Monday, August 24, 2026

THE LAST NOEL

This group of three stories has everything a reader wants when it comes to adventure, second chances and faith that pop across the pages. I love how each author delivers a story surround by a holiday where joy and family memories are found. Each story has a theme that illustrates second chances, faith and a bit of mystery.

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE BY Sara Hamaker

Oakleigh receives a stranger call from her foster sister she has not heard from in awhile. She is requested to meet her and needs help. To her surprise she finds out her foster sister is in danger and needs Oakleigh to take her two children and protect them. This is where I would be shaking my head wondering what I just got myself into. Hang on to your seats as Oakleigh pairs up with an old flame called Joseph to help her get to a safe place for the children. There are some tense moments as danger starts to surround them in this suspenseful story. Be sure to pay attention as subtle hints are given to help solve the mystery. Nice light romantic suspense story that will be liked by those who love a good ending,

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR BY Jayna Breigh

It’s Christmas time and Elise is all ready to set sail on a fabulous cruise. You know how it is. Things don’t always turn out like you want. A phone call from her boss finds her vacation cancelled with last minute legal documents that must be filed. So much for a sweet relaxing vacation. Did I forget to mention that Elise’s ex-fiancé shows up. What could possibly go wrong now?

Thank you Elise and Jack for many sweet memories of Christmas like making cookie houses and taking time to realize you may still have a chance to reconnect. Better get those cookie houses built before the contest is over. The story takes on a twist when Elise and Jack discover that Elise’s legal case hits home for Jack.

Nana is the most endearing character I’ve ever read about. She loves to take care of others and secretly is pushing to get Elise and Jack back together. With Christmas carols everywhere they go, lights and tress glowing in homes and stores they must feel that Christmas is filled with miracles. Nana reminds Jack that, “ Jesus is in the forgiving business.” Will Jack take Nana’s words to heart and ask Elise to forgive him? Can Elise get this very important case tied up in time? Don’t miss the action in this story and witness how Jesus shows what forgiveness can bring in a new beginning to two deserving people.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I KNOW? BY Kimberly Woodhouse

Oh how I love cooking shows. The funny thing is I can’t cook. Opening to read this story gave me excitement as we are witnessing a cooking contest being broadcast live. Faith is nervous but comfort food is sure to win the judges over. With no room to move around she has to concentrate as cameras are intruding on her space.

Gabe is a very skilled chef with hopes of winning the contest he is in. It was so fun to read about the skills he and Faith had as chefs with a culinary background in Louisiana cooking. There is nothing better than southern cooking. As the time starts to tick away an accident happens which will change the course of Faith and Gabe’s future.

A great story about pride and how it can destroy relationships and dreams you may have had. I really liked how the author illustrated forgiveness and reminds us we need to forgive ourselves as well. Set against the Alaskan backdrop you will find two flawed characters who face trials and turn to faith for help.

I received a copy of this book from the authors and the publisher. The review is my own opinion.

https://mybook.to/lastnoel

#LastNoelNovel

Sarah’s Search Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Sarah’s Search

Author: Jodie Wolfe

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: June 30, 2026

All her life, Sarah McBride has gone along with whatever her guardian dictates. Now on the verge of graduating from the Shippensburg State Normal School, she questions her ability to teach in a classroom when her heart isn’t in the profession. What she wouldn’t give to pursue her heart’s desire of becoming a writer instead of following what’s expected. But how can Sarah defy her guardian’s plans?

Everything has been a hardship for Ezekiel Stouffer ever since his wife died giving birth to their second child. The last thing he needs is the responsibility of monitoring the new schoolteacher while still maintaining his farm. But when their paths entangle, he can’t help but notice the way his children respond to her tender concern. After his loss, Zeke doubts he’ll ever search for love again, but maybe friendship is an option.

Can two searching hearts find the same path?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

JODIE WOLFE loves writing historical fiction after years as a homeschooling mom. She enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, knitting, and walking. Jodie creates novels where hope and quirky meet.

