Friday, August 11, 2023

About the Book

Book: A Promise of Home: A WW2 Family Saga

Author: Kathryn Spurgeon

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: November 21, 2022

What did WW11 look like for those who remained in the U.S? As the war heats up, hundreds of young men from Fremont’s hometown of Shawnee, Oklahoma, enlist, or get drafted. Word filters in about the wounded, the missing in action, and those who have died overseas.

Fremont Pope has not been drafted, but to do his part, he finds a job at an ammunition plant in Colorado Springs. His wife, Sibyl, hopes to teach women at a new church. They’re glad to get away from their cantankerous family, and then their family follows them to Colorado!

When the plant begins to close down, Fremont’s boss offers an amazing promotion back east. Their other choice is to move to New Mexico for mission work. Which will it be? Plunge ahead to a lucrative corporate job or help a small new church grow?

Ultimately, they yearn to go home, but where is home? Are they willing to give up their dreams and begin again?

As the couple stays in touch with people in their hometown, they learn of numerous war-time tragedies. Their return to Shawnee coincides with soldiers returning home. Based on a true story, footnotes and author’s notes are included.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathryn Spurgeon, an inspirational biographical writer. She’s won many awards including an Illumination Book Award. Publishing over a hundred stories, articles, and poems, she’s also published four novels. She grew up on an Oklahoma farm before moving to South Korea, where she adopted two children. She and her husband, Bill, now live in Oklahoma and have six children and fourteen beautiful grandchildren.

More from Kathryn

Researching the 1930s and 40s was almost more fun than writing the book!

Some reviewers’ remarks about this series:

“I could have learned a lot more in history class if we would have had stories like these.”

“Wow, reading this was like being there as it was happening. Cannot wait for more books by Ms. Spurgeon.”

MY REVIEW

The opening scene made me hurt for Sibyl and her husband Fremont. After losing everything in a fire they travel from Oklahoma to Colorado Springs. The treatment they receive at the new church was icy to say the least. Poor Sibyl has her hands full with little ones and a new baby on the way. She wants to be accepted from these ladies. I could see them sticking their noses in the air with judgment dripping from their mouths. Have you ever gone to a new church and felt unwelcome? I have and it is an awful feeling which made me never return to that church.

There is an abundant of information about WWII in the story which helps readers get a bigger picture of how families were affected. The women worried about their men being called up to serve or where they were going to be sent. So much chaos happened during this war and caused many to feel hopeless. I like that Sibyl wanted to help send care packages to the soldiers. However the church didn’t seem as invested in the program. It must have been lonely being away fighting a war and thinking no one cared.

The story delivers characters that I became invested in. I enjoyed following them as they endured hardships while keeping their faith strong. Fremont was such a hard worker. He worked long hours and still came home to help with chores around the house. With so many men joining the service, it put more work on the men who stayed behind.

I enjoyed reading how life was like during this turbulent time. I learned facts I didn’t know about and was intrigued by the sacrifices many made. Not only were families on rations such as gasoline, bread and flour but there were times supplies was scarce. The story reads like a movie and I could picture even the littlest details as the authors do a wonderful job of writing. It has been a pleasure to go back in time and read about this tine period. I couldn’t wait to see what Fremont and Sibyl would decide when an offer is made to them? Ministry has been a dream for a long time for them. Big decisions need to be made and I love how they prayed until they heard an answer from God.

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

Blog Stops

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 11 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 11

Texas Book-aholic, August 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 13

She Lives to Read, August 14

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 14

Cover Lover Book Review, August 15

lakesidelivingsite, August 16

Connie’s History Classroom, August 17

Betti Mace, August 18

The Book Club Network, August 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 21

For Him and my Family, August 22

Pause for Tales, August 23

Lights in a Dark World, August 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathryn is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-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/27166/a-promise-of-home-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, August 10, 2023

About the Book

Book: Love’s True Calling

Author: Lori DeJong

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: June 27, 2023

After years of jumping through other people’s hoops to be all they thought she should be, and enduring a tragedy no mother should, self-described “newbie” Christian, Harper Townsend, has finally found her true calling … and her true love. Until it appears that to follow one may mean leaving the other behind.

