Friday, September 23, 2022

Calm in the Mountain Storm

There are books that you read and say "yeah, that was ok". This book was way more than ok. I can not resist a Misty M. Beller book. I have never been disappointed in her stories.

Elise and her brother were on a mission to share GOD'S love to others. Her loving heart was there for everyone to see and feel. Goes Ahead could not help noticing how much she gave of herself to his children.

It's a beautiful story of Elise and Goes Ahead developing relationship. They come from such different backgrounds. Is there any chance of a future for them?

My favorite character is Walking Bird. He's Goes Ahead's young son. He is so curious. He gets himself into all sorts of predicaments.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book: Calm in the Mountain Storm

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: September 13, 2022

This epic journey will test his strength and ability to protect his children—and they’re all he has left.

When Elise Lane and her brother set out as missionaries to the native tribes in the Rocky Mountains, she knew the work would be challenging. But nothing fully prepared her for the hardships, nor the joys of getting to know the people. And even more so when some of them decide to accept God’s grace. When they discover the entire village where they’ve been working has been massacred, the mysterious brave standing at the edge of the devastation appears to be part of the danger. Especially when Elise realizes he’s holding a baby she recognizes as the daughter of one of the women who now lies dead.

Gone far too long on a mission to return his son who’d been taken by an enemy war party, Goes Ahead is relieved to return home with the boy. Until they reach their village, and the death they find there ignites his fury. His wife has been killed, along with all their friends and neighbors. No one is left alive—except their infant daughter. It can’t be coincidence that both his children have survived such evils. Now he must keep them alive and cross the mountains to return to his family, people who can help protect his family from further danger.

Traveling with an infant not yet four moons old—and no mother to feed her—is more than even Goes Ahead can overcome. Allowing the white strangers to accompany him seems the only choice since one in their party is already nursing a babe of her own. As winter closes in and the mountains prove treacherous beyond anything Goes Ahead can control, only a strength and love greater than his own can save his children—and the woman he’s come to love.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

About the Author

Misty 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.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Early Missionaries to the Rocky Mountain Native American Tribes

One of the things I love about writing stories set in the 1830s Rocky Mountains is that Eastern civilization hadn’t yet touched the frontier. The only people who lived in or visited the Rockies during that were Native Americans and mountain men (usually trappers, but sometimes just explorers).

From that limited experience with white people, two of the native tribes realized they wanted to learn more about the white man’s God and his “Book of Heaven” (the Bible). In 1831, a delegation of four Native Americans—two Nez Perce and two Flathead—showed up in St. Louis, Missouri, asking for someone to come and teach their people about God.

Over the next several years, a number of people went west as missionaries, and this was the real-life inspiration for the heroine in Calm in the Mountain Storm. Though the characters in this story are fictional, the events certainly could have happened!

When Elise Lane heard that the Indians actually wanted to learn about God and simply needed someone to come tell them, she knew she had to answer that call. Of course, her brother Benjamin couldn’t let her go into that danger alone, so together, they set out on an expedition they knew would likely change them forever. Elise doesn’t have any idea exactly how much!

I pray you enjoy reading the story of Elise and Goes Ahead, the brave she meets who’s desperate for help getting his young children across the mountains. As with our hero and heroine in the story, I pray your faith is inspired!

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 16

Texas Book-aholic, September 17

Holly’s Book Corner, September 17

Inklings and notions, September 18

Pause for Tales, September 19

Betti Mace, September 19

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 20

For Him and My Family, September 21

Blossoms and Blessings, September 22

deb’s Book Review, September 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 24

Connie’s History Classroom, September 25

For the Love of Literature, September 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 27

Mary Hake, September 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty 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/21812/calm-in-the-mountain-storm-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blessings!

Misty

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Revell- Beneath the Bending Skies

A glorious story of a woman who lived a life that she never expected to have. She lived trying to please others especially her father.

Mollie did everything she could to please her father. He knew how to make her feel guilty. He didn't do this as much to the other children in the family. Why Mollie? What would have happened if she did what her father wanted? What was her father's intentions? Did he want Mollie to be happy? Was he merely being selfish? What was his motivation?

Mollie finally made a decision that her father didn't approve of. This decision changed the course of her life. She knew that it was a risk she had to take.

I enjoyed Beneath the Bending Skies and the background of the story. It brought this time period to life.

The cover is beautiful.

I received this book from Revell to review.

Jane Kirkpatrick is a best-selling author whose novels include the BookSense 76 Selection, A Name of Her Own, Every Fixed Star, and the acclaimed Kinship and Courage series: All Together in One Place, No Eye Can See, and What Once We Loved. Jane is a winner of the Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center and National Cowboy Hall of Fame. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, inspirational retreat leader, and speaker.

