About the Book

Book: The Watch on the Fencepost

Author: Kay DiBianca

Genre: Christian Mystery / Suspense/ Romance

A WATCH THAT REVEALS MORE THAN JUST THE TIME . . .

A mysterious gold watch propels 27-year-old Kathryn Frasier into a quest to prove her parents’ recent deaths were not an accident. Following a trail of cryptic clues, she encounters a remarkable cast of characters, including an actress with a talent for disguises, a politician with a dark secret, and a handsome businessman who shows a sudden romantic interest in Kathryn. Can she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Kay DiBianca holds an MS degree in computer science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked in the IT departments of several major organizations, including IBM, UNC Chapel Hill, International Paper, and FedEx. She has an instrument rating in single-engine aircraft and competes in the Senior Olympics track events. She is a U.S. representative for Bridges for Peace, an international organization whose mission is to serve the people of Israel. She and her husband, Frank, live in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information, visit kaydibianca.com.

Guest post from Kay

WHY I WROTE THE WATCH ON THE FENCEPOST

I’m a runner. I spend a lot of time on the treadmill, at a local track, or running in a park near my home. When I’m outdoors, I usually listen to podcasts or audio books to keep my mind occupied.

Several years ago, I was listening to a mystery novel while running on a trail, and I began to put together a story in my own mind. Over the following weeks and months, I had created the characters of Kathryn and Cece, and I could see them in my mind’s eye.

On another long run, I passed an old fence post and a plot began to form itself. Other characters seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and soon I had the basic outline of the book in my head. Before long I was ignoring the audio book voices coming through my earbuds and just adding to my own story. That’s when I decided to write it down.

In the next few months, my story grew from a general outline to a narrative that stretched to over 60,000 words, and I loved the little surprises that popped up along the way. Although I had intended the book to be a straight mystery, I found some of the characters writing their own scenes, and soon there was romance!

As I chiseled away the extraneous parts and added detail and nuance, the important story elements of love, faith, and family rose to the surface. I delighted in Kathryn’s discovering more about herself and Cece’s unfailing wisdom and humor.

I spent over a year working with an editor to revise and strengthen the book. With every change in a word or addition of a plot twist, the story got better. It’s been three years since that first run in the park that got me thinking about the story. Now Kathryn, Cece, Phil, Mike, Tommy, and all the others are ready to tell their stories to the world.

I think I’ll go for a run tomorrow to see what Kathryn and Cece are going to be up to next.

Kathryn has suffered a great loss when her parents die in a car accident. She decides to train for a marathon as a way to ease her stress.  Along  the way she notices a fence post with a gold watch draped there. Being the kind of person she is, she turns it in. What happens next starts an adventure of intrigue and danger. It's not everyday that you find out you have a half sister but Kathryn is in for a big surprise. Her parents had kept a big secret from her in the name of Cece.

Meeting Cece seemed to help Kathryn not feel so alone in the world. They hit if off and I loved reading how they bonded as sisters. Kathryn's dad has always liked puzzles and he has left clues that maybe will solve the mystery of Kathryn's parents accident. I loved reading about the clues and how Kathryn and Cece worked together to figure out the puzzle.  The story includes Jewish traditions which I loved reading about. The author does a great job of giving us background in what a Shabbat dinner is. Cece's adoptive parents are such a nice addition to the story and want to help Kathryn anyway they can.

There is also a very important person in the story who is intertwined in Cece's past.  In the midst of everything else going on in the story we find a political race going on . An all important governor race is all the talk. What secret is  the man running for governor hiding? Do Kathryn and Cece pose a threat to him? The secrets run deep in this story and I tried really hard to solve them. The author has a great job of giving readers little hints, but I was quite surprised at the outcome. 

It's a fast pace story with characters that keep readers entertained. I enjoyed getting to know more about Kathryn and why she has always been afraid to fail. That is a heavy burden to carry around and it does make it hard to take a chance on relationships. The ending is a heart pounding race to save Kathryn and I was on the edge of my seat. I loved the story and hope there is another book to follow. 

