Friday, September 11, 2020

About the Book

Book: To Love a Prince

Author: Rachel Hauck

Genre: Royal Romance

Release Date: August 11, 2020

An enchanting new royal romance from NYT bestselling author Rachel Hauck

Daffodil Caron is not a princess, even though she once dreamed of being one. After all, she grew up as a playmate to royal princes, running through the halls of Perrigwynn Palace and dining with the queen. But the day she stumbled upon a royal secret, everything changed.

Flash forward eighteen years, and Daffy’s living a sweet, non-royal life. A skilled art curator for the Royal Trust, she has friends, a flat in the heart of the city, and a handsome, successful fiancée. The last person on her mind is Gus, a prince she once called her best mate.

HRH Prince Augustus is no longer “Prince Pudgy,” as caricaturized by the press, he’s charming and gorgeous, possessing a world-famous smile. But when he’s jilted at the altar by an American heiress as millions of people around the world watched, the spare heir to Lauchtenland’s ancient House of Blue escapes, finding solace on a Florida beach.

A year as a regular bloke allows him to rethink his purpose. He’s half decided his calling is to pour pints at a tiki bar, rather than serving his country and the Family.

Until an accident on the beach with a Frisbee changes his course.

Despite his long hair and beard, Daffy recognizes her prince, and their childhood friendship is renewed. She assures Gus Lauchtenland needs him, giving him the courage to return home.

When Daffy and Gus find themselves on assignment to Hadsby Castle in preparation for his brother’s wedding, their friendship blooms into affection.

But Gus cannot, will not, trust his heart again. Daffy’s engaged. And she also remains a royal family outcast because she knows the Queen’s secret.

When affection grows into love and secrets are exposed, trust is destroyed. Gus must choose which is stronger: the lies of his past or the hope of his future. And Daffy must face every fear to prove she will forever love a prince.

“Another compelling royal story by the master of princely tales!” Susan May Warren, USA Today bestselling, RITA award-winning novelist

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

I love reading stories about the Royal Family and as a little girl I dreamed of being a princess. Reading this enchanting story stirred my interest once again in all things Royal. The author delivers a breathtaking account of a Royal Family and gives us a look at their protocols. I loved being swept away in a place where ball gowns, lavish food and spectacular sceneries adorned the pages.

Daffy is such a great character and it is easy to see why Prince Gus was smitten with her even as they were children. Daffy grew up around the Royal Family and played in the palace . One day while hiding in the Queen’s closet, she overheard something that she knows must be kept secret. I had a diary when I was younger and in that diary were my secret thoughts that I didn’t want anyone to know. Daffy writes down the conversation she overheard while hiding and then over the years forgets about the diary. That diary will fall into the wrong hands and thus begins a story of a secret that could crush the Royal Family.

Gus is trying to get over being left at the altar and travels to America to escape the hurt he feels. I loved how Daffy and Gus bump into each other after many years apart. I could sense they still had sparks for each other. Gus is a wonderful character and is happy to see his childhood friend. I won’t say how they end up back at the Royal Palace together but it will bring secrets, surprises and lots of fun reading.

I loved how the author brought faith in the story in a subtle way. Gus and Daffy both have a few things they must work on in their personal lives. I enjoyed the interaction between Daffy and the Queen. There were a few tense moments between them, but God had a way to bring hidden things to the surface. We think our secrets will be hidden forever, but this story reminds us that “all things hidden will be revealed.”

The story has a good message of forgiveness and it shows how letting go of bitterness can set you free. I especially liked the special place called “The Hand of God.” It is significant in the story as someone finds themselves drawn to God while in this spot where peace is found. I would love to have a place like this to go to to be alone and rekindle my faith. The ending is spectacular and fills readers with hope that dreams do come true. I look forward to the next book in this exciting series.

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

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.

Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.

At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.

A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.

She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

More from Rachel

Hello Royal Rockstar Readers!

I’m thrilled to share To Love A Prince with you. So many of you who loved the Royal Wedding

Series have asked for more royals so as I noodled over new story ideas, my thoughts drifted toward princes and princesses. What’s more romantic than a royal wedding?

This royal story, the first book in a new series, True Blue Royal, is set in a new fictional country, Lauchtenland, in the North Sea. I’m really squeezing all those oil wells currently occupying that body of water.

The beauty of royal stories is they remind us of who we really are: princes and princesses. There is always a point in the story where the royal character, as well as the commoner, must come to grips with his and her true identity! Who God says we are!

Stories are a powerful reflection of life and it’s fun to insert ourselves into the tale. While fiction employs a lot of hyperbole we can find ourselves on the page somewhere, somehow.

Thanks for going on this little tour with me and To Love A Prince. You are so vital to my story as an author. Thank you!

