Saturday, March 27, 2021

About the Book

Book: A Dark Beauty

Author: Clarissa Kae

Genre: Fairytale

Release date: March 9, 2021

A Victorian Twist on Beauty And The Beast

Bold and brilliant, Georgiana has a gift for fixing machines—from clocks to carriages—while her father has a penchant for finding trouble. In an accidental fire, Georgiana and her father scar the once handsome face of Lord Pichon, cousin to the queen.
Rumors of Georgiana’s gift raise her family’s status. Her incomparable beauty captures the eye of many gentlemen and the wrath of Lord Pichon. Abandoned by his peers and alone in his cold castle, Lord Pichon is determined to enact revenge.
When Georgiana’s father makes a terrible mistake, she sacrifices herself to pay his debt—as a lowly maid in Lord Pichon’s castle.
Her wit and warmth begin to thaw Lord Pichon’s estate, making him question his version of the past. Will her kindness break the beastly lord or will he hold her family hostage forever?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Clarissa Kae is a preeminent voice whose professional career began as a freelance editor in 2007. She’s the former president of her local California Writers Club after spending several years as the Critique Director.

Since her first novel, she’s explored different writing genres and created a loyal group of fans who eagerly await her upcoming release. With numerous awards to her name, Clarissa continues to honor the role of storyteller.

Aside from the writing community, she and her daughters founded Kind Girls Make Strong Women to help undervalued nonprofit organizations—from reuniting children with families to giving Junior Olympic athletes their shot at success.

She lives in the agricultural belly of California with her family and farm of horses, chickens, dogs and kittens aplenty.

More from Clarissa

As a young girl most of the fairy tales talked about beauty as the only attribute but when Disney came out with Beauty and the Beast, my world was rocked. For the first time the heroine was a woman with a brain and a plan. I began researching the fairy tale and read every version. When my youngest daughter was born (with dark hair and big beautiful brown eyes) I named her Isla Belle. For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of writing a Beauty and the Beast retelling. And finally, that dream as come true.

My REVIEW

I love fairy tales and Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite. I think the author did an okay job of writing a story that shows how love should not be defined by looks. Georgiana is beautiful, smart and has scars that remind her everyday of the tragedy that her family endured. Now her father seemed a little sketchy at times and I wasn’t sure if I liked him or not.

My favorite character was Lord Pichon He came off as rude and arrogant but oh did he have a soft heart. I can understand why he was angry at the world and wanted revenge on the person or persons who caused him disfigurement. I loved reading about the castle and how Lord Pichon knew that something was amiss within his own family. It was hard to figure out who to trust and that made the story intriguing .

There were a few spots in the story where I was a little lost because there was too much going on at the same time. I did figure out the plot pretty fast and that disappointed me. I wanted more depth to the characters and it was hard to believe that Georgiana and Lord Pichon fell for each other so quickly. It was a nice story but just missed the mark a little.

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

Blog Stops

For Him and My Family, March 25

Labor Not in Vain, March 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26

The Write Escape, March 26

Books and Everyday Life, March 26

Texas Book-aholic, March 27

Breny and Books, March 27

The Christian Fiction Girl, March 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 28

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, March 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 29

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 29

Through the Fire Blog, March 30

Inklings and notions, March 30

deb’s Book Review, March 31

Connect in Fiction, March 31

Inside the Wong Mind, March 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 1

Inspiration Clothesline, April 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 3

To Everything There Is A Season, April 3

Beauty in the Binding, April 3

Connie’s History Classroom, April 4

Blogging With Carol, April 4

A Baker’s Perspective, April 5

Genesis 5020, April 5

Pause for Tales, April 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 6

Godly Book Reviews, April 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 7

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, April 7

Mary Hake, April 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Clarissa is giving away to two winners one $25 Amazon gift card each!!

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/109d3/a-dark-beauty-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Love at First Flight

About the Book

Book: Love at First Flight

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: September 15, 2020

LAFF cover Can two people emerge from the clouds of past hurt to find a silver lining of love?

Evelyn Reid would rather fly than do anything else, so when war engulfs the U.S., she joins the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. One of the program’s top pilots, she is tapped for pursuit plane training…the dream of a lifetime until she discovers the instructor is her ex-fiancé, Jasper MacPherson.

Collecting enough points to rotate stateside, fighter pilot Jasper MacPherson is assigned to teach the WAFS how to fly the army way. Bad enough to be training women, but things take a turn for the worse when his former fiancée shows up as one of his students.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linda Matchett Head Shot Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry. Linda has lived in historic places all her life, and is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include serving as a volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, exploring historic sites, and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

Dear Readers:

It’s all I can do to parallel park my car…well, actually I can’t. I’m terrible at that sort of thing, which is why I’m so impressed with the Women’s Air Service Pilot who served during World War II. Created in August 1943 by merging the Women’s Flying Training Detachment and the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, the WASP was a civilian organization that came under the authority of the Air Force and freed male pilots for combat or other duties. Their leader was the intrepid Jacqueline Cochran, an award winning pilot who set and broke numerous records during her career.

