Saturday, May 18, 2019

No Ocean Too Wide



Now that I stopped crying, I can write my review.  Wow!  I loved this book from page one to the very end.  I was very relieved to see that there will be a couple more books to continue the story of the McAlister Family.

I can not imagine what these young children had to endure: the loss they felt, the uncertainty of their future. It was disturbing to read that some of the children were just brought into the Canadian homes to be servants.    I knew about the children who were sent away to other parts of England to escape London during the war.  But I was not aware of children being sent to Canada.

I highly recommend Carrie Turansky's book- No Ocean Too Wide.

It was a quick read as I couldn't put the book down.


I received an advanced reader copy from WaterBrook and Multnomah.



About Carrie


I was born and raised in Oregon, so my heart longs for tall evergreens, the rugged Oregon Coast, and the pristine Cascade Mountains. But I presently live in beautiful central New Jersey. This is the Garden State, so we enjoy shopping at our local farmers’ market for sweet corn and juicy tomatoes or picking strawberries, blueberries, and peaches at local farms. We are close to Princeton University, Philadelphia, and New York City, so we sometimes take day trips in and enjoy museums, plays, and touring around.

Carrie and Scott
I am married to Scott and we have five adult children, two daughters-in-law, three sons-in-law, and six beautiful grandchildren. Being a wife, mom, and grandma are fulfilling and rewarding roles for me. Scott and I partner in ministry at Calvary Chapel Living Hope, a church we helped plant along with a team of hardworking, Jesus-following friends in Robbinsville, New Jersey. We love our church and feel blessed to have the privilege of serving the Lord with these dear friends. If you would like to know more about Calvary Chapel Living Hope, please visit our website: http://www.takejesushome.com.
My husband is the author of several parenting books filled with practical insight and biblical wisdom. We invite you to visit our ministry website and sign up for free parenting tips, then check out the articles and helpful resources there. That web site is www.biblicalparenting.org.

Carrie’s Seven-layer salads.
My first book was published in 2005, and I’ve had eighteen novels and novellas published since then. Before that, I wrote several articles, short stories, devotions, and essays. Writing fiction is my passion, and I thank the Lord for the creative ideas and characters He puts in my mind and heart. I am very grateful for friends and family who believed in me and encouraged me on my writing journey.
When I’m not writing you will find me enjoying time with my family, working outside in my flower gardens, cooking healthy meals for family and friends, or walking around the lake near our home.
If you’d like to know more about my writing journey take a look at this blog post  or listen to this interview. For a Press Kit and more information about my publisher and books please follow this link.
Your privacy is important to me! To view my privacy policy and disclosures follow this link.



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Friday, May 3, 2019

Half Finished by Lauraine Snelling

Just this moment I finished the final chapter of this sweet book.  I can't begin to count how many unfinished projects I have. I constantly told myself.....when I retire I'll have time.  I will cross stitch, crochet, etc.  But 7 years later, I still have projects that I haven't completed or started.

Unfinished projects brought this community together.  Friendships formed and projects were completed.

I can't say enough about Lauraine Snelling.  She always delivers.  I look forward to every one of her books.
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Thursday, April 25, 2019

The Memory House


I knew right away that I was going to enjoy every minute of reading the new Rachel Hauck's book.  The Memory House captured my attention as I got to know Everleigh and Beck.  I loved how Ms. Hauck combined their two stories into one.


I didn't want to be partial to one or the other character.  But I was pulled into Everleigh's story.  I felt her pain.  I cheered when she triumphed.  I can see why the kids in the neighborhood were drawn to her.  I was wishing she was my neighbor.  

I don't doubt that The Memory House will remain in my memory as a sweet story of overcoming grief and the gift of healing on the other side.

Rachel Hauck will remain on my must read author's list.

I received this for free from Celebrate Lit to review.




