Saturday, November 12, 2016
TITUS RETURNS by AMY LILLARD
With every word I read, I became more engrossed in the story. The authors details of the land is breathtaking. It is one of the best stories I've read about forgiveness in awhile. What if you were blamed for a tragic accident ? Could you ever forgive yourself and accept the forgiveness of others? For many of us, it isn't so much about bring forgiven as it is being able to forgive yourself.
Titus has come home to Wells Landing after a long five years away. He is a changed person and a little hesitant to be home. His five years away were hard, but he felt he deserved the punishment he had gotten. Can he feel welcomed back home? Has everyone forgiven him? I loved the way the author wrote how Titus was anxious and a bit uncertain how he would be received back in his community. We all have done something we regret and for Titus the shame has stayed with him for years.
I love stories about second chances and this is one that really has depth and and opens the door for repentance. I'm sure that I would have butterflies in my stomach if I was in Titus's shoes. The beauty of the story is how the author took a character and showed us his internal struggles with realism. For some in the community they seemed to be a bit surprised that Titus would come home. It is not easy to admit your mistakes, but when you allow God to show you the way home, nothing is impossible.
I need to mention Abbie because she plays a very important role in the story. I loved her from the moment the author introduced her. She had a hard time accepting Titus back home and the author allowed the character to work through grief and come to terms with her loss. The story is heart wrenching at times and the emotions can be felt by the graceful way the author takes readers on a journey to forgiveness.
Can Titus learn to trust again? Will Abbie be able to forgive? Will Titus experience forgiveness and be set free from his past? Be sure and grab a copy of this well written story that allows us a glimpse of what forgiveness, trust and unconditional love is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
Titus has come home to Wells Landing after a long five years away. He is a changed person and a little hesitant to be home. His five years away were hard, but he felt he deserved the punishment he had gotten. Can he feel welcomed back home? Has everyone forgiven him? I loved the way the author wrote how Titus was anxious and a bit uncertain how he would be received back in his community. We all have done something we regret and for Titus the shame has stayed with him for years.
I love stories about second chances and this is one that really has depth and and opens the door for repentance. I'm sure that I would have butterflies in my stomach if I was in Titus's shoes. The beauty of the story is how the author took a character and showed us his internal struggles with realism. For some in the community they seemed to be a bit surprised that Titus would come home. It is not easy to admit your mistakes, but when you allow God to show you the way home, nothing is impossible.
I need to mention Abbie because she plays a very important role in the story. I loved her from the moment the author introduced her. She had a hard time accepting Titus back home and the author allowed the character to work through grief and come to terms with her loss. The story is heart wrenching at times and the emotions can be felt by the graceful way the author takes readers on a journey to forgiveness.
Can Titus learn to trust again? Will Abbie be able to forgive? Will Titus experience forgiveness and be set free from his past? Be sure and grab a copy of this well written story that allows us a glimpse of what forgiveness, trust and unconditional love is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
Friday, November 11, 2016
CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA by BETH WISEMAN
This is a short novella that packs a powerful story of hope and faith just in time for the Christmas season. I loved the setting of the story being in Galveston . I could be a little bias since I'm so familiar with the city. As the author detailed the hurricane I could feel the rush of waves crashing over me and the debris as it floated by. I have been through several hurricanes and they can be terrifying.
Alex is going through a very difficult time in her life. Her place of refuge is at the beach. Well perhaps this may not be the day to go , but God put her exactly where she needed to be. Parker is a man who has suffered a great loss and finds himself in a life or death situation as he gets trapped by the storm. What I loved the most about this book is the hope that the characters had for survival. I'm sure there were times they wanted to give up, but between them they found strength to lean on each other. Make sure you grab a copy and find out if Alex and Parker survive the vicious storm. Will their faith be enough to overcome the obstacles that try to harm them? This is a great heartwarming story that is sweet and faith filled.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
Alex is going through a very difficult time in her life. Her place of refuge is at the beach. Well perhaps this may not be the day to go , but God put her exactly where she needed to be. Parker is a man who has suffered a great loss and finds himself in a life or death situation as he gets trapped by the storm. What I loved the most about this book is the hope that the characters had for survival. I'm sure there were times they wanted to give up, but between them they found strength to lean on each other. Make sure you grab a copy and find out if Alex and Parker survive the vicious storm. Will their faith be enough to overcome the obstacles that try to harm them? This is a great heartwarming story that is sweet and faith filled.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS by HEATHER BLANTON
The beginning of the story is quite hard to read at times when we meet Charlene. She is a pretty woman who is in a very violent marriage. The beatings she takes are horrendous and she feels hopeless and trapped. I've often heard people ask why women stay in abusuve relationships. For Charlene she does it to protect others. As you read the story you will understand her sacrifice and love for others. I loved how she cried out to God for help. Her faith was so powerful and I loved how the author showed that through Charlene 's actions.
Dale is Charlene's husband and a powerful attorney. He loves the power and control he has over Charlene. He threatens her constantly and never has any remorse. The author did a great job of showing Dale as an abuser and how weak he is when he is not in control. Will he be able to continue to hurt Charlene?
