Saturday, July 7, 2018

About the Book

Title: Just Let Go

Author: Courtney Walsh

Release Date: June 5, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance

For Quinn Collins, buying the flower shop in downtown Harbor Pointe fulfills a childhood dream, but also gives her the chance to stick it to her mom, who owned the store before skipping town twenty years ago and never looking back. Completing much-needed renovations, however, while also competing for a prestigious flower competition with her mother as the head judge, soon has Quinn in over her head. Not that she’d ever ask for help.

Luckily, she may not need to. Quinn’s father and his meddling friends find the perfect solution in notorious Olympic skier Grady Benson, who had only planned on passing through the old-fashioned lakeside town. But when a heated confrontation leads to property damage, helping Quinn as a community-service sentence seems like the quickest way out—and the best way to avoid more negative press.

Quinn finds Grady reckless and entitled; he thinks she’s uptight and too regimented. Yet as the two begin to hammer and saw, Quinn sees glimpses of the vulnerability behind the bravado, and Grady learns from her passion and determination, qualities he seems to have lost along the way. But when a well-intentioned omission has devastating consequences, Grady finds himself cast out of town—and Quinn’s life—possibly forever. Forced to face the hurt holding her back, Quinn must finally let go or risk missing out on the adventure of a lifetime.

About the Author

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theatre director, and playwright. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two more books in the Sweethaven series, as well as two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois with her husband and three children. Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.

I love reading books from this author because she takes everyday struggles and shows us how to grow from them. It was not easy for Quinn growing up without a mother. She longs to be wanted but sometimes puts a wall up for protection. The little girl in her yearns for her mother's approval and I think she wanted to hear her mother say how sorry she was for abandoning her. Quinn is very easy to relate to. I always wanted to be wanted by my parents as well. That dream of hearing them say they loved me never happened. The rejection caused me not to trust and relationships were non existent. Quinn shuts herself away from everyone and hasn't learned how to enjoy life. Will she ever learn how to have fun?

Grady is bigger than life as a very skilled and famous skier. He is well known but finds himself in the small town where Quinn lives. His fall from grace in the skiing world is hard on him. I loved how the judge made Grady stay in town and not be lenient on him as he breaks the law. I found it very intriguing when Grady and Quinn met each other. It is very obvious that Quinn doesn't like Grady and is not impressed with his star status. There are times when Quinn is pretty unfriendly towards Grady. They both have chips on their shoulders and it was fun to read how they each dealt with it. How many times have we judged someone and wouldn't let them have a second chance? Have you ever been judged before?

Quinn is really hard on Grady at times and I was a bit angry at her. The funny thing is , I am a lot like her. I have pushed people away, built a wall around my heart and felt unloved. Grady seems to deal with rejection as well. Will his father ever forgive him? Can Grady forgive himself for something he feels responsible for? The story is a wonderful look at forgiveness, letting go, swallowing our pride and allowing God to heal our wounds.

"Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone in order to see what else God has for us."

"Sometimes our biggest setbacks turn out to be our greatest blessings."

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

Blog Stops

By The Book, June 26

Faithfully Bookish, June 26

Luv’N Lambert Life, June 26

Reading Is My SuperPower, June 27

Among the Reads, June 27

Splashes of Joy, June 27

God is Love, June 28

Fiction Aficionado, June 28

Genesis 5020, June 28

All-of-a-kind Mom, June 28

Carpe Diem, June 29

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, June 29

100 Pages per Hour, June 29

The Power of Words, June 30

Lighthouse Academy, June 30

Radiant Light, June 30

Just the Write Escape, June 30

Quiet Quilter, July 1

C Jane Read, July 1

A Baker’s Perspective, July 1

Cordially Barbara, July 2

Baker kella, July 2

The Christian Fiction Girl, July 3

Remembrancy, July 3

amandainpa, July 3

Two Points of Interest, July 4

Daysong Reflections, July 4

SusanLovesBooks, July 4

Vicky Sluiter, July 5

proud to be an autism mom, July 5

Moments Dipped in Ink, July 6

Pause for Tales, July 6

Bibliophile Reviews, July 7

Texas Book-aholic, July 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 7

Janices book reviews, July 8

Bigreadersite, July 8

Blossoms and Blessings, July 8

Godly Book Reviews, July 9

Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 9

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, July 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Courtney Walsh is giving away a grand prize of a library of Courtney Walsh’s books and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/d0a4/just-let-go-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

About the Book

Title: Breath of Heaven

Author: Alana Terry

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release Date: December 9, 2017

She hasn’t fallen out of love with her husband. She just can’t stand his church.

