Saturday, November 12, 2022

 

About the Book

Book: Flame of Mercy

Author: Eleanor Bertin

Genre: Contemporary Christian

Release date: November, 2021

Two families, worlds apart. Can they each find hope in the crucible of suffering?

All Lynnie Min ever wanted was to be a wife and mother. But when tragedy strikes her family, she’s left with nothing but her faith to begin life again. While pursuing a career she never wanted, can the precious faith she was raised on withstand betrayal by a hostile former friend, now a professor whose ideologies conflict with her own? And why do her puzzling dreams feature only one of her daughters, not both?

Out of a smoking ruin in northern Nigeria, Ihsan bin Ibrahim stumbles upon the solution to his wife’s barrenness and longing. But family ties have a long reach. Will he make the ultimate sacrifice to follow his conscience, even if it means losing the child he loves?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

From her home in central Alberta, Canada, Eleanor Bertin writes fiction that ponders the depths of God’s love and mercy to humanity.

She is the author of The Ties That Bind series, LifelinesUnbound, and Tethered, as well as the memoir, Pall of Silence, about her late son, Paul. She lives with her husband of more than 40 years and their youngest son, in what will someday be a beautiful century home. www.eleanorbertinauthor.com

 

More from Eleanor

If you’ve read any amount of secular fiction these days, you must be shuddering at the landscape of the family in the world today. Strife and resentment, rivalry and spite–seems there’s nothing but dysfunction as far as the eye can see. And while conflict is necessary to any novel’s plot, I wanted to write about a stable family, a loving family, one that, while imperfect, still nurtured and protected its members with acceptance and harmony.

On top of that, I wanted to depart from my previous novels where the main characters were not believers. In Flame of Mercy, Lynnie is the main character whose trust in Jesus stands firm despite going through the fires of adversity. Her family is one of the reasons for that strength.

But of course, even the best, most faithful families have their quirks. Enter the grandmothers. Grandma Hardy is stiff, stilted, and staunch in her Christian beliefs. Nanny Roundell is sugar-loving, jolly, and lets mentions of faith slide off her chubby body with a smile. Their beliefs do not align with their personae. This paradox was suggested to me by a friend as I described the contrast between two elderly relatives, sweet Christian and sour unbeliever.

“Aren’t you glad it’s not the other way around?” she asked.

Because we all know it can be. Sometimes Christians look nothing like their Lord. And non-Christians can live blissfully inconsistent with their evil master’s agenda.

And so, I had fun writing these two ladies! “The grandmothers sat next to each other, one short and round, one tall and skinny. The Ball and Bat, we used to call them when we were kids, and I’d never been able to see them differently ever since. Come to think of it, Nanny, the Ball, was like a baseball in other ways besides physical. She had always been reactionary, flung here and there with every wind of doctrine but without any viewpoint of her own. By contrast, Grandma Hardy was the Bat. She stood alone, stiff and sturdy, unwavering, and if necessary, could give you a good whack to get you moving in the right direction.

“My sister was what Grandma frowningly called ‘frivolous.’ And Lissa was mischievous enough to purposely do things that would get Grandma’s goat. I mean, deliberately cavorting through the sprinkler in a bikini directly in front of Grandma’s kitchen window was outright asking for a lecture. You couldn’t call it a scolding since Grandma never raised her voice, but it was always a one-way communication generously salted with Bible verses. Lissa told me Grandma even referred to hand-written notes a couple of times while talking to her. And Grandma’s tone carried the expectation that we would change our ways accordingly. We had been taught to respect our elders so there was no answering back. We only meekly listened.” With Grandma, there was no statute of limitations and past sins could receive present censure.

Nanny’s eyes twinkled. “I’m feeling better every day. It’s given me my life back. Why, with my dentures and glasses, a new knee, and a titanium hip, I’m eighty percent fake.” She cackled her infectious laugh and we joined in, exchanging glances. Being in Nanny’s presence infallibly lifted my spirits.

“This cheesecake is delicious, Sue,” Nanny chimed in. “I could keep on eating and eating if I weren’t already so full after an excellent meal.”

Grandma frowned at what she doubtless saw as gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins. Thankfully she restrained herself this time…She set her fork down beside her plate that still held half her slice of cheesecake and taking her napkin, dabbed at her lips. “This is certainly a rich dessert.”

I hope you enjoy reading about the Hardy family’s faith and foibles as much as I have in writing them. Look for a bit of Grandma’s back story in my story in this year’s Mosaic Christmas anthology.

