Friday, August 14, 2020

About the Book

Book: Rose in the Desert

Author: K.M. Daughters

Genre: Christian Contemporary Fiction

Release Date: July 2020

Anna Babic Robbins, dubbed “The Rose Of The Adriatic” by pilgrims to her village, leaves her home bound for America. She is to deliver secrets concerning the fate of the world to a Chicago priest who will shepherd mankind to prepare to hear God speak.

Four women travel to Las Vegas, and while there, snow begins to fall during triple digit heat. They soon learn that the non-accumulating snowfall is a worldwide phenomenon—a universal sign from God preceding the gift of a permanent sign inexplicable by earthly standards.

With the culmination of these miraculous events, all their paths intersect, and God will reveal His plans to each soul on earth.

Will mankind listen?

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

The story is very thought provoking and it made me do a lot of soul searching after finishing it. It is hard to explain how it made me feel, but I know that it has me reflecting more on my life. The premise of the story is that a woman has prophetic words that need to shared and a priest will help deliver the message.

I couldn’t quite figure out the beginning where someone was murdering young girls. What did this have to do with the story? I suddenly realized that we were getting a glimpse into the evils of the world. The author lays a puzzle at our feet and allows us to follow the trail to what God is wanting to share with everyone.

The women who travel to Las Vegas each has a part of their life they want to keep hidden. I’m not going into much detail because I don’t want to give one hint of what is to come. The story reminded me a little of a series about Revelations . I liked the references used to help readers understand that something very important was going to happen around the world. God was going to provide signs that show what He is capable of. I loved the symbols used to show that God was preparing everyone for His Word.

The best part of the story for me was that God does give second chances. He listens to us and speaks to us in a loving way. He knows our sins and still loves us. Each character will have a decision to make. Will they choose forgiveness or run from the truth? The characters are relatable and I think we can all see ourselves in one of them. Hearts will chance for those who believe . I kept thinking of the scripture that says, “the truth shall set you free.” What will you choose?

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. The penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents, “K”ay and “M”ickey Lynch. K.M. Daughters is the author of 15 award winning romance genre, women’s fiction and Christian fiction novels. The “Daughters” are wives, mothers and grandmothers residing in the Chicago suburbs and on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Visitors are most welcome at http://www.kmdaughters.com

More from K.M. Daughters

In our first book in the Gospa series, Jewel of the Adriatic, on April 7th, 1992, rose petals rained on three teenagers walking past a craggy hill in their village, Valselo, near the Adriatic coast. The deluge stopped, and high on this hill, they saw a remarkably beautiful young woman with a child in her arms. They immediately thought that she was Jesus’ mother. She didn’t say anything to them but gestured for them to come closer. They were scared and ran. These three children were Anna, Elizabeta and Josip, who despite their fear, returned to the hill and were rewarded with another visitation by the mother of God, lovingly referred to as Our Lady of the Roses. Daily apparitions continued for decades as the visionaries became adults, guided by the heavenly visitor to pray, open their hearts fully to the salvation of Christ and carry her messages to the world in discipleship. Josip became a priest, instructed to pray for vocations. Elizabeta became a wife and mother, dedicated to praying for unbelievers. And Anna, also a wife and mother, was given the role of divulging secrets concerning all of mankind to an ordained priest, three days before the predicted events occur. In Rose of the Desert, we meet the “Belles of St. Mary’s”, lifelong girlfriends who have shared everything with each other since they met in grammar school. Or have they? When experiencing the all-knowing, forgiveness of God’s presence, will they change so they never have anything to hide again? The Belles’ lives intersect with Anna Babic’s when Anna travels to the United States to fulfill her heavenly appointed mission. Now the time has come.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 16

A Baker’s Perspective, August 17 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, August 18

For Him and My Family, August 19

Vicky Sluiter, August 20 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 20

deb’s Book Review, August 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 22

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 23 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, August 24 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 25

SusanK. Beatty, Author, August 26 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 28

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, K.M. Daughters is giving away the grand prize of a beautiful necklace!! (Pictured Above)

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/fee6/rose-in-the-desert-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: No Small Caper

Author: Cynthia Hickey

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release Date: May 3, 2019

“No one does a final suspense scene like Cynthia Hickey!” – Stewart Writing Services

A rash of burglaries?