Yours,

Rachel

Blog Stops

Worthy2Read, September 10

Captive Dreams Windows, September 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 10

Genesis 5020, September 10

Novels Corner, September 10

Connect in Fiction, September 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

deb’s Book Review, September 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 11

Remembrancy, September 12

Breny and books, September 12

Texas Book-aholic, September 12

Inklings and notions, September 12

For Him and My Family, September 13

Artistic Nobody, September 13 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

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

The Book Chic Blog, September 13

Among the Reads, September 14

Soulfully Romantic, September 14

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 14

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 14

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 15

lakesidelivingsite, September 15

All-of-a-kind Mom, September 15

Reflections From My Bookshelves, September 15

Betti Mace, September 16

Where Faith and Books Meet, September 16

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, September 16

Blossoms and Blesssings, September 16

She Lives To Read, September 17

Wishful Endings, September 17

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, September 17

Life of Literature, September 17

Life, Love, Writing, September 17

Book Love, September 18 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Maureen Timerman, September 18

Batya’s Bits, September 18

Labor Not in Vain, September 18

Bigreadersite, September 19

Hallie Reads, September 19

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 19

Splashes of Joy, September 19

Christian Bookaholic, September 20

Musings of A Sassy Bookish Mama, September 20

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, September 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 20

Inside the Wong Mind, September 21

By The Book, September 21

Mary Hake, September 21

Godly Book Reviews, September 21

Hebrews 12 Endurance, September 22

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, September 22

Livin’ Lit, September 22

Writing from the Heart Land, September 22

Simple Harvest Reads, September 23 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Mamma Loves Books, September 23

Daysong Reflections, September 23

Black ‘n’ Gold Girl’s Book Spot, September 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a royal gift box of Pampering Princess items that includes bath balms, tea, tiara and other surprises!!

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/10098/to-love-a-prince-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: widowhood

Author: Mary Bruce

Genre: Personal Growth

Release Date: May 12, 2020

A woman may have many names and many titles, but “widow” is not necessarily one she plans for. And when the unexpected happens, she is thrust into the role of being the captain of her ship, the decision-maker, and the one solely responsible for the direction of her and her family’s future. The emotions a widow experiences as she faces her life from this new position of aloneness are as varied and unique as each widow is. But what all widows share is a calling to be a leader in the midst of the chaos of the death of their husbands.

In Widowhood: A Calling to Leadership, Mary Bruce encourages widows to embrace their new role with hope and to unashamedly rely on the resources God provides to sustain them through his Spirit and through his body, the church. She illuminates for church leaders how to direct and mentor widows in their church families and how to provide these women with opportunities to express their new God-given calling of leadership.

This book will give you a fresh perspective on widowhood. It will help widows to see the energy they possess as fuel for godly leadership, and it will help church leaders to see their widows as esteemed gifts instead of burdens.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

This book must have been hard and also healing for the author. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to lose your spouse. It is not something anyone can prepare for. I appreciate how candid the author is as she shares her struggles and triumphs. I found this statement to be very powerful, “Widowhood is certainly not something to be envied, nor is it something to be frowned upon or looked down on. It is a calling from the Lord and an invitation to greater intimacy with God,” During this new season you will want to spend more time with God and find a deeper relationship with Him. People mean well when they try to comfort us, but sometimes we just need to be alone with God.

I liked the scriptures and stories from the Bible the author used to illustrate her points about widows. I have always thought that every church needs a widow ministry. They have their own needs, grief process and healing to do. When you gather a group that is or has gone through the same thing, it becomes easier to relate to each other. I like how the author gives suggestions of how this group of people can become more involved in church.

I think this book would be a great Bible study to use and also great for pastors to have on hand to pass out to those in need. Being a widow will be challenging, difficult, heartbreaking and unexpected. “He is love, he knows everything, and He cares for you individually.”

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

About the Author

Mary Bruce is a registered nurse, a former homeschooling mother, and a widow since the weekend before 9/11. Born and raised in Waterbury, Connecticut, she still resides there and works as an associate pastor. In the early 1990s, she initiated a grassroots movement to pray in Connecticut on the National Day of Prayer. Since then she has served as a state coordinator for the National Day of Prayer Task Force and is currently its National Area Leader for the nine northeast states.

More from Mary

Have you ever wanted to wake up one morning with a new start, a brand new start?

I can say that, during the 2001/2002 school year, for 360 of 365 days that is exactly what I learned to do, wake up with a new start. Mine was the school of hard knocks. After 9/11, there were many of us who found ourselves on a daily automatic wake-up call before sunrise. No alarm clock was involved. Perhaps it was the stress of a new start for so many. It’s not like we went to bed super early so we could wake up early. Sleeping just wasn’t the same.

For me, by the time daylight started , I was already sitting on the steps of our back porch, waiting to greet the day, watching the eastern skies over the 5 acre mowed field behind our house. Each morning I would grab a cup of coffee, my journal, a pen and my Bible, wrap myself in winter coat and blankets and sit there waiting: waiting on the sunrise, acknowledging the earth’s stillness, waiting for some revelation from God or insight into my own life situation. It was not a worrisome time, that came later in the day. It was just a sitting and waiting time. Even my reading would have to wait until the dawn’s early light grew sufficient to see the print. There was nothing to interrupt, to distract from that alone time of solitude and meditation.