Adolescent Psychologist, Wyatt McCowan, is beyond delighted to have the-girl-that-got-away back in his life, and his heart. But even as they fall more in love, he realizes that being obedient to God’s calling on each of their lives may pull them apart. She rejected him once in favor of another, which left him hurt and angry. But this time, he can’t fault her for following hard after the God she loves with all her heart, even if it means leaving him once again.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lori enjoys writing stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire hope, joy, laughter, and perhaps even touch a soul or two to get to know Him better. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and two fur-babies and is the mother of one grown daughter. Love’s True Calling is the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance.

More from Lori

I’ve had a dream for a very long time. In fact, I had this dream long before I was even doing anything to achieve it! Turns out I’ve wanted to be a published author since the 1990’s. And I didn’t even start writing, join writers’ groups, or attend conferences to learn the craft until 2002. Something inside me apparently knew more than I did when I put on my 1996 long-term goals list: To be a published author.

Fast forward to 2023 and my debut novel is being published. I’m not great at math, but even I know that’s A LOT of years that have gone by since I first identified that long-term goal. So the take-away from that should be, if you set a goal, no matter what it is, make a plan. Immediately. Not years later. Seriously. Don’t be me.

So, I chugged away at this writing goal for a few years, until my husband was laid off when the economy tanked in 2009 and our lives turned upside down. I didn’t write again until 2020, when we found ourselves empty-nesters and I started listening once again to those voices in my head begging me to write their stories.

Which brings me to how my first published novel was born. Would you believe it was homework? True story! When I came back to writing in 2020, I needed to re-hone my skills. So I took an online class that required us to plot an entire manuscript based on our characters’ motivations. What do they want out of life and why do they want it?

That’s how I came up with Wyatt, the high school geek now an accomplished and handsome college professor and adolescent psychologist, and Harper, the high school Miss Everything who’d weathered plenty of storms in her life before going back to school a decade after graduation to finally get her degree. What happens when Wyatt sees the girl who broke his teenage heart sitting in his class?

I plotted out this story as homework, never intending to write it. But I fell in love with these two and they were clamoring for me to tell their story. Two years later, that story won the ACFW Genesis award and is now being published by Scrivenings Press. Best takeaway from that? Never. Ever. Give. Up.

Who knew that a class assignment could bring about the realization of a twenty-some-odd-year-old goal? Make a dream come true? God did. And I’m so glad I listened to Him as I put this story to paper.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy Love’s True Calling, a story of love rediscovered, the joy of finding purpose, and the blessing of obedience.

MY REVIEW

This story is an easy read and flows well. I loved Harper because Harper has finally started listening to God for her direction. It was funny how she returns to college years later only to run into an old friend. Well I don’t know if I would call Wyatt just a friend. As you read more you discover the history these two have . The backstory on them is pivotal to the book because it lays a foundation of their relationship. It shows how forgiveness can lead to being free from negative thoughts.

The best part of the story for me is when Harper volunteers at ConnectUp. Wyatt is a big part of the organization and at times Harper wasn’t sure he wanted her there. The at risk teens they minister to have real issues and I love how the author handles subjects like depression, suicide, self image, abusive relationships and bullying. Bring a part of the meeting after the kids leave, Harper becomes intrigued by the ministry, I like how Wyatt explains that they use terms that the teens will understand. They break down scripture so it is relatable to them at their level. What a great way to reach the youth and also give personal examples so they see that you do understand what they are going through.

Harper has overcome a tragedy in her life that I didn’t suspect at all. As she talks about it, I felt tears forming and was hoping for her to let go of her pain. In the tough times she seemed to be alone because she didn’t know how to express her feelings. She was surrounded by family but the pain was overwhelming for her. Now it makes sense why she is so drawn to kids. She has a lot to offer but something is holding her back? Is Wyatt not sure she can be trusted? Is he afraid that she will not be able to minister without saying the wrong words? He needs to accept that Harper is not the same person he knew in high school.

