Saturday, October 7, 2023

About the Book

Book: Terra

Author: Sofia Simpson

Genre: Young Adult Christian Fantasy

Release Date: February 14, 2023

Elementals don’t mix. They fight over territories constantly and news of their battles is everywhere.

Vela, an Earth Elemental, wants two things: to make it through high school and one day run her very own flower shop. When Linc, a Fire Elemental, strolls into her life, she is immediately thrown into chaos when a bond flares up, connecting them forever. Linc pursues her relentlessly, for connections like this are rare, but Vela wants nothing to do with it or him.

With this news, Vela discovers she and Linc may be a part of an age-old prophecy that could change their world forever by uniting the warring clans. However, a powerful group does not want their pairing to exist, for if it does, the prophecy may come true.

Vela and Linc must keep their bond a secret, for their lives are at risk if it is made public.

Can Vela deny a bond that could unite the battling clans, finally providing peace after centuries of conflict? Will she allow herself to love an enemy?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sofia grew up moving constantly. Never in one place more than three years, there was plenty of time to daydream during long car rides. College finally gave her a chance to study what she had always dreamed of doing, writing her stories.

She obtained a B.A. in Journalism, married her handsome husband and had two amazing sons. She’s also the proud mother of a 100-pound red rust Doberman who loves to chase around his sister, a fluffy-not-fat-cat.

A big believer in dreaming big, Sofia loves speaking to youth, encouraging them to find hope no matter what their life looks like.

Sofia is a daughter of the Lord first and foremost and finds inspiration with stories like King David and Esther.

More from Sofia

I became a Young Adult Christian Fantasy Author so that I could add clean content to the world of Young Adult books. I love writing a great love story, and here’s one that will meet all your expectations of a great enemies-to-lovers romance without the spice. I love writing a story that mixes faith with fantasy, much like Morgan Busse, Nadine Brandes and Sara Ella. And if you’re wondering if the butterfly on the cover has any significance at all? Why, yes, yes it does. Read Terra to find out why.

MY REVIEW

What a great story with many illustrations of faith. I liked how we see the decision to be with someone who isn’t accepted by others is a big dilemma . When an unexpected death happens the question is asked, “ Why do bad things happen to good people? I love the answer. “Free will.” I know it is hard to understand but remember we make our own choices.

The adventures begins as we begin to look at prejudice and choices that can cause chaos. I loved how we watch the characters go through trials and trust God as they go on a journey where danger follows. I really liked Vela and how she turned to God for answers. Dealing with forgiveness is a definite plus in the story. Being blamed for something you didn’t do is hard and Vela realizes she has shown hatred towards a group unfairly.

This would be a great book for young adults as well as adults who love fantasy, romance, faith and lessons in forgiveness and trusting God. I was impressed with the writing and look forward to more from this author.

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

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 6

Blossoms and Blessings, October 7 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 7

Texas Book-aholic, October 8

Splashes of Joy, October 9 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, October 10

By The Book, October 11 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 12

Through the Fire Blogs, October 13 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 14

Guild Master, October 15 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 16

Artistic Nobody, October 17 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, October 18

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

Pause for Tales, October 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sofia is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and copy of Terra!!

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/28433/terra-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, October 6, 2023

About the Book

Book: The Air I Breathe

Author: Karen Baney

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 15, 2023

Single mom, starting over Christian Contemporary Romance.

One moment of weakness changed everything.

When life throws Kelly Sutton a curve ball, she packs up everything she owns to move to Arizona to be closer to her daughter’s dad. Starting over in a new town stresses Kelly and triggers panic attacks—something she thought she was over. When a panic attack comes on and the only person she knows in town can’t help her, his roommate comes to her rescue. Will Kelly find her footing again in this new town?

Matt Dixon has too much on his plate. He works as a financial analyst during the day while he goes to seminary at night. He also juggles an internship with his church to fulfill his dream of becoming a youth pastor. When he comes to the aid of his roommate’s ex, he never expects his life to go off the rails. Will he choose love for a woman over his dream?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Karen Baney is passionate about writing stories full of flawed characters. She enjoys weaving together stories of second chances, redemption, and overcoming personal trials. As a transplant to Arizona in the late 1990s, she loves researching the state’s history and finding ways to seamlessly incorporate real history and real settings into her novels. In addition to writing and speaking, Karen works as a Software Development Manager for a Christian ministry.

Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. Karen and her husband, Jim, make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs, Bella and Daisy. Both Jim and Karen are active at Rock Point Church in Queen Creek, Arizona.