What kind of job had she been hired to do?

CJ Turley is excited to begin her new life as overseer of Heavenly Acres, a tiny house community in the Ozark mountains. As she’s handed the keys to her new house, by a woman who seems far too eager to leave the job to someone else, CJ is told the community is experiencing a rash of burglaries and she should visit the nearby Park Ranger for help.

Can CJ and her new friends stop a thieving murderer before they lose something far more precious than jewels? Their life!

From first day, to spending time with handsome ranger, Eric Drake, to a cast of quirky characters who are all suspect in CJ’s mind, you’re bound for a fun, hilarious, romp in this first book of a new small town, cozy mystery series by best-selling and award-winning author.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

This is a new to me author and I have enjoyed getting to know her writing style. I loved how she used tiny houses as the main scene of the story. I have been intrigued by the houses for some time. They seem perfect for people who want to downsize or just have a place with less clutter.

CJ is a good character who becomes the overseer of Heavenly Acres. She seems to take well to the new job and her home. The first part of the story is spent on introducing the characters. There were quite a few so I did have a hard time keeping up with them. As the story starts to develop into a mystery, I began to really enjoy how nice the story flowed. A rash of burglaries starts happening in the community and CJ is right there to investigate. After all, she feels responsible for what happens to the people in her little community.

Eric is a good addition to the story and his skills as park ranger will come in handy as more crimes start spreading in the area. His attraction to CJ was pretty predictable but I did like the chemistry between them. He has his hands full when CJ gets a little close to catching the thief. CJ is very stubborn and I think it was a good quality as she tries to unravel what is going on. In most cozy mysteries there is usually a murder and the one in this story is no exception.

My favorite character is Mags. Oh my is she a great character. With her no nonsense attitude and hunger for action, she makes a great side kick for CJ. Mags bring the story a few chuckles and I would love to be her neighbor. The story is a clean read and has just enough suspense to keep me trying to guess who would turn out to be the criminal. I am excited that the author has more in this series, because I plan to read everyone of them.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Multi-published and Amazon and ECPA Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey has sold close to a million copies of her works since 2013. She has taught a Continuing Education class at the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, several small ACFW chapters and RWA chapters, and small writer retreats. She and her husband run the small press, Winged Publications, which includes some of the CBA’s best well-known authors. She lives in Arizona and Arkansas, becoming a snowbird, with her husband and one dog. She has ten grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”.

More from Cynthia

I’ve always been fascinated by tiny houses and love writing cozy mysteries. What’s better than a cozy mystery series in a tiny house community? Not an inch of space wasted. You’ve got to be creative with your storage. Even hiding things in the floor which occurs when CJ Turley takes over as manager of Heavenly Acres. The pup she inherited when her grandmother died has a nose for diamonds. Who’d guess there were so many places in a tiny house to stash things?

I don’t live in a tiny house, but my husband and I downsized from a 2100 sq. ft home to a 1,000 sq. ft. home. Guess which one we prefer? The smaller one 😊 We always know where things are, it’s easier to keep clean, and no stairs to go up and down when we forget something. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t live in anything less than 400 sq. ft. if I lived alone, but it was fun to write about those who do.

I’ve watched so many tiny house shows, I’m pretty sure I could design one with everything I’d need. We even told our son that if he moved where we live, we’d build him one in the backyard! He wasn’t amused.

On a serious note, just kidding. While my cozy series have humor, they also have murder and mayhem with quirky characters and a dash of romance. I like my readers to chuckle as the characters strive to take down the culprit without too much danger to themselves.

