Clara and the Cowboy Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Clara and the Cowboy

Author: Erica Vetsch

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: October 13, 2025

She’s the rancher’s daughter. He’s the reformed outlaw who became her father’s foreman. Love was never part of the plan.

Clara Bainbridge has loved Alec for years, long before she left for finishing school in Boston. And though she is convinced he loves her too, he seems determined to push her away now that she’s back. So when the handsome stranger who protects her during a stagecoach robbery reveals that he is her new neighbor, Clara begins to wonder if accepting his suit might be wiser than waiting for Alec.

Ranch foreman Alec McConnell has worked hard to overcome his criminal past and prove himself worthy of Colonel Bainbridge’s trust. When cattle start disappearing from the Cross B Ranch, Alec’s checkered past makes him the prime suspect. He must catch the real rustlers to clear his name, but his growing feelings for the Colonel’s daughter, Clara, threaten to undo everything he’s built. How can he protect her when his very presence in her life could destroy her reputation?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Best-selling, award-winning author of The Debutante’s Code, first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series, Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum.

 

 

 

 

More from Erica

Did you, like me, grow up watching westerns on tv? I watched often in reruns as the heyday of the TV Western was waning about the time I was born. But I watched Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Bonanza, Have Gun, Will Travel, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, The Virginian, and more.

And so grew my love of the old west, of cowboys, cattle drives, frontier justices, and rolling tumbleweeds.

I also read westerns. Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Abel Shott (Yes, that was the pen name of the man who wrote the series called Solo Strand: The Silver Kid.) I was a firm believer in The Code of the West.

So, when it came time to write my own ‘cowboy book’ I took much inspiration from the screen and the page.

Clara and the Cowboy is the story of Alec and Clara, a cowboy and the ranch owner’s daughter. There’s cattle rustling, gunplay, good vs. evil, a damsel in distress…all the best parts of western classic lore. I had such fun writing it, influenced by those who had written the genre before me.

The setting was chosen (Southwest Idaho) because of a series of books I had read as a teen, written by Glenn Balch, about a ranching family near Nampa, ID. I’ve never been to that part of the US, but I felt as if I had because I read those books (many times!)

As I look back on the hours I spent watching classic westerns on tv and reading western fiction, I’m reminded of the impact they had on my life. How they taught that good and evil exist in the world, and that it takes bravery to stand up and do the right thing. I learned that honor and integrity do not come without cost, and that actions have consequences.

Who would have thought that watching a rerun of The Big Valley would instill a desire to embrace the cowboy culture through my own fiction?

I hope you enjoy reading Clara and the Cowboy, and that perhaps it takes you back to your own childhood of rooting for the man in the white hat to get the girl he loves before the credits roll.

MY REVIEW

I love a good book that will take me to a place where hard work and faith combine. This story is rich in the rugged country life that illustrates how hard it can be as a rancher. Day after day the cattle need attention, horses need exercise and of course the everyday chores to keep everyone fed. I really liked how the author uses creative words to help readers visualize ranch life.  

I love how the story starts with an unexpected situation that finds Clara in grave danger. I can’t imagine being in a stagecoach in the middle of nowhere and suddenly danger surrounds you. The only thought on Clara’s mind was getting home to see her father after a long time away. She is also secretly excited to see a certain  man who has had her heart for a very long time. 

With a mystery of cattle  and horses missing on the ranch the story takes a serious tone as suspicion swirls around. Alec seems to be a little distant with Clara when she first arrives. Maybe he is too focused on the ranch but I think he doesn’t  want to show his emotions just yet. I did feel his uneasiness when he goes to town with Clara. His father’s bad reputation  is well known and reflects on him and his brothers. Have  you ever had a family member who did something wrong and others judge you because of it? 

I like the illustration of turmoil Clara and Alec face as they both walk through forgiveness. Alec wants to be able to forgive his father but the pain of rejection runs deep. I’m sure we each have faced a similar situation that only God can heal. With Steadman  trying to get Clara’s attention, Alec needs to wake up before he loses the woman he loves. I was suspicious of Steadman and wonder if his kindness to Clara is real or an act. 

