About the Book

Book: Bold and Brave

Author: K.A. Cummins

Genre: Picture Book

Release Date: August 31, 2023

Sometimes courage is loud like an elephant, and sometimes it’s quiet like a llama.

Lily, a young autistic girl with a vivid imagination, wants to sing the solo in the school’s choir show. However, the thought of standing at center stage turns her heart a gloomy grey. School is overwhelming enough when no one is watching. Now all eyes will be on her. Will she overcome her fear and be bold and brave?

Bold and Brave is a whimsical picture book showcasing the heartwarming bond of family while visually drawing readers into Lily’s experience and inspiring them to be bold and brave. It’s aimed at readers aged 3 to 8.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

K.A. Cummins is an author and an artist. She explores storytelling in a variety of mediums, blending the wonders of science with the possibilities of what if. When not crafting stories, Cummins loves spending time with her family, collecting fun socks, and venturing outside her comfort zone to try new things—at least once!

Connect with her through her website at https://authorkacummins.com, where you can sign up for emails about upcoming releases.

More from K.A. Cummins

“Bold and Brave” is about a young autistic girl who wants to sing a solo in the school’s choir show. While a colorful pair of socks initially inspired the fiction story, it was my personal experiences as a woman and as a mother that most influenced it.

 

Stories often use words to draw readers into what a character experiences, but I wanted to do something different for this story. I wanted the illustrations to show readers the parts of the young girl’s experience that are often harder to explain.

 

For some, the smallest actions can take effort and courage, and their boldness and bravery doesn’t always show on the outside.

 

I hope “Bold and Brave” inspires readers, and provides an accessible insight into one autistic experience.

MY REVIEW 

The book is a nice way to illustrate how to overcome fear.  I liked how Lily was excited about her solo in the choir, but nervous that she wouldn’t be able to perform it. Being autistic she reacts to sounds and other things a little different than others. She puts on a brave face but around  her she looks for encouragement. 

This is a great book for little ones to understand that when we are brave we can do anything. It is important to let children know that they are surrounded by family and friends who are there to support them. The illustrations were very nice with bold colors and fun scenes. I would recommend this book for school libraries, church libraries and to grab a copy for your home. 

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 19

Texas Book-aholic, August 20

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 22

The Book Club Network, August 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 24

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 25

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 26

A Reader’s Brain, August 27 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 27

For Him and My Family, August 28

Vicky Sluiter, August 29 (Author Interview)

Raining Butterfly Kisses, August 29

Pause for Tales, August 30

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, August 31

Cover Lover Book Review, September 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, K.A. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 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/2716e/bold-and-brave-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Sky of Seven Colors

Author: Rachelle Nelson

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: August 8, 2023

In a strange part of the forest, the divide between worlds grows thin. 

After the accident, Meg would do anything to wake her best friend from his deadly coma. At least, that’s what she whispered into the woodland shadows. She never imagined her wish would trap her in a gray other-earth, void of any color.

Meg’s vibrant humanity is a priceless artifact in the gray kingdom, coveted by the royal court. All she wants to do is find a way back home. Until she discovers the other-earth contains healing powers that can save her friend. But only if Meg becomes what the gray people need—a human bride for Kalmus, the powerful king of the capital city.

With her heart torn between earths, Meg’s choices may cost more than she knows.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Rachelle Nelson grew up reading fantasy novels and getting her clothes muddy in the pine forests of Idaho. These days, she still loves hiking through mountains and libraries, though she is a bit less fond of mud. She doesn’t write true stories, but she writes about truth. When Rachelle is not reading and writing, she sings in a band with her talented husband, who makes her happier than should be legal. If you like adventures, good food, and honest conversations, you are her favorite kind of person.

More from Rachelle

Sky of Seven Colors is a story, in part, about beauty. I wrote it for my younger self, and for all the women I love.

