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Wednesday, April 29, 2020

About the Book

Book:  Bitter Honey
Author: Caryl McAdoo
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
Release Date: March 23, 2020
With God, all things are possible.
But can lost love be found again or two wounded hearts knitted together?
Young love, sweeter than honey, is separated by a natural disaster and turns bitter. After five years, a miracle reunites Samantha Adams and Silas Mercier, but it seems it’s too late. Will love prevail?

Click here for your copy!

 MY REVIEW 
It is easy to forget everything around you as you read a book from this author. This story sweeps across lands during 1853. The opening pages were  very vivid as a storm destroys Silas’s home and parents. Can you image being all alone to start over after a devastating storm takes everything away from you? Silas is angry at first feeling God had deserted him. How would he ever go on without his parents? I enjoyed reading about the struggles Silas faced and how he grew closer to God each day. 
The introduction of Claude was so inspiring. God sent Silas exactly what he needed through Claude. Claude is a man of wisdom and deep faith. The friendship that develops between Silas and Claude is God ordained. God always has a plan and Silas will begin to see where his destiny lies. I loved how unashamed Claude was about sharing his faith. He doesn’t judge anyone and takes every opportunity to share God with others. 

 Samantha has been in love with Silas forever it seems. Their story is sweet and filled with forgiveness and trust. When you are in love you know it deep down, but Samantha’s stubbornness may cost her the love of her life. The story is rooted in scriptures and takes readers on a journey that explores the true meaning of trusting God. I wanted to tell Samantha to stop acting like a child and admit Silas was her true love. Oh she loves him but does she love him enough to start a new life with him? 

 While I loved Silas and Samantha’s story it was Odette who caught my attention.  This woman represented those who have been abused, tossed aside and felt unworthy. Her story is not so unique but is probably the most powerful example of God’s unconditional love. Her background is shady and all she has ever known was feeling unloved. How could she believe that God would love her and forgive after the life she has led. Let this part of the story really sink in. Have you ever felt unwanted or ashamed? Do you question that God could love you after the sin you have in your life? The author took me back to a time in my life where I never felt good enough or loved. My eyes were really opened to what the story in the Bible about “those without sin cast the first stone,” meant. 

 I loved how the author not only shared a story of two young people finding their way back to each other and God, but a story of forgiveness, being set free from sin and feeling God’s love forever and a day. 

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

About the Author

Praying her story gives God glory, award-winning author Caryl McAdoo continues prolificity with her new Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga series. Readers around the world enjoy her best-selling novels and shower them with 5-Star ratings galore. With forty-eight titles—and counting—her love for writing is obvious; the lady loves singing the new songs the Lord gives her as well! (Check out YouTube). Caryl gave Ron four children and the couple shares eighteen grandsugars. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville, the seat of Red River County, in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

Are you ready to revisit the Adams and Corbin families (from UNIQUELY COMMON and REMI)? Five years have passed, so it’s 1853, and life has gone on.
Samantha, only fourteen back then, wrote faithfully to Silas back in New Orleans as she traveled west on the Oregon/California Trail. She expected a tall stack of letters waiting on her at the General Store in Napa, but alas there were none.
BITTER HONEY is a story of puppy love time tries to dissipate, but Samantha never forgot Silas—or forgave him either! Though she had no way of knowing what tragic events had kept him from mailing the return missives, he never quit thinking of the beautiful girl who’d written of her love for him.
However, each day that passed only made it harder for him to write. Until he decided only a face-to-face talk would suffice, he worked with the man who’d always loved his mother, Claude, to rebuild his family’s vineyard, catching gators on the side.
This story has a second love story, that of Claude and the prostitute he rescues Odette, so there’s plenty of action to keep readers flipping pages. A story of first love and late, second-chance love with a taste of the Cajun life in Louisiana, BITTER HONEY is about restoration and following God’s will.
I hope you enjoy BITTER HONEY and all the other Lockets and Lace stories!
BLESSINGS!

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, April 27 (Author Interview)
Betti Mace, April 30
For the Love of Literature, May 2 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, May 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Lukewarm Tea, May 6 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Review + Giveaway: “The Lost Lieutenant” by Erica Vetsch Blog Tour


He’s doing what he can to save the Prince Regent’s life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well?




Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero–he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn’t think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.
Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn’t have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there’s something he can’t quite remember. It’s important, dangerous–and if he doesn’t recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone’s very life.
Readers who enjoy Julie Klassen, Carolyn Miller, and Kristi Ann Hunter will love diving into this brand-new Regency series filled with suspense, aristocratic struggles, and a firm foundation of faith.

Read an excerpt from Kregel by clicking here!





