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 15

Splashes of Joy, August 16

Britt Reads Fiction, August 17

Mary Hake, August 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Christa is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book in reader’s choice of format!!

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/111ae/dual-power-of-convenience-audiobook-celebration-tour-giveaway

Shadow

 

Peter Pan has crash-landed back on Neverland. But this is not the island he remembers.

Desperate to rescue Claire and the fractured Lost Boys, Peter must unravel what truly tore his dreamland apart. But with each step, he is haunted by more of his own broken memories. Not even Pan himself is what he seems.

Claire Kenton is chained to a pirate ship, watching the wreckage of Neverland rocked by tempests. When she finally finds her brother, Connor is every bit as shattered as the island. Claire may have pixie dust flowing in her veins—but the light of Neverland is flickering dangerously close to going out forever.

To rescue Neverland from the inescapable shadow, the boy who never grew up and the girl who grew up too fast will have to sacrifice the only thing they have left: each other.

 My thoughts: While I liked Dust, I felt like there were more questions than answers by the end of the story. So, I was thrilled to get a copy of Shadow, since Kara Swanson does a wonderful job of filling in those missing pieces! I enjoyed the chance to visit Neverland and how we get to meet more of the characters from Peter Pan. Kara does a fantastic job with the world building and bringing Neverland to life. This is a beautiful story of light and darkness. I highly recommend picking this duology up!

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

Click here to get your copy! This post contains affiliate links.

 

About the Author

As the daughter of missionaries, Kara Swanson spent her childhood running barefoot through the lush jungles of Papua New Guinea. Able to relate with characters dropped into a unique new world, she quickly fell in love with the fantasy genre. The award-winning author of The Girl Who Could See, Kara is passionate about crafting stories of light shattering darkness, connecting with readers, and becoming best friends with a mermaid—though not necessarily in that order. Kara chats about coffee, fairytales and bookish things online (@karaswansonauthor) and at karaswanson.com.

 

More from Kara

One of my favorite CS Lewis quotes is this:

“Some day you’ll be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

There’s something subtly profound about the idea that the very stories which captivate our imagination and shape our perspective on good and evil as children, will reveal more gems when we return to them later. When we’ve conquered some dragons of our own.

 

This was especially true when I write my Peter Pan retelling duology Dust and Shadow. These YA novels literally return to a fairy tale. I took a familiar story and dug even deeper, pushing Peter himself to grow a little more and see what new bits of pixie dust and hope there may be in a familiar story.

 

But there is another reason why our hearts gravitate toward fairy tales.

 

I think GK Chesterton put it brilliantly in a quote that is actually at the very front of Shadow:

 

“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”

 

Because maybe even more than being reminded of the whimsy of a fairy, we need the reminder that even in a world filled with dragons – they can be killed.

 

We can conquer.

 

And that simple truth, told a hundred different ways, will always lift our hearts and our chins.

 

Shadow was not an easy book to write – and it is not a particularly lighthearted tale. It is raw and vulnerable and at times lives up to it’s title in some darker moments. But there is always a sense of courage there too. A reminder that even in the shadowed places, the valleys, the instances that steal our breath and twist our hearts and make us wonder if all is lost –

 

There is another page to turn. Another step to take.

 

We are not finished.

 

No matter how young we are, we can strap on our armor, lift our swords, and fight for the light.

 

We are not overcome because our strength does not come from us.

 

It comes from our King.

 

And in the end, He will make all wrongs right, and there will be a happy ending to our tale, even if it may not be the ending we expect.

 

Because it may not be easy to slay the dragon, but as the fairy tales do remind us –

 

The important thing is that they can be slain.

Blog Stops

Babbling Beck L’s Book Impressions, July 31

Inside the Wong Mind, July 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 31

The Write Escape, August 1

Remembrancy, August 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 2

Connect in Fiction, August 2

Blossoms and Blessings, August 2

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 3

Texas Book-aholic, August 3

Where Faith and Books Meet, August 4

Losing the Busyness, August 4

For the Love of Literature, August 4

Worthy2Read, August 5

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, August 5

Wishful Endings, August 5

Inklings and notions, August 6

Mia Reads, August 6

For Him and My Family, August 7

Sodbusterliving, August 7

Mary Hake, August 7

deb’s Book Review, August 8

Nancy E Wood, August 8

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 9

Through the Fire Blogs, August 10

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 10

Artistic Nobody, August 10 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 11

Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 11

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 12

Simple Harvest Reads, August 12 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

The Book Chic Blog, August 12

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 13

Labor Not in Vain, August 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kara Swanson 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/110e4/shadow-celebration-tour-giveaway

Written in Ink

How was he supposed to go on living his life, pretending everything was okay, when nothing was okay anymore? Check out this second installment of The Rose Tattoo Trilogy, Written in Ink by Sara Davison, published as part of The Mosaic Collection. Purchase la copy here: https://amzn.to/2Vh0mJv (affiliate)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dr. Renee Dawson and Cash McCall have loved each other for half their lives, but an agonizing decision has forced her to shatter his heart. And her own. Now Renee has seen something she was not supposed to see, and suddenly she has become the target of a terrorist organization. If Cash can't get to her in time, Renee—and the future they have always envisioned together—could be lost forever.

@davisonsara #justreadtours #WrittenInInk #TheRoseTattooTrilogy #SaraDavison #MosaicCollection #romanticsuspense

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSLcWv_Nm0c/

Dangerous Amish Showdown

 

From USA TODAY Bestselling Author Mary Alford

Under siege in Amish country…

She must fight for their lives. 

Gunshots shatter Willa Lambright’s placid Montana evening—and that’s before she discovers on-the-run lawman Mason Shetler on her doorstep. Willa hadn’t glimpsed her childhood friend since he’d turned his back on Amish country years before. Now the US marshal’s returned with an injured partner, a young witness he must protect at all costs…and vicious Mafia agents dead set on making sure none of them survive.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Pre-order your copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Excerpt from the book: 

Mason’s hands tightened on the wheel while his mind went to work. At one time, he knew the area surrounding the West Kootenai Amish community better than anywhere else in the world. The remoteness of the landscape near the mountains had been the main reason he’d chosen it to keep Samantha hidden until the trial. He planned to reach out to the sheriff once they were closer to Eagle’s Nest. 

“It’s pretty isolated here,” he recalled from childhood memories. “Seems strange there’d be another traveler at this time of the night.” The words barely cleared his mouth when another pair of lights topped the hill in front of them. 

The digital clock on the dash registered the time. Just past two in the morning. They had been driving for hours without any sign of another vehicle. Now, two at the same time approaching from opposite directions. The hairs on the back of Mason’s neck stood at attention. If these were Bartelli’s men, they’d somehow managed to track them down and were moving in for the kill. They’d box Mason off, force the car off the road and eliminate everyone inside because that was Bartelli’s MO. Leave no witness behind however young or innocent.