Nobody told Katrina being a pastor’s wife would be easy. But she never imagined that the stress she and her husband would face from his new job could so easily destroy their marriage.

In spite of her mother’s disapproval, Katrina marries a pastor whose job immediately plucks her away from her music, her symphony, and the city life she loves and plants her in the small town of Orchard Grove, Washington.

If she knew going into her new life that she’d be sacrificing her music career for a congregation full of gossips and backbiters and that the pressure of her husband’s new job would turn him into someone she hardly recognizes anymore, she might have reconsidered marrying him in the first place.

Unfortunately, it’s too late to do anything about that now.

Or is it?

About the Author

Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

Guest Post from Alana Terry

I used to think being a pastor’s wife would be glamorous. Now I know better!

Although I’ve loved the different churches where my husband has been called to serve, being a couple in full-time ministry can definitely take its toll on a marriage.

Breath of Heaven is a novel in my Orchard Grove Christian women’s fiction series, which deals with real-life couples facing real-life issues. In Breath of Heaven, two newlyweds are thrown into the world of church politics, and the honeymoon period is quickly over.

I wrote this novel to give an inside peek at what it’s like if you’ve never been a pastor’s wife as well as to offer some hope and encouragement to women who know the stress of being married to someone in full-time ministry.

One of the things I like best about this author is how she takes a subject and writes honest and realistic stories that readers can relate to. I appreciate her transparency and compassion as she tackles subjects that are hard to talk about. As I started reading the book, I instantly started having memories of my dad. He was a baptist preacher and I remember how my brothers and I were under a microscope among the congregation. My mother was always this quiet person who obeyed whatever my dad said. We presented ourselves as this loving family to the church . What people didn't know was the dark secrets that were hidden from the church.

Katrina is a wonderful character who wanted to make her husband proud of her. Her position as the pastor's wife was prestigious and the congregation watched her every move. The author portrayed Katrina perfectly as she felt pressure from everywhere. There is always that one woman in the church who takes it upon herself to tell the pastor's wife what she thinks of how the church is running. Mrs. Porter maybe meant well, but I felt she put a lot of pressure on Katrina. It is so easy to point fingers at someone else, so you don't have to address your downfalls. " The problem with sins was they were like dirty dishes. No matter how many you confess, there were still more to be forgiven for the next day."

Greg is a good character who wants to succeed as pastor so bad, that sometimes it interferes with his home life. I wondered if he would ever catch on that his wife was so unhappy. Gregg is focused on the elders, phone calls from the congregation at all hours of the day and trying to juggle a home life. There is also the gossip that goes on at church. There is no hiding from it, it is always lurking ready to pounce and cause friction in the church. I loved how the author talked about control and acceptance. I have found it to be one of the hardest things to overcome especially in a church. Katrina wants to be accepted so bad, that she allows others to control her and ultimately make her insecure.

Bitterness creeps up on Katrina throughout the years and suddenly spills into her marriage. One of the key messages in this book is about communication , pride and forgiveness. The deeper Katrina felt trapped in her marriage and the guilt she feels, the more isolated she becomes. Temptation sure has a way to enter our lives so innocently that before we know it, we are trapped. Gregg and Katrina seem to drift apart. Will they be able to find their way back to each other? Can Katrina deal with her past and find peace? The book takes a look at sin in a way that allows readers to not feel condemned but allows us to know that we can be set free from sin. The key is to remember that when we hold in our sin, the enemy has a way to push you deeper into guilt and isolation. I loved how the story is centered on a pastor and his wife. We take for granted that they should always be there for their congregation, but forget they need encouragement and prayer. Thank you for a book that everyone should read to better understand the pressure ministry can put on people.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 28

