About the Book

Book: Now That I Know You

Author: Olivia Newport

Genre: Split-Time Contemporary/Historical

Release date: Fall, 2021

Cate Butler is the distant cousin genealogist Jillian was so certain she wanted to find—and the only connection she has to her deceased mother’s Parisi family tree. So why does she wish Cate would stop pestering her? And why can’t Jillian find a paper trail proving Cate is who she says she is?

Cate wants something for her own career that Jillian can’t give, but she also holds the key to family history Jillian can’t bring herself to walk away from. Nolan, Jillian’s father, steps in when Cate’s chronic career chaos requires legal rescue. Drew, the man who holds Jillian’s heart, has a surprising past with Cate. The truths Jillian, Cate, and Drew find while untangling these knotted threads tie them back together in remarkable ways none of them ever would have imagined.

Now That I Know You is Book 5 in the Tree of Life series, exploring and celebrating unforgettable family stories in Canyon Mines, the mountain town that invites you back again and again.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Olivia Newport’s novels blend the truth of how our pasts carry us into where we find ourselves now. Curiosity about history seems to creep into everything she does. Her books include Amish, historical, and contemporary stories that span the centuries from before the Revolutionary War right up to the present moment.

She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak. Visit www.olivianewport.com.

 

More from Olivia

I’ve wanted to write Now That I Know You for nearly 20 years—at least the historical story part of this split-time novel.

 

When my son was a freshman in high school, he joined the mock trial team, and my husband and I entered the league of parents who watched versions of the same competition over and over. The state bar association selects a case and provides every team with the same documents to study as the basis of preparing both prosecution and defense. Team members play roles of attorneys and witnesses.

 

That first year, the case was trying a particular individual in connection with his role in events that culminated in the 1914 “Ludlow Massacre,” which is featured in Now That I Know You. My son played a witness for the prosecution. My proudest moment was when one of the scoring judges—who are actual court judges—singled him out for his skill in recognizing and dodging the opposing counsel’s interrogation strategy. Somebody hold me in my chair, because you really are not supposed to jump and cheer at mock trial!

 

Since I heard the case several times, the history wormed its way into my heart and mind. The injustice and tragedy of the story weighed heavy, but so did the legacy of the events and their eventual impact on history that affects us even today. People often ask where book ideas come from. Sometimes they germinate inside me for a long time before the moment is ripe to put them on the page in the lives of characters who have grown around them. This is one of those stories.

 

—Olivia Newport

 MY REVIEW 

This series has been exceptional. Every book  branches out to the next to give readers a taste of past  and present. I adore slip time stories and the author is eloquently gifted in this genre. You will hear no complaints from me as I have fallen in love with the families from this series and want it to continue forever. Well that was very dramatic, wasn’t it? I am just a person that respects an author that achieves the honor of sweeping me away from my everyday life. I must mention before I go into details about the characters. There is a blessing that is said by Nolan that left me speechless. It is so good, I have written it down in my journal so I can  read it everyday. Make sure you don’t overlook this gem in the story. 

Reading about the miners in the early 1910s was difficult at times. Strikers trying to get better pay and benefits angered  some. The violence that occurs is not easy to read. I don’t mean that it is graphic but so disheartening to the extent that I wanted to cry. Men  working so hard to provide for  their families only to find themselves out of a job and many without a place to live. I couldn’t get enough of learning about what happened in this time period. Some details have left lasting imprints on my heart. The love that Chiara and Celestrino share is unwavering. The scenes where they are trying to stay alive and escape the gunfire is powerful. The Ludlow Massacre is something I am not familiar with. With the author’s research she has given readers a look at what happened during this period. I enjoyed reading the notes at the end of the book which helped me understand more about the struggles families faced.

 As we go to present time  we are greeted with familiar faces. I’m happy to see Jillian , Nolan and Drew back on the pages. They are very much vital to this series and I was excited to see where the author would take them. For some reason I couldn’t quite connect with Cate. She seemed to keep secrets and was always causing trouble. Jillian is struggling to find patience with her new found cousin, but at times I think it is hard to do. There is historical facts in the book that intrigued me and I especially liked how these two time periods meshed together. At the root of this series is the importance of family. We have witnessed new relationships, learned from  the past and realized how important ancestors are. 

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 10

Bigreadersite, January 10

lakesidelivingsite, January 11

Daysong Reflections, January 11

All-of-kind Mom, January 11

The Write Escape, January 12

Lots of Helpers, January 12

The Sacred Line, January 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 13

Betti Mace, January 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 14

Texas Book-aholic, January 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 15

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 16

Splashes of Joy, January 16

deb’s Book Review, January 17

Through the Fire Blogs, January 17

Sodbuster Living, January 18

For Him and My Family, January 18

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 19

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 19

For the Love of Literature, January 20

The Book Club Network, January 20

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 21 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, January 21

Mary Hake, January 21

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 22

Inklings and notions, January 23

Connect in Fiction, January 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away the grand prize package of a signed set of all 5 books in the Tree of Life series!!