An unexplained occurrence happens one day when Dale decides to leave Charlene in an abandoned house that was in his family. When they get there Charlene realizes she is going to be left there with nothing. The house is in shambles and there is no food or furniture. In her despair she calls out to God to help her. God was right there with her as she found herself going back in time to 1903. The description of the house was so remarkable I actually felt like I was standing in the kitchen looking at the old stove. I could hear the crackle of the wood as it heated the room. The heat spread across the rooms with warmth and coziness. I have read several time travel books, but this is one of the best I have ever read. The author seamlessly went from 2013 to 1903 with such detail I wanted to stay and live in 1903.
The story picks up with her introduction to the people in the house. Miss Kate is someone I would love to be around. She is a hardworking woman that was gracious and loving. She made me feel like I was setting at my granddad's farmhouse watching the cows graze in the pasture as she baked rolls. The other person who is so vital to the story is Billy. He is good looking and a hard working rancher. The rest of the story you need to read on your own. I don't want to spoil any part of the eloquent story that I couldn't stop reading. After finishing the book I sat for a moment and thought about what I just read. Charlene trusted God to help her and knew that she was loved by Him. He knew when she was hurting and surrounded her with His grace.
It is a powerful story that shows readers that God is always there and He loves you unconditionally. When Charlene was at her lowest and cried out she found out that "God was hope."
I received this book from Book Fun.org and the option to leave my honest opinion of it was up to me.
Dale is Charlene's husband and a powerful attorney. He loves the power and control he has over Charlene. He threatens her constantly and never has any remorse. The author did a great job of showing Dale as an abuser and how weak he is when he is not in control. Will he be able to continue to hurt Charlene?
An unexplained occurrence happens one day when Dale decides to leave Charlene in an abandoned house that was in his family. When they get there Charlene realizes she is going to be left there with nothing. The house is in shambles and there is no food or furniture. In her despair she calls out to God to help her. God was right there with her as she found herself going back in time to 1903. The description of the house was so remarkable I actually felt like I was standing in the kitchen looking at the old stove. I could hear the crackle of the wood as it heated the room. The heat spread across the rooms with warmth and coziness. I have read several time travel books, but this is one of the best I have ever read. The author seamlessly went from 2013 to 1903 with such detail I wanted to stay and live in 1903.
The story picks up with her introduction to the people in the house. Miss Kate is someone I would love to be around. She is a hardworking woman that was gracious and loving. She made me feel like I was setting at my granddad's farmhouse watching the cows graze in the pasture as she baked rolls. The other person who is so vital to the story is Billy. He is good looking and a hard working rancher. The rest of the story you need to read on your own. I don't want to spoil any part of the eloquent story that I couldn't stop reading. After finishing the book I sat for a moment and thought about what I just read. Charlene trusted God to help her and knew that she was loved by Him. He knew when she was hurting and surrounded her with His grace.
It is a powerful story that shows readers that God is always there and He loves you unconditionally. When Charlene was at her lowest and cried out she found out that "God was hope."
I received this book from Book Fun.org and the option to leave my honest opinion of it was up to me.
Five Dog Voodoo
by Lia Farrell
Five Dog Voodoo (Mae December Mystery)
Camel Press (November 15, 2016)
Paperback: 266 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1603812481
Synopsis
As Halloween approaches, engaged couple Mae December and Sheriff Ben Bradley have devoted all their energy to Ben’s campaign for reelection as sheriff of Rose County, Tennessee. The race is already too close to call when the sheriff’s office is hit with yet another maddeningly tricky murder case. In recent years the town of Rosedale has had more than its fair share of murders, a fact Ben’s smarmy opponent is all too eager to exploit.Investigator Dory Clarkson and her friend, Counselor Evangeline Bon Temps, are visiting the mysterious Voodoo village when a resident tells them her granddaughter, Zoé Canja, is missing. Her dog, a Weimaraner nursing four pups, escapes the house and finds the young woman’s body in a shallow grave. Evangeline becomes Sheriff Ben Bradley’s unofficial consultant because her grandmother in Haiti and later her mother in New Orleans practiced Voodoo. A threatening symbol is left on the pavement by Dory’s front door, effectively banning her from the case. Evangeline and the sheriff’s office ask too many questions, and Evangeline soon wears out her welcome. Voodoo curses aside, Ben’s job is at stake, and no one associated with the case is safe until the killer is found.Book 5 in the Mae December Mystery series, which began with One Dog Too Many.
About The Authors
Lia Farrell is the nom de plume for a mother/daughter duo of writers. Mom Lyn Farquhar and Daughter Lisa Fitzsimmons have been collaborating on the Mae December mystery series for four years.
ABOUT LYN
Lyn Farquhar taught herself to read before starting school and honed her story telling abilities by reading to her little sister. Ultimately, her mother ended the reading sessions because Lyn’s sister decided she preferred being read to over learning to read herself. She fell in love with library books at the age of six when a Bookmobile came to her one-room rural elementary school. The day the Bookmobile arrived, Lyn decided she would rather live in the bookmobile than at home and was only ousted following sustained efforts by her teacher and the bookmobile driver.
