Saturday, October 13, 2018

About the Book

Book Title: The 12 Gifts of Christmas

Author: Lena Nelson Dooley

Genre: Christian Romance/ Christmas

Release date: September 4, 2018

Malcolm MacGregor is a descendant of Scotland’s Clan MacGregor and a successful young businessman in Fort Worth, Texas. Alanza Cantalamessa works at a gourmet pizzeria owned by her Brazilian artist mother and her Italian Poppa. Both of them are smitten with each other but Malcolm is too reserved to do much more than make small talk—until a promotion at work that will send him away to Australia for six months. It’s December and he has to do something—fast.

Praying about the situation, Malcolm decides to give her twelve gifts leading up to Christmas. Their families and friends think they are moving too fast. And a gold-digger who tossed Malcolm aside in the past has now decided he’s the man of her dreams.

Can Malcolm and Alanza overcome their obstacles before he has to go abroad? Or is it really not meant to be?

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Multi-published, award-winning author Lena Nelson Dooley is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, her local chapter in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, the Christian Authors’ Network, and Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Her forty-plus books have sold more than 875,000 copies. Lena’s books have appeared on the CBA, ECPA, and Publisher Weekly bestseller lists, as well as some Amazon bestseller lists. She also writes a popular blog, A Christian Writer’s World, that features other authors’ books. The blog received the Readers’ Choice Blog of the Year Award from the Book Club Network.
Lena is a three-time finalist in the Carol Awards ACFW contest. Her 2010 release, Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, won the 2011 Will Rogers Medallion Award for excellence in publishing Western Fiction. Her next series, McKenna’s Daughters: Maggie’s Journey appeared on a reviewers’ Top Ten Books of 2011 list. It also won the 2012 Selah award for Historical Novel. The second, Mary’s Blessing, was a Selah Award finalist for Romance novel. Catherine’s Pursuit, released in 2013, was the winner of the NTRWA Carolyn Reader’s Choice contest, took second place in the CAN Golden Scroll Novel of the Year award, and won the Will Rogers Medallion bronze medallion. Her book, A Heart’s Gift, won RWA’s Faith, Hope, and Love Readers’ Choice Award in July 2017.

Lena is also the host of The Lena Nelson Dooley Show on the Along Came a Writer blogtalk radio network. She has experience in screenwriting, acting, directing, and voice-overs, and currently serves on the board of directors of Higher Ground Films. She has been featured in Christian Fiction Online Magazine, ACFW Journal, Book Fun Magazine, Charisma Magazine, and Christian Retailing.

Guest Post from Lena

She took the pan off the burner, dropped tiny marshmal-lows into the waiting over-sized mugs, and filled them with the fragrant hot chocolate. “Do you want to drink it here, or would you rather go in the living room? The sofa is more comfortable.”

“Whatever you want to do.” His honeyed tone wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

She handed a mug to him, picked up her own, along with coasters and two napkins, and headed into the living room. He followed.

Alanza’s Best Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup good quality cocoa powder

3 tbls. honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 dark chocolate bar

1 can real whipped cream

Maraschino cherries

Instructions:

Heat milk over medium to low heat, stirring constantly until milk starts to bubble slightly (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, mix sugar and cocoa together until well blended. When milk is ready, gradually add in sugar, cocoa, and honey, stirring constantly. Put heat on low and add shavings of chocolate bar and vanilla. Continue stirring until chocolate has melted. Remove from heat and pour into mugs. Add whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and cherries on top, as desired.

The book is a quick and easy read. It is a clean romance with a predictable ending. They both are Christians seeking to find a Godly mate. I did like how they each prayed before pursuing a relationship with each other. I wanted to see more development of the characters and more time to get to know each other.

What I did like was the rich heritage they both had and how the author went into details about where their families came from. I really wanted to eat at Alanza's family restaurant and smell the aroma of pizza cooking. Her parents were very nice and old fashioned. It was refreshing to read how close Alanza was to her family. One of my favorite things in the book was them sharing hot chocolate together after a date. I love hot chocolate and have it everyday whether it is hot or cold outside. As I continued to read the book, I did make me a cup for myself.