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/193c0/now-that-i-know-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book: Crown of the Warrior King

Author: Henry O. Arnold

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: December 1, 2021

The desire of Israel…

the first to wear the crown is the warrior king

For decades the nation of Israel had no rest from her enemies. The people cried out, “Give us a king to lead us, to go out before us, to fight our battles.” And Yahweh hears the cries of the chosen. He plucks a king out of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes—Saul, son of a herdsman. The prophet Samuel anoints him as Israel’s first warrior king.

Under the banner of the wolf, the symbol of his tribe, Saul rises to prominence, winning the hearts and minds of the people of Israel with his success on the battlefield and benevolent leadership.

But when the nation of Israel cries out, “For the love of Israel. For the glory of Yahweh. For the honor of the king,” the praises of the people turn the humble heart of the warrior king into one filled with pride—a pride that has fatal consequences.

In this tale of triumph and tribulation, deepest love and burning rivalries, the new epoch is given a voice…and it is a Song of Prophets and Kings.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Henry O. Arnold has co-authored a work of fiction, Hometown Favorite, with Bill Barton, and nonfiction, KABUL24, with Ben Pearson. He also co-wrote and produced with Steve Taylor (director) and Ben Pearson the film The Second Chance starring Michael W. Smith, the screenplay for the authorized film documentary on evangelist Billy Graham, God’s Ambassador, and the documentary film KABUL24, based on the book which is the story of western and Afghani hostages held captive by the Taliban for 105 days. He lives on a farm in Tennessee with his lovely wife Kay. They have two beautiful daughters married to two handsome men with three above-average grandchildren. For more information please visit: www.henryoarnold.com

 

More from Henry

After the golden age of theatre in the Greek and Roman times, the theatre went dark, very dark as in Dark Ages, and for centuries it was thus. But it was the church that brought the theatre back to life by staging passion plays on biblical subjects. Since most people could not read at the time, it was a great way to tell the folks some Bible stories. The world has certainly improved its literacy skills since then. The delight I have in reading and writing stories from the Bible or on biblical themes has been with me for a long time.

When I formulated the concept of retelling the stories of the first three kings of Israel and matching them with the leading prophets of that age, the title of the series, The Song of Prophets and Kings, was a perfect match for the biblical/historical fiction genre. The first volume in this series, A Voice Within the Flame, was released last year and features the life of the prophet Samuel up to and including the anointing and coronation of Saul as the first king of Israel. Now it is time for the second volume, Crown of the Warrior King. This second novel picks up where the last one left off.

Whether the reader or listener is familiar with the biblical stories or not, I have written these novels in such a way that makes these ancient stories come to life in the modern world. When the reader/listener dives into stories that are 3,000 years old, it will be surprising how we all can see ourselves in these characters.

These are biblical stories that I grew up with and have read and studied all my life. It is a joy to get to share them with you in this series, The Song of Prophets and Kings.

MY REVIEW 

The book takes us on a journey through Biblical times when Saul was king. Not everyone was pleased with him and many did not want to recognize him as king. The burden he and his family faced was filled with despair, pride and at times loneliness. The details are vivid and easy to visualize. That one moment when Saul takes out his anger in a vicious way may cause harm to many. I think we can all agree that at some point in our lives we have let our anger overtake us. 

As a bloody battle ensues who will be the victor? The author does a good job of taking us into the middle of uncertainty as King Saul and his army descends on their enemy. The determination  to win is fierce and you can smell fear on those nearby. I enjoyed the encounter between King Saul and Samuel. Wise words were spoken but will King Saul follow them? From their conversation, there is a hint that pride may be slipping in and Samuel has cautioned King Saul of this. Having power does something to some and at times they become fixated on the power they have and not the good of others. 

Jonathan is someone I have always been intrigued with. His father the king can be very demanding at times. When it is discovered that Jonathan has perhaps sinned, what will the consequences be? The story is epic as it traces the life of King Saul. We watch him weep over the death of his wife and hear the words of the prophet that  penetrate his heart. As David comes into the picture the author gives us a glimpse of what is to come. 

