Friday, April 21, 2023

CELEBRATE LIT-Fields of Bounty


One of the first books that I ever read in the Inspirational Romance category was by Lauraine Snelling. This was the only introduction that I needed to open the door to all the books that followed thereafter.   

This book is Book 3 of the Leah's Garden series.  The Nielsen family are very closeknit. Their love for each other is clearly evident.   Each member will do what they can for each other. 

The sisters all have such beautiful names.  Larkspur, Lilac and Delphinium. Leah was their mother whom the series was named after.  Her love of flowers inspired her daughters to grow a flower garden with hopes of better future for the Nielsens. 

This book is about Lilac.  She had such high hopes when the Preacher asked to court her. But with time, she started to question whether they were a match. Could true love bloom for the couple? 

I received this book to review from Celebrate Lit.


About the Book

Book: Fields of Bounty

Author: Lauraine Snelling

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release date: March 21, 2023

They must set aside their own plans and rely on their faith to bring their true destiny to light.

Lilac Nielsen’s dream has come true: handsome young Reverend Ethan Pritchard has finally noticed her. Yet she must balance this new courtship with the pursuit of another dream–the publication of her artwork in a New York paper. She has secretly been submitting a series of drawings under a pen name, and if anyone traces the drawings back to her and finds out where Lilac and her sisters settled, the entire Nielsen family could be in danger.

As their family farm expands and Lilac’s relationship with the reverend grows, it’s a time of new beginnings. But when a family crisis back in Ohio shakes the Nielsen sisters, can they continue to build the new life they’ve begun in Nebraska? And will Lilac be prepared for what God has in store for her future?

More from Lauraine

One of the things I love about writing novels is that the characters often surprise me as I write. I usually jot notes, then have to hunt for them because I have the bad habit of scribbling on whatever paper happens to be handy. But as I play with the characters who’ve already taken up residence in my head, they seem to develop a mind of their own. Once I have the opening line, the adventure flies off in directions I never expected.

 

Lilac’s story, Fields of Bounty, is book three of Leah’s Garden. The series follows the adventures of four sisters, all named after their mother’s favorite flowers. Lilac is the youngest sister. She’s a dreamer, as I’d already learned in two of her sisters’ stories. She loves playing the fiddle with her sisters, who are each proficient on a different instrument. As she lives the frontier life, she sketches everything around her, their farm animals, her growing extended family, and their new life in Nebraska. Her story unwinds in ways you might not expect.

 

It’s interesting how flowers show up in so many of my books. I love to talk about flowers. I  choose and plant them so I can pick flowers, arrange them, and enjoy the fragrances. I take photos and paint watercolors of my flowers as well. Our acreage is hedged in lilac bushes. In the spring when my lilacs are blooming and a breeze is spreading the perfume, I can take my laptop out to the deck, inhale deeply, and write.

 

Since we wish we could keep the scent of lilacs around all year, I found a great recipe for making lilac potpourri from The Experimental Homesteader. Check out her website for instructions. I think our Nebraska Lilac would approve.




About the Author

Lauraine Snelling (www.laurainesnelling.com) is the award-winning author of more than 100 books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies. She and her husband make their home in Tehachapi, California.


Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lauraine is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback set of the books in LEAH’S GARDEN series: The Seeds of Change, A Time to Bloom, and Fields of Bounty!!

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/258b1/fields-of-bounty-celebration-tour-giveaway






Blog Stops


Saturday, April 15, 2023

One Last Summer at Seabridge Farm

 


How would you spend your last days if you knew you only had a few months to live?

Jo Bartlett touched upon a topic that can be difficult to read.  Georgia was dying.  She knew it and accepted it.  Georgia had a to do list before she died and her best friend, Gabe, was going to help her
achieve everyone of them.

Georgia and Gabe have been best friends since grade school.  Is their more there than just friendship?


This is a story that touches your heart. 

#blog tour
#BoldwoodBooks
#RachelRandomReads
#RaRaResources

One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm
A summer to remember...

Georgia Banks knows she’s living on borrowed time. So, when doctors tell her she’s got one last summer to make all her dreams come true, she’s determined to make every day count.

The one thing that’s never in doubt, is that she wants her best friend, Gabe, to be with her every step of the way. And so, Georgia draws up her not-a-bucket list with all the things she’s determined to tick off before she goes – number one of which is to spend one last summer by the sea.