MY REVIEW 

 I was thrilled to know that the author had a new book releasing. The story is set in Regency England where Lords, Dukes and such preside. The breathtaking details had me transported back in time as I witnessed the waltz and dresses flowing gracefully across the ballroom. Evan is quite the catch for some lucky woman. I must go back a bit and explain just who Evan is. The funny thing is Evan doesn’t remember much since his injury while serving his country. He somehow managed to save a noble’s  life.  Everything that was common in his life is about to change. I loved his gentlemanly ways and his integrity. He is someone you can count on to protect those he loves.  Evan suddenly finds himself with a title and attention he never wanted. I could hear the announcement, “May I introduce  you to the Earl of Whitelock,” as the trumpets sound with authority. 

 If there was ever a damsel in distress it would be the lovely Diana. The Duke of Seaton who is Dians’s father is the most vile man in the world. His greediness is horrible as is his hatred for Diana. He will do whatever it takes to get her inheritance and Diana is helpless as she wants to protect an innocent baby. I think I wanted to slap The Duke of Seaton many times during the story. The writing is superior as the characters are very well developed. 

 I won’t give many details about the plot so without further ado I give you an arranged marriage, evil men who are out to destroy Evan and Diana, an innocent child, love and secrets. I loved reading about the place Evan and Diana were to reside in. Let’s just say any fixer upper show would run the other way once they caught a glimpse of the place. I hear a challenge ahead for the couple. I also enjoyed reading about Evan and his flashbacks. It is an important part of the story that will find Evan worrying about the consequences if his mental state is found out. Well there you have it. All the makings for an adventure worthy of one of my favorite 2020 reads . 

 I received a copy of this book from Read With Audra  Blog Tours. The review is my own opinion. 




Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate. 
Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.
A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England.
Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.


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God sees her FB Banner

About the Book

Book:  God Sees Her
Author: Our Daily Bread
Genre:  Devotional
Release Date: March 3, 2020
God Sees HerFollowing the overwhelming success and rave reviews of God Hears Her, we’re bringing you another devotional written by women for women to reassure you that God is with you. God Sees Her is a beautifully styled gift book containing 366 meditations with accompanying Scripture that speak to the heart of women.
The title comes from a story in an Old Testament book of the Bible—Genesis—where Hagar is on the run, alone in the desert with nowhere to go. The angel of the Lord finds her and calls her by name. After this encounter, Hagar exclaimed, “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). Women today need this same assurance . . . God sees you, God knows you by name, and God cares about every detail of your life.
Let these short Our Daily Bread devotionals written by women like you wash over your soul and remind you each day that God is near. The handy size, ribbon marker, and decorative cover make it perfect for gift giving to your girlfriends too.

Click here for your copy.
MY REVIEW 
The devotional is beautifully crafted with a hard cover decorated in warm colors and vibrant art. I love how sturdy the book is and that it is compact in size. You can easily take it with you to work and do your devotional during lunch or perhaps at a park where you can find a place to be alone with God. It is set up starting in January and takes you through the whole year. Since I received a copy of this in the first part of March, I chose to start there. I can still use it for the year and finish the book next March. 
Each day has different topics and scriptures to look up. The topic for today is “Created For Relationship.”  I liked that it focuses on Godly relationships . We can find those relationships in our own family or in the Body of Christ. I liked that it made me think outside the box and develop relationship with others who are like minded. The church is a great place to get connected and be part of a family. 
I would recommend this devotional to those who love to read encouraging words, study scriptures and allow God’s Word to flow in you. Each day is written by a woman that you may have heard of or someone new that you may want to get to know. This book in on my nightstand where I can easily pick it up everyday. If I do travel at sometime in the future, it will go in my purse so I don’t miss any day. 
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

More about God Sees Her

This is a follow up to the successful 365-devotional, God Hears Her. So far, it’s moved more than 200,000 copies.

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, April 29
Emily Yager, May 1
Remembrancy, May 2
Genesis 5020, May 6
amandainpa, May 7
Hallie Reads, May 9
Nancy E Wood, May 10

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Our Daily Bread is giving away the grand prize package of a God Sees Her hardcover, God Hears Her leather-like, God Hears Her journal, God Hears Her CD, God Hears Her pen, and God Hears Her Scripture & Encouragement cards!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
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Monday, April 27, 2020

oh, gracious banner

About the Book

Book:  Oh, Gracious!
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre:  Christian fiction, contemporary Romance, woman’s fiction
Release Date: March 31, 2020
Life is too short to settle for just anyone.
Grace gave her whole heart to Jesus, but now he wants a part of it.
All she ever wanted was to be a homemaker.
Sure, she has a degree in physics.  Yes, she could have a lucrative job in Rockland, but Grace Buscher enjoys her life as a single homemaker. As they say, it’s her choice.
As a successful business owner, a handsome guy, and heir to a small fortune, it’s no wonder Nolan Burke is one of Rockland’s most eligible bachelors. The problem is, he hasn’t met anyone who isn’t looking for a “trophy husband.”
Don’t family-centered women exist anymore?
Grace isn’t exactly eye candy. Nolan is a bit blind. So when an “accidental meeting” forges an unlikely friendship, it becomes obvious to everyone that it’s likely to become more.
But is Grace ready to give up the life she loves for the man she loves?
Find out in this completely updated, revised, and improved version of Chautona Havig’s first novel, Noble Pursuits.

