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Wednesday, November 19, 2025

 

Sons of Day & Night Tour & Giveaway 

About the Book

Book: Sons of Day & Night

Author: Mariposa Aristeo

Genre: YA Fantasy – Retelling of The Prince and the Pauper

Release Date: November 18, 2025

Not even death can tell them apart.

In the wild and lush kingdom of Twinsbane, everyone has a look-alike, and each twin is cursed to die when their double breathes their last. When an ancient plague arises, the kingdom’s only hope is to sever these deadly ties. Yet King Daccias refuses to relinquish the cure, a legendary potion called the Separator.

Waruu, an orphan determined to break these ties, discovers he’s the king’s doppelgänger. He’s certain that if he can switch places, he can save the kingdom. But if anyone learns his true identity, he’ll lose everything—including the people he’s desperately trying to protect.

King Daccias wants nothing more than for his subjects to cease threatening to behead him if he doesn’t hand over the Separator. Intent on catching those opposing him, he finds himself ensnared in his own trap. If he doesn’t break loose, the kingdom will rest in the hands of an insolent boy who knows nothing about the truth behind the events unfolding around him.

To save their kingdom, both Waruu and Daccias must face their greatest enemy—each other.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Mariposa Aristeo is a writer of fantastical adventures filled with heart, humor, hope, and sometimes dinosaurs. But, most importantly, she’s a creative who seeks to glorify God on every page of her life. Besides writing snarky characters who sass everybody, Mariposa loves bringing stories to life in full color as an illustrator. She also enjoys inspiring other creatives as the Public Relations Director at Story Embers and the Social Media Manager at the Young Writer’s Workshop.

 

 

 

More from Mariposa

How could I refuse to write a retelling of The Prince & the Pauper?

(Kudos to all the zillennial girls who get that reference.)

Ever since I watched the Barbie rendition of this classic tale when I was just a little girl, this story has been on my heart. As I grew older, other more adventurous tales influenced me, such as Dreamwork’s How to Train Your Dragon, Jennifer Nielsen’s The False Prince, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, and more recently, Star Wars’ The Bad Batch.

But no matter the story, one aspect stayed the same—finding people just like me in the unlikeliest of places.

Growing up, I had a different childhood than most. I was pretty isolated with little to no friends, and not much extended family. It wasn’t until my twenties that I met the people who would later become my true family. They weren’t blood relations, and we didn’t interact in person until years later (yay for internet friends!). We are different in all the best ways but the same in the ways that matter and weird in the way that makes life interesting.

The Prince & the Pauper is a story about many things. Empathy, compassion, and learning what it’s like to live in another person’s shoes. When I set out to write Sons of Day & Night, I wanted to pay homage to this underrated tale while deepening the bond between the two very different (but also very alike) heroes. It’s not just a story about switched identities, it’s a story about the family we find even when our world is falling apart.

When my mom passed away from cancer in 2022, I felt like my world truly was falling to pieces. Besides losing a parent, I also lost what little I had of a normal family. But my found family came together to be there for me and be the family I never had.

We don’t share the same genetics, but they are every bit as much my brothers and sisters. As Stitch once said, “This is my family. I found it all on my own.”

Fast forward a few years, and I now live within 60 miles of my found family and see them almost every week. It’s funny to think how a few internet strangers became such a huge part of my life, but sometimes God sends us family in the places we least expect it.

And my hope is that Sons of Day & Night will remind you that there’s always someone out there just like you.

MY REVIEW

The story starts out lighthearted but don’t get comfortable. This is the beginning of a dark road where power and darkness wants to rule. It is interesting that people are supposed to to have a doppelgänger. How strange would it be to walk into a store and standing there in the aisle is your double? 

Welcome to Twinsbane where your double can either be good for you or not. The author grabbed my attention as I began to travel with our characters on a journey filled with twists and danger. The attitude of some of the characters really irritate me. They seem to have no respect and use their so called power to scare others. They want to be in charge but the author does give us some funny moments that balance the story well.

