Saturday, March 4, 2023

About the Book

Book: Promise of Purity

Author: Marguerite Martin Gray

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: February 14, 2023

Is true purity found in the laws of religion or in the hearts of the faithful?

East Molesey, England, 1661—

With the return of the exiled king to his rightful throne, Kate Sinclair’s world of black and white now offers the hope of color. But where does color-loving Kate fit? In the bakery as the daughter of a Puritan or in the palace garden among God’s myriad hues? Certainly not within the palace walls of an immoral court with new friends.

Exiled with King Charles II on the continent, Peter Reresby claims unwavering support of his friend’s regained crown. While fighting for the monarchy against his family’s wishes, his sister disappears, and Peter is determined to find her.

When their opposing beliefs collide, Kate and Peter witness a true test of faith in the ability of mankind to shed the past in order to preserve the future… and perhaps learn that the “greatest of these” truly is love.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Marguerite Martin Gray is the author of Hold Me Close, Surround Me, and Bring Me Near– Revolutionary Faith Books One, Two and Three. Besides researching her historical novels, she enjoys studying history and writing fiction. An avid traveler and reader, she teaches French and has degrees in French, Spanish, and Journalism from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and a MA in English from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. Marguerite is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Abilene Writers Guild, Daughters of the American Revolution, South Carolina Historical Society, and Preservation Society of Charleston. She currently lives in North Louisiana with her husband and Cleo, her cat. Her two adult children keep her up to date and young. Follow Marguerite at http://margueritemartingray.com.

More from Marguerite

Hello from north Louisiana. I am so happy to be here with you. When I am not writing, you will most likely find me outside in my garden, reading on the deck or front porch, or hiking/walking in the woods and parks. I love the outdoors, although I am not the athletic sports type, more like a nature lover. That is one reason I have enjoyed writing the novels for Gardens in Time.

When I was a preteen, I had the awesome privilege of residing in England outside of Liverpool while my father pursued an advanced degree in architecture. For a few years, I had the gardens of Britain and Europe as my playground. My sisters and I made up games on the lawns and in the gardens of the estates—supervised, of course. Hide-and-seek in castle ruins or tag in rose gardens or getting lost in mazes proved great entertainment. Hampton Court Palace Gardens was one of those majestic places.

Promise of Purity is set at Hampton Court Palace in 1661 during the return of Charles II from exile. Kate is a Puritan waiting for color to fill her life after a dismal rule under Cromwell. I visited Hampton Court again in June 2022. I wandered in the rose gardens and marveled at the herb plots. Wildflowers existed between the manicured plots of lilies. I strolled through the Privy Garden that my character Kate brings back to life. Walking in my characters’ footsteps energizes me as I present them to you, the reader.

Enjoy the journey through Hampton Court Gardens.

MY REVIEW

This is a story about two people struggling as they figure out where they belong. I loved Kate and her uncompromising faith. As she starts to work making meals for the king we get to see how creative she is with herbs and working in the garden. She has always dreamed of making delicious dishes but working in such a place may be uncomfortable at times. Her father is concerned that with her working there she will become associated with the ways going on that are not of God. I could sense her drawing closer to God as worldly things tried to draw her away from her faith.

Peter is supporting his friend as he reclaims the title of king. He is in search of his sister when it is discovered that she is missing. He seems to have a fondness for Kate yet they could be considered enemies in a way. I wondered if Peter would ever be able to face Kate’s father who disagrees with the actions of what Peter believes in. Even though Peter is not royalty, because he works so closely with the king he is considered to have more privilege than others.

As the story shows these two characters do not see eye to eye when it comes to God. Peter does not think God did anything to prevent the turbulent years where the Puritans were in charge . Peter now puts his trust in himself and the king. Will this cause problems for him and Kate as they start to get to know each other better?

I enjoyed reading about the inner workings of a king and all the responsibilities they have. The lavish feast was something to behold. Kate is excited that the king will be dining on the many foods she made. In the midst of all the excitement about the king returning is a little mystery surrounding Peter’s sister. I loved this part as it illustrates forgiveness and second chances.

The ending is nice and I loved how Peter find his way back to God. Kate is a good example of never allowing temptation to lead her away from her faith. I loved how the author brings two people from different backgrounds and shows how hope and trust can help those who struggle with their faith.

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 4

Texas Book-aholic, March 5

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, March 6 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, March 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 8

For Him and My Family, March 9

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 9

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 10 (Author Interview)

Babbles Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 11

Artistic Nobody, March 12 (Author Interview)

Connie’s History Classroom, March 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 14

Guild Master, March 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 16

Through the Fire Blogs, March 17 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marguerite is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a 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/2494b/promise-of-purity-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Love’s New Beginnings

Author: Penny Zeller

Genre:Christian Historical Romance

Release date: December 13, 2022

Where it all began…

Lydie Beauchamp recently moved with her aunts—sisters Myrtle and Fern—to the untamed Wyoming Territory. When a teaching position in nearby Willow Falls captures her attention, can she leave her aunts, one of whom just suffered a broken heart, and embark on this new adventure? Will she find the courage to persevere in the midst of challenges, one being a handsome challenge named Solomon Eliason?