Monday, September 5, 2022

Laura's Shadow by Allison Pittman

I am a big fan of Little House on the Prairie. I have all the books. I have the dolls. I watch the tv show. I even visited DeSmet, Iowa to visit their homes and grave sites.

I was eager to read this. I enjoyed the book. This is a book from the Doors to the Past Series. I liked how the author had two storylines going. I loved Mariah. Sad that women in the past were limited in their choices on how to live their lives. She was dependent on her brother and needed to lean on another to survive in the 1870s.

Mariah couldn't forget her first love. Trixie knew that she needed to let go of hers. Two women, different generations, different choices.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book: Laura’s Shadow

Author: Allison Pittman

Genre: Christian/Historical/Romance

Release date: August 1, 2022

Family Secrets Spill One Conversation at a Time

Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.

De Smet, South Dakota—1890
Young women growing up in DeSmet live by two rules: don’t go out in a snowstorm and don’t give your heart to Cap Garland. Young Mariah Patterson only managed to obey one. Orphaned and having devoted her youth to scrapping out a life with her brother Charles, Mariah finds herself with no interesting suitors or means of support. Throwing caution to the wind, she seizes an opportunity to lay her feelings at Cap’s feet, even though she knows Cap sees the world through the torch he carries for Laura Ingalls. Mariah is certain her love for Cap will be strong enough to break both bonds, and she’s willing to risk everything to prove it.

De Smet, South Dakota—1974
Trixie Gowan is the fourth generation of living Gowan women residing in the sprawling farmhouse on the outskirts of De Smet. Well, former resident. She’s recently moved to Minneapolis, where she writes ads for a neighborhood paper edited by Ron Tumble. She might live and work in the city, but her co-workers still call her Prairie Girl. Thus the inspiration for her comic strip—“Lost Laura”—in which a bespectacled girl in a calico dress tries to make her way in the city. The name is a quiet rebellion having grown up in a household where she’d been forbidden to mention the name, Laura Ingalls. But when her great-grandmother Mariah’s declining health brings Trixie home for a visit, two things might just keep her there: the bedside manner of Dr. Campbell Carter and the family secret that seems to be spilling from GG’s lips one conversation at a time.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Allison Pittman is the author of more than a dozen critically acclaimed novels and a four-time Christy finalist—twice for her Sister Wife series, once for All for a Story from her take on the Roaring Twenties and most recently for the critically acclaimed The Seamstress which takes a cameo character from the Dickens’ classic A Tale of Two Cities and flourishes her to life amidst the French Revolution. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, blissfully sharing an empty nest with her husband, Mike. Connect with her on Facebook (Allison Pittman Author), Twitter (@allisonkpittman) or her website, allisonkpittman.com.

More from Allison

I can credit Laura Ingalls Wilder for just about every aspect of my identity. I’m a reader because I read her books over and over and over again, checking them out from my little elementary school library. I can still see them—last bookcase, bottom shelf. During the summer, I checked them out from the Bookmobile, and one magical Christmas, I received my own set. The well-worn, yellow paperbacks have a place of honor in my office: top shelf, center stage. It was amazing to my eight-year-old self that I could pick up Little House in the Big Woods, skip the dull parts, and jump straight to These Happy Golden Years in a single afternoon.

Looking at Laura’s writing now (as I often do), I realize I spent my childhood absorbing the art of telling a story. Her books masterfully string meaningful vignettes within an over-arching conflict. She creates stories-within-a-story-within-a-story whenever Pa launches into a tall tale, and minor characters come to life no matter how brief their appearance. (Aunt Docia, anyone?)

When I first came up with the concept of writing a story set in the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I knew I couldn’t bring Laura herself in as a character. There’s a sacredness to her story, and I wouldn’t dream of inserting myself into the cannon of her pages. But—I thought—surely she had peers who grew up alongside her, classmates who also hated Miss Wilder, young men who might have set their own cap for her, townsfolk who remembered the vibrant young woman with the button-brown eyes and dark curls. And then I pondered further: maybe there was another side to Laura—a side that she kept from the romanticized ideal skipping through the pages of her books. My first thought was to create a fictional De Smet town girl, but then…

In researching and reading Pioneer Girl, The Annotated Autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I came across a bit of information that brought the story to life for me. In These Happy Golden Years, Laura teaches her first class: five students, two families. And while the “Brewster” children are documented in other sources, the Harrison children are not. There are no census records, land deeds, or any official documents to support the identity of Charles and Martha as they are depicted in the novel. And so, it clicked. If Laura could fictionalize these people, well, then, so could I. Thus Martha Harrison was lifted from those pages, renamed Mariah, and given a new life and a new story in mine.