Qualifications for the program were stringent, and of the more than 25,000 women who applied, only 1,800 were accepted. Of that number, 1,074 completed the program. These women flew over sixty million miles and transported every type of military aircraft from the ninety-nine foot long B-29 Bomber that weighted over 100,000 pounds to the P-51 Mustang that could fly at over 400 miles per hour.

The WASP also towed targets for live anti-aircraft gun practice, simulated strafing missions and transported cargo. Thirty-eight WASP members lost their lives and one disappeared while on a ferry mission, her fate still unknown. Disbanded in December 1944, the WASP did not receive military status or benefits for their service. However, after nearly three decades its members were granted veteran status, and in 2009 they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

It is my hope that Love at First Flight honors these brave women in some small way.

Blessings,

Linda Shenton Matchett

MY REVIEW

What a wonderful story about a subject I don’t think I’ve read much about. I remember women working in factories during the war, but Little has been written about the WASP. I loved learning about the planes and found it fascinating that women were pilots. It was hard for women to be accepted as pilots and this story is a great example of how one woman is determined to succeed. Evelyn worked long flying and became an excellent pilot. I appreciate learning more about these women who sacrificed everything to help their country. Although they weren’t readily accepted, they paved the way for women who wanted to serve their country.

I thought Evelyn was a strong and determined woman. Her desire to fly was evident as she sailed in the sky to do her part for the war. Her past catches up with when her training instructor happens to be an old boyfriend. To say that Evelyn and Jasper parted in bad terms is an understatement. There are a few bumps as they navigate working together again.

I thought the mystery of who was sabotaging the planes that women were flying was very intriguing. It is not hard to imagine that some men didn’t like the idea of female pilots. They believed women should be at home and not in the sky. Evelyn has a few close calls as she starts to have mechanical problems. Can you imagine flying a big plane and suddenly realize you could crash?

I loved how the author weaved faith throughout the story. Both Jasper and a Evelyn find themselves relying on God to guide them as they decide to start their relationship again. It was fun to read how they started to slowly trust each other again, Evelyn finds herself asking God to help her forgive Jasper . I loved the story and hope there will be more about this group of women.

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 24

Texas Book-aholic, March 25

Genesis 5020, March 25

Inklings and notions, March 26

Betti Mace, March 27

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 27

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, March 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 29

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 29

Hebrews 12 Endurance, March 30

For Him and My Family, March 31

Connect in Fiction, March 31

She Lives To Read, April 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 2

deb’s Book Review, April 2

Connie’s History Classroom, April 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 4

Blossoms and Blessings, April 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 5

CarpeDiem, April 6

A Novel Pursuit, April 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize package of an autographed paperback edition of Love at First Flight, eco-friendly reusable shopping bag with image of Women’s Air Service Pilots, stuffed WASP bear, Norman Rockwell notecards, VJ Day book mark, and I {heart} Spam socks!!

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/109d2/love-at-first-flight-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Dead Man’s Watch

Author: Kay DiBianca

Genre: Cozy mystery

Release date: September 2020

Half-sisters Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman stumble into another mystery in this second book in the Watch series. When a former acquaintance of Kathryn’s is accused of murder, she and Cece go on a mission to prove his innocence by finding the real killer. But things are never what they seem in this tangled web, and Kathryn’s spunky determination to solve the mystery pushes her closer and closer to a deadly climax.

Join the adventure as these two young women commit themselves to live up to the quote from the Jerusalem Talmud: “Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kay DiBianca is a bestselling author who loves to create literary puzzles for her readers to solve. Her characters come to life as they struggle to solve mysteries and create relationships amidst the ongoing themes of faith and family. Her first novel, The Watch on the Fencepost, won an Illumination Award for General Fiction and an Eric Hoffer Award for Mystery. The second book in the Watch series, Dead Man’s Watch, was released in September 2020.

Kay is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. An avid runner, she can often be found at a nearby track, on the treadmill, or at a large park near her home. Her background in software development fuels her fascination with puzzles and mysteries, and her dedication to running helps supply the endurance and energy she needs to write about them!

Kay and her husband, Frank, live, run, and write in Memphis, Tennessee.

You can connect with Kay through her website at https://kaydibianca.com.

