Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Wedding Dress Christmas

A delightful story that took place during the Christmas season. A magical time. A magical dress.  A time to heal and be restored.

JoJo wants to forget the past.  Buck wants to remember.  Can they meet in the middle?

JoJo was saved by someone dressed in  purple. Purple has been known in the past to represent royalty, the King.  My interpretation is that Jesus was there with JoJo in good times and bad.  He was there to listen to her, protect her and guide her in good times and bad.
With God's protection, JoJo will be safe.  She will heal.

I loved the story and all the books that preceded it.  Rachel Hauck writes magical stories that leaves you wanting more. Her next book can't hit the shelf fast enough for me.

I received this free from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book:  The Wedding Dress Christmas
Author: Rachel Hauck
Genre: Romance, Christmas
Release Date: October 22, 2019
The Wedding Dress Christmas CoverDecember covers quaint Heart’s Bend, Tennessee with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.
For JoJo Castle there’s no place like home. It’s her safe place. Her one-time love of adventure ended when life in the big city shattered her hopes and dreams. Now that she’s returned to Hearts Bend, she never wants to leave again.
Buck Mathews, the biggest country singing sensation in decades, has the world on a string – his guitar strings, to be exact. However, when news of his mother’s illness sends him back to Hearts Bend for the holiday season, he remembers how good it can be to live among family and friends.
Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. Leaving home, surrendering her heart again, is just too risky.
When she runs into her friend and high school crush Buck Mathews, she discovers Love might have other plans for her[BV1] .
Buck’s career is on the verge of an momentous leap. But seeing JoJo awakens feelings he’d buried long ago. Falling in love is easy, but winning her heart will take more than one of his melodic tunes and clever lyrics.
JoJo and Buck want opposite things for their lives, leaving no room for compromise. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmastime, overcome her fears andhis quest for greatness?
When a very special gown – the wedding dress – begins to make its presence known, JoJo and Buck’s hearts bend in a way neither ever thought possible.

About the Author

rachel-hauck-HR-5Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.
Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.
Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.
A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.
At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.
A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.
She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, December 18
Livin’ Lit, December 18
Robin’s Nest, December 18
By The Book, December 19
Wishful Endings, December 19
All-of-a-kind Mom, December 19
Among the Reads, December 20
Genesis 5020, December 20
Life as Lanhams, December 20
Daysong Reflections, December 21
Bigreadersite, December 21
Simple Harvest Reads, December 22 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Remembrancy, December 22
Britt Reads Fiction, December 22
She Lives to Read, December 23
Empowermoms, December 23
Inside the Wong Mind, December 23
Mia Reads Blog, December 23
Splashes of Joy, December 24
Christian Bookaholic, December 24
Hallie Reads, December 24
Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 25
Blogging With Carol, December 25
For Him and My Family, December 26
Hebrews 12 Endurance, December 26
Mamma Loves Books, December 27
Betti Mace, December 28
Batya’s Bits, December 28
Quiet Quilter, December 29
janicesbookreviews, December 29
A Reader’s Brain, December 30
Inklings and notions, December 30
Texas Book-aholic, December 30
Carla Loves to Read, December 30
Back Porch Reads, December 31
CarpeDiem, December 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a print copy of the book and a Visa gift card for $25. Swag!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

at 1 comment:

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Darling Hedgehog Goes Down A Foxhole

I have three grandchildren and at one time or another, I would take them to the library.  We had a great time picking out books, play on the computer and enjoying what the library offers.  My grandkids would pick out one book to take to Nannie's house to snuggle and read.  I am sure that this book would be one that would land up in our book bag.

The illustrations in this book were so precious.  It made me think of some of the illustrations you can find in a Beatrix Potter or Tasha Tudor book.

The story was cute but could be frightening for a young child.  It kind of made me think of Hansel and Gretel.   There were a couple of lessons that can be learned from this story.  The Hedgehog was trying so hard to be valuable to the fox..to earn his friendship.  The lessons:  be yourself and some people or foxes shouldn't be your friends.  Pick your friends wisely.  Your friends should like you for whom you are.