More from Karen

Inspiration Behind the Novel

The female main character in The Air I Breathe, Kelly Sutton, suffers from panic attacks. The inspiration behind this came from a real-life encounter. Around twelve years ago, my coworker and I took a break to walk around the office building we worked in. We saw a young woman leave the building. To our shock, we watched as she kneeled on the concrete sidewalk and bent over.

Concerned about her well-being, we rushed over to her and asked if she was alright. She said she was having a panic attack. I’ll never forget the sound of her wheezing.

I asked what we could do to help her and if we should call 911. She begged us not to call, so I knelt beside her, rubbed her back, and silently prayed over her. After ten minutes or so, she recovered enough to go back inside the office building. She told us that when people call 911, it embarrassed her. She knew how to cope with the panic attacks, but others didn’t understand and overreacted, making things worse for her. She thanked us for stopping and for listening to her.

Though we never crossed paths again, that encounter stuck with me. When I sat down to write Kelly’s story about starting over in a new city, I knew two things:

I wanted to represent this experience through her character.
I wanted to tie her experience with the idea that God is the air we breathe (like the popular worship song’s lyrics).

Many times, real-life provides inspiration for my characters or their trials and that was certainly true for many of the topics, besides the panic attacks, included in this novel.

MY REVIEW

Wow. I was not expecting such an emotional roller coaster as this story is. The author delivers characters that are realistic with problems some readers can relate to. It is important to grasp the concept of this message with a pure heart. We all sin and in those dark moments we feel alone, but there is always hope.

Kelly thinks she has finally started to get her life back on track as she decides to move to where the father of her child lives. With renewed hope she starts a job and begins to adjust to seeing her ex as he connects with his daughter. I did like how the author shows us how temptation can happen and how it can affect our lives. Kelly was so sure she would not make the same mistake twice but when you are insecure and wanting to feel needed, it is hard not to give in. I appreciate the author also illustrating how panic attacks happen and how important it is for Kelly to deal with what is causing her attacks to start happening again.

Matt is one of those people who you can count on. He is a hard worker, goes to seminary school and works with the youth at church. When he encounters Kelly she is in crisis. Matt’s compassion and patience shines as he befriends her. I did enjoy watching them share about their past and how they each had to forgive someone that has hurt them. Matt’s life takes a sharp turn that leaves him having to make hard decisions.

The story does deal with sensitive issues such as panic attacks, drug abuse premarital sex and affairs which could be a trigger for some readers. They are hard topics but the author uses them to show how God forgives us and learn to trust Him. Forgiveness plays a big part in the story and I liked how the characters dealt with their hardened hearts.

Throughout the book we see how the different characters think that they can never be used by God again. They are ashamed and feel like they don’t deserve to be forgiven . Isn’t it comforting to know that we can be redeemed, forgiven and begin again?

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

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, October 2

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 3 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 6

Texas Book-aholic, October 7

For the Love of Literature, October 8 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, October 8

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

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 10

Back Porch Reads, October 11 (Author Interview)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 12

For Him and My Family, October 13

A Reader’s Brain, October 14 (Author Interview)

Splashes of Joy, October 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 gift card with signed paperback copy of The Air I Breathe!!

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/2842e/the-air-i-breathe-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Abigail’s Secret

Author: Marilyn Turk

Genre: Dual Time

Release Date: August 15, 2020

Newly widowed mother Abby Baker goes home to Hope Harbor to help her ailing mother and restart her life. Weighed down by grief and fear of failure, she wishes she had the strength of her grandmother, who raised a young child alone while taking on the role of lighthouse keeper after her husband drowned. What was the secret of Granny Abigail’s strength?

Carson Stevens is a lighthouse enthusiast who has bought the deteriorating Hope Island lighthouse to restore it and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. When he meets Abby, he wants the attractive granddaughter of the former keepers to be part of the restoration.

As Abby and Carson work together, they uncover clues to a family secret that threatens to change Abby’s life forever. But someone is trying to sabotage their efforts at restoration.

Renovating the old lighthouse is Abby and Carson’s goal, but as they grow closer, they discover that what they’ve really needed is a renovation of their hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author Marilyn Turk writes historical and contemporary fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions for Daily Guideposts, Walking in Grace, and contributes to other Guideposts publications. She and her husband are lighthouse enthusiasts, have visited over 100 lighthouses and also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine.

When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys reading, walking, boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, and playing with her golden retriever. She also sings in the choir at her church and leads a women’s Bible study group. Marilyn and her husband have a combined family of four sons, one daughter, and four grandsons. She’s still hoping for a granddaughter someday.