MY REVIEW

I was not prepared for the emotional  depth this book would take me to. It reached far more into my soul than I have ever felt. I had to really look at myself and wonder if I was guilty of judging others because of their ethnicity, their job choices or even their choice of religion. The author gave me a look into the lives of women who wanted to be mothers while others wanted a career. How often have we looked at a woman whose desire was to stay home and raise children and think that they could be so much more? Being a mother is something I have always wanted but I think at times I may have put my ministry or job before that.

Lynnie is such a simple character in the  respect that  she is grieving a great loss. But as the author unwraps her thinking and emotion we see that there is so much more to Lynnie. I can not say that I know what it feels like to lose a child or husband, but the author helps me connect with Lynnie by seeing her pain and broken heart. How does she pick up the pieces of her life and start over? Following with her children  and husband to do missionary work was suppose to be meaningful. Now she faces loneliness, pain and memories of a family she once had.  I loved following her journey as she decides to be a social worker and how one paper she reads in front of the class changed the thoughts of many. I loved that she was strong in her faith even  when faced with two grandmothers from different outlooks on life. The dynamics of Lynnie’s family is grounded in the most important thing which is unconditional love and faith.

We also follow two other characters who are part of Lynnie’s story. Out of the ashes of a tragedy a child emerges to be rescued by Ihsan in Nigeria. This child who should have died in the  flames has been found and sets in motion changes for  both Ihsan and his wife. They have suffered for years with miscarriage after miscarriage. Now they believe this child was sent to them to raise. You can tell that Daniya has found hope through this child. I loved how they both embraced the child even though it looked different from them. For awhile everything seemed to go well until Daniya takes the child with her to the village . Oh how I cried when the people verbally attacked the child and caused Daniya to flee home. The fear that this child would be taken away is their greatest worry. 

The story is one where we see different cultures and experience racism. I kept thinking about something that was said in the book. We each believe in something and when we hear about another religion that does things differently we judge them and have angry thoughts about their religion. This book brought out how different we each are and how we condemn others if they don’t believe the way we do. I loved how the author illustrates how a child gave hope to many. When we all are able to accept each other without judgment then we will find a place where love abounds unconditionally. 

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 11

Rebecca Tews, November 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

Texas Book-aholic, November 13

Inklings and notions, November 14

For Him and My Family, November 14

deb’s Book Review, November 15

lakesidelivingsite, November 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 17

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 18

Mary Hake, November 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 21

Blogging With Carol, November 22

Cover Lover Book Review, November 22

Splashes of Joy, November 23

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, November 24 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, November 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Eleanor is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card 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/228a3/flame-of-mercy-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, November 11, 2022


About the Book

Book: Starlight Inn

Author: Annee Jones

Genre: Sweet/ clean Contemporary Romance

Release date: November 4, 2022

Hope Garland is driving home for Christmas.  She’s depressed because she caught her fiancĂ© cheating (or he dumped her for her best friend).  Tears blurred her vision, she crashes the car….. in reality she gets taken to hospital and is in a coma.

However, in her mind after the crash she’s OK, she gets out of the car but it is totalled & it’s the middle of a snowstorm.  Needs a place to stay…. Finds the Starlight Inn, run by the Kringles.  Meets other guests, including a handsome stranger.  They’ll be snowed-in for Christmas so have to make the best of things…..end up falling in love.

When she wakes from coma on Christmas Day, she finds someone set a snowglobe on the windowsill next to her bed which has a little Victorian inn inside with a sign that says “Starlight Inn”.    The doctor comes in (or perhaps it will be the young hospital chaplain) and it’s the same man from her dream that she fell in love with (and there’s promise for them to have a real-life romance).

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Author Annee Jones loves to write all things romance, fantasy, cozy mystery, & more. She is passionate about writing stories where dreams come true, and love wins in the end!

Professionally, Annee works as a disability counselor where she helps her clients navigate through complex medical and legal systems while rediscovering their wholeness in Spirit.

Subscribe to Annee’s newsletter to stay up to date on new releases, sneak peeks, author parties, and exclusive giveaways:  https://www.anneejones.com/newsletter.

 

More from Annee

Angel Cookies

½ C. brown sugar

½ C. granulated sugar

½ C. shortening

1 stick butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 C. sifted flour

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp soda

½ tsp salt

 

Instructions:

Cream sugars, shortening, and butter together. Add egg and vanilla. Add other ingredients. Form into balls about the size of walnuts. Dip half of ball into water, then in granulated sugar. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

MY REVIEW

I love reading Christmas stories year round and this one is especially fun to read. It gave me a warm feeling of security, love and family as I felt like I was a visitor at the Starlight Inn. How fun it would be to stay there and enjoy the holidays with the people. Fresh snow made a beautiful picture as Holly looked outside. You can feel joy in the air as Christmas Day was here. She was feeling better about being here even though she missed her family. 