I received this free from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book: Darling Hedgehog Goes Down A Foxhole
Author: Auralee Arkinsly
Genre: Early reader chapter book
Release Date: September 13, 2019
Darling HedgehogDarling Hedgehog learns about the animal nature of things in high humor and carefree, cute, and winning episodes. This childhood story reads a bit like Aesop’s Fables or a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, for children 4-8 or preschool and kindergarten, as a read-to-me picture book, and first grade and second grade as a chapter book.
Pictures similar to the Mercy Watson series are characterized and painted in full-color, though the pages are set up like a chapter book.
This book helps to train children in natural wisdom, analysis, and discernment. It helps to balance the teachings of acceptance of everyone and friendliness to all. There may be good purposes for everyone to exist under heaven, yet all purposes may not be good for a child. So, beware, be discrete, and flee from crafty foxes especially when they are holding your parents in the pantry.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Auralee ArkinslyAuralee Arkinsly writes in good humor about serious subjects because kids of all ages can learn a lot from laughing. She is a strong believer in right and wrong but knows that getting onto the right path can mean falling down a slippery slope. She reckons if she can save some from the bumps and bruises, then she has done her job

More from Auralee

I’m so excited to launch my children’s book, Darling Hedgehog Goes Down a Foxhole with the Celebrate Lit crew!  You are a river of hope for a new author.
So, here’s the story behind the story.
My friend and fellow author, Kathy Joy, left me a small hedgehog in a tutu as a going away gift on her guest bed after she had been visiting. I put it on the windowsill in my bedroom, and every morning, I would see it when I awoke.
I don’t know if you can relate to this experience, but I often wake up from a good night’s sleep with the gift of a problem being solved.  Sometimes, I wake up with a creative idea.  Well, one day, I awoke to find that I had the beginnings of a child’s story about where the hedgehog found her tutu.
Initially, it was a simple story about Darling Hedgehog finding a foxy friend who helps Darling find her calling.
I wrote out the story and then asked a talented neighborhood girl if she would like to draw the pictures for the tall tale. Having seen a lot of Julia’s sketches as she grew up, I thought that she might like to know what it felt like to earn money from her talents and at the same time, learn about the process of creating a book with an author to propose to a publishing company.
She agreed. Julia was in ninth grade. She was at the age where she was beginning to think about high school jobs and even to make plans for college and a career.
The same day we wrote out our contract, Julia sent me her first image of what she imagined Darling to look like. It clearly was not a mistake to hire this young artist!
When I awoke another morning, I believed God had given me another bit of advice. I needed to do better research on the nature of hedgehogs and foxes, their habitats and characteristics. The outcome caused the story to take a turn towards intrigue.  It became a fable. It became an action-adventure animal story. It became better.
A librarian encouraged us to continue with it no longer as a picture book for very small children but as an early reader chapter book for second graders learning about similes.
I hope that we can teach children to notice facts and objective truth as they are being trained for life. So, I’ve accepted that my child’s fantasy had to grow some legs of gravity and wisdom.  I’ve trusted my editors and beta readers that this is true, but I’m not above being told off.

Blog Stops

A Diva’s Heart, December 11
For Him and My Family, December 12
Older & Smarter?, December 13
Emily Yager, December 13
Just the Write Escape, December 14
Blogging With Carol, December 14
Bigreadersite, December 15
janicesbookreviews, December 15
Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 16
A Reader’s Brain, December 17
Remembrancy, December 19
Inklings and notions, December 19
Lighthouse Academy, December 19 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Live.Love.Read., December 20
Sara Jane Jacobs, December 21
Maureen’s Musings, December 23
With a Joyful Noise, December 23
Texas Book-aholic, December 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Auralee is giving away the grand prize of a set of Darling Hedgehog greeting cards!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.




at 2 comments:

Saturday, December 14, 2019

An Amish Christmas Bakery




A "sweet" collection of stories by four authors.  I love any story, book or movie about the Amish.  I received this to review and was immediately immersed in the Christmas season within the Amish community.  I was in the mood for Christmas with 9 inches of snow on the ground and the fireplace making it nice and cozy inside.  I grabbed my cup of tea to enjoy and enjoyed I did.

The stories were all based in bakeries as the title indicates.  Who could resist reading about pies, cookies and cakes?  I was remembering my visits to Amish bakeries in Shipshewana.  I have never gone at Christmas but this book made me realize I am missing out.

I enjoyed all the stories.  Each one was a Christmas gift to read. Cookies and Cheer reminds us to not let the true  meaning of Christmas be lost in the Christmas madness.  Loaves of Love tells us to remember who you are and don't get caught up or trapped by the Christmas rush.  Melting Hearts expresses the true gift of Christmas is love and forgiveness.  Cakes and Kisses clarifies that GOD makes no mistakes.