More from Jodie

Almost ten years ago, a big Victorian house was for sale. I had the pleasure of touring it and taking photos of the exterior and interior. I knew I would eventually set a story there. Fast forward to spring of this year, and it was finally time to write about the setting in Shippensburg, PA. The house has changed very little through the years, so it’s easy to imagine life in 1878 along Normal Avenue. The house is located at the bottom of the hill where the Cumberland Valley State Normal School started in 1873*. It soon changed its name to Shippensburg State Normal School and eventually Shippensburg University.

Since I have my heroine living in the old house at the start of Sarah’s Search, she also attends the normal school and graduates before she becomes a teacher in Newburg, PA at the Mount Jackson one-room schoolhouse.

It is no longer in Newburg, but is on the grounds at Shippensburg University and set up as it would have looked when used many years ago.

I love when I can envision history coming to life by visiting places like the house, normal school, one-room schoolhouse, as well as the local churches and towns that were around in the time period that I used in my recent book. I had the distinct pleasure of finding three local historians. Two with expertise in the two different towns I wrote about in Sarah’s Search, along with one who was a former archivist at Shippensburg University. What a treasure they’ve been to me.

As you read Sarah’s Search, I hope you’ll enjoy stepping back in time as much as I did while writing it.

*The cornerstone was laid May 31, 1871.

Blog Stops

Pause for Tales, August 20

Simple Harvest Reads, August 21 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, August 22 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, August 23 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 23

Texas Book-aholic, August 24

Fiction Book Lover, August 25 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, August 26 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, August 27 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, August 28 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 29

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 30 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, August 31 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, September 1 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, September 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jodie 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.

https://gleam.io/FXNuc/sarahs-search-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, August 22, 2026

A Guided Gratitude Journal Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: A Guided Gratitude Journal

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: Nonfiction/Christian Guided Journal

Release Date: September, 2025

What would you change in your life if you could? Scientific and faith-based research prove that gratitude is the key! 5 minutes a day/7 days a week/7 weeks. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET. CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Let today be the day your new life begins!

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Donna Wyland is an award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction, and picture books. Her most recent gift book, Last Best Year – A Short Guide to a Grateful Life – is a Golden Scroll Award Winner, and her picture books, ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus and Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts were both Readers’ Choice Award Finalists.‘Twas the Night Before Jesus also won the Illumination Award Silver Medal and Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts was the Christian Indie Award winner for picture books.

Though she began a career in financial planning, God interrupted those plans and called her to write more than twenty years ago. Donna responded, “Yes, Lord,” and today has numerous books, essays, and blogs attributed to her name.

In the future, Donna hopes to continue writing guided journals to encourage and inspire people’s faith and confidence in God and themselves. As a Certified Christian Life Coach, Donna learned the value of asking powerful questions. Through her guided journals she hopes to lead readers to greater clarity, peace, and purpose as they read, consider, and reply to the questions asked.

Donna is grateful for her husband, four grown daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. She and her husband currently live in Southwest Florida, but her passion for travel frequently takes her to other states and countries around the world. Only God knows where she will live in five years. Thankfully she has a husband who says he will follow her wherever she goes.

More from Donna

What would you change in your life if you could? Scientific and faith-based research prove that gratitude is the key! 5 minutes a day/7 days a week for 7 weeks could change your life. Let today be the day your new life begins!

This journal was inspired by God and written as a result of many personal losses in my life. As I tried to move toward healing, I felt like I was still walking under a dark cloud each day, faking happiness and joy as I went about my responsibilities as a wife, mother, and grandmother. I was still hurting and desperately wanted to know why. That’s when I did a deep dive on the topic of gratitude and discovered its tremendous power to heal.

I pray that this journal becomes a legacy of readers’ journeys to joy, emotional and physical health, peace, and a thankful way of life. God knows you and sees you. He is excited to hear your praise and watch you grow into a gratitude-filled man or woman of God who lights the world on fire simply by being your wonderful, beautiful, joyful self.