Writing Laura’s Shadow allowed me to indulge in a few favorite directions. First, I’m fascinated with the idea of extreme longevity (showcased in my novel All for a Song), and creating a character whose lifespan stretches from homesteading to disco was delightful. My Mariah chafes at the romanticized depiction of pioneer life, telling us in her old age that it was really more of a daily struggle for survival. I also enjoyed exploring the family dynamic of four generations of women and how each generation faced the same battles and fought them so, so differently. Finally—and this is what truly speaks to my fourth-grade self…

You know that Elton John song, “Your Song” with the lyrics, “I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words…” Well, I got to put down in words my lifelong crush on Cap Garland. Sure, Almonzo is great and everything, but I always thought Cap was more exciting. More fun. More…more. Bringing him to life in this book set my old heart racing. My research for this novel took me to De Smet, and to his gravesite, where I spoke this story to his stone. I like to think he’d approve, and I hope all of the Laura fans will join me in this tale and let their imaginations run wild.

Blog Stops

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 30

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , August 31

Texas Book-aholic, August 31

Genesis 5020, September 1

Inklings and notions, September 1

The Avid Reader, September 2

For Him and My Family, September 2

deb’s Book Review, September 3

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

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 4

Blogging With Carol, September 4

Betti Mace, September 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 5

Blossoms and Blessings, September 6

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 6

lakesidelivingsite, September 7

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 7

Connie’s History Classroom, September 8

Mary Hake, September 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 9

Through the Fire Blogs, September 9

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 10

Bigreadersite, September 11

Pause for Tales, September 11

For the Love of Literature, September 12

Labor Not in Vain, September 12

Remembrancy, September 13

To Everything There Is A Season, September 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Allison is gicing 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/210cb/laura-s-shadow-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, September 3, 2022

A Quilt for Christmas

A sweet book that brings the Christmas Spirit no matter what time of year you are reading it.

A little girl by the name of Fiona changed a group of women's lives. Her sweet disposition made such a difference. You never know the impact you have on others. The Christmas season can be difficult for some. We need to remember that Christmas is more than the decorations, the food and the gifts.

I really enjoyed the story. It messed up my sleep but it was worth it.

A Quilt For Christmas wraps you up in the comforts of the holiday season.

I received this for free from Revell to review.

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Revell Reads- The Last Way Home

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:37

This was difficult for Eli and Violet to do. Forgive themselves. They could forgive others but not themselves. This caused a great deal of anxiety and stress for the both of them.

They were holding on to their secrets. These secrets were not allowing them to live a fruitful life. This is not what GOD intended.

I didn't realize that one of the main characters was a hockey player. WoHoo! Plus he lands up coaching a girls' team. I loved it. I played girls hockey at 14 years of age so I could relate. I enjoyed this part as I could remember my time as a goalie.
I received this book from Revell to review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
By day Liz Johnson is a marketing manager. She makes time to write late at night—that’s when she thinks best anyway. Liz is the author of more than a dozen novels, a New York Times bestselling novella, and a handful of short stories. She’s a Christy Award finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. She makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, where she enjoys exploring local music, theater, and doting on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories of true love filled with heart, humor, and happily ever afters.

Monday, August 15, 2022

The Apple Creek Announcement- vol. 3 of Creektown Discoveries

Apple Creek, Ohio. A place I want to visit. A wonderful place to call home.

This is Book 3 of the series. You could read by itself but I recommend reading all three in order. You are re-introduced to Lois and Orley. They are a wonderful Amish couple who run the antique store. Their love for each other spills over onto others.

Andrea had her life planned out. Until she found out the circumstances of her birth. This news confuses and overwhelms her. Everything is not the way it seems.

I loved the book. I was quite surprised by the ending. You will be, too.

I received this book from Wanda Brunstetter's Clippity Clop Club to review.

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Revell Reads- Deception

Madison was one tough cookie. But her last case really got to her. She couldn't forget how she felt. The loss. The sadness. She is attempting to move forward but her past has come back to haunt her.

There is more than one storyline throughout this book. There is the personal side and the professional side. They both merge together into a fast paced story that is difficult to put down. Madison has been involved in Deception from the day she was born. Now is the time to find out the truth.

Deception was a quick read for me. I was entertained right to the end.

I received this from Revell to review.

AUTHOR:

Winner of an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense, Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi with her rescue kitty, Suzy, and loves to write suspense with a twist of romance. Her Logan Point series is available at all on-line retailers and major bookstores. In September 2017, JUSTICE BURIED, the second book in the Memphis Cold Case Novels will release.

