Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Running by Dave Milbrandt

Suspenseful. Yes. Enjoyable. Yes. Recommend it to others. Yes.

Dave Milbrandt was a new author to me. It seems that most of the books I read are by female authors. It was refreshing to read a story about a man who made mistakes and learned from them. Jim Mitchell landed up in a job he didn't plan for. He wasn't going to step down without a fight.

This is book three so I think I need to read the first two books. It would show Jim's growth from a reporter to the State Assembly.

I was cheering for Jim. He wanted to do what was right not what was easy. I would vote for him.

I received this free to review.

About the Book

Book Title:Running

Author:Dave Milbrandt

Genre:Christian Suspense

Release date: May 1, 2018

An assassin’s bullet sends Jim Mitchell running. When he’ll stop is anybody’s guess.

A tragedy propels Jim into a vacant state assembly seat. The new lawmaker and his wife have a baby on the way, but that doesn’t stop the people trying to keep him from a job he never wanted in the first place. Then Jim gets involved in a plan to thwart a major terror attack that could either make him a hero or get him killed.

Political intrigue and high drama accent this tale of what it costs to find one’s purpose, and what the rewards can be when you do.

Running is the third book in the Jim Mitchell series. Previous titles include Chasing Deception and Undue Pressure.

About the Author

The author of Chasing Deception and Undue Pressure, Dave Milbrandt fell in love with writing in junior high and has been a storyteller ever since. A former staff writer for a daily newspaper, the Southern California native spent five years in journalism and public relations before becoming a teacher. Having worked at several area colleges, Dave has taught high school English and Social Studies classes since 2005 and fills his evenings sharing a passion for politics with his community college students. Dave and his wife, Lynn, have been married since 1997.

Guest Post from Dave

In 1998, I feverishly pounded out the first draft of Chasing Deception (book one in the Jim Mitchell series) in five weeks. Full of ambition, but bereft of wisdom of how the publishing world works, I assumed my novel would be published in short order. Despite my overly abundant self-assurance, I had to wait until 2013 to get that story out. I was in a hurry, but God, as usual, had other plans.

Over the last 20 years, I have discovered the gift of patience and more about the craft of good writing than I ever could have expected during that summer half a lifetime ago. With Undue Pressure (2016) and Running (2018), I have completed the trilogy I never planned to write and hopefully given readers some characters that will stick with them after they reach the end of the story.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 28

Carpe Diem, July 28

Bibliophile Reviews, July 29

Margaret Kazmierczak, July 30

A Baker’s Perspective, July 31

At the Fence, August 1

Cathe Swanson, August 1

Just the Write Escape, August 2

Multifarious, August 3

Mary Hake, August 3

Blogging With Carol, August 4

The Midnight Bookaholic, August 4

proud to be an autism mom, August 5

Simple Harvest Reads, August 5 (Spotlight)

Texas Book-aholic, August 6

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 7

Janices book reviews, August 8

Artistic Nobody, August 8 (Spotlight)

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 9

Reading is my Super Power, August 9 (Interview)

Two Points of Interest, August 10

Bigreadersite, August 10

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Dave is giving away a grand prize that includes ebooks of all three books in the series!!

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/d33e/running-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Kingdom of Review by D.C. Marino

Can you imagine that you were in a field that gave you chills, shakes, fear and conflict? The Main character in this book was. Lori was an archeologist. She was born for this job. It was in her blood.

I'm not one for fantasy fiction so I did have difficulty getting through this book. But by the conclusion of this book I was hooked. Lori was on a mission. She just didn't expect that she would play such an important role in the war in The Land Within.

Can Lori conquer her fears and do what's needed? How about you? What fear or concern holds you back?

I received this free to review.

About the Book

Title: Kingdom of Ruins Kingdom of ruins final

Author: D.C. Marino

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: July 27, 2018

In the Lands Within, history does not rest. Each archaeological layer communicates with the living generation, choosing its friends and enemies—and its kings. But an alliance has been struck no one could have anticipated, and an ancient evil is soaking into the soil. History is being erased, purchased and re-written at a terrible price. And a kingdom that shouldn’t have been forgotten is fading from memory.

