Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The Girl with Fire in Her Veins

 

The Girl with Fire in Her Veins JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl with Fire in Her Veins by Dawn Ford, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

The Girl With Fire in Her Veins

Title: The Girl with Fire in Her Veins
Series:
Firebird #2
Author:
Dawn Ford
Publisher:
Expanse Books
Release Date:
April 25, 2023
Genre:
YA Fantasy

Former servant girl Tambrynn struggles with her new firebird abilities, especially the internal fire she cannot control. So, she, along with her Watcher Lucas, and her grandfather Bennett journey to a hidden mountain keep to find the answers she seeks before she sets the kingdom aflame. 

But there’s a new dragon who’s targeting Tambrynn, a mergirl who wishes to manipulate her, and the froggen king, Siltworth, who hasn’t forgotten that Tambrynn destroyed his watery reign. When her father, the evil mage Thoron, attacks someone she loves, Tambrynn’s group is separated and she has to face another powerful foe alone. 

Is she strong enough to withstand the deluge? Or will she drown in the fire and the flood?

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

My thoughts: I enjoyed continuing with Tambrynn on her journey to discover more about her powers and how to use them for good! The story picks up where the last one left off, so it is a series that must be read in order. It's also a series that isn't complete and ends with a cliffhanger, so if you don't like to wait for a series to come out, I would recommend holding off starting this one.

I enjoyed the characters and how well written the world is. It's a wonderful, fantasy style story with plenty of adventure and magical creatures. Tambrynn must learn some discernment, along with figuring out how to use her gift. 
I highly recommend picking this story up!
I received a copy of this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

More Books in this Series

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes


About the Author

Dawn Ford

Dawn Ford writes fantastical YA stories with a fairy tale flair. The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes, formerly Kingdom Come, won the 2016 ACFW Genesis Award for the Speculative genre. Dawn also has a middle-grade twisted fairytale Woodencloak, which is the first of four books in her Band of Unlikely Heroes series. Dawn lives in Iowa with her husband.

Connect with Dawn by visiting dawnfordauthor.com to follow her on social media and sign up for newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(5) winners will receive a signed paperback copy of The Girl with Fire in Her Veins plus a set of either star or flame themed Color Street nail strips chosen at random!

(2) winners will receive a signed copy of The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes along with The Girl with Fire in Her Veins nail strips

The Girl With Fire in Her Veins JustRead Tours giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 29, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 5, 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


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Monday, May 22, 2023

With Every Memory

 


This book is so hard to put down! I loved the premise 

Is the Life She Can't Remember One She'd Rather Forget?

One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her. She is shocked to find that the life she was leading before the accident is unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn't sure she can trust and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room.

For Avery, life stopped when she lost her twin. Now, if she wants to graduate high school, she'll have to accept help from Xander Dixon, her brother's best friend and the boy who relentlessly teased her for years. And if Lori wants to reconnect with her husband, she'll have to grapple with information her brain is trying to keep secret. With every memory that returns, she can't help but wonder if the life she can't remember is one she'd rather forget.of it, how the main character has gone through a traumatic accident and has forgotten the last 8 years, giving herself a chance to reset where her life was heading. It deals with some tough subjects, like grief over losing a child and the feeling that her husband may have been unfaithful before the accident, so some triggers there. Well written! 

I received this book from Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Where Promises Remain spotlight and excerpt

 

Where Promises Remain JustRead Takeover Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for Where Promises Remain by Heidi Chiavaroli, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Where Promises Remain Title: Where Promises Remain 
Series: The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast Series #7 
Author: Heidi Chiavaroli 
Publisher: Hope Creek Publishers 
Release Date: May 16, 2023 Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction 

Hannah Martin thought she was about to have an empty nest . . . until the illegitimate daughter of her late husband shows up on her doorstep. 

Five years after her husband’s death, Hannah Martin runs a successful inn and serves the needy in her community. Despite a house full of guests, she’s worried about the loneliness that will come with an empty nest. Now that no one needs her for anything other than serving her famous five-course breakfasts and retrieving fresh towels, she throws herself into winning Camden’s Hospitality Grant. With the help of the grant, the bed and breakfast will bring in even more customers and Hannah won’t have time to think about what she’s missing. 

