Saturday, December 7, 2024

About the Book

Book: Hunted on the Trail

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Suspense

Release date: December 24, 2024

A killer out for vengeance…

but this bloodhound has his scent.

Ambushed by sudden gunfire, former cop Stephanie Wolfe realizes the tracking competition she entered with her bloodhound is a setup. An escaped fugitive has lured her into the remote wilderness to exact his deadly revenge. And her ex-boyfriend, bounty hunter Vance Silverton, has fallen into the fatal trap, too. Now cut off from civilization with only minimal supplies and their and their two dogs, the pair must depend on each other to survive. But with a treacherous storm approaching, it’s not only a cold-blooded killer they’ll have to escape.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author. She’s written more than forty mystery and suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense, and Poisoned Pen Press. Her debut novel with Revell releases in the summer of 2025. She is honored to have received two ACFW Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion Award, and a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award.

More from Dana

My life has gone to the dogs! No joke! While readers enjoy the Wolfe family humans, I hear on the regular that their favorite characters are the bloodhounds. In book #1, Wally was just an irrepressible disaster, and he continues his naughty ways throughout the series. In book #2, we met Pinkerton who is a model canine, unless squirrels enter the picture. And now, you’ll get to know Chloe who is fabulous, but I will venture to say she is going to be outshined by her mutt companion Brutus (you’ll have to read the book to discover his real name and identity!) As this book launches, I’m deep into writing the last two and there are a couple more unpredictable hounds you have yet to meet. Such fun! Thanks for galloping along with me on this series!

MY REVIEW

I love reading books from this author because they are always filled with faith, adventure and flawed characters. This story centers around two people trapped in the woods by someone who is out for revenge. The action is very good and I loved the suspense in the story.

Stephanie and Vance are both fighting for their lives as they try to outsmart the person hunting them. There is a bit of friction between the two main characters which the author uses to show how forgiveness is important. The past has a way of catching up with us and we find ourselves facing a difficult decision sometimes.

I enjoyed the dogs in the story which for me was a good addition as they help keep Stephanie and Vance safe. Their instincts are to protect and this adds another level of power to our main characters.

Don’t miss this exciting adventure where faith, trust and forgiveness are highlighted in this suspenseful thriller. Who will survive ?

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 3

She Lives to Read, December 3

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 4

Wishful Endings, December 5

An Author’s Take, December 5

Betti Mace, December 6

Life on Chickadee Lane, December 6

Texas Book-aholic, December 7

Devoted To Hope, December 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 8

Stories By Gina, December 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 9

The Avid Reader, December 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 10

Blogging With Carol, December 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 11

Simple Harvest Reads, December 12 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Kyliegh Reads, December 12

For Him and My Family, December 13

Leslie’s Library Escape, December 13

Blossoms and Blessings, December 14

Labor Not in Vain, December 14

Holly’s Book Corner, December 15

Pause for Tales, December 15

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, December 16

Lights in a Dark World, December 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54108

Friday, December 6, 2024

About the Book

Book: The Seed of Faith: A Christmas Miracle

Author: Daniel Petronelli

Genre: Religion & Spirituality, Holiday Celebration, Children’s Chapter Book, Inspirational, Action & Adventure

Release date: October, 2021

In the small foothill village of Shiloh on a stormy Christmas Eve, a group of children find themselves lost in a powerful storm. When a chance encounter with a kind stranger presents itself, their faith is put to the test as they discover the true meaning of Christmas, learn valuable life lessons, and experience the transformative power of just one tiny seed: The Seed of Faith.

This unforgettable, multi-award winning story will inspire readers of all ages to believe in miracles and the unwavering presence of God in their lives.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Dan Petronelli was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently divides his time with his wife between West Bridgewater, Massachusetts and Stuart, Florida.

He is a strong member of his local community and has served as a Christian worship leader where he led a large congregation in praise and worship songs, including two of his original songs: “ Walking in the Light” and “ Providence.”

Dan Petronelli participated in Smith’s Magazine’s Six-Word Memoir contest, and his memoir was selected and later published by HarperCollins.