In the Lands Without, archaeologist Lori Brickland has found a pottery shard with a heartbeat. The pulse might be a trick of the mind, or it might be the first sign of life in a world of ruin. An exiled traveler will say she shouldn’t search for the truth, a calculating ruler will say she’s the one he’s looking for. And the kingdom? The kingdom will need her before the end. It’s time to accept what she’s always known…

This isn’t archaeology.

This is war.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

D.C. Marinois a dedicated reader of history books and fantasy novels, both of which occupy an equal amount of space on her bookshelves. But it wasn’t until she realized how one breathed life into the other that she became addicted to finding the intersections of the real world and the fairy story. Still more: what those intersections about us as a creative, curious people. Kingdom of Ruins is her debut novel.

Guest Post from D.C. Marino

Hi everyone!

I’m so excited to share Kingdom of Ruins with you! This story has been on my heart and mind for over ten years now, so this feels a bit surreal. I’d love to tell you a bit about why I wrote this book. But in order to do that, I need to tell you why I almost didn’t.

Fantasy. It isn’t real. Why should I spend time writing a story that doesn’t grapple with the actual issues of the day? Why not speak plainly, instead of inventing another world to explore the real one? These were the questions I asked myself every night before I fell asleep. I adored fiction that transported me to factual events, or introduced me to historical figures, but every time I picked up a pen, the fantastical wiggled out of it.

I was afraid I was writing the wrong story.

This story oddly (or not so oddly) enough began with Lori, an atephobic archaeologist. Meaning she had a passion for archaeology, but a phobic fear of ruins. Why would she shrink back from the work she loved? Because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make whole the broken. Life ends in dust, and that’s all there is to it. I felt the same way. Not only was I writing something I wasn’t sure would be relevant, but could it mend anything? Make a difference? Or was it futile, like trying to resurrect the past?

What I found was exactly what Lori begins to find in Kingdom of Ruins. That even though things seem unfixable, it isn’t the end. The world Lori enters is full of darkness and peril, but it also holds a chance for her to heal from more than just her fear. While I wrote, and especially as I neared the last chapter, I realized she and I had both overcome a great challenge. I won’t tell you her conclusion, but I will tell you mine:

I wrote the right story.

I hope you enjoy every bit of the journey as I did, dear reader.

D.C. Marino

Blog Stops

Carpe Diem, July 31

Remembrancy, July 31

Inklings and notions, August 1

Fiction Aficionado, August 2

Multifarious, August 3

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 3

Connect in Fiction, August 4

Bigreadersite, August 4

Bibliophile Reviews, August 5

A Reader’s Brain, August 6

Just the Write Escape, August 7

Margaret Kazmierczak, August 8

Aryn the Libraryan, August 8

Simple Harvest Reads, August 9 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Blogging With Carol, August 10

proud to be an autism mom, August 10

Texas Book-aholic, August 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 12

Janices book reviews, August 12

A Baker’s Perspective, August 13

Giveaway

To celebrate the tour, Celebrate Lit Publishing is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!https://promosimple.com/ps/ced0/kingdom-of-ruins-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour Reminders

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

This Freedom Journey

I absolutely love these books by Misty M. Beller. I can't get enough of the locations and the depth of the characters in her books. This was no exception.

Adrien had such a peaceful demeanor. Mary felt it. She saw it. But she didn't understand it. Adrien knew that when the time was right he would share the gift he received from God.

A warm and loving story of how God healed Mary and gave her what her heart desired. I enjoyed this story and hated to see it end.

I received this free to review.

About the Book

Title: This Freedom Journey

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 11, 2018

Adrien Lockman is through with the political unrest and bloodshed in his home country of France, so he sets off to the Canadian territory’s mountain frontier, in search of a place where a man can live his own life in peace. The last thing he expects to find is a woman, half-starved and half-frozen in a shack nestled among the towering peaks of the great Rocky Mountains.

