About the Book

Book: Footprints on Her Heart

Author: Tabitha Bouldin

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: November 23, 2021

He’s saving the world, one animal at a time.

Trent Raines’ opinion, happily ever after has four paws and doggy breath. He spends his days isolated at the shelter, taking care of animals. Especially now that romance seems to be spreading across the islands faster than fleas in summer.

She lives a safe life behind the camera lens.

Kara Parker’s job at the animal shelter keeps her too busy to worry about romance. Sure, the boss is cute and all, but her introverted nature is perfectly happy as a photographer and website designer, thank you very much.

Even a quick trip to the mainland to retrieve a truckful of animals won’t change their minds.

Or so they think.

As Trent comes to understand Kara, he discovers there’s more than meets the eye in his quiet employee. Together, they plan a Christmas adoption festival that’s certain to empty the animal shelter in record time. Until a blast from Trent’s past puts all the animals in danger.

Sure, Trent and Kara are fine on their own, but they’re even better together.

What will it take for these soulmates conquer their fears and rescue the animals before it’s too late?

Footprints on Her Heart continues the Hooper Island stories of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has been writing since 2015. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, you’ll find her curled up with a book. Tabitha’s genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart.

 

More from Tabitha

I love animals. Always have. I was the kid who always brought home the injured animals and tried to make them better. I am the adult who feels guilty for walking by a hungry cat without feeding it.

When I write, those animal-loving tendencies come out. My characters will rescue animals, care for them, and love them unconditionally. My contributions to the Independence Islands are no different. When it began, I knew I needed a pet groomer, and the animal shelter developed from Mel’s love of animals. That’s when Trent showed up.

Trent walked onto the page as Mel’s partner in founding the animal shelter, Forever Pals, but I didn’t know he wanted his story told until several months after I started writing the series. I tried putting him off, but Trent was having none of that. He’s a bit overzealous and ready to share his love story with you, even if he’d rather I didn’t tell you about his troubled past.

The more I dove into Trent’s story, the more I realized he’s the kind of guy you’d call in the middle of the night when a stray dog shows up in your backyard. He doesn’t care. He’d upend his entire life to care for the animals, and he loves each one instantly, no questions asked. People…not so much.

I had the best time writing this story. Footprints on Her Heart is one of those books that I fell in love with from the very beginning. The story put itself on the page, all I had to do was be the engine and let it come to life. Those are my favorite. I wish every book came as easily as Footprints. Even though that isn’t the case, I’ll always hold this one as a dear friend. Kara and Trent make such a cute couple that I think they need to make an appearance in every island book I write from here on out.

MY REVIEW 

As soon as I read that this story would be involved in animal rescue, I was hooked. I am a big animal lover and if I could I would rescue every dog and cat I could. Trent stole my heart with his devotion to the shelter and relocating animals that had been displaced due the the hurricane. I enjoyed finding out about Trent’s past. He is continually trying to prove himself to everyone but  his past haunts him.

Kara reminds me of a wounded animal. She is shy at times , seems unsure of herself and is scared to have affection shown to her. Her photography skills are well known and I liked how the author put her and Trent together to put on a Christmas adoption festival. Maybe this is just what they both need to overcome their insecurities and fears. As they begin to work together they start to let their guard down and open up to each other more. I enjoyed seeing how they shared their struggles and became more confident in their friendship. Will it grow into something more? 

As the event draws closer someone is out to sabotage everything that Trent and Kara have worked for to find the animals new homes. I cried when they walked into the shelter. You could sense the stillness in the cages and the danger that was near by. This part of the book  had be on the edge of my seat. The author delivers a great story about trusting, letting go of the past and reminding us that animals as well as people, “leave footprints on our hearts.”

