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Friday, August 17, 2018

SAVING WILLOW BOOK BLAST written by FAY LAMB
PRESENTED by CELEBRATE LIT


Bitterness, stalking, and a neighbor to die for

What's a girl to do?

Trailed by a stalker in New York City, Willow Thomas, a young ad executive, scurries back to her small North Carolina hometown and the lake house where ten years earlier a scandal revealed her entire life had been a lie, and a seed of bitterness took root in her soul. The cocoon of safety Willow feels upon her arrival home soon unravels when she meets opposition from her family, faces the man she left behind, and the stalker reveals he is close on her heels. Can Willow learn to trust God to tear out her roots of resentment, reunite her family, ferret out a deadly stalker, and to rekindle the love she left behind?



About the Author:
Fay Lamb has always taken joy in forming words that tell stories that will enrich the lives of others. She tackles issues that she has had to face. She isn’t afraid of the hard issues and takes delight in weaving humor into the lives of her characters, even in the direst of circumstances.

Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and six grandchildren.
For more information or to schedule an interview or a workshop, contact Fay Lamb at Faywrites@cfl.rr.com.

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The story is non stop action and I enjoyed how the author kept readers on the edge of their seats. Willow is a complicated person. She comes from fame and money, but that sure doesn't guarantee a happy life. Willow has come back home to Amazing Grace to get away from someone who is stalking her. The author writes with a style that gives you characters that are complex but extremely intriguing. Buried deep inside Willow is a little girl who just wants to be accepted and loved.

I have always heard the saying, " You can never go home again." I have often thought that to be true since I had a horrible childhood. Willow left Amazing Grace a long time ago to escape all the bitterness, gossip and pain that could destroy her.  Will coming hone help her heal old wounds and let go of her distrust of everyone? I so much wanted Willow to give into her feelings and let God show her how to forgive.   When she sees her old boyfriend Quentin, you can feel the chill in the air. I would say there is some unfinished business between them.  Quentin has never forgotten Willow , but will she tear down those walls and let him in?

The danger Willow finds herself in escalates and Quentin has taken it upon himself to protect her. Willow is really stubborn but at some point she has to trust someone if she wants to stay alive. Who is trying to harm Willow? I had several suspects in mind and was not far off from my prediction. There is not much to say about her parents, except how awful it would feel to be abandoned because you may get in the way of fame for them. That part really bothered me and I understood her pain so well. Being rejected by your parents is the hardest thing to overcome. 

My favorite character hands down was Bear. He was this large as life person who would do anything to keep Willow safe. What happens when Willow finds out his true identity? Willow has a very dysfunctional family , and at times I couldn't keep up with who was good and who hated Willow. The  story does have many twists that kept me intrigued and I was very pleased with the ending. I loved the story because it shows what jealousy and bitterness can do to people. Forgiveness is something that many of us have a hard time giving to others. It destroys relationships and keeps us from the blessings of God.  As you read this book, let the message of unconditional love feel your soul and allow bitterness to be removed.

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















Thursday, August 16, 2018

PATRIOT  BRIDE by KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE

The 1700s have come alive in this spirited story rich with iconic figures. How would you like to be able to say that George Washington was one of your closest friends? Faith has that distinction and  I must say how very exciting it is. She is a wonderful character full of honor and grace. I loved that she wanted to do something to help her country out in time of war. I know I could say she was brave but I think I will call her a jewel in time of need. She must know of the danger that will surround her as she takes on a very secretive mission.

Matthew has also joined forces with George and his country to outsmart the British. I was a little concerned  that Matthew was playing a double spy. Does he realize how dangerous that is?There are a few chuckles in the book when a man sets his eyes on Faith. Poor man, he is in for a heartbreak I think. As Faith and Matthew meet in secret to exchange information, a closeness develops between them.

The story is very intriguing and I loved reading about Benjamin Franklin and  Paul Revere . I could hear Paul racing through the town screaming , " The British are coming. The British are coming. " What I really liked was reading the author's notes at the end of the book. It corrected some things I didn't know about. I now know how tall George Washington really was. Also interesting was the real words that Paul Revere said. Thank you for including information that shines a new light on the truth in history.