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 2

Through the Fire Blogs, March 2

Blogging With Carol, March 3

Godly Book Reviews, March 3

Josephine’s Bookshelf, March 4

Mary Hake, March 4

Girls Living For God’s Glory, March 5

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, March 5

For Him and My Family, March 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 6

Maureen’s Musings, March 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 7

Emily Yager, March 8

Andrea Christenson, March 8

Pause for Tales, March 9

Ashley’s Bookshelf, March 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 10

Texas Book-aholic, March 10

janicesbookreviews, March 11

A Reader’s Brain, March 11

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 12

Inklings and notions, March 12

Real World Bible Study, March 13

Older & Smarter?, March 14

By The Book, March 14

Bigreadersite, March 15

The Becca Files, March 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kay is giving away a 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. https://promosimple.com/ps/dcb1/the-watch-on-the-fencepost-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Title: The Secrets of Paper and Ink

Author: Lindsay Harrel

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release date: February 26, 2019

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Lindsay Harrel presents a powerful story of healing, forgiveness, and finding the courage to write your own story.

A year after the death of her abusive fiancé, domestic violence counselor Sophia Barrett finds returning to work too painful. She escapes to Cornwall, England—a place she’s learned to love through the words of her favorite author—and finds a place to stay with the requirement that she help out in the bookstore underneath the room she’s renting. Given her love of all things literary, it seems like the perfect place to find peace.

Ginny Rose is an American living in Cornwall, sure that if she saves the bookstore she co-owns with her husband then she can save her marriage as well. Fighting to keep the first place she feels like she belongs, she brainstorms with her brother-in-law, William, and Sophia to try to keep the charming bookstore afloat.

More than 150 years before, governess Emily Fairfax knew two things for certain: she wanted to be a published author, and she was in love with her childhood best friend. But he was a wealthy heir and well out of her league. Sophia discovers Emily’s journals, and she and William embark on a mission to find out more about this mysterious and determined woman, all the while getting closer to each other as they get closer to the truth.

The lives of the three women intertwine as each learns the power she has over the story of her life.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at LindsayHarrel.com.

Guest Post from Lindsay

With every book I write, it seems God has something new to teach me. That certainly was true of The Secrets of Paper and Ink.

Lately, I am learning more and more about the power of our words. I’ve become more conscious of the words I speak over myself as well as what I say to other people. It’s more than “positive thinking”—the words we say ultimately contribute to the stories we weave, and I want my story to be as positive and hope-filled as possible, regardless of my circumstances.

I’ve also become much more aware of the lies that I tell myself—“you are not worthy, you are not enough, you will never achieve what you want to achieve”—and the need to replace those lies with the truths that God says about me. I have listened to Lauren Daigle’s song You Sayon repeat lately, and it has become a theme not just of The Secrets of Paper and Ink, but one in the story of my very life.

So while I may not have experienced everything my characters have—I’ve never suffered emotional abuse, or been ostracized by my family, or been orphaned and alone in a world that seems against me at every turn—I have learned alongside them. I set out to write a book that would draw readers closer to the true healer and hope giver, and I ended up being drawn closer myself.

And that, to me, is the true power of story.

Through the depths of emotions comes a book so powerful that readers will have a hard time putting the story away. I read it in one sitting because it captured me right away. It is hard not to become attached to  the characters as they draw you into their struggles. I love time-slip stories and this one is the best I have read. The author threads three characters through time and attach them forever in history. The beautiful way the author slips from past to present is seamless. I became committed to one time period and didn’t want to leave. The characters are three young women who all are looking for what we all desire. They want to be accepted and loved.

Emily is such a sweet person who has loved Edward ever since they were children. They have always claimed to just be friends, but Emily has ached over Edward for years. I loved how they would hide letters and other things at their special tree. Wouldn’t it be so romantic to have a special place where you find a note from that special someone? I could picture the tree with its branches that spread out in anticipation of  secrets hidden among its beauty. Emily and Edward are two people who have hidden their feelings from each other.  Can Emily’s dream of becoming an author ever come true? Will it be to late for them to find happiness when a wedding looms over their head? Will one marry to please their family or find the courageous to follow their heart?