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Word Weavers International, and the United States Lighthouse Society.

Marilyn is also the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference.

More from Marilyn

When I fell in love with lighthouses, I wanted to read all about them and see as many

in person as I could. Lighthouse Digest magazine was an answer to prayer. I inhaled every story in the magazine and used the information to write my lighthouse blog. https://pathwayheart.com/lighthouse/.

One blog post I wrote was about an opportunity to be a volunteer lighthouse keeper at a lighthouse, such as the Little River Lighthouse in Cutler, Maine. When my brother read my blog post he suggested that my husband and I do it. It had never occurred to me that I could be one of those people I wrote about! My husband jumped on board the idea, so we filled out the application, along with character references and proof we could drive a boat, and we were selected! The next summer, we arrived in the tiny town of Cutler, Maine, for our 10-day stay, and were met by the couple who arranged the lighthouse stays, who just happened to be the editors of Lighthouse Digest! I was awestruck.

They loaded us up in a boat in the harbor and took us out to the small island. We were charmed, and as a history buff, I was in heaven. The lighthouse and keepers’ house had been completely restored by a local non-profit organization which included a former Coast Guardsman who was once stationed there when the Coast Guard managed the property, as well as descendants of the last keeper family and the magazine editors. Beforehand, the keepers’ house had been abandoned for years, and it took months of work to tear out the old and restore it to livable again. Notebooks with before and after pictures showed the extensive work they’d done.

Obviously, I could talk a long time about our experience on the island, but I’ll spare you. The point is, the story of Abigal’s Secret had its origin there, and I knew what Carson and Abby went through to restore the lighthouse property in the book.

My husband and I fell in love with Maine while we were there, so the story had to be set there among the many islands and lighthouses. Maine has the second most lighthouses in the United States (over 50). We also stayed in Bar Harbor a few days before we went to Cutler, so the town in the book is loosely based on Bar Harbor. (Cutler isn’t that big.)

And of course, being the historian that I am, I knew Abby had to be connected to the lighthouse and that she would discover how her own life was similar to her grandmother’s, who just happened to be the lighthouse keeper during World War II, another era in history that fascinates me.

MY REVIEW

This book was a joy to read. It was fascinating as well because it included facts about lighthouses. I collect lighthouses but haven’t bought a new one in awhile. The author delivers a look at the history of lighthouses and how important they were especially during the war. I can’t imagine the stress it was to manage a lighthouse knowing you were helping keep people safe and to warn of spy boats or submarines.

Abby has moved back to her hometown to help take of her mother and also grieve the loss of her husband. She has her hands full working part time, taking care of her little girl and watching out for her mom whose health has deteriorated. I like that Abby is always willing to help others. There are times when I think she takes on more than she should. Has she taken time to grieve the death of her husband?

Carson was easily my favorite character. He is driven to restore the lighthouse and turn it into a Bed and Breakfast. Not everyone is happy with that idea though. One certain person from town who owns several B&B’s does not want Carson to succeed. I smell a little hint of sabotage about to happen. I sure hope Carson is on his toes and observant of what is going on with mishaps during the remodeling.

Without giving too much of the story away, the lighthouse has a big part in the story as it brings Abby and Carson together. What is discovered in the wall will take us back to the 190s. The story starts to move at a quick place towards the end and I really wanted a little more details about the secret that was revealed. I could almost imagine another book coming from this one where we can dig a lot deeper into the past or perhaps follow sone of the characters as they start a new beginning. The faith element is there but perhaps a little light.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 4

To Everything There Is A Season, October 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 5

Texas Book-aholic, October 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 7

Mary Hake, October 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 8

Cover Lover Book Review, October 9

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 10

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 10

The Book Club Network, October 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 13

Books I’ve Read, October 13

Blogging With Carol, October 14

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 15 (Author Interview)

For HIm and My Family, October 15

Holly’s Book Corner, October 16

Pause for Tales, October 17

Lily’s Book Reviews, October 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marilyn 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/28431/abigail-s-secret-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, October 5, 2023

About the Book

Book: Mojave Rift

Author: J.W. Gilbert

Genre: Christian Fiction – Action/Adventure

Release Date: March, 2021

Mojave Rift follows a young man, Arcon, as he attempts to leave an isolated community called ArcPoint. He seeks an outsider, Elaina, a young woman with the skills to help him cross the treacherous CalNeva Rift. For eight years they’ve violated the law restricting all contact with those known as the Mojave People. Jesus himself made that restriction, after he returned to rule earth from Jerusalem over a hundred years ago. Ranger Dan is the man in charge of upholding that law, and has no idea what he’s getting roped into.