Psalm 139:13-16 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.


I received this book for free from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book:  An Amish Christmas Bakery
Author: Various Authors
Genre: Amish Fiction, Romance
Release Date: October 2, 2019
Amish Christmas BakeryFrom bestselling authors in the Amish genre come four delicious novellas perfect for celebrating love, joy, and the holiday season.
Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston
As Christmas draws near, Alyssa Byler dreams of a window display for the bakery where she works. When she decides to design and build a sugar cookie nativity scene, all she needs is the right cookie cutters-and handsome blacksmith Kyle Smoker is the one she asks for help. Using Kyle’s handmade cutters, Alyssa creates a striking display that brings more tourists to the bakery than she can handle.
And when shoppers request handmade cookie cutters of their own, Kyle finds himself overwhelmed by the demand. As Christmas approaches, Alyssa realizes she’s been too caught up in work to focus on the true meaning of Christmas-and too distracted to explore the feelings she has for Kyle. Together, they put aside the holiday rush and spend their time celebrating the season that has brought them together.
Loaves of Love by Beth Wiseman
As the only girl in a family of eight, Katie Swartzentruber has been left in charge of her family’s bakery while her mother recuperates from surgery. At first, Katie doesn’t think tending to the bakery alone will be difficult. She’s worked alongside her mother for years. But Christmas is coming, and with the holiday comes a flood of patrons, both regulars and tourists. When Katie becomes overwhelmed with the orders she is receiving, she is tempted to move her Old Order family into the modern world by purchasing propane ovens to help with the workload. She finds help from an unexpected source-childhood friend Henry Hershberger, who has harbored a secret crush on Katie for years. He’s been afraid to tell her how he feels, but he’s sure that this Christmas is his moment. As the demands of the bakery only get more intense, both Katie and Henry have to decide what really matters . . . and find the courage within themselves to go after it.
Melting Hearts by Kathleen Fuller
Mattie Shetler is an expert baker, so when her aunt Carolyn begs for help during the busy Christmas rush, Mattie eagerly packs her bags and heads to Birch Creek. What she doesn’t know is that her uncle has also asked for help with the bakery’s new expansion, and he’s asked none other than Peter Kaufman, Mattie’s sworn enemy. As the two work side by side, though, Mattie discovers not all is as it seems. With Christmas just around the corner, Mattie and Peter open their hearts for the greatest gifts of the season: forgiveness and maybe even love.
Cakes and Kisses by Kelly Irvin
Martha Ropp works hard at her family’s bakery, making cakes and pies in preparation not only for Christmas but the many community weddings, including her sister’s. To help during this busy season, Martha’s mother hires Ambrose Hershberger to make deliveries. Martha remembers Ambrose as a gentle giant from her school days, but soon discovers that still waters run deep. The more they work together, the more they want to spend time together outside of the bakery, but both Martha and Ambrose are too timid to make the first move. That’s when the town matchmakers step in.

Click here to get your copy.

Read an Excerpt

Read an excerpt of An Amish Christmas Bakery here.

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, December 7
The Avid Reader, December 7
Quiet Quilter, December 9
Life as Lanhams, December 10
Britt Reads Fiction, December 10
D’S QUILTS &BOOKS, December 10
Emily Yager, December 11
Texas Book-aholic, December 11
Older & Smarter?, December 13
janicesbookreviews, December 13
Bigreadersite, December 14
Batya’s Bits, December 14
For Him and My Family, December 14
Splashes of Joy, December 15
Lighthouse Academy, December 15
Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 15
EmpowerMoms, December 16
Hallie Reads, December 18
Mary Hake, December 18
A Reader’s Brain, December 20
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Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Rebel Bride by Shannon Mcnear




This book is part of The Daughters of the Mayflower Bride Series.  Each one has been fascinating to read as I love history and they are based on historical events.  This book is during the Civil War in Tennessee.

Can two individuals even think of a future together when they are on opposite sides?

Pearl had a lot on her plate without her cousin dropping off injured Union soldiers.  How will she cope?

 Joshua finds himself injured and in enemy territory.  Who can he trust?

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

 This Bible verse is one that Pearl and Joshua could learn from.  We are never alone.  GOD gives us strength.

 I received this free to review from Baker Books.



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