The author keeps readers involved in the story as she places us right in the action. Her knowledge of the era is very impressive and enhances a very historic event . Will Faith and Matthew be able to keep their feelings from causing them danger as they meet each other in turbulent times? The characters are believable and the story is gripping. The ending is a must read for everyone.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Barbour Publishing. The review is my own opinion.

Monday, August 13, 2018

1 Vote

Death on the Menu: A Key West Food Critic Mystery
by Lucy Burdette

What a great addition to this wonderful cozy mystery series. . . Just full of Key West history, a mystery, and characters to liven up the book as the investigation goes on in between the plot twists.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews
Death on the Menu contains good writing and engaging characters. Lucy Burdette does a wonderful job at world building.
~The Avid Reader
There is something in the book for any reader. The problems and crimes are definitely not simple to solve.
~Laura’s Interests
This book was thoroughly enjoyable with a great group of characters, fun atmosphere, andauthentic Key West flair. You won’t be disappointed in this one!
~The Montana Bookaholic
I enjoyed Hayley supporting her mom and going above and beyond to make the event a success. Miss Gloria is always entertaining. I wish I had her energy.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
DEATH ON THE MENU is a delicious addition to the Key West Food Critic Mystery series filled with cultural relevance and delectable food.
~Cozy Up With Kathy
The author’s love for Key West, its people, and places comes through in her writing. You feel as though you are right there with the characters–you can almost smell the ocean and feel the breeze!
~Book Babble

About the Book

 

Death on the Menu: A Key West Food Critic Mystery
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Crooked Lane Books (August 7, 2018)
Hardcover: 295 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683317463
Digital ASIN: B078MBKH95
When a killer strikes just before flan time, beloved food critic Hayley Snow is forced to sniff out the killer before someone else bites the dust.
Hayley Snow, fiery food critic for Key Zest magazine, has just landed a ticket to one of the most prestigious events in Key West: a high-brow three-day conference at the Harry Truman Little White House. Even though she’ll be working the event helping her mother’s fledgling catering business, there’s plenty of spicy gossip to go around. But just before her mother’s decadent flan is put to the test, Key West’s most prized possession, Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, is discovered stolen from its case.
Unsavory suspicions point to Gabriel, a family friend and one of the new busboys working the event, who mysteriously goes missing moments later. Anxious to clear his name, Gabriel’s family enlists Hayley to help find him, but right as they begin their search, his body is found stabbed to death in the storeroom.
Hayley has no shortage of suspects to interrogate and very little time before the killer adds another victim to the menu in national bestselling author Lucy Burdette’s delectable eighth Key West Food Critic mystery, Death on the Menu.

About the Author


Courtesy Carol Tedesco
Clinical psychologist Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) has published 16 mysteries, including the latest in the Key West food critic series, DEATH ON THE MENU (Crooked Lane Books, August 2018.) Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and a past president of Sisters in Crime. She blogs at Jungle Red Writersand shares her love for food with the culinary writers at Mystery Lovers Kitchen She lives in Madison CT and Key West FL. Read more at www.lucyburdette.com.
Author Links:
Purchase Links:

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I enjoyed the rich history of Key West in this book. The author describes it so well, I felt like I was there seeing the clear blue water and hanging out at Houseboat Row. That is such a fun name and it made me laugh. Hayley is a great character and I loved that she was so involved in the community. When she is asked to help her mother cater for the prestigious conference located at the Harry Truman Little White House, I knew trouble was around the corner.  
The book is filled with information about Cuba and its culture. It made me realize how people have been mistreated and that like everyone in the world want a better life for their family. The story does take on some serious issues that really enhance the book. I am impressed with how elegantly the author uses characters to highlight a culture that is rich in history. 
  As the conference is to begin a big ruckus breaks out. The coveted Hemingway's Noble prize gold medal has disappeared.  There is a long list of suspects but one name can be marked off. Gabriel is found dead which leads his family to prove his innocence in the missing gold medal and to find out who is behind his death. Haley is going to have her hands full trying to help serve food at the event  while trying to investigate a murder and missing medal. I really like the author's style of writing with details that bring readers right to the action. There is a wonderful cast of characters that will keep the story intriguing. 
Haley starts to get close to who the killer is when someone else is injured. The background story of Gabriel was impressive. I loved reading about his parents and how his mother risked everything for her family so they could have a better life. The way that the murder is solved was so brilliant and I loved how the author used her knowledge of Key West and Cuba to make a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I now have a craving for Cuban food. The author has included recipes at the end which I intend to try. I was surprised at who ended up being the killer and why they did it. This is a must read for all mystery lovers. 
I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. The review is my own opinion.


TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 1 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 2 – Mystery Lovers Kitchen – RECIPE
August 2 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 2 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – Killer Characters – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 3 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 4 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
August 5 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 6 – Map Your Mystery – INTERVIEW
August 6 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
August 6 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
August 7 – Jungle Red Writers – GUEST POST
August 7 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – RECIPE, REVIEW
August 7 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – The Conscious Cat – GUEST POST
August 8 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
August 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 9 – Mystery Lovers Kitchen #2 – RECIPE
August 10 – Wicked Cozy Authors –  GUEST POST
August 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
August 11 – Book Babble – REVIEW
August 12 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
August 13 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
August 13 – Mallory Heart Reviews – REVIEW
August 14 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
August 14 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 15 – Fabulous Florida Writers – GUEST POST
August 15 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
August 15 – Varietats – REVIEW
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Argosy Junction-Banner

About the Book

Argosy Junction Cover
Book Title: Argosy Junction
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian Fiction/Romance
Release date: 1st edition: March 11, 2010 ; 2nd edition: August, 2018
I want nothing to do with Jesus or God.”
After over twenty years of abuses from the cult-like church she grew up in, Lane Argosy has had it with God and His people. Though the Brethren try to make Lane and her family’s lives unbearable, freedom from their warped brand of Christianity is sweet. She’ll never go back… never.
He just wanted to visit the country he’d explored through books. So, when Matt Rushby arrives in Argosy Junction, Montana, he expects idyllic meadows and craggy rocks towering above, old-fashioned friendliness and at least one or two cowboys. Instead, he finds familiar hatred and factions very much like the ones back home in Rockland’s inner-city gangs.
The Argosy family is disillusioned, broken, and floundering. Matt knows the answer is Jesus—just Him and not the trappings of a faith He never designed.
But how can Matt help them turn their hearts back to the Lord when he suspects Lane has stolen his?


About the Author

ChautonaThe author of dozens of books in a variety of genres, Chautona Havig lives and writes in California’s Mojave Desert where she uses story to nudge her readers to the feet of the Master Storyteller.

Guest Post from Chautona

What Do You Do When the Church Becomes Toxic?

You know how TV shows and movies like to make fun of bridezillas?
Yeah. I know. It can be funny.
But bridezillas aren’t just those gals on reality shows. They’re all over the church, too. People who allow their focus to get off the Bridegroom and onto “their day.” Instead of focusing on the One who loves them so dearly, Who has rescued them from the gutter and holds them close and tenderly, they focus on getting all the trappings right. The right wording, the right clothes, the right rules of…
UGH.
So many friendships have been ruined by a bride gone wild—so focused on details that she forgets the people she hopes will celebrate it with her. She forgets her groom. Unreasonable expectations of the day and of people lead to broken relationships and an ugly taint to what should be a beautiful occasion.
What I find interesting is that people will forgive a lot from a bridezilla. You hear things like, “Well, it’s such a stressful time,” or “She’ll come around after she settles in.”

And it’s true.

So, why don’t we have the same grace for the “bridezillas” of the church? When that deacon decides to become judge and jury of people’s spiritual state based upon what he thinks or knows someone has contributed to the church, why do we write off him and the rest of the congregation (or all congregations out there)? When the church gossip shares private information… or even falseinformation, why do we lash out with thinly-veiled, passive-aggressive rants on Facebook about brutes in the church before flouncing off in a spiritually-superior rejection of that “religious nightmare, otherwise known as the church?” (Yes, I’ve heard it called that).
When we’re blackballed by people who used to call us family, why do we reject all parts of the bride? Why do we cut off an arm, a leg, a hand, and whack away from the body known as Jesus’ bride until only a piece of an eyelash is left—us?
I get it. The bride of Christ gets ugly—like many bridezillas do. But do we love our Groom? Do we trust that He will stay faithful to us even when parts of our body fails us? When we get old, frail, and forgetful, will He remember us? Will He stay faithful and true when we wander to other loves? Can we trust that?
If Jesus can die for that person in the pew across the way, if He can forgive their sins, if He can forgive your sins, can’t you forgive His beloved?