Mary Standish thought she’d finally found a place where she was accepted, trapping with her husband for the Hudson Bay Company. But when he dies after a gruesome grizzly fight, she determines to carry on their work. After all, life in these remote mountains is better than enduring the scorn and snubs of “civilized” folk. When she’s forced to face a winter harder than any she’s endured yet, her stubbornness may just be the death of her. Until a stranger appears at her ramshackle door.

Adrien had planned to explore the mountain country all winter before he settles down to build a farm in the spring, but he can’t leave this woman to die in the elements. Even though she seems desperate for him to go. As Mary regains strength, she’s torn between wanting to save her dignity, and craving the respect of this man who’s slipped past her defenses. As the winter worsens, the truth becomes all too real—the only way they’ll survive is together.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Misty 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 daughters 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.

Guest Post from Misty Beller

A Inside Look at the Cover for This Freedom Journey

My book covers are one of my favorite parts of the creative process! With most of my books, I have the cover done early, usually as I’m first brainstorming the story. I love to have the heroine on my cover, and I work hard to make sure the woman on the front matches the heroine I’m envisioning for the story. That way I can describe her in the novel the way she looks on the cover. Sometimes I even work in the outfit she’s wearing on the cover!

This Freedom Journey is a novella in my Heart of the Mountains series, so I wanted the cover to be similar in layout and style to the other books in that series. The setting is winter in the Canadian Rockies, so I knew Mary (the heroine) had to be bundled warmly! Funny story: Mary is mentioned in the other two books, although they’re set later in her life. When I first described her in the other books, I imagined her with amber brown eyes. When I chose the final cover for This Freedom Journey, I had to go back and change the amber brown eyes in those other manuscripts to the riveting blue on the cover. 😊

Blog Stops

Reading Is My SuperPower, July 19

cherylbbookblog, July 20

Blossoms and Blessings, July 20

Among the Reads, July 21

Connie’s history classroom, July 21

Bibliophile Reviews, July 22

Texas Book-aholic, July 23

Janices book reviews , July 24

Moments Dipped in Ink, July 25

Simple Harvest Reads, July 25

Carpe Diem, July 26

Maureen’s Musings, July 27

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 27

A Baker’s Perspective, July 28

Splashes of Joy, July 28

The Christian Fiction Girl, July 29

Mary Hake, July 29

Inklings and notions, July 30

Luv’N Lambert Life, July 30

proud to be an autism mom, July 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 31

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 1

Bigreadersite , August 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/d13f/this-freedom-journey-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, July 28, 2018

The Hope of Azure Springs - Rachel Fordham

The main character is Em. She might not be considered a beauty but her heart and soul was beyond beautiful. She was loved by everyone she met. She gave so much of herself to others.

Em was grieving. With Caleb's help she was able to heal.

This was a touching story. It made me smile. I cried. And I was cheering for Em and Caleb!! But most of all, it introduced me to a new author- Rachel Fordham. I'll be closely watching for new books by her. I enjoyed every moment in Azure Springs.

I received this free to review.

Revealed by Elaine Manders

Wild West Shows. Horses. Cowboys. Adventure. Mystery. Romance. All this and more are included in this story by Elaine Manders. I was excited to read this as I love a good western and a few years back I visited the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum in Cody, Wyoming.

The title REVEALED meant to me that GOD will reveal his true love for you when you open the door to him. He is always there waiting patiently for the invitation.

Katherine Levinson had much more revealed to her than she expected. Was she ready to accept the past? Could she ever be accepted?

I loved this book. It was book 3 of the Intrique Under The Western Skies Series. I had no problem following along. It stood on its own. But it does make me want to read Book One and Two. Great story. Wonderful characters. You will find yourself cheering for Katherine and Colt. I did!!!!

I received this free to review.

About the Book

Title: Revealed

Author:Elaine Manders

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: December 27, 2018

Nothing can be hidden that won’t be revealed.