When I was twelve years old, the girls in my neighborhood frequently weighed themselves and ended up forming an “under-100-club”. I have no idea why the arbitrary measurement of one hundred pounds was chosen, but I do know I was the first to outgrow the standard. A fact that was made known to the neighborhood boys during a driveway basketball game.

A chant began. “One hundred, one hundred.” And I didn’t play basketball again for the rest of the summer.

At the time, I didn’t know I would soon grow to my full height of 5’9” and would always be “bigger” than the other girls. I was convinced I could never be beautiful if I was the biggest, and I desperately wanted to be beautiful. You will probably think I was vain if I tell you I prayed every night before bed that God would make me prettier.

Now, as a woman well into her thirties, I am much more comfortable with the body God gave me. I have been a youth mentor for over a decade, and while getting to know some amazing teens, I have come to appreciate that every girl wants to be beautiful.

And they are.

I’m not just saying that in the “everyone is pretty in their own way” sense. I mean it. It’s an indisputable truth.

Femininity is beautiful.

Youth in and of itself is beautiful.

And powerful. You don’t have to look far in the world to see that these things are desired, commodified, admired, sometimes cherished, and more often exploited. And every girl possesses them.

I have watched as generations of girls desperately long to be something they already are. They diet and compare and shop for anything to help them look their best. In our youth, we blindly walk out the perils and the gifts of beauty.

In my debut young adult fantasy novel, Meg travels to a colorless other-earth where she is the only human in a royal city of strange, gray people. The elites of society prize Meg’s color for its rare traits, and seek to control it, even pressing her into an ancient, binding agreement with their king.

Her color is intrinsic, like all of our bodies, not something she chose. And it is what everyone sees when they look at her. The color puts her in danger, and it is a gift she carries. But she must decide who she will be in spite of that gift, and also because of it.

Just like all girls must choose to respond to a world that sees them for their bodies.

The Bible has something profound to say about the connection between our outer and inner selves in this verse from 1st Peter:

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self….”

Meg is a very flawed character and doesn’t make all the right choices along the way. (I don’t know many people in life who fully have, even if we’re trying.) But she does come to understand that being desired and being loved are two different things, a truth I want every girl in my life to grasp deeply. And if Meg’s identity comes from within, she will have to choose the path of loving others, even when it seems impossible.

Especially then.

MY REVIEW

The opening pages set the stage for a step into a world where there is no color. I’m going to date myself here by saying I remember watching black and white television. It was fun but when we finally got a color television, it seemed like the world of beauty opened up to me. When Meg finds herself in this strange place without color, she kinda wishes she could take back what she said. She whispered in the woods where her friend was injured, “I will do anything,” if he is saved. Now what has she gotten herself into. The woods are different when she came the first time. Who does she hear whispering around her? 

Meg is trapped between Earth and another place that  is near to Earth. These creatures she has come in contact with have a mission for her. She is to travel with them to marry their king in order for them to achieve what they need. The world seems nice but is there danger waiting for Meg? Will she do as they ask and in return her friend who lays in a hospital bed in a coma? Are they telling her the  truth or tricking her into staying in this world where no color exists? 

I like how the author incorporates symbolic symbols like the number seven n the book. When Meg is ready to heat the king she is given seven ornaments. The number  represents wholeness .  How was the time for Meg’s real adventure begin. The journey is easy since she is being carried. She is suffering from some illness but is assured she will be healed. I loved this sentence from the book; “there is power in a name.” Oh how I know the name that is most powerful of all. 

It is interesting that in the  world Neg has been pulled into, that there is murmurs of jealousy and distaste for others. Sone consider the Croppers are clumsy, dirty and loud. How sad that this world is just like Earth. Meg starts to wonder if the king  will stick to his word. I felt a little uneasy as Meg is placed on display as the king welcomes her to his place where he conducts business. The interaction between Neg and the king are filled with tension. There is where I began to worry that Meg was being deceived and should not trust the king. 

 Meg is only interested in getting her friend healed and is so occupied with that , she  misses some  vital hints that all is not what it seems. It was weird that no one could heal Meg but needed constant rest and attention. She is losing herself in this world slowly and she knows that something is not right. The author draws readers in with the mystery of what will happen to Meg. I had to read faster so I could find out for myself how the book would end. 