Happy reading!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 7

21st Century Keeper at Home, August 7

Sara Jane Jacobs, August 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 9

Genesis 5020, August 10

deb’s Book Review, August 10

She Lives To Read, August 11

Artistic Nobody, August 12 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 13

Blogging With Carol , August 13

Texas Book-aholic, August 14

Inklings and notions, August 15

For Him and My Family, August 16

Mary Hake, August 16

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 17

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 18

CarpeDiem, August 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cynthia is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 and a copy of the book!!

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/ff4f/no-small-caper-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Caleb’s Destiny

Author: Carole Brown

Genre: Historical Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 2020

Mr. Michael, Destiny Rose McCulloch, and Hunter have a mysterious history. Why were three fathers, all business partners, murdered under suspicious circumstances while on their quest to find gold?

Hunter is determined to protect his boss and the precocious young lady who he suspects holds a key answer to his questions.

Mr. Michael wants only to be left alone to attend to his property, but what can he do when Destiny refuses to leave and captures the heart of every one of his employees?

Destiny almost forgets her quest when she falls in love with Mr. Michael’s ranch and all the people there. And then Mr. Michael is much too alluring to ignore. The preacher man back east where she took her schooling tried to claim her heart, but the longer she stays the less she can remember him. She only came west to find a little boy she knew years ago. A little boy all grown up by now…unless, of course, he’s dead.

Three children, connected through tragedy and separated by time, are fated to reunite and re-right some powerful wrongs.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

This has been a great adventure with a look at three people whose lives will cover a history that started long ago. I enjoyed getting to know each character as the author slowly introduces us to each of them. The background of a western town really piqued my attention. The town is just starting to grow and I loved the details of the shops and hotel that brought the people work.

Destiny has a past that is heartbreaking but she is determined to find someone she knew a long time ago. Caleb made a difference in her life when they were both young and now she wants to find him. She has never forgotten his compassion and how it impacted her life. I loved her spunky attitude and how she faced danger head on.

Michael is quite a catch I think. He is a kind man who finds himself rescuing Destiny after an altercation while traveling. I loved his ranch and how protective he was with people around him. It was fun to read how Destiny and Michael disagreed on things and who would turn out the winner in their arguments. Michael is aware that someone is out to kill him and that leads to a very exciting story that has hired guns, deceitful and vengeful men, danger and a secret that could change several lives.

I can’t forget to mention Hunter. He is almost an adult and Michael has taken him under his wings. Hunter is smart and very dedicated to keeping Michael safe from danger. I loved the side story of him and a certain young woman who catches his eyes. I’m hoping the author will give him his own book so I can find out if he wins that special someone’s heart.

The story has intrigue, danger, secrets and an adventure as Destiny looks for “Caleb.” Will she find what she has been looking for all these years? How will these three characters lives intertwine from childhood to now? I enjoyed the book and found it to be one that should be made into a movie. It could actually be a series much like ones my dad use to watch every Saturday. He loved westerns and followed their stories every week. This book is the first in the series and I look forward to reading the next one as soon as it comes out.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of ten books, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

More from Carole

Sharing God’s Love Through my Novels by Carole Brown

Once upon a time, there was a child—an expressive child who used her hands to convey her emotions and her imagination to talk with others, older people, and neighbors who found her amusing and relatives who loved her and encouraged her to develop her creativeness.

That child’s elementary fellow-students clapped when she gave childish presentations. She received good grades on her first written works of imagination in school. In high school, she and her best friend spent hours creating pensive and lovesick poems that they thought expressed their feelings.

Years later, that child/teen grew up. She married, birthed two sons, traveled and ministered alongside her husband and family then finally realized it was time to use her imagination and creative talents seriously. Although she was good at English, she soon learned she still had much to re-learn about writing novels. She joined critique groups, went to conferences and soaked in every bit of advice that came her way.

Today, she’s celebrating the release of her 10th full length novel, a new adventure because she ventured into writing an Historical Western Romantic Suspense.