I appreciate how the author illustrates  how bitterness can destroy a person if they don’t ask God for help. Trying to seek revenge when hatred  is in your heart can only lead to your downfall. Don’t miss this exciting adventure filled with cattle rustlers, greed and an exceptional lesson in forgiveness.

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

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 14

Book Looks by Lisa, October 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 16

For Him and My Family, October 17

Devoted Steps, October 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 18

Devoted To Hope, October 18

Simple Harvest Reads, October 19 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Fiction Book Lover, October 20 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Books You Can Feel Good About, October 20

lakesidelivingsite, October 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 21

She Lives to Read, October 22

Pens Pages & Pulses, October 22

Books Less Travelled, October 23

Blossoms and Blessings, October 23

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 24

Cover Lover Book Review, October 24

Bizwings Blog, October 25

Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 25

Pause for Tales, October 26

Holly’s Book Corner, October 26

Jodie Wolfe, October 27

Vicky Sluiter, October 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Erica 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/3d27f/clara-and-the-cowboy-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

Rescued Heart Tour & Giveaway 

About the Book

Book: Rescued Heart

Author: Angela Hunt

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release Date: October 7, 2025

In Ur of the Chaldees, Ishcah faces the daunting prospect of marrying Abram, a man she has never met and who renames her Sarai on their wedding day. Their union tests her as she grapples with uncertainty and Abram’s devotion to an unseen God. Her skepticism toward seemingly impossible promises grows, and only a miracle can prove Adonai’s faithfulness.

 

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

 

About the Author

Angela Hunt is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 160 books, with 5.5 million copies sold worldwide. Angela’s novels have won or been nominated for the RWA RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Christian Book Award, and the HOLT Medallion. Four of her novels have received ForeWord Magazine‘s Book of the Year Award, and Angela is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Romantic Times Book Club and ACFW. Angela holds doctorates in biblical studies and theology. She and her husband make their home in Florida with mastiffs and chickens.

More from Angela

Can you please provide a brief summary of your novel Rescued Heart?

Rescued Heart is the story of Sarah—taken from Scripture and another ancient manuscript, the Book of Jasher. Scripture tells us relatively little about the first matriarch of our family, so this novel explores more of what her life might have been like.

What drew you to write about Sarah as the first subject in your new MATRIARCHS series?

I have been writing biblical historical fiction for a few years now, and I had yet to go back this far in history. It’s a challenge to find authentic history about the bronze age, but when you can find something, it’s fascinating.

How did you research daily life in ancient Mesopotamia and the nomadic existence Sarah would have experienced?

As I mentioned above, I used the Book of Jasher to fill in many of the details that Scripture does not give us. Jasher does not claim to be inspired Scripture, but it does give us ideas about what daily life in that age could have been like.

Sarah faces many difficult situations in her journey, including barrenness in a culture that deeply valued fertility. How did you approach writing about her emotional struggles?

Writing about infertility was easy for me, as my husband and I personally experienced it— though not nearly as long as Sarah did. I simply took what I knew and multiplied it by decades of years.

The relationship between Sarah and Abraham spans decades. What challenges did you face in portraying their evolving relationship over such a long period?

A marriage, like any relationship, goes through seasons—the honeymoon phase, the getting to-know you phase (especially in an arranged marriage), as well as various struggles regarding finances and leadership. Sarah put up with a lot—Abraham’s lies about their relationship, for one thing, and Sarah’s twice ending up in harems of foreign kings—yet they remained committed to each other.

How did you balance staying true to the biblical account while creating a full narrative with dialogue and interior thoughts?

Whenever I write in this genre, I aspire to 1) never contradict the biblical record, 2) never contradict the historical record, and 3) fill in the rest with what fits with what we can know about society, environment, governments, and technology at that time. The rest is emotional, because human nature does not change.

Sarah is often remembered for her laughter when told she would bear a son in her old age. How did you interpret this pivotal moment in her story?