Reverend Solomon Eliason has the goal of making a difference. Hired as the pastor of Willow Falls, he must convince the congregation that he is able to undertake the role of a reverend. When he’s nominated to be the adult in charge of the annual prank tradition at the school, he embraces the idea, thinking the new teacher will be an elderly crotchety woman like his former teacher. What he doesn’t realize until it’s too late is that the teacher is far from crotchety and elderly.

When Lydie’s and Solomon’s paths cross in an unexpected way during the prank tradition at the Willow Falls school, can Solomon redeem himself in the eyes of the lovely new teacher?

Take a glimpse into where it all began with Lydie and Solomon’s story in this tender tale that reminds us that God can and does use willing hearts for His purposes.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics.

Today Penny is the author of over a dozen books. She is also a homeschool mom and a group fitness instructor. Her desire is to assist and nurture women into a closer relationship with Christ.

When Penny is not dreaming up new characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters and camping, hiking, canoeing, bicycling/cycling, reading, running, gardening, and playing volleyball.

She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and loves to hear from her readers at her website, blog, and on Facebook.

More from Penny

Stagecoach etiquette, a casket for sale in the mercantile, and mock turtle soup were just a few of the items included in Love’s New Beginnings. Research is always fun for historical novels, and I even discovered that some people ate skunks back in the “olden days.” Not a regular delicatessen, but they did eat them on occasion. After reading about the ingredients for mock turtle soup and discovering about skunks for dinner (aka supper), I’m even more grateful for enchiladas and regular plain ol’ hamburgers. Historical romance novels are a delight to read, but is Love’s New Beginnings the book for you?

If you love…

To read love stories

Stories set in the late 1800s

Settings in the Wild West in small western towns

Sweet romance and tender love stories

Plentiful humor

Character-driven plots

Faith element organically interwoven into the story

Scenes that tug at the heartstrings

Hilarious antidotes tucked within the pages of a novel

To curl up and escape into the lives of book characters

Realistic plot lines

Close-knit families

Clean and wholesome reads

Memorable characters who stay with you long after the last page

Then Love’s New Beginnings is indeed the book for you!

MY REVIEW

This book is easy to read and has such great characters that you want to be friends with them. I always enjoy a good historical fiction book where the author transports you back in time and you become part of the story. I was on the sidelines when Lydie decided to become a teacher and move away from her dear aunts. I loved how much they loved Lydie and made sure that she was surrounded by love. They are funny and bring a nice balance to the story.

Lydie is a little nervous being a first time teacher and it doesn’t help that the children pull a prank on her for the first day of school. I had to laugh at these antics and even though it frustrated Lydie it was all in fun. When she finds out who was behind the pranks, she was not happy at all. Lydie does seem to settle into her new life well and I was most impressed with her sweet nature and faith. She is quick to forgive and supports the preacher when others start to gossip about him.

Solomon was my favorite character. I think a lot of us can relate to his feelings of not being good enough. He knows that he has been called by God to be a preacher but the town is not very welcoming to him. It was so sad how his grandfather was to him. Week after week Solomon is faithful and preaches with his whole heart. What I thought was important to note was it didn’t matter if there was one person or twelve , he continued to preach each Sunday. I loved his compassion for others. The author gives a beautiful illustration of how Solomon showed someone how God loves them no matter what they had done. It is a moment in the story that should encourage us to never miss an opportunity to share Christ with others.

With laughs, a blossoming romance and a sweet theme of finding confidence through faith, this story will be a favorite for many. Don’t miss other books written by this gifted author.

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

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 3

Vicky Sluiter, March 3

Texas Book-aholic, March 4

deb’s Book Review, March 5

Cover Lover Book Review, March 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 7

EmpowerMoms, March 7

Connie’s History Classroom, March 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 10

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 11

Splashes of Joy, March 12

For Him and My Family, March 12

Holly’s Book Corner, March 13

lakesidelivingsite, March 14

Vibrant Wings by Valerie, March 14

Pause for Tales, March 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Penny is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 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/24949/love-s-new-beginnings-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, March 2, 2023

About the Book

Book: Blue By You

Author: Larry B. Gildersleeve

Genre: Christian fiction; Christian romance; Inspirational

Release date: May, 2022

From the Colorado mountains to Nashville’s Music Row, Daniel believed there were no do-overs in life. No second chances masquerading as firsts. Fate would prove him wrong when he fell in love with Paula twice, decades and thousands of miles apart, yet he was a total stranger to her both times.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Gildersleeve was born in Tennessee, grew up in Virginia and Kentucky, and after college lived and worked as a corporate executive then entrepreneur in Indianapolis, Orlando, Miami, Washington, D.C. and Seattle before “coming home” to Kentucky in 2014 where he and his wife Kathleen live in Bowling Green. He began writing novels in 2015; Blue by You is his fourth. He is also a feature writer for the state’s third-largest newspaper

More from Larry

The book’s title is word play on Blue Bayou, written and recorded by Roy Orbison and memorably covered by Linda Ronstadt (who is mentioned in the book). The song is integral to the storyline, and “Blue” in the book’s title is a blue-eyed Australian shepherd dog pictured on the cover who appears throughout the book.