Across the pond we meet Ginny. She has a wonderful bookstore and until a few months ago, a happy marriage. It was heartbreaking to see  Ginny feel inadequate to make the bookstore a success without her husband. Her heart is crushed when her husband leaves her. Finding out that you were never loved by your husband  crushes Ginny. I loved getting to know the dynamics of Ginny as she was growing up. She has always had this sense that she never was good enough, never as smart as her siblings and a disgrace to the family . My heart went out to her as this burden of rejection as followed her all her life. Will she discover how much she is loved by God? Can she let go of the past and allow someone to show her how valuable she is?

I saved Sophia's story for last. This woman was who I felt a connection to. She has a great practice as a therapist for women. When she faces a tragedy in her life, it is too much for her. She takes time off to heal and try to understand how she allowed a man like David in her life. He was sweet at first but suddenly became this demanding and abusive husband. His death shakes her to her core. She is free of him but her guilt of feeling this way takes over her life. It's time for a change. This is where Emily and Sophia's lives intersect. The perfect setup for Sophia is waiting for her across the pond. She rents a room from Emily and works in her bookstore to help pay the rent for her little apartment above the store. It was just what she needed. Her love of books is refreshing . I could relate to her because she escapes into books like I do. They allow us to forget everything  and find adventure in stories. Her discovery of Emily's writing from so long ago intrigued her. Emily' strength is what Sophia admired They both suffered a loss but Emily was able to move forward. Can Sophia find the truth behind the manuscript she found of Emily's?

The ending is one that made me linger long after I read the last word. I don't want to leave this story but I know it will never be far from my heart. We all have hopes and dreams. One word, one sentence, one moment in time brought three women together to find healing, forgiveness and the knowledge that they are worthy to be loved.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 26

The Avid Reader, February 26

The Power of Words, February 26

Carla Loves To Read, February 26

Blogging With Carol, February 27

Inspirationally Ever After, February 27

Kristin’s Book Reviews, February 27

Real World Bible Study, February 28

Caffeinated Christian Raves – N – Reviews, February 28

Carpe Diem, February 28

A Baker’s Perspective, March 1

Andy Carmichael, March 1

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, March 1

Bibliophile Reviews, March 2

The Becca Files, March 2

Just Your Average reviews, March 2

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, March 3

Emily Yager, March 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 3

Genesis 5020, March 4

Reader’s Cozy Corner, March 4

Stories By Gina, March 4

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 5

Simple Harvest Reads, March 5 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Mary Hake, March 5

Remembrancy, March 6

Through the Fire Blogs, March 6

Inklings and Notions, March 6

Just the Write Escape, March 7

Pause for Tales, March 7

Book by Book, March 7

Living Life Free in Christ, March 8

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, March 8

To Everything A Season, March 8

The Lit Addict, March 9

Texas Book-aholic, March 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 9

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 10

Janices book reviews, March 10

Bigreadersite, March 10

Henry Happens, March 11

Godly Book Reviews, March 11

All-of-a-kind Mom, March 11

amandainpa , March 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lindsay is giving away a copy of Lindsay’s first book The Heart Between Us!!

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/dcc3/the-secrets-of-paper-and-ink-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Title: Bring Me Near

Author: Marguerite Martin Gray

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: February, 2019

Publisher: Celebrate Lit Publishing

Louis Lestarjette enters a world of secrets and questionable actions for the Patriot cause.

Charles Town, South Carolina, 1775—Louis Lestarjette ventures beyond the confines of family life as patriotic duty compels him to enter the world of secrecy and clandestine maneuvers. When he leaves Charles Town for Philadelphia, he experiences first-hand the drastic demands of time and finances, and possibly his life. He must keep Elizabeth and his daughter safe while remaining faithful to this cause of liberty. One wrong decision might cost him all he has worked for over the last three years.

A new generation of children in Elizabeth Lestarjette’s life demands the successful and safe fulfillment of her role as a Patriot. She wonders if her husband understands her desire to do her part as an active Daughter of Liberty. Although Louis is willing to move the family to the country, the decision falls to Elizabeth regarding whether to remain in Charles Town or escape its borders.

