Truly, Madly, Deeply

 Karen Kingsbury knows how to pull on your heart strings.  This book does that and more.  She delivers a powerful message with Annalee and the Baxter family.  

This message is for everyone.  Not one person is excluded from life's ups and downs.  We all suffer somehow from loss and fear.  We all celebrate our successes and joy.  But whom should we turn to in the good and bad times?  GOD.  He has our back.  Always.

I could relate to this story as I am a retired juvenile probation officer.  Every day brought unexpected challenges and danger.  I prayed daily for the strength, wisdom, protection and the words that GOD only could provide as I went about my business.  

After I retired I worked part-time for a police department.  I saw the positive impact that was made in the community by good and honest officers.  During these times it is a difficult task.  It is sometimes a thankless job.  But I also saw the  community embrace the officers.  Families and businesses would stop and thank the officers.  Officers were well fed as often they would come in with food.

Not everyone can do this job.  It is a calling.  Tommy knew that this is what he wanted to do with his life.  

Great book.  I highly recommend it.

Jingle All The Way by Debbie Macomber

 It is always a treat to read the new Debbie Macomber's Christmas book.  I look forward to opening the book and being transformed into the Christmas spirit no matter what time of year it is.  This year is no exception.

I found this book a little different than others.  Maybe is was the location: The Amazon.  It sure took me to a location I have never thought to go.  Everly had no interest in going there either.  But she sure was glad she went.

This story demonstrated that there are moments in time where we have to re-evaluate where we are and where do we want to be in the future.  I for one know that this is true.  Taking a risk is not easy.  Change is not easy.

Pick up your copy now and get in the Christmas mood with Everly/Daisy.  

Thanks, Debbie!  

The Amish Christmas Gift

 This book is part of a series: Hidden Springs by Laura V. Hilton.  Levi kept a secret that was destroying everything he loved and cherished.  Elsie suffered the consequences. 

The book is a little more suggestive than most Amish books I have read.  I still enjoyed the characters and the storyline.  How could you not like Amish George or sweet Abigail?

Christmas was just around the corner.  I enjoyed the premise of the holiday season and the fun of family and friends getting to celebrate together.  When have you ever experienced a taffy pull? It made me think of a time when my Dad and Mom made homemade candy.  It became quite messy and they were in a rush to get it done.  I think I was around 12 but I can remember it as if it was yesterday.  

I received this for free to review.

Help From Heaven

 We all experience times when we need help. We pick up the phone and call 911 for assistance.  Each chapter of this book demonstrates the difficult jobs EMS, emergency workers, etc. deal with each and every day.  The patients are at their worse.  The emergency workers are Angels of GOD whom do everything in their power to save us or our loved ones.

This Book was beautifully written.  It takes a special person to do a job like this.  I know the author's Christian beliefs have given her the strength to carry out her job.  And to think that she is volunteering to help others!  

Chapter 16 spoke to me.  My father was in the hospital dying from cancer.  I was a wife with two young children under six. I was also attending college full-time near the hospital my father was in.  I planned to visit my Dad right after my class ended.  I was waiting for the class to start when I had this desperate need to get to the hospital.  I didn't have my car that day so I had no way to get there.  My friend drove me and dropped me off.  I soon found out that my Dad died right when I felt the need to go.  I believe that GOD spoke to me that day.  And I was blessed that I listened.  There was no way anyone could have reached me in that classroom.  But GOD could.

I received this free from Celebrate Lit to review.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 7

Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 7

Texas Book-aholic, November 8

Inklings and notions, November 9

For Him and My Family, November 10

deb’s Book Review, November 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 12

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 13

Artistic Nobody, November 14 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Mary Hake, November 14

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 15

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 16

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 18

Splashes of Joy, November 19

Spoken from the Heart, November 20

About the Book

Book:  Help from Heaven

Author: Andrea Jo Rodgers

Genre:  Christian Nonfiction

Release Date:  September 1, 2020

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Experience the heart-pounding drama of real-life emergencies. Veteran EMT and physical therapist Andrea Jo Rodgers shares this all-new collection of accounts from her 30-plus years as a volunteer with her town’s local first aid and emergency squad.

Arrive on the scene with Andrea and encounter…

• Lou, a dedicated war veteran who is granted a new tour of duty from God.
• A fearful flock of ducklings that slip down a storm drain during a false alarm.
• Everett, a resilient older man who goes for an unexpected ride on the hood of an intoxicated driver’s car.
• Jenna, a young woman whose dangerous heart condition is both physical and emotional.
• Frank, a husband whose nasty fall down a flight of stairs earns him instant angel status from his devoted wife, Doris.

As you discover these and many more unforgettable stories, you’ll be reminded that miracles do happen, whether it be through the heroic efforts of first responders, the Lord’s divine intervention, or, often, both.