MY REVIEW

Am I the only one who gets excited when I find a new journal ? To say I was thrilled to review this is very accurate. I opened the book and began to slowly slip away into my secret place. There God had my full attention as I started my journey.

The journal is about gratitude which I think we forget about sometimes. We say we are thankful but do we express it enough? One definition of gratitude is, “an emotion of happiness and thankfulness for the good things in life.” I want to be grateful in the bad and good times. In seasons of trials, gratitude will help us grow and understand how much God loves us.

What are you grateful for? The list would be too long for me to write, but one thing for sure is I’m grateful that God loves me unconditionally. In this journal the author has divided chapters into different ways to show gratitude and how to appreciate everything. There are questions to answer with a place provided to write. God has a plan for each of us and as we become more grateful, the plan will start to be easier. Have you ever heard of “growing pains?” As Christians we grow spiritually each day. It may not always be easy as we grow and yes it can be painful. The reward is worth every trial we go through.

I’m grateful that I can come to my Father when I need help or just want to soak in His presence. No matter where you are, God is right there. That is something to be grateful for. We can always count on Him no matter what. Let’s learn to be grateful at all times.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 22

Texas Book-aholic, August 23

Simple Harvest Reads, August 24 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 26

Its Mama Safe, August 27

Guild Master, August 28 (Author Interview)

The Vine and The Branch, August 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 29

Fiction Book Lover, August 30 (Author Interview)

Book Looks by Lisa, August 31

Cover Lover Book Review, September 1

Devoted to Hope, September 2

Mary Hake, September 2

Artistic Nobody, September 3

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/tkOYA/a-guided-gratitude-journal-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Darling’s Daughter Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Darling’s Daughter

Author: Sydney Schmied

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 4, 2026

A woman chasing the truth. A man running from his past. And a secret that threatens the fragile trust between them.

Searching for answers about her mother’s suspicious death, artist Angelica Woods takes a job painting backdrops at the Majestic Theater—the very place her famous actress mother warned her to avoid. When she discovers cryptic notes and bloody evidence of an old murder, Angie realizes her mother’s warning may have been meant to protect her from a deadly secret.

Architect Trace Ackerman has worked hard to build a quiet, respectable life far removed from his former mistakes. Renovating the Majestic is meant to be a fresh start—until Angie awakens feelings he never planned to risk again. Drawn to her courage and vulnerability, Trace offers his protection as rumors swirl and danger edges closer. But the past he’s worked so hard to outrun threatens to surface, and Trace fears the truth could cost him Angie’s trust—and the future he longs to build.

With a killer determined to silence them both, Angie and Trace must decide if uncovering the truth about her mother’s death is worth risking their own lives—and hearts. Set against the backdrop of a historic theater in 1912 Ohio, this romantic suspense weaves together murder, betrayal, and the redeeming power of faith and forgiveness.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sydney Schmied writes sweet and intriguing historical romantic suspense stories with a whole lot of faith. She is a 2023 ACFW First Impressions Contest finalist and a 2024 Genesis Contest Semi-finalist, as well as a two-time Scrivenings Press Get Pubbed Finalist. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and sipping on a classic London Fog.

More from Sydney

Theaters tell so many stories, and in The Darling’s Daughter, The Majestic Theater itself has been shaped by the people who have passed through its doors. While it was known as The Masonic Opera House from 1853 to 1915, The Majestic has stood through nearly 173 years of history. I can’t help but wonder about all the individuals who walked its halls, performers, musicians, and attendees alike, and what stories they might tell about how their lives once intertwined with the Majestic.

In my research, I came across so many real accounts of people who visited theaters like this one, and I was able to glimpse bits and pieces of that connection. For Angie, the heroine in The Darling’s Daughter, The Majestic becomes a place of reckoning and reconciliation. Her mother was her only family, and even that relationship was strained. Angie carries a deep loneliness as she peels back the complicated layers of her late mother’s life, wrestling with questions of worth, belonging, and whether she is truly loved.