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 7

Blossoms and Blessings, December 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , December 8

Texas Book-aholic, December 8

Inklings and notions, December 9

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 9 (Author Interview)

By the Book, December 10

For Him and My Family, December 10

lakesidelivingsite, December 11

deb’s Book Review, December 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 12

Mary Hake, December 12

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 13

Connect in Fiction, December 13

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 14

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 14

Aryn the Libraryan, December 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 15

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 16

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 17

Life, Love, Writing, December 17

She Lives To Read, December 18

Blogging With Carol, December 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 19

Simple Harvest Reads, December 19 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Splashes of Joy, December 20

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, December 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tabitha is giving away the grand prize package 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/1419d/footprints-on-her-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book: Armor of God

Author: Allen Brokken

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Release date: November 19, 2021

In a battle to possess the armor of God, Lauren, Aiden and Ethan stand against their father as he fights for the enemy.

The Dark One has a foothold in the Iron Mountains, and his steel warriors have corrupted the giants. With a formidable army behind him, he fights to secure power over the heathlands. Darkness pervades Zoura’s frontier.

Reunited with Mother and Uncle, twelve-year-old Lauren and her younger brothers, Aiden and Ethan, must light the Tower of Light in Blooming Glen to save Zoura. But the enemy stands in their way. They need the lost Armor of God to overcome the forces of darkness.

As the children search for the armor, the enemy raises a new champion—their father. Knowing the power of the armor and the children’s plans, their father dispatches the Steele Brothers to retrieve the armor for the Dark One.

Zoura’s last chance for salvation will be lost, if darkness corrupts the armor before the children can take it back. Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan have prevailed against the forces of darkness before, but do they have the faith to stand firm against their father as he fights for the enemy?

 

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 15 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 blog https://www.allenbrokkenauthor.com

 

More from Allen

Armor of God is the fourth book in the series, and it takes a significant departure from the others in that the children’s mother has joined them in their journey.  After rescuing her from the Iron Mountain in Fear No Evil, she is ready to take charge of the group to save Father.  However, things are a lot more complicated than they appear, and her children have grown used to making important decisions independently.

 

This book challenged my writing skills.  On the one hand, middle grade so often sends the parents away to give the kids agency to be the heroes of the story.  But what happens when the parents are active participants?  Most middle grade goes one of two directions. The parents are incompetent fools who the wise all knowing children must save, or the parents become wicked antagonists working against the children’s best interests.

 

As a parent, I cringe when those stereotypes come up in a read-aloud.  The parents I know are not bumbling fools and generally work hard to provide the best for their children.  So stories that emphasize something else tweaks something in my mind as I’m reading. After talking to a lot of parents, they feel the same way.

 

So I worked hard to give Mother a very specific objective, save Father. At the same time, the children have concerns that could take them off that path.  With the help of my editor and critique partners, I was able to cast Mother in a good light.  Armor of God provides readers a realistic portrayal of the family working through conflicts in a positive way, which makes the surprise ending all the more powerful.

 

So if you are looking for a middle-grade story to read to your kids where the parents aren’t bumbling fools or wicked abusers, you should check out Armor of God.

MY REVIEW 

I would highly recommend that you read the series from the beginning so you become familiar with the characters and their mission. The author has provided a summary of the first three books at the beginning of this one. It is very helpful to those who need a refresher on the series and to those who may not have read any of the other books. 

This story takes us deeper into the series with a serious tone that escalates the action and kept me glued to the book. The writing is really good and continues to entice me to follow the characters on their journey. I like the title of this book and was anxious to see what significance it would have in the story. The team is now on a mission to save father but perhaps there is something else they need to focus on as well. The armor of God needs to be rescued as well. I loved when one of the characters said, “We can’t leave a pile of specially made weapons and armor to fall into the enemy’s hands.” Such a profound statement as God has equipped us with ways to fight off the enemy. We need our armor with us at all times so we are ready for whatever evil tries to attack us.

The story moves at a good pace and shines a light on darkness as they battle for truth and freedom. I like how the author weaved faith into the story which shows how the armor of God protects us. The battles the characters fight are intense  at times which for me heightened the story to keep me on the edge of my seat. I have been a fan of this series from the beginning and this book is my favorite. 

