Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Home On Huckleberry Hill




Huckleberry Hill has become a home away from home for me.  I love revisiting Annie and her husband, Felty.  She loves her family and will go to extremes to support them.  This story demonstrates their overwhelming support for their granddaughter, Mary.  They will be so supportive to the point that they will experience fires, spiders, out houses and a runaway motorhome.

Mary is going through some tough times.  She takes drastic measures to survive.  But her husband, Jethro, doesn't understand.  It doesn't take long for both of them to dig deeper and discover what they need to do.  It demonstrates how important it is to LISTEN...really listen to your partner.  Communication is the key.

 It is so important to be able to communicate face to face.  It is so easy to misinterpret someone's behavior in today's world with texting and Facebook.  Hurt feelings need to be addressed.  It can fester until the relationship  completely breaks down.

Home in Huckleberry Hill was entertaining.  It was a joy to read.


I received this free  from Celebrate Lit to review.

Back Cover:
  
  Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s irrepressible eighty-something matchmakers Anna and Felty Helmuth are at it again. And this time they’re willing to rough it to get the job done . . . Mary Anne Neuenschwander knows she should be content with what Gotte has given her. She has a comfortable house, a fruitful farm, and a good, steady husband. But after nearly six years of marriage, she still longs for a baby. Yet her husband, Jethro, seems to care more about fishing than about his wife. Unable to bear Jethro’s indifference, Mary Anne moves into a tent in the woods where he won’t have to be bothered. But when her mammi and dawdi find out what she’s done, they’ll stop at nothing—including a little camping trip of their own—to help save their granddaughter’s marriage . . . Jethro’s greatest blessing is his beloved wife, Mary Anne. Nothing else in his life has turned out anywhere near the way he expected. Rather than burden Mary Anne with his disappointment, he shields her by spending less and less time at home and more time on the river. But when he finds that she’s moved out, he’s shocked. What will people think? What is Mary Anne thinking? And what clever plans are her grandparents hatching?. . .




Bio
Jennifer Beckstrand is the two-time RITA-nominated, #1 Amazon bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sisters series, and The Petersheim Brothers series for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer and Home on Huckleberry Hill were both nominated for the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the Honeybee sisters’ aendi Bitsy, and Alfie and Benji Petersheim. Jennifer has written twenty-two Amish romances, a historical Western, and the nonfiction book, Big Ideas. Jennifer is represented by Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency. She and her husband have been married for thirty-five years, and she has six children and eight adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.

Social Media Link
Website: http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbeckstrandfans
Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jennifergbeckst/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Beckstrand/e/B0073GHCOG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1488910908&sr=8-2-ent
Instagram: j.beckstrand
Bookbub: @JenniferBeckstrand https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-beckstrand

Purchase Link
https://amzn.to/3aFrepp










Thursday, April 2, 2020

Hope in the Mountain River



What a beautiful story!  I am always amazed of Misty M. Beller's writing.  She clearly describes the scenery and the fine details in all her books.  I am not just reading her story.  I am almost in her story.

Elan has suffered much sorrow.  She was not sure how she can heal from this.  Joel was on a mission to find his brother.  The two met and this lovely story describes what they learned and discovered.

Both Joel and Elan suffered much.  How can one get through so much pain?  The answer is trusting GOD and believing that HE will never forsake you.  He is there always.  Good times and bad.

GOD hears our prayers.  Always.  Elan discovered GOD gives us strength and comfort.  We just need to be open and listen to what HE is trying to tell us.

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

About the Book

Book:  Hope in the Mountain River
Author: Misty M. Beller
Genre:  Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2020
This epic journey is not at all what she expected.
Joel Vargas can’t believe he’s lost his older brother in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains after surviving their harrowing voyage across the Atlantic. And he can’t shake the feeling that Adam—his only living relative—is in dire trouble. No matter what the cost, he and his band of friends won’t stop until Adam is found. He doesn’t have time to contend with the two Indian women who seem to be shadowing his every move.
After the devastating loss of her daughter and husband to a sickness that swept through their Nez Perce camp, Elan is desperate to find an escape from her grief. As she and her friend journey through the mountains toward the great river, a band of white men is the last thing she expects to find, especially as winter blows in full force.
When the dangers increase, accomplishing Joel’s mission becomes the only hope for all their survival. If the elements don’t consume them, Elan has a feeling life will never be the same for any of them.
From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and intense adventure.