Wouldn’t you laugh if someone told you—at ninety—that in a year you’d be nursing your own baby? I would! Sarah was not only old, but she had also been through menopause, so she thought of herself as a dried husk, no longer a woman. No wonder she laughed.

What surprising insights about Sarah did you discover during your research and writing process?

I don’t know if I “discovered” this, but I portrayed her as a woman who trusted in God through her husband. After all, Abraham was the one who talked to God, saw Him, prayed to Him—Sarah simply believed in her husband, who believed in God. But when God told Abraham to sacrifice Sarah’s beloved son, she had a real crisis of faith, and Jewish tradition holds that the shock of that realization was what resulted in her death. If you examine Scripture, you’ll see that Abraham and Isaac left Beersheba, where the family had been living, and went to Mount Moriah for the sacrifice . . . but Sarah doesn’t die in Beersheba, where she must have been living, but at Mamre, where Abraham had built an altar. And that’s all I can say without spoiling the ending of the book.

What do you hope readers take away from Rescued Heart?

That our relationship with God must be personal, not secondhand.

What are you working on next?

I am currently writing Righteous Heart, the story of Rebekah. Loving the research.

MY REVIEW

I love when an author brings a Biblical story to life and stays true to the scripture. As with fiction books there may be a little added but I found this book to be accurate and opened my eyes to things I never saw when I read this story in the Bible  many times. 

I appreciate the way the story flows as we follow Sarah as she struggled with having children. The emotions were realistic and I liked how the author shares how Hagar plays a part in this story. Perhaps a bit of jealousy was felt but what was most important was seeing how Sarah’s faith and trust in God grew. 

The author creates a feeling of being right in the story following the characters and feeling their pain, struggles and blessing.  Can you imagine waiting as long as Sarah did to have a child? It is a testament to what God can do and how His promises are faith filled. This would be an excellent book to use as a small group study. Also be sure and read the author notes at the end. 

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

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 10

Mary Hake, October 10

Inspired by Fiction, October 11

Devoted Steps, October 12

Texas Book-aholic, October 13

She Lives to Read, October 14

Pause for Tales, October 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 16

Lily’s Corner, October 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 18

For Him and My Family, October 19

Stories By Gina, October 20 (Author Interview)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, October 20

Cover Lover Book Review, October 21

Holly’s Book Corner, October 22

Leslie’s Library Escape, October 23

The Bookish Pilgrim, October 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angela is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Barnes & Noble 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/3d278/rescued-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

As Far as the West Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: As Far as the West

Author: Barbara A. Curtis

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: September 23, 2025

His only chance at happiness lies in the hands of a woman determined to expose his family’s darkest secrets. 

Josiah Calloway lives in the shadow of two battles—the war that cost him his future and his leg, and the shame of his father’s betrayal. To restore his family’s honor, Josiah secretly repays the debts his father left behind, one by one. But the largest debt remains unpaid—to the Morgan family, his father’s sworn enemies.

Determined to save her family’s ranch, Lizzie Morgan takes a job at a Boise tailor shop, only to discover her employer is Benton Calloway, a man with a decades-old vendetta against her parents. Lizzie suspects he’s up to no good and plans to uncover proof of his schemes against her parents. The one bright spot in her dangerous game is Benton’s kind-hearted son who walks her home each evening, whose gentle ways and protective nature make her heart flutter.

As every evening walk draws them closer, Josiah finds himself falling for this determined seamstress with fire in her spirit and grace in her heart. When feelings deepen and Benton’s threats escalate, Josiah is given an ultimatum. But protecting Lizzie from his father might risk losing her trust and love forever. Can love overcome a legacy of betrayal or will the truth shatter everything they’ve built?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Barbara A. Curtis lives in Connecticut with her husband, and they have one grown son, a blessing to their hearts. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Novel Academy.

 

 

 

 

 

More from Barbara

Have you ever felt like a kid in a candy store?

In As Far as the West, eleven-year-old Gideon Brighton has the joy of living out that saying as he works for his grandmother in her candy shop, with his pay being in candy. And as a young entrepreneur, he has big dreams for Brighton’s Candy Shop.