I liked how the author delivers a sweet story that reminds us what Christmas is really about. Spending time with friends and family while reading about the birth of Christ brings happiness to everyone. Yes I cried at times reading the story. I’m not a big fan of holidays but this book made me smile and cry at the same time. The author shocked me with the ending and I have to say I loved it. 

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 10

Holly’s Book Corner, November 10

Texas Book-aholic, November 11

Inklings and notions, November 12

Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 12

deb’s Book Review, November 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 14

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 15

Bizwings Blog, November 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 16

An Author’s Take, November 17

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 18

Blogging With Carol, November 18

She Lives to Read, November 19

For Him and My Family, November 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 21

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 22

Mary Hake, November 22

Cats in the Cradle Blog, November 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Annee is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 gift card and 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/228a0/starlight-inn-celebration-tour-giveaway


Wednesday, November 9, 2022


About the Book

Book: Wellspring of Life

Author: Allen Brokken

Genre: Middlegrade Christian Fantasy

Release date: November 4, 2022

Lauren (12), Aiden(9), and Ethan(5) have been reunited with their mortally wounded Father. But, they must take him to the Wellspring of Life before it’s too late.

The Dark One suffered a massive loss when twelve-year-old Lauren and her younger brothers Aiden and Ethan rescued their father from his clutches. However, the battle left Father horribly burned and barely hanging on to life. However, they found a clue to his salvation, the fabled Wellspring of Life.

As the children trek across the wildlife of the prairie, take sides against them to drive them off their path. Meanwhile, the giant known as Skull Crusher hunts them mercilessly while seeking to master the Darkness so he can destroy the family once and for all.

New friends join them in their quest to save Father, but they could also choose the Darkness and lead them further astray. The children’s mission to save their father will fail if they can’t find the Wellspring of Life in time. Will they have the faith to stay on the narrow path to redemption?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age appropriate way.

He’s dedicated 18 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development.  Now that his own children are off to college he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media @allenbrokkenauthor, and through his website allenbrokkenauthor.com.

 

More from Allen

Wellspring of Life was a blast to write! As a writer, one of the things I’ve had to contend with is that my characters rarely take me on an easy linear path from the start of a book to the end. As I work on a story, things tend to develop organically, and suddenly, the story’s conclusion is very different than when I put the first word on a page.

 

That’s where I found myself at the end of book 4 in the series, Armor of God. Unfortunately, the devastating way Father was wounded wasn’t in the original outline of the story or the series as a whole. So I had to write a whole book to determine if he survived. I also wanted to collaborate with a good friend, K. A. Cummins, author of the Snowglobe Travellers series, on a possible crossover. These combined to let me try out some new things as a writer.

 

For example, Wellspring of Life has a glitter bomb, a murder of wicked crows, and no good egg stealin’ prairie dogs, to name a few of the twists and turns you’ll find in this book. The kids also meet some new friends along the way. I enjoyed this the most because the new kids reflect the personality of my kids’ best friends from our homeschool co-op. Despite these kids now being off to college, we all had fun brainstorming their roles in the story.

 

Speaking of homeschool co-op, the book is dedicated to the Wellspring Homeschool Co-Op that my kids grew up in. Their verse is Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart because it’s the wellspring of life.” I couldn’t find a more appropriate theme for this book that deals with the consequences of an unguarded heart.

 

So I hope you take the time to pick it up, because it’s a wild ride across the prairie with a message of redemption I’m sure your family will enjoy.

MY REVIEW

The latest installment in the series seems to go at a fast pace and I was thrilled at its intensity. There is an urgency to get father to the Wellspring of Life for healing but something  is trying to sabotage the mission. The author does a great job of making us feel like we are on the adventure with rocks flying, double darkness surrounding the group and danger at every corner. 

The team works well together as they go farther on their destination. I enjoyed the unexpected distractions they saw along the way. The scene with the birds made me think of a very famous movie where the birds attacked everything in their path. I would be screaming about this time as birds make me nervous when they flap their wings and hover over you. 

When Skull Crusher made his entrance into the story, I felt darkness fall over the pages.  Just reading about him gives me the creeps. He is up to something and it definitely will not be good. The author writes this character very well and illustrates how clever evil can be if you are not on alert. The plan is not to benefit our team so I anticipated action coming very soon. 