But when a handsome lumberjack named Kevin moves in next door, Hannah’s attraction to the widowed bachelor knocks her off-kilter. Just as she begins to think about dating again, a young woman arrives at the bed and breakfast claiming to be the illegitimate daughter of Hannah’s late husband. 

When the Orchard House’s chances at the Hospitality grant is threatened, Hannah's children oppose her "new" daughter moving in, and Kevin’s problems start to bleed over into her own, she must decide what matters most—before she loses the grant, the bed and breakfast’s reputation, and perhaps, her second chance at love. 

This is Book 7 in The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast Series, a contemporary twist on the well-loved classic, Little Women. Readers will fall in love with the Martin family—Maggie, Josie, Lizzie, Bronson, Amie, and their mother Hannah—each trying to find their own way in the world and each discovering that love, home, and hope are closer than they appear.

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

Excerpt: 

“This is the Orchard House Bed and Breakfast. Were you looking for another inn? There’s quite a few in this town.”

“I’m not looking for an inn. I’m actually looking for a person.”

         “Perhaps I can help. It’s a small town.” Eddie whined again and I readjusted the pacifier in his mouth and bounced him a bit more.

         “I’m looking for a man named Amos Martin.”

         I stilled, my mouth suddenly dry. Was this woman a former student, then? Or perhaps someone my late husband had counseled? I hated to be the one to tell her the news.

         I bit my lip before answering. “I’m sorry, but Amos passed. Five years ago, actually.”

         The woman’s mouth fell open. She blinked, shook her head. “No . . . no, he couldn’t have . . .”

         I led the woman to a nearby chair and Lizzie handed her a bottled water.

         “I’m so sorry.” I placed a hand on her thin shoulder. “He touched many lives. Were you a student of his?”

         She looked up at me and piercing brown eyes stared back. All at once, I knew why they were so familiar. But no . . . that was impossible, of course. Amos didn’t have a younger sister, especially not this young. Perhaps she was a relative I’d never met? I bounced Eddie, and Josie came to my side, sliding him from my arms.

“How did you know Amos?” I lowered myself to the chair closest to the young woman.

         “I didn’t know him, actually, although I was hoping to. You see, Amos Martin is—was—my father.”

More Books in this Series

Where Grace Appears Where Hope Begins Where Love Grows Where Memories Await Where Dreams Reside Where Faith Belongs


About the Author

Heidi Chiavaroli

Heidi Chiavaroli is a hope-inspired storyteller writing from the deep curiosity of her own heart. Her debut novel, Freedom's Ring, was a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist, a Romantic Times Top Pick, and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Her second Carol Award-winning novel, The Orchard House, is inspired by the lesser-known events in Louisa May Alcott's life and led her to write The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series, a contemporary twist on Little Women. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Heidi by visiting heidichiavaroli.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive the complete Orchard House Bed and Breakfast Series (7 books) plus $25 gift card to winner's choice bookstore!

Where Promises Remain JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 17, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 24, 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 the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

The Long March Home

 


Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire.

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise--until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history.

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive.

Inspired by true stories, The Long March Home is a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.

My thoughts: This book is a well written, exceptionally researched story about three good friends who find themselves going from serving in the sleepy base near Manilla to being in the middle of the Bataan Death march and enduring the brutality of the Japanese through the course of WWII. It's horrible to read what some of the soldiers went through as POW's. I appreciated how the authors broke up the story with flashbacks to life before the war, through Jimmy's eyes. The heroine could have had more depth to her. And, the authors don't white wash how life in the military can be. I also felt like they handled some sensitive subjects well. Overall, a well written, hard to put down work of historical fiction. 

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

Monday, May 8, 2023

War of Torment

 


The time for peace is over—now he demands vengeance

They followed him back. Against his will, against his intention. Now enemies threaten from every direction. Amidst it all Marco Dusan struggles to lead his people, to help them survive, even mayhap win the war. He will take any advantage to even the odds. But only after tragedy strikes does he learn just how much he’s willing to sacrifice.

He’s not alone. Droserans fight as one, united against the offworlders— Symmachians who covet their planet. With the aid of unexpected allies, the Droserans battle on longer than anyone could have anticipated. Yet they cannot win. And the Faa’Cris, those supernatural warriors, fair of face and fierce of mien, do nothing.