About the Book

The Memory HouseBook: The Memory House
Author: Rachel Hauck
Genre: Christian Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2019
Embracing the future means remembering the past . . . When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that, either. Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share. Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.
Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Rachel Hauck_headshotRachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pet and writes from her ivory tower. Visit her online at RachelHauck.com; Facebook: RachelHauck; Twitter: @RachelHauck; Instagram: @rachelhauc

Excerpt from The Memory House

When Mama Applegate spoke as if Everleigh were a guest rather than a family member, she embraced it with grace. Because at the end of the day, she was Rhett’s wife. She alone shared his dreams, his heart, his life.
And at night, when she couldn’t sleep, his soft breathing was her lullaby.
“Listen, mister, I have to get back to work or I won’t make it home in time for our dinner.” She tugged at his shirt collar. “So are you going to tell me why you’re here?”
“I was going to wait until tonight, but I got so excited . . .” Rhett stepped over to the desk in front of Everleigh’s and retrieved a long white canister. “Here. Open it. I feel like a kid at Christmas.”
“Rhett, what have you done?” She pried away the cap and slipped out a set of drawings.
“Here, let me.” Rhett unrolled a rendering of a cozy house with a wraparound porch nestled between two cottonwoods. “Our house, Ev. I took those sketches you made after we were married and gave
them to the architect. What do you think?”
“Th-this is our house?” She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning against his thick arm as she studied the drawing.
“It’s our house, darling.”
Everleigh studied the drawing. It was just like she imagined. “Are you sure?” She gazed up at her husband. “I didn’t think we’d saved enough money.”
“We’ve saved every penny of your salary, and I finally sold the stud bull to Jacob Marshall. He’s been after me for a year . . .” Rhett held her with one hand while flipping through the drawing with the other. “I bought the ten acres by the stream. You know, the one with the trees we loved. Dad wanted to give it to us, but I said no strings.
I wanted to buy it so he can’t hold it over me. Not that he would, but family business can get tricky.” Everleigh leaned to see the name of the road. Memory Lane.
“Darling, the section right off Memory Lane? The spot I wanted?”
Rhett’s grandmother had named the dirt road years ago, when she imagined a large family with lots of grandkids running around.
She envisioned an Applegate community.
But her sons, Melvin and Earl, went to war. Only Earl—nicknamed Spike—returned home the fall of 1918. He inherited the ranch, married Mama Applegate, and fathered Rhett, an only child. Grandma’s two daughters married and moved away.
“Your granny would be proud, darling,” Everleigh said. “We’re beginning her dream.”
“Sh-she would.” Rhett cleared his throat, pressing his fist over his cough. “So, w-what do you think?”
…
Tell him! The timing could not have been more perfect.
“Rhett, sweetheart—”
He jerked his wrist up, checking his watch. “Oh, Ev, sorry, darling, but I promised Dad I’d pick him up from the hardware store thirty minutes ago.” He gave her a quick, passing kiss. “I’d planned to show you these tonight, but I just couldn’t wait.” He rolled up the drawings and tucked them into the canister. “What is it you wanted to say?” On reflex, he checked his watch again.
“Nothing,” she said, smiling. “I’ll see you later. We can talk then. I have work to do anyway.”
“You sure?”
Everleigh fell into him and pressed her cheek against his chest.
“You make my dreams come true, Rhett Applegate.”
He kissed her one more time, then held her at arm’s length.
“Distraction, girl, you are one beautiful distraction.”

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, April 22
Wishful Endings, April 22
Worthy2Read, April 23
C Jane Read, April 25
Carpe Diem, April 26
Mary Hake, April 27
EmpowerMoms, April 27
Bigreadersite, April 28
Pause for Tales, April 28
Quiet Quilter, April 30
Moments, May 5
Simple Harvest Reads, May 5 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize of a copy of The Memory House!!
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/e2aa/the-memory-house-celebration-tour-giveaway
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Thursday, April 4, 2019

This Daring Journey

I can't say enough about Misty M. Beller's books.  I have loved each book in this series.


Misty M. Beller has a way with words that makes me feel like I am a part of the story.  I can visualize each step of their journey.  I just don't read the story.  I actually live the story along side Moriah and Samuel. 

Moriah is a strong women with the determination to find her birth family.  She learned along the way that a family is so much more than sharing a bloodline. 

 I was drawn into the relationship between Moriah and Samuel.  Who wouldn't be?  

 I can see the beauty of the land in Misty M. Beller's books.  I want to get in my car and head west.  

 I received this book for free from Celebrate Lit.  