Waruu is going to be a delight  to follow. His mission is clear but has he thought it through?  His plan involves the King who thinks he doesn’t have to answer to anyone. Sounds like someone takes his power too far at times. I was shocked to learn that the King was only eight years old when he was crowned. Now that he is fifteen he still doesn’t get the respect he thinks he deserves. Have you ever had a boss who was younger than you? It can be a challenge but I have always respected whoever was in charge. Of course that doesn’t mean I agreed with everything. 

The author creates a world where everyone has a double. There may be some downfall to doubles though. They can’t live to the fullest because unfortunately one of them has to die. What a sad thing to have to deal with. It’s like a black cloud hovering over you. 

King Daccias is pretty clever for his age. As there is a meeting going on Sons of Night sit on one side and the Day doubles on the other. I laughed when Brissbane tells those in attendance, “ our honorable king, still being underage and lacking experience, has decided to refrain from joining the proceedings.” To his surprise someone shouts out” Bravo.” Guess who said that? 

With a retelling of The Prince and the Pauper the author achieves a unique place where a tonic becomes the treasure everyone wants, a king that refuses to do what is right and a takeover that causes danger. This story has all the elements of a fantasy at its best. I can’t wait to read the next in this exciting series.

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

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, November 20

Inspired by Fiction, November 21

The Lofty Pages, November 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 23 (Spotlight)

Wishful Endings, November 24

CeCe Reads and Sings, November 24

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, November 25 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, November 26

Guild Master, November 27 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, November 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 29

Simple Harvest Reads, November 30 (Author Interview)

The Mommies Reviews, November 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 1

Labor Not in Vain, December 2

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, December 3 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mariposa is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3dc7e/sons-of-day


 

Shilo Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Shilo: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Muddle (The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue: Book 7)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy

Release Date: May 1, 2025

From Breck Girl to Hippie to Jesus People…

…It’s been a long journey back home

But can her heart truly find peace where it all began?

When free-spirit Shilo Anderson inherits two million dollars with an unexpected condition—marriage—she refuses to be bound by her grandfather’s will. Until her beloved aunt faces cancer with no insurance to cover chemotherapy.

She won’t marry for money for herself, but to save her aunt’s life? She’ll make that sacrifice in a heartbeat.

Maybe.

Jesse Franklin never forgot his first love. When her grandfather’s will brings Shilo back to their hometown, he discovers his love for her has only deepened with time. Offering to marry her to help save her aunt, no problem.

Keeping it a marriage of convenience, that might be a problem. More like impossible.

As their feelings grow stronger, Shilo faces her greatest fear: revealing the truth about her past decade. Can she make Jesse see she doesn’t belong on anyone’s pedestal?

Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana, where faith shapes the journey and the legend of the cardinal in the sycamore still proves true love endures all seasons.

You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of second chances, because sometimes the rough patches prepare us for the wildly wonderful.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author and three-time Selah Award nominee, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty-plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy, as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawland The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

 

More from Jennifer

The story for Shilo has been fermenting in my brain for a long time. I had always loved Neil Diamond’s song of the same title and could see his characters playing out their parts and thought what would happen if the girl came back after ten years?

However, what I didn’t catch was that Shilo in the song was a boy, an imaginary boy who’d been a friend to a lonely boy.

In my brain, I missed the importance of him turning to his only friend in his mind.

Instead, I had a little girl moving in next door—she was Shilo—and they went from being friends to first loves, but something called her away and though he understood, he called her name like before hoping she’d return.

Okay, so not what Neil Diamond had in mind, but it became Jesse’s back story.

Then I had to ask, what was so important that she had to leave? That’s when I remembered Breck Girls. Do you remember them?

There was a time as a child that I thought one of the Breck Girls on the back of a magazine was so beautiful, I said, “She’s prettier than Mom.”

I was quickly (verbally) chastised by my dad who made sure to inform me that no one was prettier than my mom. I never thought of it as an insult. My mom was the high standard for beauty, and for someone to be even prettier, they were definitely a looker. However, I learned to keep those types of opinions to myself if my Dad was around. Mom understood and didn’t take offense—in fact, as I meant it, she thought it was a compliment that I found her so pretty.