But not all have turned their backs. After a bitter year of pain and loss, Kersei Dragoumis navigates a new heritage, ever intent on defending her people. Like her, light-years away from the Quadrants and even farther from the girl she thought she was, Eija Zacdari must come to terms with a new role. Or, rather, with an ancient one. And her success or failure may determine back in the Quadrants who lives and who dies.

In the end, Marco will have vengeance for the torment brought by this war. No matter the price. Not even if the price is his soul.

 My thoughts: Wow! This saga is intense! Marco has had several prophecies hanging over his head through the course of the story, after discovering who he really is. I wasn't sure how some of those were going to come to be, especially once Isuara enters the picture. I thought that the author handled the natural course of events in the story well. 
I wish that this book came with a list of characters, especially since some of them go by multiple names and that can be hard to follow at times. Especially since the story bounces from several different view points.
While I thought the addition of the Ladies to the story was interesting, I also felt like they were a bit overused. 
Overall though, this is an excellent Sci-Fi series that I enjoyed reading through. I can imagine it would be even better to read it back to back, now that all the books are out!
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

Ronie Kendig is a bestselling, award-winning author of over thirty books. She grew up an Army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband have returned to their beloved Texas after a ten-year stint in the Northeast. They survive on Sonic & Starbucks runs, barbecue, and peach cobbler that they share–sometimes–with Benning the Stealth Golden. Ronie’s degree in psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters.

 

Read an Excerpt

Anticipation tremored in his veins—it had come. The Progenitor’s War had finally arrived.

“Admiral on the bridge!”

“What’s going on? What was that swarm of ships?” Amid grating claxons and pulsing orange lights running around the bulkheads of the Command deck, Fleet Admiral Domitas Deken strode past the offices and conference rooms to the central Command hub of the newly christened Cronus, the flagship of the Symmachian armada. He glared up at the array hovering in the air between him and his handpicked officers, who had been transferred from other ships in the fleet.

“A fleet, sir.” Grim-faced, Captain Lasson Pount stood with the executive officer.

“What fleet?” Domitas demanded. “We have the only fleet in the Quadrants!”

“Unknown, sir.” Commander Wellsey Dimar, onetime XO of the Macedon, recorded the images and waved them to Command. “None we have record of, and the ships are . . .” He frowned at what he saw. “They’re entirely foreign. Fast. Advanced—incredibly so.”

Domitas compared radar to the moments before the arrival of the new ships. “Where’d they come from?”

“As far as we can tell,” Pount said with a shake of his head, “the jumpgate at the Chryzanthe.”

“Can’t be. Baric reported it damaged by that spherical ship.” Never would Domitas forget watching that alien ship explode from the jumpgate and come around, firing. The relay vids of the incident had taken nearly a day to reach the Cronus on its route to Drosero.

“Maybe they slipped through in time?” The captain quirked a blond eyebrow.

“Baric said it was damaged beyond repair,” Dimar noted. “Perhaps the ship came through one of the other Sentinels.”

“They’re not operational yet. With Baric’s flair for the dramatic, it’s possible the Chryzanthe isn’t as damaged as he reported.” Probably wanted a way to keep anyone from nosing into whatever he and that alien were doing. Domitas indicated to the array, then flicked the screen, rolling back the time. “Those ships are moving fast.”

“Like we were standing still,” Dimar noted.

“Any idea where they’re headed?”

“I’ll calculate,” Pount said, tapping on a console, then nodding at the results that splashed through the air between them. “Course and speed suggest a trajectory for Drosero.”

“In fact”—his fingers flew over the console—“the exact same course the first craft took.”

“We think,” Dimar added with a look to Domitas. “The engine signature of the first craft is so slight that, while we can confirm that fleet followed its course, we cannot say if they ended up at the same place.”

Not comforting. “Do we have a lock on the sphere’s final destination?”

“Speculation only, sir.”

Domitas waited for said speculation, and when neither officer expounded, he lifted his brows. “Is there a problem?”

“Pount and Dimar exchanged glances before the XO sighed. “Long-range scans suggest it entered Droseran orbit, but since we have yet to hear from the Damocles, we don’t know if those projections are accurate.”