Click here to get your copy

About the Author

John Gilbert Wozniak (JW Gilbert) grew up in an Oregon farm town. He retired in 2016 as an international data center cooling expert. Around the turn of the century, he began writing as a hobby. After years of expert guidance and a lot of editing, his ArcPoint trilogy is complete. His intent is to write books that are enjoyed by all ages—biblically accurate—with a touch of adventure, romance, and humor. JW has been married to his best friend Darlene since 1980. They are both retired and enjoy the hobby of creating lapidary jewelry. He is a member of Oregon Christian Writers, Mensa, ALLi, and the Tualatin Valley Gem Club.

More from JW

I became an avid fan of Christian fiction, especially after reading This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. I was working 12-hour night shifts as a data center technician and had ample time on my hands. At one point I was devouring a book per night but my favorite genre, action/adventure, was almost non-existent in Christian fiction. So, as is the case with many would-be authors, I decided to write the book I wanted to read. The setting? The future when Jesus is ruling the world, as told in Revelation chapter 20. My protagonist? Arcon, an adventurous young man from an isolated tribe of people. The premise? The people of ArcPoint don’t know that the outside world is safe and that Jesus has returned.

My first attempt at writing went well. I wrote my first draft in three weeks, edited it for six months, and landed a hybrid publisher with the final manuscript. The book garnered four- and five-star reviews, so I was pleased. (Not bad for someone who’d flunked English three times.) I was glad the reviews showed that the writing was good, but my readers were missing the message. I pulled it off the market.

For the past few years I’ve been honing my skills as a writer and reworking my ArcPoint story. There have been a few challenges. While researching, I found over a thousand verses in the Bible that sparked ideas for the time period I was writing about. Now the original book has become a trilogy, plus a prequel. However, traditional Christian publishers were not in the market for adventure stories, so I had to learn about self-publishing. And then, like a page right out of my prequel, the unexpected happened—a pandemic. I decided it would be best to put off publicizing until the entire trilogy was available. Now it is.

To see if the first book was ready to be self-published, I sent copies of Mojave Rift to Reader’s Favorite for professional reviews. It got five stars across the board. Then I entered Mojave Rift in their contest and won a silver medal. All the reviewers seemed to appreciate my inclusion of action, romance, and humor in a squeaky clean, fast-paced, futuristic novel.

I hope my ArcPoint series receives high scores from English teachers, but since I still don’t know a passive voice from a hole in the plot, we’ll see. Writing likable characters and adventure stories that run deep and inspire is something I enjoy. I’ve worked hard and it’s a thrill to get high audience scores.

BTW, did I mention the world-building for the isolated tribe in my story is set in America? Now that was a challenge.

MY REVIEW

Old world meets new world in this unique look at division from two view points. One side believes this place called the Mojave was where evil existed. Now someone has escaped and not everyone is sure he can be trusted.

I believe that God does test us and wants to see if we are obedient to Him. Arcon knew that God was telling him to leave what he has always known as home and go to where a new beginning was waiting for him. I loved following his journey and the trials he faced. The room where old artifacts are stored was a treasure of items we know well. Arcon finds a way to reach out to someone far away. There he begins a long eight year friendship with Elaina. Their bond grows strong and Arcon is ready to take the leap of faith to meet her.

The adventure takes us through jungles with thorns that eat into flesh and animals that are dangerous and ready to attack. It did take awhile for Arcon to to finally take his journey. It must have been hard for him to say goodbye to people he has known all his life. I liked that he trusted God and was determined to leave everything behind to follow the call on his life. God wants us to love each other but also be cautious of evil trying to take over.

Elaina was very dedicated to getting Arcon to come to her but at times I wasn’t sure if it was safe for either one of them. The author shows us how Elaina was driven by God to help Arcon escape and never had any thoughts of this stranger being a threat. It seems that Elaina’s dad has put safety measures in place when Arcon comes to stay with him and Elaina .

The story does take place in 2165 and the author uses his writing style to give us a viewpoint of what may have occurred when Jesus returned after tribulation. We can draw our own conclusions of what we think may happen so I appreciate the authors illustration of loving others, giving grace and trusting God. I’m not sure I agree with everything in the book but what is important is that we can be assured that He is coming back. What will the earth look like then we can only imagine as the author has in this story.

“I think He tests us to see how we’ll react to someone breaking the rules.”

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