The author deals with one particular subject that I am certain we have all faced. Bullying is something that damages a person emotionally and can push them over the edge. When Harper finds out what happened to someone she knew in high school her heart drops. Wyatt all this time has blamed her for being a part of something she had no idea about. I know what it feels like to be bullied in school. I hated going to high school where everyday I was faced with a group of girls who tortured me with their hurtful words. I appreciate how the author talks about bullying in the story and the effects it can have on someone.

This story is such a good look at following your direction from God. Harper struggles trying to figure out if she is being called to ministry. She still feels like she would be letting her parents down if she walked away from a degree. Wyatt is very encouraging and together they start to heal from their past. I loved how the author uses these two characters to illustrate how we can carry hurt for years without realizing that we judged someone unfairly.

I didn’t realize how much this story affected me until the end. Our past can hold us back if we allow it. Harper and Wyatt are good examples of learning to forgive and letting go of the past. Do Harper and Wyatt end up together? Will their paths connect or divide as they each seek God for their future? Don’t miss this powerful story of redemption, opening doors to helping teens and second chances.

“If given to the Lord to use as He sees fit, He’ll turn all of that ugliness into something beautiful.”

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

Blog Stops

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 9 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 10

Texas Book-aholic, August 11

Artistic Nobody, August 12 (Author Interview)

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

Guild Master, August 14 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 15

A Reader’s Brain, August 16 (Author Interview)

The Book Club Network, August 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 18

Back Porch Reads, August 19 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, August 19

For the Love of Literature, August 20 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, August 21

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 22 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lori is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and 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/272f8/love-s-true-calling-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Quest of Fire: Desperation

Author: Brett Armstrong

Genre: Christian, Epic Fantasy

Release Date: September 13, 2022

Guarding his nation’s last hope, a teen must escape enemy lands.

While Anargen, Caeserus, and Bertinand are held captive in Stormridge, the war to restore Ecthelowall’s Commonwealth has been waged for months. Their friend Terrillian is on its frontline and hopes are high.

For Barons Fenwrest and Sornfold the fight is too close to their children, whose union represents the only viable challenge to the Monarchists claim to Ecthelowall’s ancient throne. Enter Thomas Fenwrest, an orphan and page to Sir Hurstwell, who is captain of Baron Fenwrest’s guard. The pair must escort the teens to Castle Yerst expecting boredom to be their only danger. Everything quickly spirals out of control when the Monarchists somehow deliver a devastating blow to the Restoration army and Thomas and Sir Hurstwell face the increasingly difficult task of keeping their charges alive. Ancient sorcery and bitter grudges combine to ensnare them. As desperation sets in for the Restoration and Thomas, to where will they turn for hope?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Brett Armstrong has been exploring other worlds as a writer since age nine. Years later, he still writes, but now invites others along on his excursions. He’s shown readers haunting, deep historical fiction (Destitutio Quod Remissio), scary-real dystopian sci-fi (Day Moon and Veiled Sun), and dark, sweeping epic fantasy (Quest of Fire). Every story is a journey of discovery and an attempt to be a brush in the Master Artist’s hand. Through dark, despair, light, joy, and everything in between, the end is always meant to leave his fellow literary explorers with wonder and hope.

Always busy with a new story, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and son.

More from Brett

There are three things I’ve come to learn that define what Quest of Fire is and means to me. When I first started writing the Quest of Fire series years ago, I knew I wanted to tell a big story set in an even bigger world. One with all the depth and breadth of my favorite series: Lord of the Rings and Star Wars and Chronicles of Narnia. Over time, the main story of Quest of Fire and the Lowlands it’s set in have grown every bit as big and fantastical as I always dreamed.