Malcolm would be the perfect man for any woman with his passion for God, family and friends. He never flaunted his wealth but it was mentioned several times in the story. The premise of the book is about a man falling in love with a woman and praying for her to be his wife. It is definitely a romantic fill good story with one hiccup towards the end. Overall a nice story that will please most romantic readers.

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

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, October 9

Two Points of interest, October 9

Among the Reads, October 10

A Diva’s Heart, October 10

Luv’N Lambert Life, October 11

Baker Kella, October 11

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, October 12

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 12

Britt Reads Fiction, October 13

Texas Book-aholic, October 13

Susan Loves Books, October 14

Proud to Be an Autism Mom, October 14

Splashes of Joy, October 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 15

Creating Romance, October 16

Bigreadersite, October 16

Mary Hake, October 17

Janice’s Book Reviews,October 17

Maureen’s Musings, October 18

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 19

Bibliophile Reviews, October 20

Pause for Tales, October 20

More Of Him, October 21

Carpe Diem, October 22

A Baker’s Perspective, October 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lena is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbuck’s Gift Card and a surprise Christmas gift!!

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/d5c9/the-12-gifts-of-christmas-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, October 11, 2018

About the Book

Book Title: Delayed Justice

Author: Cara Putman

Genre: Legal Romantic Suspense

Release date: October 15, 2018

She had long given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard. index

Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jamie, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.

Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.

This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, was history. There she met a fellow Indiana writer Colleen Coble. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, Cara’s been writing award-winning books. She is currently working on book 30 and 31.

Cara Putman is an active member of ACFW, and currently serves on its Executive Board. She has also been the Indiana ACFW chapter president and served as the Area Coordinator for Indiana.

Cara is also an attorney, lecturer at a Big Ten university, active in women’s ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is. She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!) and George Mason Law School, and Krannert School of Management. You can learn more about Cara at www.caraputman.com

Guest Post from Cara

Delayed Justice was a hard story to write.

I’d known from Beyond Justice that Jaime had a hard story, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. She tried to hide from her past. She tried hard, but in the end it slowly spilled out. A young girl wounded deeply by someone who should protect her. And now as a professional young woman, Jaime is still fighting the shadows.

She believes she’s okay, or as okay as she’ll ever be.

Instead, she has to learn that there’s so much more waiting for her. Freedom from the chains of a past she didn’t choose. A love that will never end. And a God who has always loved her even when she questions His existence because of her past.

I think we’ve all lived that. There’s a place in our hearts that seems beyond His reach. For some of us, it’s a barrier to knowing Him. To others of us, it makes us question what we thought we knew about God. And for others of us, it presses us deeply into Him. Jaime’s book, Delayed Justice, explores this space. The space where some days we scream at the heavens Where are you, God? And the days we just curl into ourselves because life is too hard.

And in that space of shadow and light, God ultimately shines brightest. This is a truth that is slowly revealed through friends and The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.

We live in a world where children are abused everyday. They live in fear of their abuser because they have been threatened and terrified. This book deals with child abuse ; which for me is one of the hardest subjects to read. I am one of many who lived in a house where child abuse happened on a daily basis to me. There was no one to tell and I lived in fear for my life. I prepared myself to think I could plow through the book with little feelings. Oh how I was wrong.

The author writes with authority and gives details of abuse just enough that readers can understand how far the abuser went. She doesn't need graphic details to let us know that horror filled Jamie's life starting at the age of eight. This innocent child was at the mercy of someone who others would never suspect. That was one of the hardest things to grasp for me. A family member took the innocence from a child and no one knew. The author does an excellent job of showing us how the trauma from Jamie's childhood has affected her as an adult. It is not easy for her to let anyone get close to her. It's like having a brick wall built around you. The dynamics of her relationship with her parents is fractured at best.