Seabreeze Farm perched high on the cliffs above the English Channel is the perfect spot, and surrounded by the antics of its menagerie of rescued animals and the warmth of the friendship she’s offered there, Georgia starts to believe she can live out all her dreams before it’s too late.

And just when she thinks there’s nothing left to wish for, Georgia gets another chance at life. But taking it might mean losing the one person she cares about the most.

As she faces her biggest challenge yet, Georgia wonders if her last summer at Seabreeze Farm will mean the end of her biggest dream of all.

This book was previously published as One Last Summer at Channel View Farm

 Purchase Link -https://amzn.to/3Xkgtju



Author Bio –
Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Her first title for Boldwood is The Cornish Midwife – part of a twelve-book deal.

 Social Media Links
 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/JoBartlettAuthor 
 Twitter:https://twitter.com/J_B_Writer 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jo_bartlett123/ 
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JoBartlettNews 
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-bartlett 





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Monday, April 10, 2023

Welcome to Weaver Street

 


Life didn't go as she hoped when her husband brought her to Weaver Street.  She didn't want to leave Ireland.  It's her home. What was life going to be like?  Would she be able to fit in and adjust to life there? She was afraid of the unknown.

But Kitty was not one to sit around and watch the world go by!  She was a strong woman and was determined to make the best of the situation.

It was a book about women friendships. Kitty's friends were so different from each other but they developed a true, loving and lasting friendship.

It was a book about love that has gone wrong and how they survived the disappointment.

It was a book about parental/child love and how to keep a healthy balance.

I loved the book.  It was real. It touched my heart.

I never heard of the author until this story.  Now I am a fan.  

#BoldwoodBooks



CHRISSIE WALSH

Chrissie Walsh was born and raised in West Yorkshire and is a retired schoolteacher with a passion for history. She has written several successful sagas documenting feisty women in challenging times for Aria. Welcome to Weaver Street, the first title in her new WW1 saga series for Boldwood.



Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash




Meredith needed a change.  So she bought a lighthouse unseen in Cornwall.  Yes, unseen.  Pretty daring move for someone in their 50s.

Clem sounds just what she needed.  He was pretty handy in more ways than one. But he's 10 years younger.  How was that going to work?

I loved the idea of living in a lighthouse by the sea.  But I couldn't get over all the steps she had to do to get to each floor.  My knees couldn't take it. 

I enjoyed reading this book and followed along with her updates to her lighthouse and her relationships with her new neighbors. 

I received this book from #RachelRandomReads to review.

#BoldwoodBooks

#RachelReads

@rararesources


Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove

A perfect new start in Cornwall…

Meredith's life is at a standstill. She's stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it.

With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?

A delightful story about community, friendship and having the courage to start over, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Milly Johnson and Lucy Dillon

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3WN6PWM  

Author Bio – 

Kim Nash is the author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction. She lives in Staffordshire with son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (division of Hachette UK), and is a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk. When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog at Cannock Chase, reading, writing and binge-watching box sets on the TV. 

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimTheBookWorm 

Twitter https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kim_the_bookworm/ 

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kim-nash






Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Samantha Price- A Home of Their Own




Wilma decides to pay a visit to her daughter, Cherish.  Of course, Ada decides to join her.  She is usually right there by her best friend's side.

This is a continuation of books about the Bonnet Sisters.  They are quite entertaining.  Samantha Price knows how to end her stories.  It's like the old movies series you would go see at the cinema.  It ends with a cliffhanger that draws you to come back next week to see what happened. 

Secrets are kept.  Secrets are told.  I was quite surprised by some and upset by others.  

Wilma and her daughters have become very familiar to me after a few books.  It's comforting to read a story and you know the characters already.  But do you really?  There's always a surprise.

I received this book to review by the author. 


Samantha Price is a USA Today bestselling author of Amish romance books and cozy mysteries. She was raised Brethren and has a deep affinity for the Amish way of life, which she has explored extensively with over a decade of research.

She is mother to two pampered rescue cats, and a very spoiled staffy with separation issues.

Samantha loves to hear from her readers. Connect at:

samantha@samanthapriceauthor.com

www.facebook.com/SamanthaPriceAuthor

www.instagram.com/SamanthaPriceAuthor

Twitter @AmishRomance

www.pinterest.com/AmishRomance

www.SamanthaPriceAuthor.com

Monday, March 27, 2023

Forged in Love

Mariah is a survivor.  There is no other way to explain how she escaped death on numerous occasions.  It took awhile for her to realize that someone wants her dead.