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

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 4

Sodbusterliving, December 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 5

Texas Book-aholic, December 6

Inklings and notions, December 7

For Him and My Family, December 8

deb’s Book Review, December 9

Spoken from the Heart, December 10

For the Love of Literature, December 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 11

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 12

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 13

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 14 (Spotlight)

Mary Hake, December 14

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 16

Lights in a Dark World, December 17

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://promosimple.com/ps/14198/armor-of-god-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book: ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: Picture Book

Release date: Fall 2021

‘Twas the Night Before Jesus is a beautifully illustrated picture book that introduces children to the life of Jesus and God’s promise of an eternal home in heaven. As the melodic rhyme carries children through Jesus’s birth, death and resurrection, they come to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

 

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

 

About the Author

Donna Wyland is an Award-winning author, editor, and coach who believes in writing books that entertain, encourage, and inspire. Her bestselling children’s book, Your Home in Heaven, sold thousands of copies and was gifted to more than 4,000 children around the world through churches, schools, and various ministry organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Reprinted in 2020 by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc., Your Home in Heaven has become a classic story that shares the love of God and the hope of heaven with an increasing number of children. If I Could Ask Jesus, Donna’s premier Christian bedtime story is bringing young hearts closer to God, too.

Donna lives in Ohio with her husband and a couple of bunnies that hide under the bushes outside. She loves to read, ski, jump on the trampoline with her grandson, and cross items off of her personal Bucket List.

 

More from Donna

Donna Wyland’s love for God and for Christmas inspired her to write ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus. Only recently did she discover how many websites offer Happy Birthday Jesusitems to help families, Sunday schools, and more to celebrate the real reason for the season. Children of all ages have read and reviewed ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus. It received a rousing 5 stars! Glory to God! You can find some fun resources here!

MY REVIEW 

This is a beautiful book that shares the life of Jesus. It is written as a rhyming poem and will be easy for children to understand. The illustrations are gorgeous and makes the book very attractive. Children will enjoy looking at the pictures as they learn about Jesus. This would be a great gift to give to children as they learn about the true meaning of Christmas. 

I would recommend this also to be part of a children’s library and also would be nice to share with children while attending Children’s church. It is an easy to understand story that flows easily and will keep children’s attention. 

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

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 4

Blogging With Carol, December 4

Texas Book-aholic, December 5

Author Adventure, December 5

Inklings and notions, December 6

Simple Harvest Reads, December 6 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, December 7

Cats in the Cradle Blog, December 7

deb’s Book Review, December 8

Splashes of Joy, December 8

A Reader’s Brain, December 9

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 9

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 10

Southern Gal Loves to Read, December 10

Older & Smarter?, December 11

An Author’s Take, December 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 12

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 13

Mary Hake, December 13

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 14

Spoken from the Heart, December 14

The Adventures of a Travelers Wife, December 15

Labor Not in Vain, December 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 16 (Spotlight)

Lights in a Dark World, December 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize package of a hardcover copy of the book and an online $50 Magnolia Market 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/14195/twas-the-night-before-jesus-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Books

Book: Bandana Acres: Kit’s New Home & My Bandana Acres Journal

Author: Kathy J. Perry

Genre: Early Reader Chapter Book

Release date: November 1, 2018

Wait! That’s not a coyote. Is he here to help me?

 

FIRE! Kit must find a new home in the woods. She is surrounded by wild coyotes. A banana buddy comes to her rescue. Did she earn his friendship?

My Bandana Acres Journal

 

Explore your dreams, write, doodle and discover, with this guided journal!

Use the prompts and you will learn how to:

• Be thankful and optimistic
• Recognize the good things and learn from mistakes
• Make positive decisions
• Understand promise-keeping and secrets
• Break down worries and reflect
• How to ask for help

You don’t have to use the writing prompts or work in any particular order. So, if you want to start in the middle of the book, or at the end, go ahead!