Drosero. This war sure was waking up the ’verse, wasn’t it?

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 30

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 1 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 1

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 2

Where Faith and Books Meet, May 3

Texas Book-aholic, May 4

Wishful Endings, May 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 7

Mary Hake, May 7

Simple Harvest Reads, May 8 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Inklings and Notions, May 9

Blogging With Carol, May 10

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 11

For Him and My Family, May 12

Rachael’s Inkwell, May 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Ronie is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of War of Torment in Hardcover and $20 Barnes & Noble 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/25ae4/war-of-torment-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, May 4, 2023

A Love Most Precious

 

A Love Most Precious JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Love Most Precious by Anita Higman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

A Love Most Precious

Title: A Love Most Precious: 90 Devotions on the Book of Ruth
Author:
Anita Higman
Publisher:
DaySpring
Release Date:
October 9, 2022
Genre:
Devotional Book

What does true love look like?

The book of Ruth has all the makings of a great love story: a grief stricken past, a homecoming, the challenge to survive, a poor Cinderella who chooses to serve, and an upstanding man of status who notices her. He fights to save her future. This Old Testament Bible story is about a love story far more immense than that of Ruth and Boaz. During this 90-day devotional by Anita Higman, you will be inspired by the heartwarming, true story of Ruth containing priceless gems: the power of an eternal love to redeem a bereaved mother, a foreign widow, a reformed prostitute's son, all God’s people, and yes, even you. God has the power redeem our broken spirits, broken hearts, and broken pasts. Come discover a precious, life-changing love hidden within four illuminating chapters of Scripture that will delight your heart and refresh your soul! It's also the perfect gift for a friend on any occasion.

My thoughts: I did a 6 week study last year on the book of Ruth, which I really enjoyed, so I looked forward to returning to the story with this devotional! I enjoyed the format and how the readings are laid out. Anita Higman does a wonderful job of going over the different elements of the story of Ruth and how it cane be similar to some of the things we go through in our lives. This is a wonderful, well written deovtional!
I received this book through Just Read. This is my honest review.
 

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | DaySpring | Bookshop/IndieBound

Also Available


About the Author

Anita Higman

Anita Higman, an award-winning and best-selling author from Texas, has authored or coauthored fifty-plus books, and she has a BA in the combined fields of speech communication, psychology, and art. A few of Anita’s favorite things are fairytale castles, traveling, antiquing, exotic teas, gardening, and laughing with her family and friends.

Connect with Anita by visiting anitahigman.com to follow her on social media.

Tour Giveaway

(3) winners will each receive a DaySpring prize bundle which includes a market tote, Bible cover, canvas pouch, and the Spring issue of Everyday Faith magazine!

A Love Most Precious JustRead Tours giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 1, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 8, 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


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Monday, May 1, 2023

Battered and Torn

 


As just another staff member in the mansion of billionaire Archie Hamilton, Nora’s finally found a place to hide from her murderous family. But when the handsome bigshot asks her out on a date, she worries Archie’s interest—no matter how thrilling—will blow her cover and shoot up a flare for those hunting her. And if she can’t squash his crush, only God will be able to keep him out of danger.

When Archie turned in his scalpel to run the family business, life became too busy to go home and deal with his grief. But when he discovers a suspicious hire at his ancestral estate, he’s forced to confront the situation as well as his anger at God for taking not only his family, but his dreams. Despite his objections, his grandmother is determined to keep Nora on staff, but that isn’t going to stop him investigating her on his own—no matter how attractive he finds her. But the more he digs, the more questions he has.

Drawn to Nora again and again, Archie wonders if she’ll help lead him back to the truth or get him killed. Is trusting a beautiful stranger worth the risk to his family, his life, and his heart? And when Nora’s past catches up with them, will anyone be left alive?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this fast paced, well written mystery from start to finish! The story starts off with a mystery that kept me guessing until I finished the last page, since both Archie and Nora have people who have it out for them, so it's hard to know who is behind the threats. As things escalade, the two must choose if they can put aside past hurts and learn to work together. This is the first book that I have read by Allison Pearl, but I look forward to reading more of her stories! 

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

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.