Be prepared for some suspense as the story heats up and Meg realizes that  the king is hungry for power. His promises are empty ones as he tries to force Meg to do things she know is not right.  Meg will soon learn that a , “king’s purpose isn’t to be great. It’s to serve the people.”  The best lesson I took away from this story was the sacrifice someone made to save another. Without hesitation healing that person was the most important task and whatever it cost was worth it.

“Broken things can be turned into something new.”

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

Blog Stops

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, August 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 18

Texas Book-aholic, August 19

Through the Fire Blogs, August 20 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, August 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 21

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 22

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

The Book Club Network, August 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 25

Blogging With Carol, August 26

Labor Not in Vain, August 27

Simple Harvest Reads, August 28 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Beauty in the Binding, August 29 (Author Interview)

Raining Butterfly Kisses, August 29

Of Blades and Thorns, August 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachelle is giving away the grand prize package of a hardback copy of Sky of Seven Colors, a $50 Amazon gift card, a signed bookplate, a set of 3 bookish themed waterproof stickers, and a bookmark with exclusive Sky of Seven Colors character art!!

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/2716b/sky-of-seven-colors-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book: A Path to Forgiveness

Author: Lisa M. James

Genre: Christian Fantasy

Release Date: January 21, 2022

Reckless. Extravagant. Wasteful. These were all words that could describe Esther. Thirteen years of careless living had left Esther and her young son destitute. When her husband disappears at night, leaving Esther with the full burden of their debt, Esther has no choice but to claim her husband is dead and enslave herself and her child to stay alive. So severely had she broken the relationships in her life, she never expected a man from her childhood to speak on her behalf and carry the weight of her debt. Yet Esther soon realizes that escaping the demons of her past would not be be so easy.

Levi had little interest in seeing Esther again. When a promise to her father leaves him honor-bound to take her as his wife, he struggles with the bitterness he holds toward her for allowing her addictions and selfishness to derail her life. Yet, he could not hide the deep desire within him to be a husband and a father, even to a woman he did not love and a child that was not his by blood.

Discover the story of a reckless woman in A Path to Forgiveness.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Lisa M. James is an independent author, product marketing manager, and former Sunday School teacher. She is also a regular guest blogger for various IT digital publications. She is committed to creating fantastical worlds with clean romances and diverse female leads. Her novels have hit the Amazon Best Sellers list for numerous categories, including: Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, Christian Fantasy, and Christian Romance. Her fictional writing is inspired by Historical Fiction, Fantasy genres, and Biblical Fiction. When not writing, Lisa loves talking about her faith, Disney movies, and football while drinking chai lattes.

More from Lisa

I have always loved historical romances, especially ones that take place in Biblical times. However, I am not a historian and I love to make things up, which is why I write fantasy novels.  A Path to Forgiveness was my first venture into Christian Romance set in a Fantasy world. If you enjoy historical romances, you will get a feel of that in the world I created since I am so greatly influenced by Biblical history.

 

A Path to Forgiveness is a story of repentance inspired by the parable of The Prodigal Son. Esther is a woman who feels unworthy of forgiveness. She believes she deserves to be punished for her choices. Levi is a man from her childhood, who does not disagree with her. His heart has grown hard from his own life experiences.  In A Path to Forgiveness, they both go on a journey learning how to accept and receive God’s overflowing mercy and grace. I hope you enjoy reading Esther and Levi’s redemption story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

MY REVIEW

In this fantasy world the Gourd is a place that is hard and unforgiving. There is quick punishment for those who dare to defy the Grandmasters. Esther has been brought before the powers that are ready to pass sentence on her. Oh how she knows that she has done many things wrong, but won’t someone stand up for her? I could feel her hopelessness start to slip away as she stood before her fate. 