Click here to get your copy.


About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of 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

I’ve always been a horse lover, and was blessed to grow up on a farm. My brother and I each had ponies of our own and rode hours each day. When we were old enough to graduate to full-size horses, we met neighbors who also had horses and loved to ride together. The two mares they rode had a mottled black and white spotted look, which I knew to be part of the Appaloosa breed. Through hears of riding together, I developed a deep appreciation for those two Appaloosa horses, as well as respect for the entire breed! Those two mares proved they could outrun and outlast any of the other horses in our riding group.
I’ve long wanted to include Appaloosas in one of my stories, especially since the breed was said to have begun in the Nez Perce tribe who lived just west of the Rocky Mountains. I’m so excited for you to meet Elan, the heroine in Hope in the Mountain River!
Elan and her friend are traveling through the Rockies on their Appaloosa horses, animals who can ride faster and longer than all the other horses in their group—even through the treacherous terrain of the Rocky Mountains!
I pray you love this story as much as I loved writing it. Enjoy a glimpse of the famous Appaloosa horse!

Blog Stops

Mary Hake, March 31
Genesis 5020, April 2
Rebecca Tews, April 5
Splashes of Joy, April 6
Bigreadersite, April 6
Betti Mace, April 7
Simple Harvest Reads, April 9 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Artistic Nobody, April 12 (Guest Reviewer Donna Cline)
Pause for Tales, April 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty 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.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

The House At The End Of The Moor

Maggie had to get away fast so the House seemed to be the perfect solution.  Oliver ran to escape.  They both had secrets.  Little did they know their secrets would bring them together.

We need to open our hearts to forgive others as well as ourselves.  We all make mistakes. We will only be completely free when we can forgive.

I was touched to see the wonderful changes the characters made due to forgiveness and redemption.

Have you carried the heavy burden of having a grudge or anger towards someone?  I have.  It is a heavy weight.  Let it go.  You will be set free.

I enjoyed this book.  It had everything I was looking for.  Maggie and Oliver grew stronger spiritually as I turned page after page. Loved it! 

I received this free from Barbour books. 



Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Turning Tide

My great grandfather served in the British Army during WW1.  He suffered injuries in France.  He was sent home to recuperate but shortly thereafter he returned to fight.  He lost his life in Egypt in 1917 from dysentery.  His name is on the War Monument in the town square in Maulden, England.  This monument is to remember the men who didn't return.  I thought of him while reading this book.  How can I not?  I think of how he felt saying goodbye to his wife and children to return to the front.  My grandmother was only 2.  She only remembered his shiny buttons on his uniform.


I have his picture sitting in my cabinet.  I look at him and think of what he suffered.  I think of how his family must have felt when they received the terrible news.

I was a little lost at first as it appears this was part of a series.  By Chapter 4, the characters and how they were related started to click.  I enjoyed their closeness in their community.  They looked out for each other.  


This story illustrates that things can change in a fraction of a moment.  The tide can turn in either direction.  How we handle this change is what is important.  


I received this book free from Celebrate Lit to review.





About the Book

Book:  Turning Tide
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Release Date: Feb 15, 2020
Turning TideAs the Great War rages on, Sunset Cove continues to feel its impact. Running the small town newspaper, Anna McDowell can’t escape the grim reports from the other side of the world, but home-front challenges abound as well. Dr. Daniel is serving the wounded on the front lines. And Katy, expecting her first child, with her husband in the trenches, tries to support the war effort with her Red Cross club. Even as the war winds down the costs are high—and Sunset Cove is not spared.

Click here for your copy!