For Trace, The Majestic offers both a meaningful project and a chance to rebuild. Unfortunately, his identity has been constructed atop the fragile foundation of guilt, and that foundation begins to crack as his past resurfaces.

Just as The Majestic has stood strong through seasons of change and still stands today, Angie and Trace are refined through their struggles as everything around them begins to shift. Neither of them are defined by the broken parts of their story, but by their hope in Christ, even when that hope feels uncertain and their faith is shaky. If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll join Angie and Trace in The Darling’s Daughter and find encouragement in their journey.

MY REVIEW

I like how this story takes a look at what theater life was like during a time period that shaped many lives. With vivid descriptions readers are introduced to entertainment that many loved to go see. What would it be like to be a famous actress with adoring fans? Angie’s mother was that person who many flocked to go see on stage. As a mother-daughter relationship goes it was very strained. Angie’s mother had little time for her. As the years passed Angie was left longing for a mother who put her first.

What I was intrigued by was the deep desire that Angie wanted to prove that her mother’s death was not accidental. It was important for Angie to preserve her mother’s image and have her legacy be remembered in a loving way. I could relate to Angie yearning for a mother’s love and how painful it is when you never receive it. That emptiness in your heart causes you to be weary of relationships.

Trace was a breath of fresh air for Angie even though she had doubts about him at first. He is a very dedicated architect and loves to see his vision come to life. Remodeling The Majestic Theater brings Trace a sense of accomplishment. On the outside he gives this aura of confidence, however he has secrets he tries to hide.

The author delivers a great story with mystery that will find Angie and Trace in a battle to unearth truth while trying to stay one step ahead of danger. As they grow closer to each other, trust becomes a big stumbling block for them. Will Angie let go of the past and find a way to open her heart to allow someone to show her how valuable she is? What secrets will be discovered in the mansion filled with her mother’s memories?

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

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 19

Devoted Steps, August 19

Books Less Travelled, August 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 21

Texas Book-aholic, August 22

Connie’s History Classroom, August 23

For Him and My Family, August 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 24

Lyssa Loves Books, August 25

Holly’s Book Corner, August 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 27

Pause for Tales, August 28

Devoted to Hope, August 29

Book Looks by Lisa, August 30

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 30

Cover Lover Book Review, August 31

Lily’s Corner, September 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sydney 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.

https://gleam.io/TyDfI/the-darlings-daughter-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Wildflower Bride Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Wildflower Bride

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 11, 2026

From bestselling author Mary Connealy comes a thrilling Western romance about finding belonging in unexpected places—a tale of a fierce woman warrior caught between two worlds, a gentle-hearted rancher, and the faith that brings them together. Perfect for fans of historical romance and unconventional heroines.

Abby has lived with the Flathead tribe since they rescued her as a child, forgetting her white heritage. But when her village is massacred, and she’s saved by kind-hearted rancher Wade Sawyer, she’s forced to confront her past and future. Though drawn to Wade’s gentle strength, she refuses to be bound to the white world that once abandoned her.

Wade Sawyer has spent his life trying to please his tyrannical father while battling his own demons. When he finds Abby—fierce, independent, and unlike any woman he’s known—he sees a chance at real love. But winning the heart of a woman who trusts no man and bridging the gap between two worlds seems impossible.

As they face deadly rustlers, family conflicts, and their own fears, Wade and Abby must learn to trust in God’s plan for their lives. But can Abby let down her defenses and embrace a future with Wade? And can Wade prove that true strength lies in gentleness and faith?

A moving story of finding home, healing from the past, and discovering that love knows no boundaries in the untamed Montana Territory.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies with cowboys and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist. She is the bestselling author of over 80 books and novellas. She has over a 1.8 million books in print.

Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Visit her website or find her at Petticoats & Pistols!