All that to say that Breck Girls were a part of my growing up years, into the seventies. I wondered how Breck Girls were chosen, and if Shilo could/should be one. I learned there’s even an exhibit at the Smithsonian dedicated to Breck Girls and those lovely pastel portraits.

So, when (my) Shilo told Jesse she had to go before he could tell her that he loved her, it was because she’d been chosen to be a Breck Girl. Now I had a framework to start building the story.

I hope that when you read Shilo: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Muddle, you will be transported back to 1973 with many of your own memories.

Abundant blessings,

Jenny

MY REVIEW

Oh to be back with this series is amazing. I adore the Weather Girls  so much and love how their business  brings glorious hope and memories. I would encourage everyone to read the series so you don’t miss out on any character. 

The nostalgia in the story is so so good. Shilo is someone who reminds me of a care free sold out to Jesus person.  I remember the commercials of Breck and the girls whose gorgeous hair sold their shampoo. As Shilo mentions the hair shampoo all I could think about was how I wanted my hair to shine like the girls in the commercials. Shilo also shared about a music festival she went to where Janis Joplin performed. I’m showing my age, but Janis Joplin has always been a favorite of mine. There is mention about how she died but I found it be to important to the story because of the era we are covering. 

Shilo never thought she would come back to Kokomo but she makes the decision to for a very good reason. Her mode of travel is questionable though. Hitchhiking is dangerous as a young woman but Shilo seems to not be bothered by the danger. I loved her heart that shows how important family is to her. Every step she takes in the story is selfless and humble. Her grandfather’s will is very specific about how Shilo can inherit his wealth. Don’t miss the reason  on she decides to do something. It is definitely not for monetary gain, but to help someone she cares deeply for. 

Jesse has had a crush on Shilo for such a long time. Seeing her back in town kinda gets his hope of rekindling a relationship with her. Now he has his own problem to focus on though. I don’t like parents that put pressure on a child to take  a career that they aren’t sure about. Jesse surprises  me with a decision that not only will change his future but somebody else’s as well. 

I don’t want to ruin any part of the story so let me say how gifted the author is as she creates characters that are relatable with flaws that we can understand. Her look at the seventies is perfect and brings me back to my teen years. Trying to please others is not what God wants and wants us to leave our past behind. Will Shilo and Jesse find themselves in a relationship of convenience or will true love happen? 

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 15

The Important Things in Life: God, Books, & Chocolate , November 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 16

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 17

A Reader’s Brain, November 18 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 19

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 20 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 21

Books Less Travelled, November 22 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 23

Mary Hake, November 24

The Mommies Reviews, November 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 25

Roads to Everywhere, November 26

Fiction Book Lover, November 27 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, November 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d5a5/shilo-celebration-tour-giveaway


Sunday, November 16, 2025

 

The Songbird and the Surveyor Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Songbird and the Surveyor

Author: Denise Farnsworth writing as Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: November 3, 2025

A marriage of protection. A past full of pain. In Georgia’s wild gold country, love might strike when it’s least expected.

Genevieve Gillbard knows she’s no longer safe in the rough-and-tumble gold rush town when she overhears her controlling guardian’s plot to steal gold from a local mine owner. It takes every ounce of her courage to escape, and now she’ll do anything to keep herself safe, even accept a temporary marriage of convenience from a man who clearly wants nothing more than his independence.

After losing his first wife, surveyor Jesse Holden swore never to let anyone close enough to need him again. But when he discovers the woman he knows as the Songbird of Auraria injured and unconscious in the woods, he can’t abandon her, not with the memory of his failure to protect his wife hanging over him. He’ll keep this woman safe until she’s out of harm’s way, even if it means doing the one thing he swore he’d never do again.

As Genny recovers under Jesse’s care, she discovers he’s nothing like the manipulative men of her past. But can she trust him with her heart—knowing he plans to leave as soon as her guardian is brought to justice? And even then, she fears the sham marriage might not be enough to keep her safe from her guardian’s long reach.