Her workshops on writing include online courses with American Christian Fiction Writers, workshops at the Mid-South Christian Writer’s Conference, ACFW Minnesota NICE and Memphis ACFW. When she has time, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens.

I love connecting with readers on my blog every Tuesday where I have a Mystery Question for them to solve: www.patriciabradleyauthor.com/blog
Twitter: @ptbradley1
FaceBook: www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Starting Over

Ada fears she is losing Wilma's friendship. She wants life to go on as normal. But it can't. Wilma lost her husband and must find away to survive her loneliness and grief. She is starting over. A new normal.

Grief support groups are so important. It assists members of the family with compassion and understanding. In Wilma's community, I assume that the Amish do not reach out to counseling agencies for this service. Wilma opened her home to other widows. Without her knowing, this is a positive step in dealing with her grief.

I love reading about this family. They are supportive of each other. They are there for each other in bad and in good times.

Can Wilma find any comfort through her grief? Can Ada accept the changes she sees in Wilma?

I received this book from the author to review.

Author:

Samantha Price is a USA Today bestselling and Kindle All-Star author of Amish fiction. She is best known for the Amish Bonnet Sisters series and the Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries series. When not writing, she loves having fun with her seven grandchildren, her dog, and her rescue cat who thinks he's a dog.

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Critical Alliance. Series: Rocky Mountain Courage, Book 3

MacKenzie made a bad choices years ago. It cost her her family and reputation. Now was the time to reconnect and attempt to correct her past mistakes. But the CRITICAL ALLIANCE of the past prevents this from happening.

A fast pace story that had you on the edge of your seat. Who was it? Who was set to destroy everything that MacKenzie loved and touched?

It was interesting reading about drones and cyberattacks. It is quite overwhelming to see what can so easily happen in today's world. The "bad guys" are always one step ahead of us.

I received this book from Revell to review.

AUTHOR Bio:

With over a million books sold, Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over fifty novels and counting, including the romantic mystery, THE CAMERA NEVER LIES–a 2011 Carol Award winner. Four of her six Mountain Cove books have been contest finalists. Buried, Backfire and Deception are finalists in the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, and Submerged is a Carol Award finalist. A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to fulfill her dreams of writing full-time.

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Grace on the Mountain Trail

Lola must find her brother before the year ends. Her whole life depended on it. But she soon discovered it wasn't the house she was looking for.

Misty M. Beller always writes a wonderful story. It takes me to the mountains with the sights, smells, and sounds. I feel like I'm climbing that mountain with Lola. I can see the Indian village and can imagine what it would be like living there.

Lola learns a lot about herself on this journey. She discovers that things are not what they seem. She opens her heart to new opportunities and yes, love. Does White Owl have a place in her future?

I received this book from Celebrate Lit to review.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Book: Grace in the Mountain Trail

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre:Christian Historical Romance

Release date: July 12, 2022

This epic journey is her last hope to find her lost brother—the only family she has left.

When Lola Carson’s father died, his last words spoke of a half-brother she’d never known about. And now, to claim her own inheritance and come to terms with her father’s secret life, she must find this mysterious man—whose last known whereabouts are somewhere west of the wild Rocky Mountains. After hiring family friends to accompany her on the trek, she sets out for a wilderness few white women have ever seen. She doesn’t expect the majestic peaks to captivate her so, nor the half-dead brave they find on one of the slopes.

White Owl left his village and his broken heart behind when he set out for a fresh start. His newfound faith is the one anchor in his life. He’s desperate to learn more about the God he’s committed to follow and become an interpreter for the missionaries who led him to faith. But he barely starts his journey when a hunting accident nearly kills him. The woman who discovers him in the midst of his fevered delirium seems to be a gift from above.

But the more White Owl learns about Lola’s companions and her dangerous quest, the more he realizes his own calling is clear—to take her safely to her brother. The question is, will he have to sacrifice more than his heart to accomplish that goal?

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

About the Author

Misty 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.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Is this the book for you?

With so many books out there, it’s sometimes hard to know if a new book will be the right fit for you or not. I thought it might be fun to share some highlights that may help you know if you’d like to read Grace on the Mountain Trail. 

If you…

Love adventure and don’t mind being snowed in (at least in your imagination as you sit snuggled in your comfortable house).
Fall for Native American heroes who are, yes, strong and capable, but also searching for a fresh start and eager to grow in their fledgling faith.
Find unusual and remote settings fascinating, especially the Rocky Mountains!
Enjoy historical detail and are eager to live vicariously in the early 1800s Montana frontier.

What to expect from Grace on the Mountain Trail?