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 13

Texas Book-aholic, January 14

Beauty in the Binding, January 15 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 15

For Him and My Family, January 16

Inklings and notions, January 17

deb’s Book Review, January 18

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 19

Splashes of Joy, January 20 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 21

Connie’s History Classroom, January 22

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 23 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 24 (Spotlight)

Cats in the cradle blog, January 25

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 26 (Author Interview)

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 26

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Henry is giving away the grand prize package of a signed copy of the book and a $50 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/17c58/crown-of-the-warrior-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book: The Kidron Valley

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Young Adult and Mid-Grade Readers

Release date: November 11, 2021

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle.
As evil heightens all over the world, Jackson, his best friend Al, and his girlfriend Aria learn to live in their new world, fighting off those who would kill, steal, and destroy family and neighbors in Red River County. The story is one of survival under the guidance of Uncle Roy and his brother and God’s Words of Knowledge and angel unaware. No one discounts the Great Pyrenees Boggs’ part either. Though Jackson still holds fast to his agnostic beliefs, God keeps making it harder for him to deny His existence and the sacrifice of His Son. Will he finally believe?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over sixty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen at YouTube. Sharing four children and nineteen grandsugars (three greats), Caryl and Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of fifty-three years, live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

 

More from Caryl

Back in the day (2012), after my agent Mary Sue McAdoo Seymour had my first historical romance VOW UNBROKEN under contract with Simon and Schuster, but before its publication, she received a request for a mid-grade dystopian and asked if we—my husband and cowriter—wanted to write one.

 

We kicked it around and came up with an idea for THE KING’S HIGHWAY. Her client rejected the idea of an end times story for so young an age, but the ZonderKidz editor I pitched to at ACFW loved it! She updated me later it was going to committee.

 

Next thing I knew, doctors diagnosed her with a terrible disease, and she left the company before it was approved. Time marched on until I decided to publish it myself after we went Indie in 2015. By then it would be the Days of Dread Trilogy: THE KING’S HIGHWAY, THE SIXTH TRUMPET, and THE KIDRON VALLEY!

Those who read book one loved it! New to Indie publishing, I bit off almost more than I could chew that first year—eleven new titles! Between getting all those to market and writing sequels to my historical romance family saga, I never got around to write books two and three!

 

Fast forward to 2021. It appears the dominoes are falling; signs of the Apocalypse are coming more frequently, so we decided to get to THE SIXTH TRUMPET which debuted in June, followed with the release of THE KIDRON VALLEY in November!

 

I never planned to include all the Bible’s graphic descriptions of the Battle of Armageddon—it is mentioned, but I downplayed but it. While some soft-pedal the tribulation, I believe many of His children will live through it. I hope to bolster my young readers’ faith to be able to trust God for their protection and provision.

 

In the Days of Dread stories, I used dreams and visions to put my hero and some of his friends in that final battle without predicting any specific time—only Father knows the day and the hour! I believe, as Jackson discovers, there will be places of refuge where those who follow God ban together for mutual protection and benefit.

it’s so pleased me that many grandparents love these books as well. One read it twice, back-to-back because she loved it so much and didn’t want it to end! Though rampant evil throws the world into chaos, I believe His Chosen will walk in power and peace, spreading His Good News to the lost until the end!

MY REVIEW 

The author has delivered a story that delves into the end times. With plenty of action, danger and intrigue this is the perfect story for teens and young adults. It shows how a group works together to keep each other safe in the world of chaos. 

The people have gathered in the camp to watch each other’s backs and welcome outsiders cautiously. You have to wonder who may slip in to cause destruction. It was shocking how quickly people who broke the law were dealt with. It reminded me of the Wild West at times when someone is hanged in the story. The story keeps up a good pace with the camp securing their territory and being on guard at all times. I thought the way the author used faith in the story was very good. There is a struggle with believing in God for some, but with near misses and prophetic dreams it was becoming hard for them to deny that God was in charge. 

The ending was powerful and I liked how it illustrated what the Bible says will happen in the last days. It gave me chills as I read “Salvation rides on a white stallion in the sky.”  There was evidence of who was in charge and I think in that moment those that doubted  became believers. 

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 12

Texas Book-aholic, January 13

Inklings and notions, January 14

deb’s Book Review, January 15

For Him and My Family, January 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 17

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 18 (Spotlight)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 18

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 19

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 20

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 22

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, January 23 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 23

Cats in the Cradle Blog, January 24

For the Love of Literature, January 25 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl 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/17c55/the-kidron-valley-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book: Marriage Conversations

Author: Cathy Krafve

Genre: Nonfiction

Release date: February 7, 2021

Are you cherishing a marriage that’s off the charts? Or co-existing in a fragile one?

What we all really want is intimacy and tingling excitement. Is true love just a fairy tale? Or can life-long companionship be a reality? You bet it can!   Author Cathy Krafve shares the personal stories and conversations she first created to help inspire success for her own kids’ marriages.

Marriage entails serious communication. So, we turn to the Master Communicator for strategies to soften hearts and strengthen resolve. Cathy will help you…

– Initiate practical, foundational truths.

– Replace magical thinking with rock solid miraculous biblical truths.

– Understand why we get married in the first place.

– Invigorate your closest relationship.

For instance, learn the no-fail trick for changing an argument back into a conversation.