About the Author

Andrea Jo Rodgers is the author of award-winning Christian middle grade fiction as well as inspirational adult nonfiction novels. She holds a clinical doctorate in physical therapy and specializes in women’s health, orthopedics, and lymphedema. She has served her community as a volunteer emergency medical technician for over thirty years, responding to more than 8,200 first aid and fire calls. She lives on the east coast with her husband, two children, and their two rescue dogs, a Shih Tzu and a Dachshund.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10357/help-from-heaven-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

 An interesting story that shows it is never too late.  I was drawn to this story mostly by the cover.  I thought it was very intriguing.  

Willa did not want to go down the traditional path of matrimony.  She was called to go down a different path.  

A recent discovery of a love note opened up a solution.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this story.  Just when you thought you figured it out.....you were wrong.  It was a mystery, a love story....a tragedy and inspirational.  

I am glad that this book was brought to my attention.  I enjoyed every chapter.  It was extremely entertaining.  

I received this complimentary copy from Revell to review.

Her Secret Song

 Three sisters alone on a mountaintop.  Ursula saw both her sisters leave the mountain for new adventures and love.  Could she take the risk?

This book completed the three book series called the Brides of Hope Mountain.  The previous two books were about Ilsa and Jo. This book concentrated more on Ursula's choices and her journey of discovery.

It is never too late to make a change.  It can be scary.  It can be difficult but it can be done.  The Nordegren sisters and the men they met along the way made changes that altered their lives.  

I enjoyed reading about these three strong women.  Each sister developed a strength to assist them in their survival.  The ultimate gift came from GOD. 

I received this book for free from Bethany House to review.  

The Blended Quilt

 Another great story written by Wanda Brunstetter and her daughter-in-law, Jean Brunstetter.  This book is more about Sadie Kuhns.   Sadie thought she knew what life had in store for her until something unexpected happened.

Sadie questions the choices she made.  Who doesn't do that?  Some decisions we make quickly.  Some are difficult to make and it takes a lot of time.  What we usually don't do is PRAY to GOD before we make any decision.  Throughout the book prayer was the first thing that Sadie and other characters did when they were troubled, needed to make a decision and even when they were thankful.  

I always enjoy books about the Amish.  It is appealing to people who are not Amish.  We live such hectic lives.  

I wasn't too sure where Sadie was headed.  But she had a level head on her shoulders, the support of her family and God guiding her along the way.

I received this book from the author/publisher for free to review.  

A Christmas Tale for Little Women

 Are you getting ready for Christmas?  This book is just the thing to get you into the holiday spirit.  I was reminded of Louisa May Alcott as Little Women" as I turned the pages.

This story is about goodwill to others and spreading good cheer.  Adelaide opens her home and heart to others.  She is an example of the true meaning of the Christmas season.  She gives the girls in her care a Christmas that they won't forget.  

I enjoyed this story and to read about the love that Adelaide showed her fellow man. 

I received for free from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book: A Christmas Tale for Little Women

Author: Linda Brooks Davis

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: September 15, 2020

Broadview is attired for Christmas. Oklahoma heiress, Adelaide Fitzgerald, is hosting two young girls who have chosen to celebrate Christmas with Auntie Addie rather than their family in Colorado.

Adelaide must give these girls a Christmas like no other. Has she thought of everything? What would top off this holiday in an extraordinary way?

The answer lies just the other side of Rock Creek. But what will it take for her to realize it is the Christmas topper she’s been seeking?

It’s 1912, and Adelaide Fitzgerald’s view of Christmas is about to emerge as a tale for a lifetime.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Linda Brooks Davis is a lifelong Texan who devoted 40 years to special education as a therapist, teacher, and administrator. She retired in 2008 and now writes full time.

Linda’s debut novel, Amazon best-selling The Calling of Ella McFarland, Book One in the Women of Rock Creek series, is set in 1905 Indian Territory prior to Oklahoma statehood. It won Jerry Jenkins Operation First Novel in 2014 and subsequently, ACFW’s Carol award for debut novel 2016. The sequel novella, A Christmas to Remember, is set in 1908 Oklahoma. A second novella, A Christmas Measure of Love, is set in 1910 and is the prequel to Linda’s second full-length novel, which is set in 1914, Amazon best-selling The Mending of Lillian Cathleen, Book Two. The third novella, A Christmas Tale for Little Women, releases in 2020 and is set in 1912. It is a prequel to Book 3 in The Women of Rock Creek series, The Awakening of Miss Adelaide, which is set in 1918.

Linda and her beloved husband Al worship and minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio and dote on six grandchildren. Readers may contact Linda through her website, www.lindabrooksdavis.com.

 

More from Linda

Everyone worked at my home on a South Texas farm near the U.S. border with Mexico.