Dan found a message in a bottle when he was a young boy tinkering on a rocky shoreline. It was a profound spiritual message that he has kept and still treasures today.

This inspired story was written as a cherished Christmas gift for his family, and it is his hope that the SEED OF FAITH will also bring joy and continue to grow in the hearts of readers around the world.

More from Daniel

“The Seed of Faith: A Christmas Miracle” is an inspiring story about the joy and blessings of faith.

I originally wrote this heartfelt story as a Christmas gift for my family, and it has since become a cherished tradition for us to read together on Christmas Eve. Encouraged by friends and relatives, I was inspired to share this story with a wider audience.

The book features numerous beautiful color illustrations by the talented artist Emily Pritchett.

At its core, this multi-award-winning tale focuses on finding courage during life’s most challenging moments and drawing strength from the Lord, knowing that He is always by your side.

Its captivating spiritual adventure unfolds as a small group of children finds themselves lost in a powerful storm on Christmas Eve, making it an engaging read for children.

This story glorifies the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ, not Santa Claus.

It illustrates the power of just one tiny seed of faith, showing that with God’s blessings, it can grow in the hearts and change the lives of all who believe.

My earnest hope is that “The Seed of Faith” will continue to take root and flourish in the hearts of readers around the world.

Planting a Seed of Faith in the hearts of our children—what greater gift could we possibly give?

MY REVIEW

This is a great book to read at Christmas time with your family. I loved how the story centers around faith and working together. It reminds of the scripture in the Bible of “ having faith like a mustard seed.” Boys from both sides of the mountain work together to bring a special gift to the town. When they get lost in a snow storm, someone very special rescues them. The miracle they witness all those years ago, is still shared today. What a wonderful way to show children about being brave and trusting God. I enjoyed the illustrations and thought it enhanced the story.

I liked how the leader of the group was the mayor’s son who wanted to do the right thing. He didn’t agree with his father on a law he passed and decided to do what his heart was telling him was right. It is a good example of how brave these boys were and shares what the true meaning of Christmas is.

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 4

Vicky Sluiter, December 5 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, December 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 7 (Author Interview)

She Lives to Read, December 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 9

Simple Harvest Reads, December 10 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, December 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 12

For the Love of Literature, December 13 (Author Interview)

Lights in a Dark World, December 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 14

Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 15 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, December 16

Blossoms and Blessings, December 17 (Author Interview)

MrsK Books to Go, December 17

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Daniel is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Visa gift certificate and signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54109/

Thursday, December 5, 2024

About the Book

Book: An Unexpected Catch

Author: Abbey Downey

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 19, 2024

Can she count on the pitcher to save her dream, or will his secret destroy their futures?

Bea Curran has forged a career as an umpire in Chicago’s semi-professional baseball league, and now she’s ready to move toward her dream of leading the women’s athletic department at Western College. With her reputation on the line, the last thing she needs is a romance with a player known for his womanizing ways. But when her women’s baseball team desperately needs help, she can’t ignore the one man who could save them.

Emmett Worland, a talented new pitcher in the Chicago City League, has been keeping a painful secret that could end his baseball career for good. While he tries to hide his worsening illness, Emmett agrees to help coach Bea’s struggling team in hopes that it will be a step toward redeeming a bad reputation he didn’t earn.

Bea and Emmett’s undeniable attraction deepens the more time they spend together, but with so much at stake, can they afford to let their hearts lead the way? Or will the shadows of the past and the uncertainties of the future destroy their chance at a happily ever after?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Abbey Downey started writing inspirational romance stories during naptime when her kids were babies and found she couldn’t stop. She previously published two books with Love Inspired Historical under the pen name Mollie Campbell. She also works with Spark Flash Fiction producing a quarterly digital magazine that contains love stories under 1000 words.

A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in central Indiana with her husband, two kids, and one rather enthusiastic beagle. She loves watching her kids play sports and fixing up a 1900 farmhouse with her husband.