Inspire the delightful results your heart is craving.

Go from blah to breathtaking!

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Queen of Fun and Coffee Cup Philosopher, Cathy Primer Krafve delivers creativity and encouragement on every page.

She understands companionship begins with authentic conversation. With journalistic fervor and a knack for laughter and story-telling, Cathy puts a snappy spin on deeply spiritual truths.

Host of Fireside Talk Radio, her weekly blogs and podcasts reach over 2 million listeners and readers annually. Her audiences learn to leverage compassion and courage in order to engage in two-way conversational adventures.

Join the Fireside Tribe as we create life so beautiful in its imperfection generations after us will be retelling our stories with joy and laughter.

Truth with a Texas twang spoken here!

 

More from Cathy

From Blah to Breathtaking!

Why does conversation at home have to be so hard? What makes it hard? How do you keep hanging in there when it’s tough?

 

“So, Dave and I slogged ahead. Yuck. Like trudging through a chilly winter night in clumsy snow boots, we were determined to survive,” reports Author Cathy Krafve.

 

Then, they began to talk a little more openly to their closest friends. Yep, they were desperate. Interestingly, they discovered marriage conversations were a problem for a bunch of their friends, too.

 

Lo and behold, communicating turned out to pretty much be a universal challenge!

 

“We picked up tons of new communication skills,” she adds, laughing, “Good thing, too, since we really NEEDED new skills!”

 

What can we change at home to train ourselves and our kiddos to have terrific conversations? Each chapter of Marriage Conversations offers great ideas you can try out at your house. Here are a few chapters:

• Negotiating like an Oil Tycoon
• Creating a Personal Etiquette
• Only Keeping What We Give Away
• Asking Power Questions
• Understanding Fellowship as the Best Foreplay

 

Queen of Fun and Coffee Cup Philosopher, Cathy delivers creativity and encouragement on every page of Marriage Conversations: from co-existing to cherished.

 

While it’s the perfect book for your book club, Bible Study, or Sunday school class, Cathy has a more, ahem, intimate suggestion. Read it out loud with your spouse.

 

“What’s really great is the number of men who tell me they read it with their wife! Passing it back and forth. Wow! That’s genius,” she reports. “Truthfully, though, when guys tell me it’s the funniest book they’ve ever read, I assume it’s the only marriage book they’ve ever read!”

 

Each chapter ends with thought-provoking questions, personal applications, and prayer.

 

 

So, how things are with Dave and Cathy now? Fair question.

“We still have arguments occasionally, maybe once a year. In some ways maybe it’s worse because it doesn’t happen very often. I get real panicky, like, Oh no! We’re falling back into our bad habits,” she confesses.

But she adds they now know how to get into a better conversation place quickly. Also, they intentionally cherish each other. So that’s really made a difference.

“But one thing I want people to know; this book is not about how to do it yourself. This book is about how I messed up. And here’s what I learned from my mistakes. If you want some good ideas, here are the things that worked for us,” says Cathy

Tons and tons of good ideas. Anything she could get her hands on.

“Because I was originally writing for my children,” she explains. “So, I didn’t hold anything back. I don’t think anyone will feel preached at. I’m pretty sure reading friends will think, Okay this woman has been in the trenches. She gets it.”

Cathy is known for putting a snappy spin on deeply spiritual truths. She writes with journalistic fervor and a knack for laughter and story-telling.

Host of Fireside Talk Radio, her weekly blogs and podcasts reach over 3 million people annually.  She is also author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations.

 

Companionship begins with authentic conversations. How do we go from co-existing to cherished? Cathy understands good communication tools can change everything!  Order two copies today; one for yourself and one to share with a friend!

 

Truth with a Texas twang spoken here!

MY REVIEW

One of the keys to a good marriage is communication. This book touches on subjects to help your marriage grow stronger. I enjoyed reading personal stories from the author which illustrates practical tips for a happy marriage. The story of her parents marriage is heartwarming and realistic. There are times we all struggle in our marriage. The good news is that God is there to help heal our hearts, learn to forgive and build a Godly  marriage. 

I like the questions  at the end of each chapter and would encourage couples to do these together. The author also provides a prayer that couples could pray over each other. The author tackles subjects such as intimacy, divorce, forgiveness and  communication. There are scriptures used to examine the topics and show what God thinks of marriage. The book is easy to read and would be a great Bible study for couples.  

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 11

Texas Book-aholic, January 12

Inklings and notions, January 13

For Him and My Family, January 14

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 15

deb’s Book Review, January 16

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 17

The Author Reads, January 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 19 (Spotlight)

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 21

A Baker’s Perspective, January 22 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 23

Simple Harvest Reads, January 24 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cathy is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of both The Well and Marriage Conversations!!

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/1719a/marriage-conversations-celebration-tour-giveaway