Have fun!

 

Click here to get your copy of Bandana Acers: Kit's New Home!
Click here to get your copy of My Bandana Acres Journal!

 

About the Author

A former classroom teacher and homeschool mom, I’ve always had a heart for educating kids.

I set my mission and started my own publishing company, Chickadee Words, LLC. I do my best to affect our youth through wonderful stories full of timeless character struggles.

 

More from Kathy

The inspiration for Kit’s New Home surrounds us everyday: people who say they’ll do something and then don’t; those who promise and then fail to deliver; people without reliability, honesty, or punctuality. This all boils down to the issue of TRUST. Trust is easily lost and so hard to get back.

Trustworthy people are successful, valuable, and popular in every area of life.

 

Make your yes, “yes” and your no “no”.

Mean what you say and say what you mean.

Keep promises.

Hurt no one. Help others.

 

 

Kit’s lonely and makes new friends in the farm yard. Ollie, the farm dog, explains the “rules” to him with which Kit agrees. He’s a good friend, until one day when he fails Zartie, the red-eared slider turtle.

 

Later, when he’s in trouble, Ollie proves to be a faithful, trustworthy dog and saves Kit from a coyote attack.

 

Here’s one question in the “What If” part at the end of the book:

 

What if you promise to play with a classmate at recess, but then you have a chance to play a fun game with someone else instead? What will you do?

 

 

Special things about this book (and series) include:

 

1. Proven easy-to-read font for early readers (Sassoon Primary)
2. In full-color with original watercolor artwork.
3. Leveled by Lexile and Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) for dialing in to your child’s reading level.
4. Purple words are the character’s inside thoughts (rather than italics, which I thought would be harder to read). Kids enjoy the color. In fact, struggling readers love to read just the colored parts to start – and then want to continue reading! (Each book has its own color for this.)
5. A glossary of newer words with definitions.
6. A “What If” section for discussion with five questions about the story, and five questions of how the theme plays out in real life. (Parents and teachers love these books!)
7. Kit’s New Home is available in hardcover and softcover.

 

Help your kids learn to read with this fun story and cute watercolor illustrations. This early reader chapter book is perfect for ages 5-8 and can usually be read alone by 2nd or 3rd grades.

 

Don’t miss the companion guided journal: My Bandana Acres Journal. Perfect for readers learning to write about their thoughts, dreams, or just doodle. Use for a deeper dive into the themes from the Bandana Acres series. Currently available only from my website shop. Ages 8-12

MY REVIEW 

If you have not purchased any of the books in this series, go now and do it. Each book features an animal who learns valuable lessons about honesty, trust, friendship and more. In this book we meet Kit the fox. Kit wants to make friends and be accepted. I loved how the animals tell Kit how to be a friend to them. Children will learn how important it is to be honest, trustworthy and loyal. The illustrations are nice and will keep children’s attention as the story is read. 

I loved the journal that came with the book. It covers all the books in the series and will give children a chance to write down or share their thoughts about different topics in the series. I encourage parents to grab the entire series along with the journal for their children. It would also be a great addition to any children’s library. 

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

Blog Stops

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 2 (Spotlight)

A Reader’s Brain, December 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 3

Texas Book-aholic, December 4

Bigreadersite, December 5

Splashes of Joy, December 5

Older & Smarter?, December 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 7

Vicky Sluiter, December 7

Girls in White Dresses, December 8

Blogging With Carol, December 8

For Him and My Family, December 9

Inklings and notions, December 10

Cats in the Cradle Blog, December 10

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 11

deb’s Book Review, December 12

Mary Hake, December 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 13

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 14

Lights in a Dark World, December 14

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, December 15

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card, a softcover copy of the book, digital artwork with motivational phrase, and a custom Hoo-Rag with artwork from the Bandana Acres series!!

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/14182/bandana-acres-kit-s-new-home-my-bandana-acres-journal-celebration-tour-giveaway