The battle she takes on is nothing short of a David vs Goliath story. I held my breath as the news spread of the impending charges being filed . Jamie is a tough character who has a lot to overcome. Her self esteem is shot, she is a loner most times and I think her fear of rejection from her parents overwhelms her.

I don't want to forget to mention another key character in the story. Chandler has his own demons to face. Being a retired veteran, he has lived through horrific trauma during his service. I'm glad that we saw a glimpse of Chandler and how a service animal can be used to help victims who have been through trauma. His compassion for his work is displayed with hope and a determination to never give up.

Jamie has been silent for years and now she has strength and friends who are there to help her. Was there any time I felt she may falter? Never. I knew she was doing this to heal, protect others and give a voice to those too afraid to speak out. I liked the conversations that she had with different characters who helped guide her to God. It wasn't an in your face sort of talk, but one with a gentle push to help her seek the One who could stand beside her.

This is not a feel good kind of book. What it is though is a book about freedom from your past, justice long overdo and hope that a voice is heard to encourage others to speak out.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 29

Fiction Aficionado, September 29

The Avid Reader, September 29

The Power of Words, September 29

The Christian Fiction Girl, September 29

The Lit Addict, September 30

BBHfiction, September 30

Painting with Words, September 30

Real World Bible Study, September 30

Janices book reviews, September 30

cherylbbookblog, October 1

Where Faith and Books Meet, October 1

Back Porch Reads, October 1

Cafinated Reads, October 1

Faithfully Bookish, October 1

Because I said so – adventures in Parenting, October 2

Lighthouse Academy, October 2

Livin Lit, October 2

Inklings and notions, October 2

Bigreadersite, October 2

All-of-a-kind Mom, October 3

Reading Is My SuperPower, October 3

The Becca Files, October 3

Blogging With Carol, October 3

Lights in a Dark World, October 3

Genesis 5020, October 4

Cathe Swanson, October 4

Spoken from the Heart, October 4

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, October 4

100 Pages per Hour, October 5

Multifarious, October 5

Book by Book, October 5

Splashes of Joy, October 5

Rockin’ My Mom Jeans, October 6

Mary Hake, October 6

Godly Book Reviews, October 6

Two Points of Interest, October 6

C Jane Read, October 7

Daysong Reflections , October 7

Bibliophile Reviews, October 7

Buy, Borrow, Skip, October 7

The Mimosa Blossom, October 8

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 8

Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses, October 8

Maureen’s Musings, October 8

Just the Write Escape, October 9

Simple Harvest Reads, October 9 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)

Remebrancy, October 9

Carpe Diem, October 9

Quiet Quilter, October 10

Margaret Kazmierczak, October 10

At the Fence, October 10

By The Book, October 10

God is Love, October 11

A Baker’s Perspective, October 11

proud to be an autism mom, October 11

Texas Book-aholic, October 11

Henry Happens, October 12

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, October 12

Have A Wonderful Day, October 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cara is giving away a grand prize package that includes a Courage Dear Heart bracelet, a The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe print, a copy of Delayed Justice, and a box of Turkish Delight!!

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/d5c4/delayed-justice-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

About the Book

Book Title: Imperfect Promises nei5 Imperfect Promises

Author: Elizabeth Noyes

Genre: Action, Suspense, Romance

Release date: August, 2018

Award-winning romantic suspense author, Elizabeth Noyes raises the bar in this stunning conclusion of The Imperfect Series!

Former Special Forces operative, Jonas Cameron, traded his past and his service for his family back in Idaho and the ranch he loves. But ghosts have a disturbing way of not staying where you leave them.

Shea Townsend is on her way to becoming a chef extraordinaire until her father’s illness pulls her from culinary school and back to Montana to care for him. After his death, disinherited and alone, she sets out to make a new life for herself, one which may or may not include the too-alpha, too-sexy Jonas Cameron.