She always felt she had to prove herself.  She ignored her desires and interests to please her father. 

Mariah liked Clint but kept him at a distance.  Clint was quite interested in Mariah but fear stopped him from making any moves.

GOD doesn't need you to impress him.  HE tells you not to be afraid.  Mariah and Clint need to trust that GOD loved them just as they are. 


New International Version
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit to review.


Blog Stops

Bigreadersite, March 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 18

Texas Book-aholic, March 19

Through the Fire Blogs, March 19

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 19

Stories By Gina, March 20 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, March 20

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 20

Connie’s History Classroom, March 21

For Him and My Family, March 21

Labor Not in Vain, March 21

Cover Lover Book Review, March 22

Lighthouse Academy, March 22 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Remembrancy, March 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 23

Betti Mace, March 24

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 24

She Lives to Read, March 25

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25

Pause for Tales, March 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 26

Holly’s Book Corner, March 26

Book Looks by Lisa, March 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 27

SodbusterLiving, March 28

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 28

Splashes of Joy, March 29

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 29

Wishful Endings, March 30

HookMeInABook, March 30

lakesidelivingsite, March 31

EmpowerMoms, March 31

Mary Hake, March 31




About the Book

Book: Forged in Love

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: February 28, 2023

When sparks begin to fly, can a friendship cast in iron be shaped into something more?

Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds herself in jeopardy and wondering–does someone know she witnessed the robbery and is still alive?

Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to stick to their old ways.

Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 About the Author

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than one and a half million books. She is the author of the popular series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.




Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than one and a half million books. She is the author of the popular series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

 

More from Mary

The Inspiration

I started plotting this novel when I found out that Wyoming was the first state (then a territory) in the Union to grant women the right to vote. Then I discovered it wasn’t just the right to vote; all sorts of other rights were given to women as well, like the right to run for elected office or be appointed to office. In fact, the first woman justice of the peace in the U.S. was from Wyoming. This inspired me to have one of my heroines be the second justice of the peace in the country.

As I continued my research, reading about all that went on in Wyoming was fascinating. They became a territory in 1868—with women voting—and yet they weren’t allowed statehood for another thirty years. With other states being granted statehood in only a few years, why was this? Because the U.S. government refused to let Wyoming in unless they took the vote away from women.

Because Wyoming adamantly refused to strip the vote from women, year after year they were denied statehood. When they finally did get it, the state’s women maintained their right to vote because Wyoming would not budge on the issue. The whole history of this was great reading.

So I wrote a three-book series called Wyoming Sunrise in which all my heroines play against the normal, conventional female roles of the day.

Now, what job could I possibly think of that wasn’t traditionally for women? How about Mariah who happens to be a blacksmith? And while I’m writing against stereotypes, I created a man named Clint who runs a diner. That wasn’t too unusual, for lots of diners were run by men back in the day. Yet not many of them were talented chefs trained in high-class restaurants in New York City. Clint is an excellent chef. Of course, an excellent chef in a small Wyoming town is kind of wasted on folks who prefer fried chicken and beef stew.

Clint makes chicken and beef, but he calls his dishes weird names and makes them unusually delicious. Meanwhile, Mariah is working over a hot forge for long hours every day. When her father and brother are killed in a stagecoach holdup, she becomes the only blacksmith in town.

There’s some resistance to her doing such a masculine job, but even among those who disapprove, well, they’ve got a broken wagon wheel or a hole in their kettle and it’s either let Mariah fix it or go without. Mariah is allowed to be a blacksmith out of pure necessity.

My second book, The Laws of Attraction, has a female justice of the peace, while the third, Marshaling Her Heart, features a tough lady rancher. I write westerns, and honestly, writing about tough, feisty lady ranchers like Becky the Rancher comes naturally to me. Writing about a blacksmith and a judge, however, presents more of a challenge.

Mariah, who survived the stagecoach holdup, learns that the robbers believe she might know something that will reveal their identity, and she needs to be silenced. Clint tries to protect her and finds himself stepping between her and a murderous gang of outlaws.

Through it all, love finds them, and they begin to forge a life together.


Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize package of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book Forged in Love!!








Samantha Price- SECRET

Trust finds herself once again risking everything. One false step she'll be in jail again. This book was more exciting to me than the ot...