More from Kay

RUNNING AND WRITING

I’m a runner. Over the years I’ve discovered so many benefits from running, including improved health, good outlook, sense of well-being, and even a spark to creativity. That’s a lot to get from an investment in a pair of running shoes!

Of course, running is also a great metaphor for life. This one sport exemplifies so much that we experience in our lives: success, failure, injury, joy, and pain. So, it’s not surprising that although my books are not specifically about running, they contain running scenes.

I got the idea for my first mystery novel, The Watch on the Fencepost, while I was out running. The first chapter of that book introduces the main character, Kathryn Frasier, as she runs a five-miler while training for a marathon. Kathryn deals with the sorrow of her parents’ recent deaths by putting in hard miles on the trails around the fictional town of Bellevue. As I wrote that narrative, I could almost feel Kathryn’s effort, her struggle to maintain pace, the pain in the final sprint, and the satisfaction of finishing well.

The second book in the series, Dead Man’s Watch, takes place just a month or so after the first one. Kathryn continues her training by running a half-marathon race. Once more I run with her as she experiences the elation of being in the lead pack (I’ve never been there!), the exhaustion as the miles build up (I do know about this), and a dramatic event as she nears the finish.

I hope readers will see the analogy between the Kathryn’s experiences on the trails and her efforts to try to solve the mysteries in each story. I’m working on the third book in the series now. I haven’t written any running scenes yet, but I’m sure Kathryn’s going to insist on putting one in.

MY REVIEW

This was such a fun story to read. I loved the setting and how exciting the mystery was. I have found two new characters to follow that are funny and always looking to help others. Kathryn and CeCe find themselves stumbling upon a body that opens the door for a line of suspects. I thought they were in over their heads at times and getting hurt a little too much. Oh these weren’t accidents but attempts on their lives. I guess when you get close to the truth, someone doesn’t want it to come out.

The story moves at a good pace and the author does a great job of leaving subtle hints to help readers figure out the mystery. Oh yes I was so sure I knew the who, why, what and when. Good thing I don’t make a living as a detective. I was fooled and so off track that the ending caught me by surprise. I liked how Kathryn kept her word and repaid a debt. Overall good story with characters that are intriguing. Now what about the watch you ask? Well you will have to read the story to see what the significance of the watch is.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 18

Blogging With Carol, March 18

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, March 19

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 21

Reviewingbooksplusmore, March 21

deb’s Book Review, March 22

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 23

Texas Book-aholic, March 24

Mary Hake, March 24

Inklings and notions, March 25

Older & Smarter?, March 26

The Write Escape, March 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 27

For Him and My Family, March 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 29

Pause for Tales, March 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 30

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 31

Bizwings Blog, March 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kay is giving away the grand prize of a $25 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/10987/dead-man-s-watch-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

DUST by EVA MARIE EVERSON

As I sit here reflecting back on this story I just finished, I find myself filled with tears. I loved the time period of the seventies. There were so many things changing in the world and with it was the music. “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas is one of my all time favorite songs. It holds many memories and this story brought back a time when I was struggling to be a teen in a family that was dysfunctional.

Each character in the story is significant for different reasons. Cindie is a lost girl wanting so bad for someone to love her. Her desperation was evident by the way she flaunted herself around. Oh how I wanted to tell her that she was precious in God’s eyes. She didn’t need to rely on her good looks to catch a man. In her weakness she let lust take over and that was her defining moment. It was heartbreaking to realize that she was raising her daughter all alone. I think I loved Cindie because we see her flaws but through her mistakes God gave her a gift that most women want. I enjoyed reading how she matured in some ways and trued so hard to be a better person.

Allison is a wonderful character who loved with her whole heart. The non proposal she gets from Westley is laughable and should have been a sign that something was amiss. She was happy to be his wife but just beyond the horizon is a secret that will change the course of many lives. The author deals with a hard subject of miscarriage and shows the devastating and emotional turmoil couples go through when they lose a child to this tragedy. I liked that in the midst of sadness, God had a plan and Allison would find herself a mother to a sweet child. Now I don’t want to say much more about this storyline because it is the meat of the story. Secrets always have a way of coming out. I wonder how long Westley thought he could hide his secret?

Westley was hard to like at first. I thought he was a little arrogant and hid things that would be hard to overcome. I know he loved Allison but he sure was deceitful about his child. He and Cindie seem to play games as they fight over a child who needs love and stability. I did become a fan of Westley’s later in the book when I realized he wanted the best for his child and Allison. The author writes a story that lets us inside a family where in the end, your decisions can affect others. I loved how the story became full circle and how each character left a handprint that touched others. I cried at the end and wanted the story to never end. I became invested in their lives and loved how second chances and forgiveness led to a remarkable story that I will never forget.