The story illustrates how some choose power over forgiveness and have  no desire to reform those who have strayed. Simon is the only one who speaks up on behalf of Esther. Simon is determined to rescue her and find someone who can save her. He is given three weeks till they decide her punishment. 

Some think Esther does not deserve mercy and therefore does not want to offer any help. Her debt is large and Simon has turned to Levi  for help. He ponders what her fate will be such as being enslaved where her life will be full of hard labor and perhaps be taken advantage of by her owner. 

I admired Levi for his compassion for Esther. He is not happy with the arrangements but his devotion to her father and a promise he made prompts him to take on the responsibility of Esther and her son. There is tension between them as they start their journey. Levi is stern when he tells Esther he will not stand for any of her past indulgences. What must it feel like to know that the man who has rescued you does not care for you at all? I couldn’t wait to see if their relationship changed. 

The story is filled with secrets that will cause many to suffer and change their destiny. Esther is desperate to find a better life for her and her son. What will the cost be when her secret is discovered?  A beautiful illustration of redemption and forgiveness awaits those who read this story. 

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

Blog Stops

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 12 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 13

Guild Master, August 14 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, August 14

Texas Book-aholic, August 15

Simple Harvest Reads, August 16 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 18

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

Through the Fire Blogs, August 20 (Author Interview)

The Book Club Network, August 21

Artistic Nobody, August 22 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 22

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, August 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 24

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 25 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize package of a plum pansies print Vera Bradley bag 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/2716a/a-path-to-forgiveness-celebration-tour-giveaway

 RETURN OF THE MONARCHS BY BETH WISEMAN 

Janelle Herron isn’t interested in having a boyfriend. She wears black clothes, dark makeup, and sees herself metaphorically as a caterpillar who hopes to transform into a butterfly someday. She hopes that she will grow into a vision of herself that she can live with, and she has her reasons—reasons that only her parents are aware of—but that doesn’t include having a romantic relationship. But when she sees a handsome Amish man being harassed by bullies, she gets involved and becomes friends with Thomas Schrock. He’s safe. They can never be together romantically because he’s Amish.

Thomas Schrock is intrigued—and a little embarrassed—when a Goth-looking young English woman intervenes in a one-sided fight Thomas is about to be lured into by three bullies. Janelle is spunky, brave, and might even be pretty behind all the dark makeup she wears. She is easy to talk to, fun to be around, and as they spend more time together, he begins to understand some of the reasons she dresses the way she does. But as Janelle and Thomas’s feelings begin to lean toward romance, Janelle holds tightly to a secret she has no plans to share. Her plan is to stay on course and leave for college at the end of the summer.

But will a magical meadow filled with monarchs and a little divine intervention turn things around for Janelle? Will she finally share her secret with Thomas and become the butterfly she’s always wanted to be?

MY REVIEW 

Oh how I love butterflies and how they remind me of a new beginning. I love how the author uses them in this story to show how we are all unique and loved by God. When most people meet Janelle for the first time, they are taken aback by her looks. She tends to dress on the dark side with makeup that hides her beauty. I remember a time when I wore dark clothes and makeup as well. I wanted to hide from the  world and it seemed easier to fade into the background when I was all dressed up in black. Janelle is the sweetest person ever though and has much to offer. Her quiet nature and insecurity have taken over her life until one day….

Thomas is a young Amish man who seems to be picked on by a group of young teens who don’t like the way he dresses. I wish people were not so judgmental and just accepted each other as they were. What I thought was nice was how Janelle stood up for Thomas and from there a friendship blossomed. Maybe Thomas can help Janelle feel that she can trust others. 

This is a beautiful story that shows that scars can be healed and “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” We all have scars whether they can be seen or not. If we allow those hurts to hold us back, we miss out on the beauty that God wants to surround us with. It is time to be free and fly like a butterfly and let the past be the past. I loved how the author talked about bullying and how it affects us. Thomas and Janelle allow their feelings to see past their different life styles and open their eyes to a new beginning. 

I received a copy of this book from the author The review is my own opinion.