About the Author

author photo Melody Carlson (1)Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

More from Melody

Writing about the WW1 era has definitely been a good history lesson for me. Prohibition laws in Oregon (and rum-runners breaking them) combined with a massive war that changed the world and a global epidemic is worth paying attention to. Especially since history sometimes repeats itself. The early 20th century had a lot going on—much that seems nearly forgotten. I’m glad to see the movie 1917 is doing well—and we plan to see it this week. Although I’m not a fan of gruesome war movies, this era continues to intrigue me. Even as I wrapped up my Sunset Cove series with Turning Tide I was left wondering . . . what’s next? But isn’t that the beauty of story?

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, March 16
By The Book, March 19
Wishful Endings, March 19
Betti Mace, March 21
Remembrancy, March 21
Mary Hake, March 22
Artistic Nobody, March 25 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Older & Smarter?, March 26
SPLASHES of Joy, March 28
Vicky Sluiter, March 28
Pause for Tales, March 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Melody is giving away the grand prize package of a complete set of The Legacy of Sunset Cove series!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Forks in the Road


A story about choices.  We each have times in our lives where we make a decision that will alter our journey.


Jonathan and Joshua made choices that set them on a course that they will later regret.  They had opportunities to make different decisions along the way.  

Jesus promises that he is the only way to the Kingdom of God.  Jonathan and Joshua had to reflect and ask for forgiveness.  A whole new world opened up to them when they started to read the Bible.  The Bible showed them that they had another choice.  A choice that can change their whole lives.

I enjoyed their story.  I was worried about the ending.  It could have easily been worse.  If we continuously make poor decisions, it can be almost too late.  Jonathan and Joshua always had the love of their family.  They always had the love of GOD to protect them and guide them.

I received this free from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book:  Forks in the Road
Author: Tamera Lynn Kraft
Genre:  Christian Western
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Forks in the Road CoverOrphans, Outlaws, and Redemption in the Old West!
(Looking for a prairie romance? Don’t look here!)
A classic Western tale of Joshua and Jonathan Jackson, brothers orphaned during the Civil War. They needed someone to give them a chance, but the war-torn countryside and people had little to spare.
After the war, the teen brothers headed West to find their fortunes and escape their past. Instead, they found a hard land and nobody willing to lend a hand. At every fork in the road, fear, grief, or pain prompted them to choose the wrong path.
By the time they were grown men, they had traveled so far into trouble, there was no way out except prison or death. They had one chance for redemption. Would they take it?
If you’ve read LOST IN THE STORM, you met Jed Jackson – this is the story of what happened to Jed and his brothers.

Click here to get your copy!


About the Author

Tamera KraftAward winning author Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. Alice’s NotionsRed Sky Over AmericaLost in the StormResurrection of Hope, and Soldier’s Heart are among her published works.
 Tamera been married for 40 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and three grandchildren. She has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire for Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

More from Tamera

I have always loved westerns. As a child, I remember watching shows on television like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Maverick, Big Valley, Alias Smith and Jones, and many others. I also loved the great western movies such as High Noon, The Quaker and the Bad Man, Three Godfathers, and Stagecoach. My favorite were the stories with an element of redemption in them. There is no better redemptive story than a man’s man out on the trail realizing he needs God.

Three Godfathers with John Wayne is my favorite movie. I first watched it when I came home from the hospital after giving birth to my first child. John Wayne plays an outlaw who, with his two friends, robs a bank and escapes into the desert. The outlaws happen on a wagon where a woman is giving birth. She dies shortly after. They have a choice. Either they risk their lives and freedom saving the child, or they leave the child to die and get away with the loot. I highly recommend it.

When I decided to write Forks in the Road, I wanted to capture that redemptive spirit in many western novels. Joshua and Jonathan are brothers who were orphaned at the ages of 10 and 12 when Quantrill’s raiders ravaged Lawrence, Kansas. They headed west to make it on their own, but at every fork in the road, they made wrong choices. They grew up and became outlaws, but they never became hardened or callous toward others. Even so, God had a plan of redemption for them. Would they take it?

Blog Stops

Wishful Endings, March 12 (Author Interview)
Betti Mace, March 18
Bigreadersite, March 19
My Devotional Thoughts, March 20 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tamera is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card & copy of Forks in the Road!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

The Pick-Pocket Orphans

  A sad but inspiring story of two young people who made the best of their unfortunate circumstances. Alice couldn't live with her fathe...