Click here to get your copy!
 MY REVIEW 
I have never been disappointed with a book written by this author and after reading this story I know why. Her ability to give depth to characters makes me invest in them. Now I didn’t like Nolan when I first met him in the story. Okay he was handsome, smart and wealthy.  But really why does he think every woman falls at his feet? His intense search for the perfect girl for him irritated me at times. I laughed when he moved to another town where more single women were. But along my journey I discovered a man who wanted to be appreciated for his thoughtfulness and oh so enduring gentlemanly ways. Yes I came to like him and looked past his flaws to his heart. 
Grace is someone you want to be friends with. She has a big heart for children and has a brother who is a tad overprotective. He wasn’t exactly thrilled that Grace had dinner with a stranger on her front porch. Nolan has definitely met his match when Grace is casual around him and not overly interested in his charm.  I liked Grace’s way of life but it was obvious that she didn’t handle blessings very well. Oh it’s easy to give to others but when it comes to someone wanting to bless her, well that nasty pride starts coming out. 

 I loved getting to know Nolan and Grace as they stumble through getting better acquainted with each other. Grace is sure a stickler for wanting to do everything herself. The relationship is an honest look at two completely different personalities trying to mesh together to become a couple. I liked how the author gets to the gritty part of a relationship. I wanted to have them argue, have doubt and start to pull away and that is exactly what I got. I don’t like stories that are neatly wrapped up in a bow. I want to see the realistic relationships where each person has to examine themselves and see where pride is coming in. 

 I liked the story because faith played a big part in both Grace and Nolan’s life. Grace is the everyday girl who wants to please everyone and forgets that she deprives people from blessing her. Nathan is the guy girls want and his ego is bruised when Grace doesn’t fall all over him. One of the best relationship for me in the story was Grace and her brother. It is one that truly speaks how one should care for their family members. Yes, her brother was a bit of a helicopter brother, but he feels so passionate about making sure Grace is never hurt. 

 I loved the humor in the book and one particular part in the book which is a mistake on Nolan's part is one of the best oops I’ve read. Always read what you have written before sending it off is my advice to Nolan. I would love to see this book as a movie and have already picked out the cast. As I finished the book, I thought how special this story is. It is a story of love, forgiveness and trusting God in all things. There is no such thing as the perfect person, but there is the right person who God has chosen for each of us. 

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

About the Author

Havig_Chautona (1)Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona

Wow, My Beloved First Book Was a Hot Mess

On my blog, I sometimes answer readers’ questions, and one of the earliest ones was, “Since you zip out your books so fast, do you ever later wish you had done something differently with them?”
My answer today is the same as back then—usually.  No.  Yes, I sometimes regret not being able to tell a supporting character’s story because the book has given away that person’s past and/or future.  Still, most of the time, I tell the story as I want it.
But in that post about “regrets,” I said that as I learn, I definitely wish to improve sentences here, and others there.  I did this already with Argosy Junction, the second book that I published. The first two or three books were experiments where I made many serious mistakes.  Took bad advice. Didn’t know the right things to research. All the mistake-ness.
Total transparency here. I chose Argosy Junction to revise first because I made fewer mistakes on it.  Still lots, but not as many as my first book, Noble Pursuits.
Bad editing advice, horrible cover design (twice), and just basic writing craft stuff that I didn’t know when I started this whole journey all culminated in a book I both loved (the story) and hated (the final result). Many reviewers said the same thing, too.  That poor book has the worst reviews of all of my books combined.

And for good reason.

But it’s a good story—one I love, as I said—and it has some strong fans.  Some readers were able to look past the problems and see the heart of what I tried to do with it.  And that was a beautiful thing.  Those readers, actually, are the ones I’ve rewritten this book for.
Yes, I rewrote Noble Pursuits. While every sentence isn’t completely rewritten, enough are that I considered it a new book, not just a revised one.
A few readers have panicked to see the title changed, the story rewritten. They’ve asked if I took out this or even that.  I took out and added nothing that 99.9% of readers would ever notice. And it’s a better book for it.
I am updating the original Noble Pursuits file with the new text.  I’m doing this in hopes that those who already own that book can go into their digital content on Amazon and get the updated version.  I don’t know if it will work, but I pray it does.
Meanwhile, for those who’ve asked why they can’t buy the first book on my Suggested Reading Order list,  well… now you can!
Oh, Gracious! has been a long time coming, but she’s here with a new title, rewritten content, and even a lovely new cover by the brilliantly talented Perry Elizabeth. It took what seems like forever to settle on a title, but we finally did. Why we chose Oh, Gracious! however, is a story for another day.

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, April 24
Wishful Endings, April 24
Cultivating us, April 29
Emily Yager, May 4
Artistic Nobody, May 7 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of one paperback copy of each of the 3 fully revised novels: Oh, Gracious, Argosy Junction, and Thirty Days Hath…!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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