Then, like a shot in the dark, the 7am bell would ring out from high school across the street, a roar of automobile sounds would drift over the house, and the magic quiet spell would be broken.

In those early moments, I saw things I had been too busy to notice before. In spring, I watched fog roll over the field, literally roll on the grass from east to west, from the field to the road. In summer, I noticed nearly a whole year of early mornings without pouring rain. Pouring rain was my only hindrance to sitting outside. In autumn, I saw a female doe pulling apples off the low branches and her 3 young charges dancing on hind legs trying to reach the apples. In winter, I realized that I could sit out in freezing weather, when I did not even like to walk from the house to the car in the cold. I learned to take the outward opening storm door off before the snow fell, so that I could just open the inside door and step out. I said, “Good morning” to the Maker of the universe as my first spoken words of the day.

I don’t think I was alone. 2001 was a hard year for many widows. I was fortunate to spend each start of the day with the Maker, appreciating his faithfulness, which is new every morning – a new start. “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” NLT Lam. 3:23

Blog Stops

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 5

Beauty in the Binding, September 6 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, September 7

Through the Fire Blogs, September 8 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, September 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 9

For the Love of Literature, September 10 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 11

For Him and My Family, September 12

Simple Harvest Reads, September 13 (Author Interview)

By The Book, September 14 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 14

Artistic Nobody, September 15 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 17

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Amazon gift card and a signed 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/fffe/widowhood-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, September 10, 2020

About the Book

Book: A Second Chance at Love

Author: Shirley Quiring Mozena, co-authored with James P. Mozena

Genre: Non-fiction

Release Date: July, 2020

Whether your marriage was blissful or challenging, lengthy or short, it didn’t end the way you imagined. Regardless of how you found yourself without a life partner, you may be at a point where you’d like to experience the love of a spouse again. Authors Shirley and Jim Mozena experienced devastating losses and then struggles in their relationships before finding renewed love with each other, and in Second Chance at Love they offer their insights to these difficult questions:

Are you really ready?
Is now the time?
How do you know if you’ve found the right one?
Is the potential pain of losing another spouse worth it?

The authors approach their answers with practical reality and their own vulnerability. They share the experiences of their first marriages, their second marriages, their journeys through what seemed like devastating losses, and the gifts of finding love and another chance to share their lives with a spouse after death and divorce.

In addition to the down-to-earth guidance on the situations you face when considering marrying again, Shirley and Jim have created valuable questionnaires to identify issues and facilitate discussions with potential mates. The information contained in this book will give you confidence and peace as you navigate these hopeful waters.

MY REVIEW

The book is nicely written with helpful information for those who have suffered a loss of a spouse. I do remember reading other books by the authors so some of the book was familiar. In the other books they shared about their grief and finding each other. I liked how we get the perspective from both authors in this book.

This book focuses on their meeting in more detail and encourages others that may be going into a relationship after a loss. I remember when my mom died, my dad quickly sold the house and moved. Within six months he had remarried and seemed happy. He met his new wife through a dating site online. In the book they give suggestions of where you can meet people and start to allow your heart to open up to someone new.

There are sometimes red flags we get when meeting someone new. It is hard enough to put yourself out there again, and I liked how the authors stress the importance of listening to those red flags. We can move too fast simply because we are lonely and find ourselves in a situation that is not right. I liked the questions the book provides at the end of each chapter. It gives you a time to reflect on your new relationship and allow God to direct your path.

The book is a good resource for those seeking to begin a new relationship after a loss and encourages you to always listen to God. He wants us to be happy but He doesn’t want us to be unequally yoked.

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

Click here to get your copy of the book!

About the Authors

Shirley Quiring Mozena is a speaker for Stonecroft Ministries and publishes a weekly blog on encouragement and hope. She and her husband, Jim, facilitate GriefShare, where they work with those grieving the loss of a loved one in death. Shirley has also written Second Chances at Life and Love, with Hope and Beyond Second Chances: Heartbreak to Joy.

James (Jim) P. Mozena was owner and president of Mozena Consulting Group (MCG Inc.) for thirty years. He has taught university business classes and authored four books on improving organizational performance.

More from Shirley and Jim

Did you know remarriage is on the rise for Americans aged 55 years or older—widowed or divorced? Author Shirley Quiring Mozena, with her husband Jim, know the demands of remarriage, blending families from divorce and being widowed. They came from long and enduring marriages and found marriage to be fulfilling. They discovered that in spite of their love for each other, there were challenges before their wedding took place.

Together they wrote Second Chance at Love. Join them as they share their joys, sorrows, and even misfires in pursuing a marriage partner. This book will show you through their own experiences through divorce and widowhood what’s important in what a couple might face in second or third marriages.