But there was a second something I realized I wanted to do with the series as much and more than tell sweeping stories. I wanted people to be able to zoom in on the sprawling maps and look closer and closer, and see people who look real, relatable. People with struggles and questions and who don’t always feel prepared for what comes next. So, I wanted to make even numbered books in the series novellas that zoom in and tell very personal and targeted stories.

Like Thomas’s in Book 4, Desperation. Unlike Anargen in the main entries, he wasn’t raised by Knights of Light and had a rough childhood. He has plenty to be bitter about and in Desperation his world is imploding around him. He’s overwhelmed at first and then he meets a Knight of Light, Terrillian, who steps out of the main storyline to be a mentor and shows Thomas what the life of one in service to the High King of All Realms looks like. How there is light even on the darkest of nights. We never know how much and how many will be impacted when we make a stand for Christ and we model his love and teachings before others. Likewise, Terrillian may not realize how profound his faithfulness will affect Thomas.

I write Quest of Fire to tell stories to encourage believers to stand firm in the faith, to join the fight against monsters in the pages of books so that when’s life’s beasts come against us we’re better equipped to face them. At least that is my hope and my prayer. Because the most important thing I learned I wanted Quest of Fire to be is a story that helps people better understand and join in the Greatest Story written by the Author and Finisher of our faith.

MY REVIEW

One thing I have learned about the author’s style of writing is that you must pay careful attention to the details. He creates a world where characters are bigger than life and their journey is filled with danger, secrets and lessons that I didn’t expect. I have come to respect his style and find myself enjoying his books more than I thought. It is important to keep an open mind when reading a genre you aren’t geared toward. As I read more fantasy books I can see how the authors create a place that I want to escape to. Now let me give you a few things I liked about this story.

The setting is very easy to visualize right from the beginning. I could already tell that Thomas and Mia would be two characters to keep my eyes on. Poor Thomas is trying to keep Mia safe, but she seems to question every move he makes. Mia is already doubting that anyone survived the attack including her father. If only Mia would listen to Thomas and have a little faith. Perhaps there are survivors but Mia is convinced that everyone has perished. I had to stop and think about her attitude a bit. I think I fall into the trap of thinking the worse at times just like Mia. Where is my faith? Looks like I need to work on that more.

There are battles galore in the story that at times were a bit too descriptive for me. I understand that the author wanted readers to know how dangerous the quest was. Saving Mia’s sister Delia does take a toll on Thomas and Terrillian. Will they have the strength to get everyone to safety? There is a bit of sorcery in the book that leads to talk of spells and danger.

The author dives deep into the world he has created and gives readers an adrenaline rush as the quest becomes more urgent with every move made. I began to wonder who could be trusted and if there was going to be any time for the characters to catch their breath. I didn’t see the oh my moments coming and believe me you will be in for a shock. Do I dare say what happens? I can’t ruin it for everyone but let’s just say not everything or everyone is as they seem.

Greed, jealousy and power are indeed alive in this epic adventure. The author once again shines in his genre with great imagination and vivid displays of character development. I loved the emotional moments between Thomas and Mia. When Thomas is trying to console Mia he tells her, “You learn to live through the hurt. All I know is death isn’t the answer to stop the pain.” Evil lurks among the pages in this story, but there is always hope.

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

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 10

By the Book, August 11

Blogging With Carol, August 12

Artistic Nobody, August 13 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, August 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 16

Through the Fire Blogs, August 17 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 19 (Author Interview)

Mornings at Character Cafe, August 19

Holly’s book Corner, August 20

Guild Master, August 21

The Book Club Network, August 22

Splashes of Joy, August 23 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Brett is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, copy of Desperation, and digital extras (exclusive map and music)!!

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/27731/desperation-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

About the Book

Book: Picture Imperfect

Authors: Alyssa Roat and Hope Bolinger

Genre: Christian Sweet Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 5, 2021

Can a struggling career woman and a procrastinating artist save a beloved nonprofit?