In addition, a country music song I wrote for the book entitled Dreams Never Come True (For Those Who Never Dream) was recognized as a finalist in the 2022 Rhyming Poetry competition of Writer’s Digest. The competition drew over 2,800 entries.

MY REVIEW

This book has sexual content that I was not comfortable with and crossed the line of being Christian fiction. I am unable to leave a review.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, March 3

An Author’s Take, March 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 5

Simple Harvest Reads, March 6 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, March 6

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 7

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 8

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 10

Artistic Nobody, March 11 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 12

For Him and My Family, March 13

Guild Master, March 14 (Author Interview)

SusanLovesBooks, March 14

Holly’s Book Corner, March 15

For the Love of Literature, March 16 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Larry is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a 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/2494a/blue-by-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Honor’s Mountain Promise

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre:Christian Historical Romance

Release date: March 5, 2023

They both need a new start, but this looks nothing like either of them planned.

Aaron Long never expected his life to turn out this way—finally on the right side of the law, but with a bum leg and driving a freight wagon through the wild Rocky Mountains. The only excitement left in his days is his newfound faith. But in the midst of an urgent deliver to settlers fort, the last thing he expects is to discover a woman great with child who pleads for him to take her back to Fort Benton—the opposite direction from Settler’s Fort. He can’t leave her, but he also can’t take her where she wants to go.

Katie Barlowe rarely had a say in how her life would go, not even when she married the successful businessman her parents selected for her. Nor when he brought her all the way ut to the Montana Territory to start a ranch in these breathtaking and treacherous mountains. She’s a widow now and determined to take control of her future and that of the new life growing inside her. To do so, she must get back to civilization—before the babe is born. When she finally finds a freighter who will take her the first leg of her journey east, all seems to be finally falling into place. Until her transporter is killed and she’s faced with a stranger who will only agree to take her to a little mining town far from Fort Benton and the steamship to carry her home.

When Aaron and Katie set out through the mountain winter, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

When the Other Brother Finally Gets His Story

Have you ever read a series that needed just one more book? A significant side character needed their story told?

That’s been the case with my Hearts of Montana series for two years now! I thought I’d wrapped up the series with book 3, Faith’s Mountain Home, which features Nate and Laura as they unravel the mystery around a cave near their Montana frontier town. Nate’s twin brother Aaron played a strong part in that story—and not always as one of the good guys. He was recovering from a gunshot wound that shattered his thighbone, and Laura (the heroine) was his nurse and chief physical therapy sergeant. In those dark days during his recovery, Aaron made some poor choices and definitely wasn’t the best version of himself.

By the end of Faith’s Mountain Home, Aaron saw the change in his twin brother Nate and how his new faith made him different—a better man. In one of the last scenes, Aaron apologizes to Laura for how he’s made her job harder when she was trying so hard to help him. We even get a ray of hope that Aaron might be opening himself up to God’s redeeming power.

Ever since that book released, readers and I have both been looking for Aaron’s story! The book where he finds his own leading lady and becomes the man God created him to be (but not without major obstacles along the way!)

Even if you haven’t read the other books in the series, I think you’ll love Aaron’s story in Honor’s Mountain Promise as much as I did.

Praying blessings for you!

Misty

MY REVIEW

This story was especially nice to read because I loved how the author illustrated strength and trust in God. The mountains can be hard to travel especially when the wind is whipping around you and snow is falling . I could picture the wagon slowly trudging along as the mules made their way through snow so deep it felt like you were sinking into the ground.

I loved Aaron and how much strength he had. His compassion was easy to recognize as he doesn’t hesitate to help Katie out. I don’t think he knew that when he came upon the overturned wagon, that a very pregnant Katie was close by. The injury to his leg that he received was from a time when he was not on the right side of the law but he doesn’t let him slow him down. The transformation he has made thanks to God’s grace has changed him. Now as he sees that Katie needs his help he becomes very protective of her.

Katie is a good character who wants to get somewhere near a doctor as her time to deliver the baby draws near. God has other plans and finds herself alone with Aaron as her beautiful little girl comes into the world. I loved this part of the story because it shows the miracle of life and how God watched over Katie as she becomes a first time mother.

The adventure is filled with trials and I loved how Katie and Aaron lean on each other for strength as they travel into the days ahead. I’m glad that Aaron got his own story in this series because I loved reading how he turned his life around. The ending is a wonderful reminder that through faith all things are possible.

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