 

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIES 

The author does such an amazing job of describing Genny’s voice that I closed my eyes after I read the first few chapters. Her voice was like a  nightingale that lulls you to a sense of peace, I felt chills up and down my arms as her voice came alive. No wonder she was so popular with the customers. Many people realize that Genny needs to be rescued from a desperate situation. I loved how Genny was so sweet to everyone but knew she needed to get away before a certain someone turned her life upside down. 

Jesse had my heart right away. I just loved his demeanor and how he rescued Genny from an almost tragedy. Bringing her to his cabin may be risky but he never once thought of his own safety. Maybe it was a little uncomfortable to care for her, but I knew it was no accident that God brought them together. 

The story is an easy read but it sure does have spiritual lessons that readers will appreciate. We all have a past, but we are not defined by that. Genny and Jesse both have some issues they need to work through.  I liked how the author surprises readers with a wedding I never expected. Will it be a marriage of convenience or will love grow into a lasting relationship? 

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


About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Farnsworth has authored around twenty traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A mother of two wonderful young adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

 

 

 

More from Denise

A Gold Rush…in Georgia?

Celebrate Lit Blog Post for The Songbird and the Surveyor by Denise Farnsworth

(writing as Denise Weimer)

 

Did you know there was a gold rush in Georgia that began twenty years before gold was discovered in California? That Georgia gold was purer than any found in the country? Comment below if you did. And I tip my hat to you. I come across many native Georgians who are unaware of this major event in their state’s history.

My first series, The Georgia Gold Series, touched on the Georgia Gold Rush. In the ten years since its release, I’ve written novels set between the Revolutionary War and contemporary times. (I also recently got married. Thus, the name change from Denise Weimer to Denise Farnsworth. I hope you’ll look for my future novels under my new name!) The period of the 1830s is one largely untouched in American history by fiction writers. I always knew I might revisit that decade in more detail. Thus, The Twenty-Niners of the Georgia Gold Rush was born.

Gold was first discovered by white men on Coker Creek in 1827, but it wasn’t until fall of 1828, when Benjamin Parks found a nugget as he returned from filling his cattle’s lick log west of the Chestatee River, that the mining industry exploded in North Georgia. The area was flooded by prospectors who clashed with the native Cherokee people. The land was soon taken from them and divvied up in a lottery of ninety-two districts, with farming plots set at a hundred and sixty acres and gold lots at forty acres. By June of 1832, almost six hundred surveyors from across Georgia were hard at work.

The gold belt stretched from Clarkesville to Canton (the setting of book two), with major concentrations near Dahlonega (the setting of book three). Auraria, located on the mountain ridge between the Etowah and Chestatee rivers, was one of the boom towns that lingered into the twentieth century, although now only a few abandoned buildings remain. Think Wild West before the west went wild. Into this setting I dropped the story of a guilt-haunted surveyor with a dangerous streak of wanderlust and an orphan who’s learned to sing for her life.

Genevieve Gillbard’s neglectful father has died and left her in the care of her guardian, a volatile saloon owner with unwholesome intentions. When she overhears a plot that implicates Charles Martin and one of his employees in a scheme to kidnap her and siphon off a local miner’s gold, Genevieve flees…right into the arms of another man she surely can’t trust.

Blaming himself for the death of his wife, Jesse Holden wants nothing less than being saddled with the wounded songbird he rescued from a drunken miner on his first trip to Auraria. But when he learns that Genny’s guardian is the same man responsible for his wife’s death, he agrees to shelter her to give his sheriff friend, also his former brother-in-law, time to entrap Charles. Neither of them expect to be forced into a marriage in name only—at least until Genny reaches her majority. Despite his efforts to hold his heart at bay, Jesse was raised by his minister-father to treat women right—something so new to Genny, it crumbles her walls. But will the emotional price of trusting Jesse prove higher than the risk to her physical safety?