More from Abbey

From the first record of it in the late 1700s, the game of baseball grew in popularity—and eccentricity—for decades. There have been plenty of larger-than-life characters and wild tales in the sport, but in my research for An Unexpected Catch, I was most drawn to the stories of those baseball legends many people haven’t heard of.

One of those was the inspiration for the heroine of my story. Amanda Clement became the first female umpire in baseball when she began refereeing games in a semi-professional league—at only sixteen years old! Amanda was a wildly talented athlete in her own right and was known to stand up to the rough men who played baseball in the early twentieth century without hesitation.

Like Amanda, my heroine, Bea Curran, built her career as an umpire in a man’s sport through determination and skill. She knows how to stand up for herself on the field or in other sports, but as she leaves baseball to pursue a different dream, she has to learn how to navigate new pressures to conform to the expectations those in authority place on her.

One of the hardest parts of the research I did for this book was related to the players. Lots of old baseball tales are fun and harmless enough. But then there are too many stories like “Gentleman” George Decker, a Chicago first baseman who was hit in the head by a pitch in 1897. He was denied time off to recover and was hit again not long after. His mental state declined quickly, leading to delusions and threatening behavior. He was institutionalized several times before dying in an asylum in 1909.

Decker was far from the only player to suffer from intense mental and physical health issues after a head injury. Today, we would recognize these players’ symptoms as the result of concussions. But in the early 1900s and before, little was known about brain injuries from blows to the head. These men suffered in silence while being told they were crazy, and many were either arrested or placed in asylums, torn from their loved ones instead of treated.

In An Unexpected Catch, pitcher Emmett Worland feels like baseball is all he has. When he’s forced to face the likely loss of his career thanks to post-concussion syndrome (as we call it now), he has to figure out if anything else could possibly make his life worthwhile if he can’t play. Just like many of us, he wrestles with his purpose when the path he thought he would take is irrevocably disrupted.

Thankfully, there are plenty of wonderful moments in this story to remind the characters (and us) that God blesses us even in struggles. Along with all the fun vintage baseball and historical details, readers will follow Bea and Emmett as they grow in their faith, find their way through changing circumstances, and fall in love with the person they least expected.

Happy reading!

Abbey

MY REVIEW

This has been such a fun story to read. The author does a great job of doing research to give us a look at a sport where women struggled to be accepted. Baseball has always been a man sport but that is about to change.

Bea is one of very few female umpires for baseball. I loved her confidence when she walked onto the field. Her fierce attitude of proving that women are capable of umpiring causes a stir in the baseball league. Her dream to manage the women’s athletic department is so close she can see it. Now she needs to find a way to raise funds so the team can have equipment. Will she be able to see her dream come true?

Emmett is a well known baseball player who has gotten a bad reputation that he is trying to get away from. He meets with his grandmother who threatens to take away his inheritance if he continues to cause her embarrassment. I liked how he was willing to help Bea and her team raise money and start winning games.

As the two main characters start to become friends Bea sees a side of Emmett that others don’t report. He is a kind gentlemen who wants to help her and even comes to her rescue when a nam with the alumni association tries to press her to do things his way.

One thing is evident as Bea and Emmett struggle with their feelings for each other. God is definitely who they both turn to for guidance. Emmett does have a grandmother he can go to as well for guidance. Their relationship is rocky at times but when Emmett allows his grandmother to express how much she cares for him, his knows he need to confide in Bea about his illness.

The story is filled with surprises, forgiveness and a new beginning for several characters. I loved how women’s baseball was introduced and how they had to prove themselves to the league. Emmett and Bea each seek God when they struggle emotionally. The ending is sweet and I appreciated how the author had them go through trials so they could see how God answers prayers.

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

Blog Stops

Inspired by Fiction, December 2

Book Looks by Lisa, December 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 3

She Lives to Read, December 4

Texas Book-aholic, December 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 8

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 9

Leslie’s Library Escape, December 10

Stories By Gina, December 11 (Author Interview)

Allyson Jamison, December 11

Connie’s History Classroom, December 12

Cover Lover Book Review, December 13

For Him and My Family, December 14

Holly’s Book Corner, December 15

Pause for Tales, December 15

Giveaway

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

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54107

Sunday, December 1, 2024

About the Book

Book: A Canine Christmas

Author: Jennifer Sienes

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance, Christmas Fiction, and Southern Fiction

Release date: November 18, 2024

What do you get when you mix a mail carrier, a monstrously large canine and his surly owner, and a mysterious death?