 

My playmates were children of Hispanic laborers. Language never hindered playing la casa, making mud pies, or rocking los bebés. Frijoles and tamales served from stewpots over open fires tasted delicioso in either language. I learned outside their homes a broom works great on hardened soil.

 

Daddy paid workers on Saturdays, some by the hour, others by production. Lining up, they extended their hands, and he laid cash across their open palms. They checked the figures they had scribbled on paper scraps, trusting el patrón to correct discrepancies. Humble, grateful people, they showed respect.

 

My father verified immigration paperwork for those whom he housed. Others lived in the shadows, arriving around sunup and disappearing before sundown. Each evening a car or truck would rattle alongside the field, and the shadow worker would slip inside. Then the vehicle would clatter toward the horizon. And returned another day.

 

Occasionally, however, an alarm shouted in Spanish would sound across the field. Dropping his cotton sack, a worker would dash toward the cotton trailer in the turn row. Like hounds burrowing under a house, he and a compadre would leap over the trailer’s sides and dig a hole in the freshly picked cotton. The first crawled in, and the other covered him.

 

The immigration officer making his rounds would walk into the field and occasionally stomp around inside the trailer, searching for man-sized lumps. I never witnessed the discovery of a shadow worker, but I heard about them on other farms. Worst of all, I heard about tragedies. With very little oxygen between tightly packed fluffs of cotton, a man could suffocate and occasionally would. I wondered what would lead a man to take such chances and how my law-abiding, God-loving father justified his complicity. So, I asked, and he answered, “Desperation, sugar. All they want is work. A man wants to provide for his family wherever or however he can. I can’t turn them away.”

 

Sounded like work was a gift. Huh? my ten-year-old brain asked itself.

 

Years later, I understood this principle. The second chapter of Genesis shows us that God created man not to laze around all day, but to work.

 

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

 

Therefore, not only in “the beginning,” but on our farm in 1956, a man’s strength to work was God’s gift. The opportunity to work was Daddy’s gift to the men. The fruit of each man’s labor was the gift he sent home each week and the fulfillment of his need to provide for his family.

 

At Christmas we enjoyed preparing bushel baskets of meats, fruits and vegetables, candy and nuts, and toys for each family. I wondered about those who stayed around for a single day. Would their children find fruits, nuts, or even a piece of candy on Christmas morning?

 

Answers evaded me then—-as they do now—-but as a writer in my eighth decade of life, one truth I hold onto is that the strength for each day of writing and less pain in my arthritic hands and back are gifts from God. Each opportunity to write is an opportunity not only to entertain but to inspire readers to seek God in their everyday lives. Each word, unique turn of a phrase, or plot idea . . . is my gift to Him.

 

Protecting our safety is a far more complicated endeavor in 2020 than it was in 1956. Threats arise like none presented five decades ago, but work is still a gift. God wired it into our DNA. Come to think of it, the ideas for A Christmas Tale for Little Women and the subsequent novel—one set in the southern tip of Texas, a story about a loving, destitute man who wants only to provide for his family—are gifts.

 

Those diligent workers of 1956 and other years deserve a story that honors them. My gift to them and to Him is A Christmas Tale for Little Women.

 

Thank you, Lord.

 

Note: Photos from Pixabay

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 20

Blogging With Carol, October 20

Through the Lens of Scripture, October 21

Connect in Fiction, October 21

Get Cozy Book Nook, October 21

She Lives To Read, October 22

Artistic Nobody, October 22 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

For Him and My Family, October 23

deb’s Book Review, October 23

Splashes of Joy, October 23

Connie’s History Classroom, October 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 25

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 25

Mary Hake, October 25

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 26

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 26

KarenSueHadley, October 27

lakesidelivingsite, October 27

Pause for Tales, October 27

Older & Smarter?, October 28

Inklings and notions, October 28

Betti Mace, October 29

Captive Dreams Window, October 29

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 30

CarpeDiem, October 30

Texas Book-aholic, October 31

Batya’s Bits, October 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 1

Moments, November 1

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 1 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize package of all 6 eBooks in the The Women of Rock Creek Series!! (The Calling of Ella McFarland, A Christmas to Remember, A Christmas Measure of Love, The Mending of Lillian Cathleen, A Christmas Tale for Little Women, and The Awakening of Miss Adelaide)

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/10264/a-christmas-tale-for-little-women-celebration-tour-giveaway

10/23 Legacy of Honor

Legacy:

1: a gift by will especially of money or other personal property.

2: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.

In life, we have choices to make each and every day.  Many times are decisions are not good ones. God wants the best for us but we can sure make a mess of things.  Our decisions do not only had an impact on our lives but the future generations.  A legacy past on to our children, our grandchildren, etc.
Emma and Riley both had choices to make.  They both had the positive influence of their mothers to guide their lives.  Accepting GOD into their lives was what really made the difference. 
I enjoyed this book a great deal.  I never heard of Renae Brumbaugh Green but I will make sure to look for Book 2 of this series: The Stratton Legacy.  
I received this for free to review from Celebrate Lit.