As Tye and Lauren take off on their own to clear a path for the others I celebrated with them. They finally had a plan to get father to the place he would be healed. However I was prepared for everything to not go smoothly and couldn’t wait to see where our journey would take us next. After all we have frogs, Daddy Duck prairie dogs and other unusual characters that bring fun to the story. Lauren’s family is worried about her, but somehow I knew she would be protected. 

The action never stops in this story as Skull Crusher gets closer to bringing everyone to darkness. The battle is of epic proportions and I cheered as the team took on evil. The ending is heart pounding as light takes on the evil that is surrounded by darkness. Will they get to the Wellspring of Life in time?  Grab a copy  of this book and join the adventure. The author does leave us with a cliffhanger which will continue in the next book. I can’t wait for it to be ready for us to enjoy. 

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 9

Texas Book-aholic, November 10

Inklings and notions, November 11

Blossoms and Blessings, November 12 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, November 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 13

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 14

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, November 15 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 15

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

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 17

For Him and My family, November 18

A Reader’s Brain, November 19 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, November 20

Lights in a Dark World, November 21

Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen, November 22 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Allen 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://www.celebratelit.com/wellspring-of-life-celebration-tour/

 

Can a cozy inn at Christmas transform the troubled hearts seeking refuge there? 


Pregnant and alone, Alissa Hill moved to Garland, Tennessee to help at her aunt’s inn. When a guest brings her hidden past to the inn’s door, she must decide whether to face it or continue to run. 


A career-ending injury ruined Stephen Powell’s life plans. Now a former NFL kicker, he’s searching for a new purpose while recovering at the Cheery Inn. But those at the inn may offer him much more than he expects. 


Sparks fly when Alissa and Stephen meet, but secrets and regrets may keep them apart unless they can learn to forgive and move beyond their brokenness. 


Read this heartwarming Christmas romance today!


PURCHASE LINK

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCXBM9LM





Bio: 

Besides being an Indie Author, I’m a wife, mother of four, ladies’ Sunday School teacher, sweet tea drinker, history fanatic, romantic, bubbly, lover of broccoli, and a retired cake decorator who has a soft spot for Christmas trees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

What I’m not is a laundress (or at least not one who keeps up very well), a duster, tall, or patient in a doctor’s office.


Author Links: 
Whether you’re on social media or not, you can ensure that you never miss one of my sales, giveaways, or new releases by signing up for my newsletter. I’ll send you a direct link to your email anytime something big happens. http://eepurl.com/dDbVNz

Website: https://christianauthoramheath.net/

Blog: https://christianauthoramheath.net/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMHeathfanpage/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8302606.A_M_Heath


MY REVIEW

This book should be on everyone’s list this Christmas season. It is a beautiful reminder that God forgives us and loves us unconditionally. Alissa is a great character who feels that her sin is too much for God. Being an unwed pregnant woman to her is the one sin that God will never forgive her for. She has this mentality that she should be ashamed and wallows in her self pity. My heart went out to her as rejection filled her heart. As the holidays approach she tries her best to bring cheer to customers at the
Inn, but  underneath her smile is sadness and a longing to be accepted.

Stephen has come to the inn to get some much needed rest after an injury has taken him out of his dream of being on the Titans. He was a great kicker for the  team until the surgery turned out to be a mistake. He is angry and just  wants to stay in his room and brood. But God has a different plan for him and Alissa. His character brings a fresh look at how important it is to help others instead of focusing on our own problems. 

I loved how the author brings these two main characters together and lean on each other as they struggle through their trials. Stephen is there for Alissa and speaks words of truth to her. She has to learn  to forgive herself and find comfort in God’s grace. We find two people hurting and feeling rejected brought together to experience trust, forgiveness  and a new beginning. The author reminds us that nothing is impossible with God. 

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


Tour Stops:

Nov. 7: 
Marilyn @ Lighthouse-Academy 
Raechel @ God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae
A.M. Heath @ A.M. Heath Blog

Nov. 8: 
Becky @ Blossoms and Blessings
Esther @ A Melodious Sonnet

Nov. 9: 
Deana: Texas Book-aholic

Nov. 10: 
Nyla @ Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess

Nov. 11: 
Connie @ Older and Smarter
Debbie: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations


Enter to win a Christian Reader’s Cozy Packet
Prize pack includes a signed copy of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, a stack of other Christian Christmas reads, and … a little something extra to round out your cozy day of reading. 
*Open to continental U.S. Residents only. 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b7851a9018/


Grab Book 1 of the Christmas in Garland series for .99 this week!