Although set near raucous boom town of Auraria, The Songbird and the Surveyor is a story of quiet healing and second chances. Of rescues and God’s miraculous redirection. Of learning to spot the real among the counterfeit…and hold onto it for all you’re worth.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 15

Blossoms and Blessings, November 15

Texas Book-aholic, November 16

lakesidelivingsite, November 17

For Him and My Family, November 18

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 19

Pause for Tales, November 19

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 21

Stories By Gina, November 22 (Author Interview)

Lyssa Loves Books, November 22

Devoted To Hope, November 23

Books You Can Feel Good About, November 24

Books Less Travelled, November 25

Holly’s Book Corner, November 26

The Mommies Reviews, November 26

Cover Lover Book Review, November 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d5a4/the-songbird-and-the-surveyor-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, November 15, 2025

 

Sermons from a Soapbox Tour & Giveaway 

About the Book

Book: Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement

Author: Ladonna Shanks

Genre: Devotional, based on personal experience; Memoir; Adult Nonfiction; “Life Lesson Essays”

Release Date: April 8, 2025

“What is God like?

Does He even exist, other than as a figment of the imagination?

Or is He real, a part of daily life and our world?

In Sermons from a Soapbox, Ladonna Shanks shares her personal spiritual journey of more than seventy-five years. “I cannot write what I have not experienced,” serves as the base of her easy-to-read, anecdotal essays. The short “sermons” challenge the reader to think, question, search, and consider living where God is . . . in the spiritual, long-term, instead of humankind’s physical, short-term.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Ladonna Shanks was born and raised in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. During her several decades of life, she has been an entrepreneur, a small business owner, and, most recently, a writer. Her first book, Tidbits and Pearls, A Book of Essays on Living Everyday Life with God was published in 2019. Ladonna’s family, including five grandgirls, and her commitment to God serve as her priorities.

 

 

 

 

More from Ladonna

The desire and passion to share God’s quest for friendship with humankind has driven me to write of my personal experiences with Him. “I cannot write what I have not experienced” is my mantra.

The easy-to-read anecdotal essays make up both of my books: Tidbits and Pearls, A Book of Essays on Living Everyday Life with God and my newly published Sermons from a Soapbox, Messages of Hope and Encouragement. (My editor calls them “Life’s Lessons Essays.)

I never preach, but I share my life. My desire is to challenge the reader to consider life in the long-term, eternal instead of the short-term, physical. I want them to think.

I am open, honest, and transparent as I present my weaknesses, failures, and inadequacies in contrast to God’s faithfulness, care, and love.

MY REVIEW

I read this book with an open heart ready to see what nuggets of wisdom I would receive. I did like the beginning which talks  about our lives. Each one of us has a purpose and God knew what it was from the beginning. I know there have been times I wonder what my purpose is. I just want to know Him in a personal way that keeps my focus on God. 

Each chapter has a different topic as the author shares her insights. I appreciate her openness and desire for each of us to “know God as you experience life and a relationship with Him.” Each book I read I want to be open to what I read without judging or being misled. We all have different views and ways to interpret things.  On a personal level my briefs may differ from the author at times, but one thing lines up. We believe in God and want to follow His direction. I never want to say someone is wrong just because I don’t agree. Instead I give grace and ask God to show me the truth. 

It is apparent the author is passionate about God and loves to share Him with others. I loved when she said, “ time alone with God serves  as one of the greatest investments that  can be made in life.”  There are many nuggets of wisdom in the book and I enjoyed reading the author’s thoughts. She does cover many subjects that are faith based and direct us to a relationship with God. I think this would be a nice  gift to give someone or even use it in a small group. 

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 13

Simple Harvest Reads, November 14 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 15

Artistic Nobody, November 16 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, November 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 17

The Sacred Line, November 18

Lots of Helpers, November 19

Fiction Book Lover, November 20 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 21

Vicky Sluiter, November 22 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 23

For the Love of Literature, November 24 (Author Interview)

Because I said So, November 24 

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 25 (Author Interview)

Girls in White Dresses, November 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Ladonna is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, copy of my book, and a set of 6 blank note cards created by myself using floral photos!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d5a0/sermons-from-a-soapbox-celebration-tour-giveaway