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, October 16

Through the Lens of Scripture, October 16

The Christian Fiction Girl, October 17

deb’s Book Review, October 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 18

Labor Not in Vain, October 18

Texas Book-aholic, October 19

Genesis 5020, October 19

Vicky Sluiter, October 20

lakesidelivingsite, October 20

Betti Mace, October 21

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 21

ABBA’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 22

Sodbusterliving, October 22

Older & Smarter?, October 23

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 23

For Him and My Family, October 24

Lighthouse Academy, October 24 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Inklings and notions, October 25

Daysong Reflections, October 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 26

Simple Harvest Reads, October 26 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Artistic Nobody, October 27 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Splashes of Joy, October 27

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 28

Adventures Of a Travelers Wife, October 28

Connie’s History Classroom, October 29

Pause for Tales, October 29

Book:  Legacy of Honor

Author: Renae Brumbaugh Green

Genre:  Christian Historical Romance

Release Date:  Nov, 2020

He’s been raised to carry on the legacy.

After her mother’s untimely death, Emma Monroe’s dreams to become a teacher are dashed. She takes a job as maid and cook at the local Stratton Ranch, where she endures humiliation and hardship in order to provide for her ailing father and younger brother. Only Riley Stratton, her childhood friend and heir to the Stratton fortune, sees her heart. When she’s asked to care for Skye, the young half-Indian girl most family members refuse to claim, Emma finally finds the purpose she craves.

Riley Stratton has it all, or so it seems. Growing up as the youngest son of the rich and powerful John Stratton, Riley stands to inherit a legacy of greatness in the Stratton Ranch. On the surface, his family looks like they have it all, but manipulation, deceit, and an ever-present quest for power leave him desperate for change. Yet his father has made it clear: do things the Stratton way, or face alienation and disinheritance.
As Riley and Emma choose between honor, dreams, and expectations—not to mention the love they can no longer deny—their first steps prove how quickly the situation can spin into danger. When their best efforts threaten the lives and hopes of those closest to them, it becomes clear the decisions they make will change the course of their lives forever.

 

About the Author

Renae Brumbaugh Green is an ECPA Bestselling Author, award-winning humor columnist, and wannabe superhero. She lives in Texas with her handsome, country-boy husband, four nearly-perfect children and one nearly-perfect son-in-law, and far too many animals. When she’s not writing, Renae teaches online classes and tries to be rugged without chipping her nail polish.

More from Renae

I’ve been writing this book for more than a decade!

In 2008, my dear friend and writing mentor, Chip Ricks, shared a book idea with me. Loosely based on her own family history, she wanted to write a story about two brothers—one who chose to live for Christ, the other who didn’t. She wanted to follow that family through the generations, to show the impact of that one choice, on the people who came behind.

She just had one problem. Chip was a brilliant writer, but she wasn’t a fiction writer. “Will you help me write this book?”

Now, Chip was in her 80s at the time. She was a mother, a grandmother, to me in the faith. If she’d asked me to paint the moon pink, I’d have given it my best shot. For several years, Chip and I worked together on several versions of the book. We only ever got through the first few chapters, and we’d change our minds about the characters or the situations. Finally, one day she smiled at me. She said, “You know, Renae. This is your book. I know I whispered the idea to you, but I always wanted you to be the one to write it. I’m getting too old to work on this . . . please take it. It’s your story.”

Soon after, she moved across the country to live with her daughter. We stayed connected via phone calls and Facebook, until eventually, she stopped responding. We lost touch. I continued to write the book—Chip’s book. Now my book. I’d work on it a while, then put it away for several months, even a few years at one point. In 2017, I finished what would become the first final draft. I fiddled with it more, here and there, but I hung onto it until I met Misty Beller, my publisher at Wild Heart.

I submitted the book to her, and she accepted it, right away! Then the editor got hold of it. God bless Erin Taylor Young! She was brutal, in the best possible way. I spent weeks (months?) making the suggested changes, and each one made the book so much better. The day I turned in those final edits to my publisher, I opened up Facebook. There, on Chip’s FB page, was a note to all her friends.

From one of her children.

She’d gone to see her Heavenly Father.

I sat there, frozen, looking at my screen, big fat tears tracking my cheeks. How was it possible that on the day the book was complete, I learned of her death? She was so instrumental in my walk of faith, and in my path as a writer. It was almost like the Holy Spirit wanted me to know . . . this particular journey was now complete.

I hope you enjoy this book, book one in a trilogy, for it is very close to my heart. And I hope you learn from the actions of two brothers, so many years ago, that our choices have an impact on our own lives, and on the lives of those who follow us.

 

—Renae Brumbaugh Green

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Renae 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/10258/legacy-of-honor-celebration-tour-giveaway