Ladybug Chronicles, June 28

Quiet Quilter, June 29

The Power of Words, June 29

Just the Write Escape, June 30

Splashes of Joy, June 30

Mary Hake, July 1

Lots of Helpers, July 1

proud to be an autism mom, July 2

Bibliophile Reviews, July 2

All-of-a-kind Mom, July 3

Daysong Reflections, July 3

Texas Book-aholic, July 4

Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 5

Janices book reviews, July 5

Carpe Diem, July 6

A Baker’s Perspective, July 6

Bigreadersite, July 7

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, July 8

Margaret Kazmierczak, July 8 (Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, July 9

The Christian Fiction Girl, July 9

Blogging With Carol, July 10

Jen Around the World, July 10

Godly Book Reviews, July 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a grand prize of books 1-3 in the Orchard Grove Christian women’s series (paperback or ebook)!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/d06f/breath-of-heaven-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Title: Enduring Love

Author: Toni Shiloh

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 28, 2018

Belle Peterson is hiding a secret. Seeking sanctuary in the small town of Maple Run, she’s intent on starting her life over—one she hopes honors Christ. The plan was going great until an undeniable attraction to Micah has her wondering if she’s changed at all.

Micah Campbell can’t understand why Belle is so uptight and wants nothing to do with her until the gentle whispers of God tell him to befriend her. He didn’t count on the feeling of protectiveness to rise up or that spark of attraction.

Can love really conquer all or will Belle’s past be too much for Micah to handle?

About the Author

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and president of the Virginia Chapter.

You can find her on her website at http://tonishiloh.wordpress.com.

Guest Post from Toni Shiloh

Hey there, Reader Friends!

I’m so excited for the kickoff of Enduring Love. This is book 3 in the Maple Run series and features the story of Belle Peterson and Micah Campbell. You may remember meeting Micah in book 2 of the series, he is Luke Robinson’s best friend. I tell you, this book has a special place in my heart, one that brought out all the emotions in me.

Belle Peterson is living a life filled with shame and regret. She knows mentally that she’s been forgiven, but can’t reconcile the fact to how a redeemed life should look. And when Micah Campbell walks in her life, she’s certain that she has to stay as far from him as possible to keep from back sliding.

Y’all know our wants rarely meet with reality. I had fun throwing Belle and Micah together in Maple Run. Sometimes to their chagrin but always to my pleasure. J Characters from Buying Love (book 1) and Finding Love (book 2) will make an appearance, rounding out the family that has been created in my fictional town of Maple Run, Virginia.

As you take the time to read Belle and Micah’s story, I pray you keep this verse in your mind. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” – Romans 8:1 KJV

God does not want us to live a life of shame and guilt. Once we ask for forgiveness, He gives it to us freely. Walk in an abundant life, my friends, and bless others with the grace you so freely received.

Blessings to you,

Toni

I really enjoyed reading this emotional story. One of the hardest things to do is overcome your past. If you allow it, it can cause you to continue on a downward spiral. You can ask for forgiveness, but until you believe you are forgiven the enemy will continue to remind you of it. I'm sure we have all done something that we were ashamed of. Belle believes she is damaged and no one will ever want her. I felt her pain and guilt as she tried to start over in a new town. She has a hard time of letting anyone get close to her and I could relate to her when she said, "Can't shake the demons from the past." One thing I have learned over the years is that if we keep looking in the rear view mirror, we will never be able to see what is ahead.

Micah is a wonderful and dare I say handsome man. He is smart and lights up a room with his smile. He has been hurt by someone which makes him a bit weary of trusting others. As he and Belle start to get to know each other, I wondered how long they could hold each other at a distance. I was rooting for them, but I really liked how the author let them each explore how to forgive and believe in themselves. There is a lot of pain in Belle's eyes and only turning to God will heal her. I loved the scriptures the author used and how each character turned to prayer at their darkest moments.

The story is truly a gift for me. I know what it is like to have parents who don't love you. I know what it is like to feel unloved and unwanted. Belle committed a sin she thought she could never be forgiven of. Her shame broke my heart as I remember the moment I felt shame for my past mistakes. Thank you for writing a story that brings truth to the surface and characters that search and pray for better relationships. The love of God really shines in this story. I loved how the author used a subject that was difficult and gave us depth and compassion with her words.

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