About the Author

Marguerite Martin Gray is the author of Hold Me Close, Surround Me, and Bring Me Near– Revolutionary Faith Books One, Two and Three. She enjoys studying history and writing fiction. An avid traveler and reader, she teaches high school Spanish and has degrees in French, Spanish, and Journalism from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and a MA in English from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. Marguerite is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Abilene Writers Guild, Daughters of the American Revolution, South Carolina Historical Society, and Preservation Society of Charleston. She currently lives in North Louisiana with her husband.

More from Marguerite

I am very excited about the release of Bring Me Near. Thank you for joining me in its debut.

My writing journey began with reading as a child in elementary school. I lived in England for a few years where I bought and read loads of books on horses, history, and mystery. While in that unique environment, my parents took us to explore castles, old houses, churches, and cemeteries. The love of history sprouted and grew (I blame it all on my father)!

My love of reading never diminished, but it continued to expand my world. I still devour books (much to my husband’s and my bookcases’ chagrin), mostly historical Christian fiction, though I have some favorite contemporary novels and authors

In my Revolutionary Faith Series, I combine my love of travel, research, history, and writing. I researched my family history originating in Charleston, South Carolina and walked in the footsteps of my 1770s ancestors (I even found my ancestors’ house for sale!) I asked questions about what they would have done during the American Revolution? What did they eat and wear? Were they fearful? Faithful? Courageous? Where did they worship?

My motto in writing is Entertain. Educate. Encourage. I entertain through the elements of fiction by making the characters in my imagination come alive on the page. I educate by presenting an historical period and event after countless hours of research. I encourage by giving a Christian world view where the characters grow and develop through their challenges.

Please join me on this journey by following me at www.margueritemartingray.blog.

Blessings,

Marguerite

If you have not read the first two books in this series, I highly recommend you grab a copy of each. The author takes us on an adventure through time during 1775.  There was a lot going on in the world and men are having to take sides in order to protect their families. I love the author's very detailed historical facts which helps us understand what trials men and women went through to survive. 

Louis has his hands full as he and his wife Elizabeth welcome a new baby. Surrounding them is more talk of discord among the British and colonists which makes Louis uneasy. The tea Act has caused many to be ready to fight for what is theirs and Louis is right in the middle of the action.  Charles Town is their home and Louis must step up to protect his family. The story takes on a serious tone when a few of the women learn to shoot.  They must be able to protect themselves and their children if their husbands aren't around. I could feel the tension in the air as reality started to sink in for these women.  It is hard to imagine that people had to be on guard at all times as danger lurks just a whisper away. 

I found it very profound when one of the characters said, "I wonder what will be said of us when someone records 1775."  They had no way to know that history was being made and that time period would be pivotal to the world. I wonder sometimes what it will be like when my children start having families. There is still even today the uncertainty of peace in the world. Louis and Elizabeth are just on the verge of danger as more threats are rumored by the Loyalists and Patriots.

As the tension builds friends are pitted against each other. The refusal of unloading British ships take a toll on the town. People watch as cargo after cargo are dumped into the water and their hope for food and necessities are lost as the waves carry the shipment out to sea. You can feel the hopelessness settle in as supplies start to dwindle. It was a difficult time for all, and people started to wonder if war would soon break out. I loved reading about this time period and how men and women stood up for their cause. The author has delivered an intense look at history and how it changed many lives.

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

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, February 28

Back Porch Reads, March 1

Bibliophile Reviews, March 2

Maureen’s Musings, March 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 4

Through the Fire Blogs, March 5

For the Love of Literature, March 6

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, March 7

Texas Book-aholic, March 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 9

Janices book reviews, March 10

Carpe Diem, March 11

A Baker’s Perspective, March 12

Bigreadersite, March 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marguerite is giving away

Grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card
1st place winner will receive eBooks of the entire series

and
2nd – 4th place winners will receive an eBook copy of Bring Me Near!!

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/de7c/bring-me-near-celebration-tour-giveaway