When her father dies, Katherine Levinson discovers her parents have kept secrets that render her happy childhood a farce. She and her gravely ill mother face eviction, and she has no choice but to appeal to the brother she’s never seen, the famous cattle baron, Rhyan Cason. Over her gravely ill mother’s objections, they move to Nebraska and the sprawling cattle ranch, Sollano.

Instead of the warm welcome Katherine expects, she and her mother are met with whispers and scorn in the little prairie town near Sollano. Gradually, the sins of her parents’ past surface, and Katherine begins to doubt her very identify. With her brother busy with cattle rustlers and her mother too ill to be bothered, Katherine turns to Colt Holliman, a soft-spoken neighboring rancher, for comfort.

Tired of waiting for the right woman to come along, Colt has promised to wait for Charley Ryder, an acclaimed female sharp shooter and equestrian acrobat with the Wild West Show, but it’s becoming clear Charley loves the show more than him. As his attraction to Katherine grows, he finds himself spiritually conflicted. How can he break from past commitments and follow his heart?

Then unexpected danger strikes, testing Katherine’s and Colt’s faith in God—and each other.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Elaine Manders writes wholesome Christian romance and suspense about the bold, capable women of history and the strong, dependable men who love them. Her stories twist, turn, and surprise, told by characters who aren’t afraid to show their love for God and each other. She grew up a small town country girl and now lives in Central Georgia with her fur baby. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, sewing, crafts, and spending time with her family.

Guest Post from Elaine Manders

My Backstory

Intrigue under Western Skies Series, Book 3

Revealed

Back when I watched television, drama series were my favorite—Little House of the Prairie, the Waltons, the Virginian. I was caught up in the lives of these characters and looked forward to seeing what they were up to each week. For much the same reason, I enjoy writing episodic series.

Intrigue under Western Skies, a blended genre, historical romantic suspense series falls in this category. Some of the characters show up in every book, with new ones added along the way. But the books can be read out of sequence since each one has a different premise and plot.

In Revealed, Book 3 of Intrigue under Western Skies, I wanted to give Colt Holliman, previously introduced as a secondary character, his own HEA. Also, it seemed the time to reveal what happened to Rhyan Cason’s mother, the woman who’d caused so much angst in the first two books. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to introduce Katherine, the sister he never knew existed.

Unexpectedly, my research led me to the history of show business, and how it developed through the Wild West shows of the nineteenth century. From that, a mystery evolved.

The spiritual thread running through Revealed explores the emotions of a young woman who discovers blood relatives have been hidden from her. Can she accept and love her new family and forgive the sins of her parents?

Maybe the greatest insight I gained from writing Revealed is that one can never trust his own heart without first trusting God.

Blog Stops

Carpe Diem, July 17

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, July 17

The Avid Reader, July 18

Moments Dipped in Ink, July 18

Remembrancy, July 19

A Baker’s Perspective, July 19

The Christian Fiction Girl, July 20

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 20

Mary Hake, July 20

Connie’s History Classroom, July 21

Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, July 21

Bibliophile Reviews, July 22

proud to be an autism mom, July 22

A Reader’s Brain, July 23

100 Pages per Hour, July 23

Daysong Reflections, July 24

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, July 24

Maureen’s Musings, July 25

Two Points of Interest, July 25

Inklings and notions, July 26

Texas Book-aholic, July 26

cherylbbookblog, July 27

Pause for Tales, July 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 27

Karen Sue Hadley, July 28

Janices book reviews, July 28

Henry Happens, July 29

Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 29

Bigreadersite, July 29

Godly Book Reviews, July 30

The Morning Chapter, July 30

For The Love of Books, July 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elaine is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cee6/revealed-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, July 23, 2018

Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber

Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite go to authors. I can't even begin to tell you how many of her books I have read. Cottage by the Sea just came out this week so naturally I was first in line at the library to read this.