Caleb’s Destiny. She began this novel several years ago, thinking she might enter it into a contest, but didn’t finish it then. Last year was a tough year of little writing, but once 2020 hit, inspiration sprang into renewal, and she determined this would be the year to finish it. Finish it she did in two and half months.

Since I’m that little girl, all grown up, I’ll confess that I love using my God-given talent for Him. Developing stories that encourage, gently show God’s love and power and wisdom for his children is the best thing in the world. I love being an author. I love sharing with others the stories God places on my heart showing that faith and goodness will always prevail. I love knowing I’m using the talent God gave me.

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, August 10

Rebecca Tews, August 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 12

lakesidelivingsite, August 13

Texas Book-aholic, August 14

deb’s Book Review, August 14

For Him and My Family, August 15

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 16

Artistic Nobody, August 17 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Mary Hake, August 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 19

Connie’s History Classroom, August 20

Captive Dreams Window, August 20

Simple Harvest Reads, August 21 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Emily Yager, August 22

Pause for Tales, August 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carole is giving away the grand prize package of a mug, a throw, and the winner’s choice of a Kindle or paperback copy of the book!!

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/febc/caleb-s-destiny-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, August 13, 2020

About the Book

Book: The Crushing Depths

Author: Dani Pettrey

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 30, 2020

They know the power and peril of the ocean.

But as they get closer to the deadly truth…

An even greater danger lurks just beneath the surface.

When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker on the first drilling platform off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent to take the case. Tensions surrounding the oil rig are high and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the structure from being completed, while rumors are being whispered about ancient curses surrounding this part of the ocean.

Mounting evidence shows the death may not have been an accident at all. Was he killed by one of the activists or, perhaps more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only a plethora of suspects, but also their own past and attraction to each other.

Just as the case seems like it’ll break open, worse news arrives. A tropical storm has turned their way and soon they’re cut off from any rescue–and right where the killer
wants them. It’s a race to discover his identity before he eliminates the threat they pose.

MY REVIEW

Oh my was this an exciting read. The author gets right into the adventure as soon as you start the book. I really enjoyed reading about the Coast Guards like in the first book of the series. This time we go along as Rissi and Mason are front and center in this thriller. I kept thinking as I read the book that it was a cross between NCIS and Criminal Minds.

Being out at sea for a long period of time does not sound very fun for me. There are many that do it though for the thrill and money. I just wonder how hard it would be to be stuck there without seeing your family. The story revolves around a mysterious death on an oil rig. What I really liked was the “curse” that many believed that caused accidents and deaths to happen. The background on the curse was very intense and it added a bit of mystery to the story.

Rissi and Mason go to investigate and find themselves in danger. I loved how the author stacked unexplained accidents on top of another that delivers a real puzzle to solve. I was so sure I knew who was behind everything, but I was very wrong. There are many twists in the story which kept me digging more into several suspects. There is romance in the book but for me it was not distracting from the story. The faith element is good and just the right amount to know that a few of the characters prayed for wisdom and safety.

With an activist group wanting to stop the completion of the structure, bodies turning up and unexplained accidents, the author delivers a well written story that had me reading as fast as I could. I really liked the characters and how they were up against weather, danger aboard the rig and threats without giving up. Rissi and Mason are a good combination and compliment each other at work . Their ability to untangle a very complicated case was nothing short of brilliance. I love the authors’ way that she tells a story with details, intrigue and non stop action. Get ready for an adventure where nothing is as it seems.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Praised by New York Times best-selling author Dee Henderson as “a name to look for in romantic suspense,” Dani Pettrey has sold more than half a million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance. Her novels stand out for their “wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters” (Publishers Weekly), “gripping storyline[s],” (RT Book Reviews), and “sizzling undercurrent of romance” (USA Today). She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Maryland, where she lives with her husband. Their two daughters, a son-in-law, and two adorable grandsons also reside in Maryland. For more information about her novels, visit www.danipettrey.com