Amelia Hutchinson can’t seem to find her place in the world. Or maybe she’s just watched too many Christmas Hallmark movies. But come on, how come Aurora Teagarden and Hallie Dean get more exciting careers and all Amelia gets to be is a mail carrier? Not to mention, she’s living in her sister and brother-in-law’s guest house and the only man she could find was one who didn’t appreciate the purity ring her daddy gave her.

Rayce Jasper just wants to sell his late granddad’s farm and throw away the painful past that comes with it as soon as possible. But the memories of the man who betrayed him, a ditzy mail lady, and a strange request put a kink in his agenda.

As Rayce’s and Amelia’s worlds collide, neither of them can deny that God must be weaving His own Christmas story for the two of them.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jennifer Sienes holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in education but discovered life-experience is the best teacher. She loves Jesus, romance and writing–and puts it altogether in inspirational contemporary fiction. Her daughter’s TBI and brother’s suicide inspired two of her three novels. Although fiction writing is her real love, she’s had several non-fiction pieces published in anthologies–two in Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has two grown children and one very spoiled Maltese. California born and raised, she recently took a step of faith with her real-life hero and relocated to Tennessee.

More from Jennifer

I’m often asked where inspiration comes for my books. Does it start with a character or a setting or maybe something from my own life? The answer is, “Yes.” Each of those have sparked story ideas. A Canine Christmas is my fourteenth book, but it’s the first (and possibly last) novel/novella motivated by a dog.

You would think it would be my own canine that inspired one of my books—but that’s not the case here. I have a short story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Dog titled “Soul Sniffer” based on my late Bichon Friese, Einstein. He was also in Providence—and his name was Dashiell. I have another short story in Inspire Joy titled “Canine Redemption” about Cheyenne, a rescue dog we had for a short time. But an entire book? Never.

It started with my granddaughters’ Cano Corso, Porter. The biggest (and I mean that in every sense of the word) baby I’ve ever encountered. He’s massive, and yet hides behind eight-year-old Kennedy at the slightest loud noise. His size alone is enough to intimidate the average person, but he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. However, he wasn’t the only inspiration for this Christmas novella.

The setting was influenced by my affinity for old family farms and historic cemeteries (of which there are over 33,000 in the state of Tennessee.) Add a ditzy mail lady who has an intense fear of dogs, and a disgruntled man trying to put his past to rest, and A Canine Christmas was born.

This is romance through and through, and it was a pure joy to write. I hope you’ll come to love Amelia and Rayce as much as I did—and of course, Porter, the canine matchmaker.

MY REVIEW

This has been such a great book to read. There is laughter, faith and trust that weave throughout the story. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and especially Porter. I recently have seen this breed and they are amazing. “There are no bad dogs, just bad owners.” I loved this quote because it is so true. Many dogs are labeled dangerous when it really has to do with how they are raised.

Amelia is such a fun character who has this dream to be a private detective. Right now she is a mail carrier who lives with family. Maybe someday she will see her dream come true. She sure has a special place in her heart for her niece. Helping her overcome her shyness Amelia thinks it would be a great idea to get her a dog as a companion. First Amelia needs to overcome her fear of dogs. This leads us to our next character.

Rayce recently inherited a farm which really surprised him. Why was he left this by a person who didn’t want anything to do with him? Rayce struggles with this rejection and knows he needs to forgive and move on. Meeting Amelia may be a good thing for him but the jury is still out on that. When his dog gets a bit too friendly with Amelia as she is delivering his mail this starts a relationship that may be good for both people.

Get ready for a fun adventure with two people who must deal with the past while seeking God for their future. One of the themes I loved in this book was second chances and the past past doesn’t have to define our future. Learning to forgive can open doors where our heart has become bitter.

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