Jonas learns of a homegrown terrorist threat against him and his family at the same time a mysterious stalker sets his sights on Shea. Determined to neutralize both dangers, Jonas calls on old friends for help and draws upon his own very specialized skill set to end the menaces to Shea and himself.

As the danger escalates, secrets are revealed and the truth emerges in a deadly cat and mouse game with Shea caught in the middle.

Fast-paced action. Heart-pounding adventure. This is not your ordinary romantic suspense story!

About the Author

Elizabeth Noyes—professional writer, aspiring author, dedicated dreamer—lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and best friend, Paul, who listens tirelessly while she regales him with all the tales in her head of damaged, but very human characters clamoring to be heard.

A native of the Deep South, she claims to still “speak the language,” even after traveling around the world for most of her adult life. Recently retired from a career as a professional business writer and editor, she now fills her days editing, critiquing, reading, playing with the grandkids, learning more about Social Media than she ever wanted, and putting her stories into words to share with others.

Guest Post from Elizabeth Noyes

The Imperfect Tie Between Characters, Themes, and Titles

I love reading across all genres. If it’s well- written, I’m an easy catch. What I don’t like is when fictional characters are portrayed as model-worthy with perfect looks, perfect physiques, and perfect personalities. Yuk! I’ve never met a perfect person.

To quote Mark Twain, “The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.”

I want characters with the same flaws as you and me—judgmental, short-tempered, guilt-ridden, egotistical, defiant, withdrawn, too-skinny, compassionate, couch potatoes, foolish, silly, serious, low self-esteem, arrogant, hurt, guilty, deceiving, generous… in other words, real people. These are character traits I relate to, and they come alive on the pages, giving hope that we can also learn from our mistakes and grow into something better.

The characters in the Imperfect Series let themselves and others down. They struggle with life issues, make poor decisions, grieve over mistakes, and then pick themselves up and go on.

In Imperfect Wings, guilt and low self esteem plague TJ, while her male counterpart, Garrett, struggles with anger issues. In Imperfect Trust, yeah, trust was a problem for both Lucy and Wade. With Imperfect Bonds, Cassidy fights for her sister’s forgiveness as she deals with feelings of inadequacy … both of which carry over into her relationship with Derek. In Imperfect Lies—yep, another obvious theme. Lies from the past come back to haunt Mallory and James.

In the final book of the series, Imperfect Promises, the main male character, Jonas, is by a nature a control freak. He suffers from guilt over a perceived failure when at his deepest core he is a protector and perfectionist. Shea, the female protagonist, rose from the ashes of a devastating childhood to forge a new life for herself. Both discover that promises made to themselves and to others can’t always be kept. Despite best intentions, life sometimes gets in the way.

This is one action packed book that I couldn't put down. It has a great cast of characters and a plot that screams chills and thrills. I loved how the author draws readers in with high powered twists and turns. At first I thought this was going to be a romance where man tries to win back woman. I was pleasantly surprised to find out it is so much more with terrorism and danger that kept me glued to the story.

Shea was a bit much for me at times. I guess I found her attitude a little put off and she seemed to string Jonas along more than I could handle. The star in this book is definitely Jonas. He is war veteran and at times is mysterious about his life. He deals with PTSD and I liked how the author handled the illness with clarity and compassion.

Shea finds herself in danger when someone is stalking her. They are out to harm her and won't stop till they accomplish their mission. I started to think I had the story figured out, but the author threw a curve in there which I won't mention. No one can be trusted except for those closest to Shea, or maybe I'm just guessing. The book is a great suspense and I couldn't catch my breath fast enough before Shea found herself in danger more times than I can count. The terrorist threat in the story is powerful and I was baffled at who the culprit could be. Will Jonas be able to track down who is after Shea? Can Shea trust Jonas with her life? It is a great suspense story with a bit of romance sprinkled in. The only negative thing I have is at the end I felt the author started to rush the story. Overall it is a great book and filled with lots of action.

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