About the Book

This Daring Journey
Book: This Daring Journey
Author: Misty M. Beller
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: March 26, 2019
As a half-Indian raised among her Peigan tribe, Moriah Clark knows better than to trust white people. The tragedy that resulted in her birth is proof enough. But when her trusted grandfather marries her to a white man, she has no choice to but to obey and hope this new life isn’t her downfall. Her white husband turns out to be a decent sort, but his unexpected death left her to birth a newborn baby among hostile mountain men. She wants nothing more than to retreat to the safe haven of her tribal upbringing. When a mysterious frontiersman arrives on her doorstep seeking her deceased husband, his offer to escort her and the babe to her people seems like the opportunity she’s been praying to find. But can she trust him?
Samuel Grant has been sent to retrieve Henry Clark for his sister’s wedding, but the sight that greets him at the little cabin in the woods is not what he expected. Not only has the man died, but Henry’s wife is fighting off an aggressive gang of men at gunpoint—while trying to conceal a newborn. He can’t leave the pair unattended, so helping her travel into the mountain country to reach her family seems like the only option. If he can win her trust, that is.
Such a grueling journey with a three-week-old baby will be risky, but the challenges that arise test them far more than either expected. When a devastating surprise increases the danger ten-fold, Moriah focuses all her efforts on keeping her newborn daughter alive. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t realize how much of her heart belongs to the mountain man—until it’s too late.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

MistyMisty M. Beller writes 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

How did I get started writing?

I’ve always loved to read, but several years ago I was putting together my bucket list, and realized that I really did want to write a novel. So, “Write a novel that’s published” made it near the top!
I decided, it’s now or never, and made the commitment to do it. So, I had a general idea that I wanted it to be a Christian historical western romance. But where to start? I finally decided I needed to find a good book to help me plan. I stumbled upon (a.k.a. God led me to) the best possible book to help me get started with a great plan: Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. For all you writers out there, I can’t recommend it highly enough!
From there, I’ve soaked in every bit of writing instruction I can from some amazing groups and individuals. And I’ve spent countless hours sitting with my laptop pouring out words onto the screen. Writing is in my blood. It’s my passion. A true gift from my Heavenly Father, and I pray daily that he uses the words for His purpose.

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, April 4
Simple Harvest Reads, April 4 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Pause for Tales, April 6
Splashes of Joy, April 7
Mary Hake, April 8
Wishful Endings, April 11
Vicky Sluiter, April 12
The Becca Files, April 12
Carpe Diem, April 13
Bigreadersite, April 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away a 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/de81/this-daring-journey-celebration-tour-giveaway
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Tuesday, April 2, 2019

The Baggage Handler

A small book with a big message.  I knew just a few pages in that I was going to enjoy getting to know The Baggage Handler and the people he comes across.

Not one person who reads this will walk away without thinking how this impacts them.  I am a little older now but I can remember the baggage I carried from my teens, my twenties,  thirties and even 40s.

What a heavy load we carry! GOD promises that we don't have to carry this heavy burden alone.

Matthew 11:28-30 New International Version (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
 

About the Book

Baggage Handler CoverIn a similar vein toThe Traveler’s Giftby Andy Andrews orDinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory, The Baggage Handler is a contemporary story that explores one question: What baggage are you carrying?
Three people take a flight that will change their lives forever.
Fresh off a run-in with his wife, harried businessman David disembarks the plane angry and impatient.
Gillian thought she would be more excited about coming to her niece’s wedding, but she is just hoping to survive.
Malcolm has gambled everything on this trip to start his fledgling artistic career. To him, failure means working in hardware in what his father calls “a real job.”
After each picks up the wrong suitcase, they make their way to a mysterious baggage depot in a deserted part of the city. There they meet the Baggage Handler, who shows them there is more in their baggage than what they have packed.
A simple baggage mix-up at the airport is more than an inconvenience when it forces three people to face the baggage they are unknowingly carrying around.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

david rawlingsDavid Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father-of-three who loves humor and a clever turn-of-phrase. Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication. Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face.

More from David

Watch the trailer: https://vimeo.com/250255594
Check out David’s Padlet page to follow The Baggage Handler: https://padlet.com/david_rawlings/TheBaggageHandler

Blog Stops

Carpe Diem, March 31
Remembrancy, April 2
The Becca Files, April 5
Bigreadersite, April 11
Artistic Nobody, April 12

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, David is giving away a finished copy of the book to three winners!!
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/dd7a/the-baggage-handler-celebration-tour-giveaway

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