More from Mary

I try to write books I love, and I re-read my own books. I’m a big re-reader and if I find myself uninterested in a book I wrote, I take that as a bad sign.

I happen to LOVE Wildflower Bride as much as any book I’ve ever written.

I wrote for ten years before I got my first book published. On that fateful day when I earned my first contract, I had twenty finished books on my computer. And I didn’t just write them and move on. I’d go back (re-reading even then) and polish them. I took stand alone books and shortened them, lengthened them. Turned them into series, saved all versions in case an editor wanted a series or did NOT want a series.

Each book well, not ALL twenty of them, but a whole bunch, had about nine versions, all saved separately. Love Inspired length, trade fiction length, series, stand alone. I kept them all. But when I felt like I’d really improved one of them, I went back to the other versions and made those same improvements. I did a LOT of writing within those twenty books.

Wildflower Bride was the first book I wrote from scratch after I signed a contract for it. Maybe for this reason, I especially love it. I took everything I knew, everything I learned and put it into this book. I remember staring at that blank page…I had about six books published by this time…and holding my hand flat on the computer screen and praying, God help me to remember everything I’ve learned.

The hero is Wildflower Bride is the villain in Montana Rose. He is wretched. But to me, he was a broken man. My editor, when I told her Wade was the hero, said, “I can’t imagine it, but go for it.”

He is saved at the end of Montana Rose. A young Christian trying to do right in the face of enormous pressure from his powerful, abusive father, in The Husband Tree, and a sad, lonely, but strong man, still growing in his faith at the same time he’s very solid in it, in Wildflower Bride.

I just loved him.

I love the wild beginning of Wildflower Bride, the heroine is an adult woman taken in by an Indian tribe at the age of ten when they find her, alone in a cabin, with her family all dead from a fever. She loves the people who saved her.

Then people start trying to save her from the tribe and she is insulted and wants no part of this new world when her small band of native family is killed in a massacre. Again, she survives.

Abby, she only vaguely remembers her birth name, fits nowhere. And she’s so at home in the wilderness she’s planning to live on her own, somewhere.

Wade falls desperately in love with the strength he finds in her.

These two need each other so badly, but Abby is a hard one to convince she should spend her life with Wade.

Then Abby finds that one of her family, an older brother who didn’t come west with her family, is alive and living nearby.

The way they discover each other, well, I just love it. Wade is starting to look pretty good compared to the grouchy, quick to swing a fist, brother. Still, she begins to remember her big brother, and she remembers loving him. Abby is a confused woman.

Can Abby find her place anywhere in the world? Can Wade find enough backbone to stand up to his father…so far he’d just cut him out of his life. But Pa needs him even if he’s too awful to admit it. Wade’s pa needs God, too.

And those evil men who destroyed her village, haven’t gone away and they want more from Wade and Abby than anyone can imagine. They have to be stopped and Abby and Wade have to find a way to work together to stop them.

MY REVIEW

This author is one of my top five authors of all time. Let me explain why. She delivers stories that can transport a reader to where the setting of the book is. The description is so perfect that if it is raining in the story I can feel the raindrops on me. That is how vivid her writing is. This story is no exception with the rustle of cattle that kick up dust to the emotional struggle when trying to work on the land.

Both main characters have qualities that illustrate strength, courage and family values. Abby is a fierce woman who must try to adapt to a lifestyle that she can barely remember as a child. Being taken away from her family she only remembers life with Native Americans. Not everyone around accepted her with her flowing blonde hair but I think she adapted well. Then one day everything changed and she was left with no one. It had to be hard to trust a stranger after what she had witnessed. Her desperate need to survive is felt deep within her.

Wade has been given a second chance in this story. If you are a fan of this series you may remember him as a ruthless person. I do love redemption stories and Wade is definitely a man who has been changed by God. I appreciate how the author reminds us that God does rescue those that have fallen and need hope.

In the story we find two people looking for acceptance and find that working together will strengthen them as well as lead them to a new beginning where love, faith and family can be found.

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