Aspiring novelist Caroline Penn expected a promotion, not a picture book assignment. But when her employer, the non-profit Helping Hope, runs into financial trouble, this book might be the solution. With the company struggling to stay afloat, she and the illustrator will need to collaborate on a strict deadline—no problem for a workaholic like Caroline, right?

Andy Jackson, a “starving” artist, pays the bills by taking on graphic design gigs, but his perfectionism gets in the way. If only he could focus on a project for once, perhaps he could achieve his dream to make art for children for a living.

When the two are thrust together to create a book, Caroline can’t seem to write for children, and Andy can’t meet a deadline to save his life. As time ticks down to release day, the two must face their pasts and insecurities. If they can avoid strangling one another for long enough, they may just bring to the table what the other is missing.

If not, the fate of their careers—and a beloved nonprofit—hangs in the balance.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Authors

Hope Bolinger is the managing and acquisitions editor at End Game Press and the author of 25+ books. When she isn’t accidentally writing a book in seven days, she likes to model, do theater, and hike around northeast Ohio. Find out more about her at Hopebolinger.com

Alyssa Roat is a multi-published author and has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an agent, editor, writer, and publicist. When not reading and writing, she likes to swordfight, rock climb, throw axes, and generally engage in tomfoolery with her silly cats. Her name is a pun, so you can find more about her at alyssawrote.com.

More from the Authors

Alyssa and I never thought we’d write a sweet romance book together. Sure, we’d done a superhero romance during the summer of 2018, but we didn’t think we had the prowess or mastery of description to make a jump into the genre.

Long story short, we were perfectionists. We wanted everything to be just right. We knew that our publisher was in need of filling a hole that some romance authors had left behind.

So we tried.

We really struggled with the first draft of Picture Imperfect. We felt shaky about it at first.

But then we learned along with our characters. That there is beauty in imperfection. That there is hope for all of us.

We decided to let go and embrace the book for what it was. Messy, but still beautiful in its own way.

Looking back, as the final book for the series releases this week, I am so happy that we jumped into the world of Picture Imperfect. We learned a great deal from these characters, and it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to the world of Roseville.

If you’re looking to see a story of redemption, hope, and embracing life’s hiccups, I hope you absolutely fall in love with Picture Imperfect.

It was funny because we both took on characters that we felt reflected our coauthor. When I (Hope) wrote Andy, I saw many aspect of Alyssa in him. And when she penned Caroline, we saw many glimpses of “Hope” as well.

There was something so beautiful and emphatic about jumping into the shoes of characters who felt different from us. We could understand other creative processes and embrace people for all their intricacies.

Thank you for joining us on this journey, and hope that you love Andy and Caroline as much as we did when we first wrote them.

Sincerely,

Hope and Alyssa <3

MY REVIEW

I am always intrigued when two authors collaborate on a book. You can tell that these authors poured their heart into the story and allowed the characters to become easy to identify with. I loved how you can sense the issue both characters have. They each have this need to prove themselves, to be perfect and never accept failure. Oh but what a beautiful illustration of how we may feel imperfect yet God loves us just the way we are.

I was excited to see Caroline and Andy work together on a children’s book. We see how difficult it can be to come up with a great story while trying to please others. Caroline is struggling with giving her boss the story he wants vs the story she knows God has given her. Andy is a great encourager and they begin to bounce ideas off each other.

We do witness a little background on both of them that help readers understand the battles they each face. One has no relationship with their mother. The rejection rubs deep and has affected them deeply. The other has disappointed their mom and can’t forgive themselves. They each feel less than perfect and try to fix each other. I did laugh at this because I think we all have done that. It seems easier to try to fix someone else, so we don’t have to face what needs healing in our own life.

I enjoyed the message of the book and how the characters grew and became more self confident . We all have flaws, experience insecurity and feel lost at times. But the good news is that there is always hope. Follow God and his plan for your life and all those doubts will turn into confidence, joy and above hope for a future.

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