I received an advanced copy without being required to write a positive review .

Monday, March 22, 2021

About the Book

Book: Awakening

Author: Beckie Lindsey

Genre: YA fiction

Release date: September 2020

Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find—but the demons already have.

As four high school girls are faced with life-altering decisions, their new-found faith will be tested. Although warrior angels are assigned to guard and assist the unlikely friends, they must rely on their faith to withstand the evil Duke Astaroth and the beast’s demonic horde.

Now that their spiritual eyes are open to daily battles between unseen forces of good and evil, lives are at stake.

Lifelong friends Krystal and Bryce are finally an official couple. But can their love survive the greatest trial they’ve ever faced?
Since Mackenzie’s mentally ill mother was hospitalized, she secretly worries that her deepest nightmare may come true.
While best friends Tammi and Sadie continue healing from their abusive pasts, each wrestles with temptations that threaten to undermine their recovery.

Can beauty arise from the ashes of despair and loss?

Will the girls embrace who and whose they truly are?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Beckie Lindsey is an award-winning author of the Beauties from Ashes series, poet, blogger, and the editor of Southern California Christian Voice, a division of One Christian Voice, a national news syndicating agency. She is a major coffeeholic and enjoys a good book with a cat on her lap. She also loves to hike and hang out with family and friends. Beckie and her husband, Scott have three adult children, two adorable cats, and live in California.

More from Beckie

Why I write YA and the BFA series

I believe a teenager still exists inside each of us.

We hear a familiar tune from our “glory days” and are instantly tapping our toes. Mentally, we’re back in high school —poofy bangs, scrunchie, neon off-the-shoulder sweatshirt — and all. Oh, wait. That’s me back in the ‘80s!

Ah, yes. There is something wonderfully awful about those coming-of-age years.

From the first kiss to the first breakup, there are memories we cherish and some we don’t care to ever revisit. Being a teen can be exciting, confusing, painful, joyous, or even all of those things at once!

No matter how different your teenage experience was from mine, one thing is true for us all: these years have an enormous impact on who we become as adults. We can all sympathize with the plight of puberty and the longing for independence and acceptance. Yeah, there’s still a teenager in all of us!

These are the reasons I write YA.

My hope is to use the power of storytelling to move past barriers and open hearts to accept how much God loves and desires a personal relationship with us.

At every age, we all need the grace and love of Jesus.

In the Beauties from Ashes (BFA) series, I write about relatable characters with difficult issues and traumatic pasts to enlighten readers about the unseen spiritual battle referred to in Scripture. Each character has a secret that has left them vulnerable to the battle in an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep them chained to their pasts and angels of light work to free them.

The characters and their issues are complex, just like real life. In fact, some of the topics are often considered too taboo to talk about openly. But what is left in the dark, festers and grows. It is only in the light that we can be free. In the BFA series, readers experience the character’s quest for truth, love, grace, and freedom while hopefully finding the same for themselves.

MY REVIEW

This book is one of the best books about spiritual warfare I think I’ve read in a very long time. I know the book is geared towards young adults, but adults could benefit from reading this as well. The author hits readers hard with truth and never misses a beat in dealing with issues teens face today. The topics are abortion, incest, forgiveness , suicide, depression, eating disorders and teen pregnancy. I was very impressed with how the author used the teens in her story to illustrate the youth of today. There are a few sensitive words used and scenes that may trigger some so ask God to prepare you as you read the story.

I loved the spiritual warfare aspect of the story and felt a stirring in my soul. I wanted to stand beside the teens as they faced the demons that try to keep them away from God. Peer pressure is something all teens face and in this story I was happy to see that the friends stood together to help each other. In their darkest moment, angels surrounded them to fight off the whispers that try to convince them they aren’t good enough. I can relate to some of the topics and so wished I had someone like Lauren to talk to when I was a teen. I loved her character because she spoke truth to the teens but did it in love. She was always available to them and I liked her sweet spirit.

There is tragedy in the story that broke my heart. I wanted things to turn out differently for this teen, but in the that moment of her life, God brought her peace. I was prepared as I read about the teen dealing with forgiving her father. I lived with a father and brother that did unthinkable things to me. It was very difficult and I think it may have been harder because my dad was a pastor. As the teen searched her heart, she knows she needs to forgive her dad so she can be free from the pain of her past. I also had to come to terms with my past. I have forgiven my dad and brother even though I never told them. What is important is that God knows.

I applaud the author for writing a book that shows how the enemy will use any tactic he can to keep us from God. The good news is there are angels surrounding us waiting to do battle for us. Each teen had to make the decision to trust God and right there is why this book is so powerful. In our darkest point, God is there with arms wide open to save us.

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