I actually read this in one night. Last night I stayed up past 3 am to finish the last few pages. I loved it. It was a touching story of how Annie worked through her grief.

This wonderful story shares some valuable lessons. It is important to take one day at a time while going through a difficult patch in your life. Take a breath. It's ok to grieve. And the definition of family is a group of people who may not share the same bloodline but who love and are there for each other.

I recommend this to friends and family.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Firestorm by Laura V. Hilton

A firestorm was brewing between Bridget and Gabriel. No matter how hard they fought their attraction to each other- it was GOD's plan for them to be together. Or was it?

Everytime Gabriel and Bridget ventured out, a catastrophe occurred. Shouldn't this be a warning?

Has anything ever happened to you where you realized how truly blessed you are? We need to start each day thanking GOD for all his blessings. GOD has blessed us with his presence. He is with us every step of the way.

Romantic, suspense, and intense describes this book.

I received this free to review.

About the Book

Title: Firestorm Fires Storm

Author: Laura Hilton

Genre: Christian Amish

Release Date: July, 2018

Bridget Behr and her family migrate from the bustling Amish community where she grew up in Ohio to the mostly unpopulated Upper Peninsula of Michigan after a stalker breaks into their home. While her father and brother try to find work in the area, the family is forced to reside in a borrowed RV until the house and barn are rebuilt. While Bridget is hoping for a fresh start, she’s afraid to trust anyone—even Gabriel, the overly-friendly Amish man who lives nearby. Bridget thinks he’s a flirt who serial dates and doesn’t even remember the girls’ names.

Due to not enough construction work in his Florida community to keep him out of trouble, Gabriel Lapp has been sent to Michigan to work. His father is desperate for his son to settle down. When the family walks into Gabe’s home in the middle of a thunderstorm and he discovers their circumstances, he offers to help with construction. For Gabe, the beautiful girl he teasingly calls “the recluse” once he discovers she doesn’t attend youth events, confuses him like none other.

As Gabriel and Bridget grow closer, they realize there is more to a person than meets the eye. Just as Bridget is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding love, tragedy strikes. Now Bridget and her family must decide if they should move to another Amish community, or dare to fight for the future they’d hoped for in Mackinac County.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with over twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write.

Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.

When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.

Guest Post from Laura Hilton

I read a series of books a year or so ago by another Amish author who had set her books in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As a Michigan native, I was curious, and I researched, but found nothing about Upper Peninsula Amish except a notation that one had tried and failed. So I contacted the author. She told me that she’d never been there, and her research had all been hearsay, so with that lack of firsthand knowledge and no trip to the Upper Peninsula planned, no trip to see for myself would be possible. At least at that time.

Then God intervened. My son who is in the United States Coast Guard was stationed in the Upper Peninsula this past summer (2017.) He saw the Amish driving around in their buggies. And he felt like a stalker as he followed one to see where he went and drove through the area. He even sent pictures. (Shhhh.)

Yes, there are Amish in the Upper Peninsula – at least at the time this book was written.

Okay, as a Michigan native, I used some terms that may not be familiar to non-Michiganders. A Yooper is someone who lives in the Upper Peninsula. A Troll is someone from the Lower Peninsula. A pastie is kind of like a Hot Pocket, except it’s a meat pie made with root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and rutabagas. They are so good. And the straits are the area of the Great Lakes connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

As for the wildfire, the earliest wildfire I could find any documentation on in the Upper Peninsula was in April. It is generally a snowy area — trust me. I lived near the Muskegon area and saw snow drifts in May. We sometimes had over six feet of snow on the ground at one time. So, to get the wildfire when I wanted/needed the wildfire I used artistic license. Yes, fires really happened in Michigan’s history. Just not in the month mentioned in the book.

I am attaching a meme about Michigan seasons. We’ll call the fire set in “fool’s spring.” My son got married during the “third winter” this year. April 21 and there’s snow on the ground. He and his beautiful bride got married at a water fall (Tahquomenon Falls) very near where the story is set.