ABOUT LYN
Lyn Farquhar taught herself to read before starting school and honed her story telling abilities by reading to her little sister. Ultimately, her mother ended the reading sessions because Lyn’s sister decided she preferred being read to over learning to read herself. She fell in love with library books at the age of six when a Bookmobile came to her one-room rural elementary school. The day the Bookmobile arrived, Lyn decided she would rather live in the bookmobile than at home and was only ousted following sustained efforts by her teacher and the bookmobile driver.
Lyn graduated from Okemos High School in Michigan and got her college and graduate degrees from Michigan State University. She has a master’s degree in English literature and a Ph.D. in Education, but has always maintained that she remained a student for such a long time only because it gave her an excuse to read. Lyn holds the rank of Professor of Medical Education at Michigan State University and has authored many journal articles, abstracts and research grants. Since her retirement from MSU to become a full time writer, she has completed a Young Adult Fantasy trilogy called Tales of the Skygrass Kingdom. Volume I from the trilogy is entitled Journey to Maidenstone and is available on amazon.com. Lyn has two daughters and six step children, nine granddaughters and three grandsons. She also has two extremely spoiled Welsh Corgi’s. Her hobby is interior design and she claims she has the equivalent of a master’s degree from watching way too many decorating shows.
ABOUT LISA
Lisa Fitzsimmons grew up in Michigan and was always encouraged to read, write and express herself artistically. She was read aloud to frequently. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she was seldom seen without a book in hand. After becoming a mom at a young age, she attended Michigan State University in a tri-emphasis program with concentrations in Fine Art, Art History an Interior Design.
Lisa Fitzsimmons grew up in Michigan and was always encouraged to read, write and express herself artistically. She was read aloud to frequently. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she was seldom seen without a book in hand. After becoming a mom at a young age, she attended Michigan State University in a tri-emphasis program with concentrations in Fine Art, Art History an Interior Design.
Lisa, with her husband and their two children, moved to North Carolina for three exciting years and then on to Tennessee, which she now calls home. She has enjoyed an eighteen year career as a Muralist and Interior Designer in middle Tennessee, but has always been interested in writing. Almost five years ago, Lisa and her mom, Lyn, began working on a writing project inspired by local events. The Mae December Mystery series was born.
Lisa, her husband and their three dogs currently divide their time between beautiful Northern Michigan in the summertime and middle Tennessee the rest of the year. She and her husband feel very blessed that their “empty nest” in Tennessee is just a short distance from their oldest, who has a beautiful family of her own. Their youngest child has settled in Northern Michigan, close to their cabin there. Life is good.
Author Links:
Webpage – http://www.liafarrell.net/
Blog – http://www.liafarrell.net/blog
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7353429.Lia_Farrell
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/liafarrellauthor/
Subscribe to Newsletter- http://www.liafarrell.net/newsletter.html
Webpage – http://www.liafarrell.net/
Blog – http://www.liafarrell.net/blog
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7353429.Lia_Farrell
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/liafarrellauthor/
Subscribe to Newsletter- http://www.liafarrell.net/newsletter.html
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The book is a delight to read and I loved reading about the customs in the small villiage where the setting for the book is. I'm not familiar with voodoo except it always made me uncomfortable. There are certain beliefs they go by and seem a bit secretive . The author does an amazing job of giving readers details of what Voodoo is. It is a very old religion that is a way of life for some and their customs may make some people uncomfortable. They do honor their dead in a beautiful ceremony and the details were very intriguing. The book is well written and starts off with the mysterious death of a young woman. The decision to take in the mother dog and pups were heartwarming.I did sense that perhaps the dog knew her master was gone and felt a little down. The description of the dogs were so vivid I could picture them with their beautiful color and regal appearance.
Who is the young woman that has been found dead? The story is very intense and I loved the characters in the book. There are several suspects and lots of unanswered questions that keeps the story moving at a good pace. With an election getting close, Sheriff Ben Bradley needs to solve the case. Is the election somehow connected to the death that us being investigated? Strange signs pop up at Dory's home that warn her to stop investigating. Will Dory heed the warning, or continue to snoop around for answers?
Mae December is the sheriff's fiancé and I thought the author really made her a strong character. She sure does like to "help" with investigations. There are several characters in the book that are connected to the murder in some way and I really liked how the author made each one a strong possible suspect. There are many secrets throughout the book and the Voodoo Village is becoming quite a mysterious little place. The story weaves through several mysterious deaths and comes to an exciting end. I will be checking out the other books in this series, because the author really knows how to keep a story moving with very interesting characters .
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Great Escapes Book Tour. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Participants
November 9 – Readeropolis – REVIEW
November 10 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
November 11 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
November 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
November 13 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW
November 14 – T’s Stuff – REVIEW
November 15 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
November 16 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
November 17 – 3 Partners in Shopping,Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – REVIEW
November 18 – fuonlyknew – REVIEW
November 19 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – GUEST POST
November 20 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
November 21 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST
November 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)