Look, I get it. Sometimes part of the body of Christ becomes ill—gangrenous. Toxic.

When that happens, you need to remove yourself before you become ill, too. I get that. But that local body is just a tiny finger or toe of the whole body. We need to do what we can to help the rest of the body stay healthy while we pray and do what we can to help the sick part.
And I’m not condoning sin. Please understand that. This isn’t about me saying, “It doesn’t matter if the church sins against us. It does. It’s why Jesus gave us a way to deal with that.
But regardless of how someone else behaves, we still have to do what’s right. And I Peter 4:8 reminds us that “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
If you thought I’d wax eloquent about how evil the church is, how we should just abolish the “institution,” and why it’s just so bad…
You’ll be disappointed. I won’t do it.

So, What Do You Do When the Church Becomes Toxic?

I can answer the question in a word.
Love.
And really, that’s all Matt does in this book. Loves. Okay, and maybe a little prayerful ranting as well.
It’s what Jesus did when His creation—you and me—when we became toxic. He loved.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34

Special Video from Chautona Havig

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What I love most about the author's books is that she writes with her whole heart. The characters come alive and whatever issue they are facing, the author doesn't try to minimize the problem. She engages the characters with realism and readers are able to relate to them. I liked this story because it deals with a couple of things I have dealt with before. There are many churches out there who have different beliefs and some are even dare I say judgmental. It is hard to be a perfect Christian in the eyes of some of the churches. They are quick to point fingers and shun you. I have felt that exact thing in a church. It hurt me to the core and I became distant from God.

I was very intrigued by the Brethren.  The history of how it came to be was interesting. It was hurtful for me to read how they treated Lane and her family. Can you imagine living in a town where no one wants your business or even to be friends with you? I admired how Lane handled it with grace. She is quite a great character with a heart that has been damaged with rejection. Of course my favorite character from the story has to be Patience. What a lovely child full of adventure and life. You can't help but love her. She radiates energy and happiness.

It was fun to see Matt come out to the sheep ranch when he wasn't wanted in town. He sure tried to impress Lane, but I think his ranching skills need a little tweaking. His time there was special and he really bonded with the entire family. I could see a little spark between him and Lane. Will Matt be able to help Lane forgive the people who have hurt her and come to understand what a real Christian is? To me the simplest way to tell someone what a Christian is by loving unconditionally, not judging  and reach  reach out to those who are hurting  with compassion.

When Lane and Patience go to see Matt in his town, it is a little different for them. They are used to small town living. Where Matt lives, there are homeless people found on the streets and rough neighborhoods that are not safe to travel around at night. Lane gets a new perspective of where Matt grew up. I enjoyed how Matt shared his heart with Lane and opened her eyes to a different background from hers. I kept thinking that Lane may be a little sheltered from the real world and it upset me that she was appalled that a prostitute was allowed to be in Matt's church. I think being around The Brethren back in Montana may have caused her to be judgmental without realizing it.

I liked the conversation that Lane's parents had. Thank you to the author for not mixing words and calling what happened to Lane and her family  "spiritual abuse." Lane's father is such a good character and I liked that he was able to open up to his wife. This has been a book that I will not forget. It is a story about a real relationship with God and knowing when you are deceived.  It is about pride and being judgmental. It's also a book that takes two people that believe differently and shows us how hearing the truth can set you free.

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



To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a grand prize package that includes a paperback copy of Argosy Junction, “Matt’s” copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and a $25 gift certificate!!

Blog Stops

Bigreadersite, August 8
Among the Reads, August 9
Multifarious, August 10
Texas Book-aholic, August 13
Carpe Diem, August 19