Can you picture yourself sticking a hand into a big glass jar and pulling out favorites like Tootsie Rolls and Mary Janes? And other favorites of the day—Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses and Clark’s Teaberry and Wriggley’s Juicy Fruit gums. DeMet’s Turtles, Whitman’s Samplers, Cadbury’s, Life Savers, and Brach’s caramel squares. Necco wafers and butterscotch Reed’s Rolls. Yes, all available in 1920 and ready for Gideon to dig into. But his favorite of all? His Grandma Brighton’s homemade fudge.

Do you have a favorite “old-fashioned” candy that fills you with nostalgia? Or images of being a kid in a candy store yourself?

If you continue on with the next book in the series, Gathered from the North, you’ll get to meet Gideon once again—as an adult and owner of Brighton’s Candy Shop—and see if the young businessman fulfills his dream of adding an ice cream parlor to it.

I hope you enjoy As Far as the West—and maybe it’ll inspire you to make a visit to an old-fashioned candy shop yourself.

Blessings!

Barbara

MY REVIEW 

What a beautiful story of being the hands and feet of Jesus. I could not stop being in awe of Josiah. His humble, Godly ways illustrates how we need to treat others. Although his father is no on the up and up, Josiah decides to repay those his father has cheated out of money. I love his example of faith by not only his actions but his words. He is able to restrain himself from the trap of the enemy and continue his promise to make things right to those who had fallen as a victim   to his devious and greedy ways.

I liked how Lizzie stepped out on her own and traveled to Boise for an adventure in supporting herself. She does have a few hiccups but lands a job as a seamstress.  Meeting a dear couple on her way to look for work, brings a lasting friendship for her. This couple welcome her in to their home when she had nowhere else to go. What a great way to show love to others in need. 

As you read the story you will find a very special woman who takes Lizzie under her wings. Mrs. McPhearson opens her boarding house to Lizzie and gives her a place  to feel safe. I liked reading about the delicious meals served each day and the love that went into them. Lizzie will always hold a  special in Mrs. McPhearson’s heart. 

Forgiveness is the main theme in this story and is illustrated very well. We find ourselves thinking that someone doesn’t deserve forgiveness but God wants us to forgive. If we don’t forgive we hold ourselves back from God’s blessings. This story is one that would be an excellent book to read in a small group. I can just imagine the group discussing each character and learning valuable and faith filled lessons that won’t be forgotten. 

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.’”

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

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, October 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 9

Texas Book-aholic, October 10

Simple Harvest Reads, October 11 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 12

For Him and My Family, October 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 14

Devoted To Hope, October 15

Books Less Travelled, October 16

Stories By Gina, October 17 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, October 17

Pause for Tales, October 18

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 19

Cover Lover Book Review, October 19

Lily’s Corner, October 20

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, October 21 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Barbara 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/3d274/as-far-as-the-west-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

A Riddle in the Lonesome October Tour & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: A Riddle in the Lonesome October (Rae Riley Mysteries Book Three)

Author: JPC Allen

Genre: YA Christian cozy mystery

Release Date: October 1, 2025

How do you survive a season of fear?

October is a hard month for Rae Riley’s family. Her dad, Sheriff Walter “Mal” Malinowski lost his wife and father then. He also has to manage the trouble Halloween brings to rural Marlin County, Ohio. But this year, Rae’s uncle fights for his life after a riding accident, and a family feud over a lost inheritance erupts at a local Halloween attraction. As Rae tries to support her family, she and her cousin Amber work to unravel the 70-year-old riddle that will reveal the location of the inheritance so their great aunt Lily and her kids can gain a fortune. And Rae must deal with the secretive behavior of the deputy she’s fallen for.

When a bogus medium conducts a séance to contact Cyrus Morley, the man who devised the riddle, the results stun everyone, and the aftermath is even more shocking. There’s only one way to survive a season of so much fear–and only one way to unmask a killer.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

JPC Allen started her writing career in second grade with a homage to Scooby Doo, and she’s been track down mysteries ever since. A Shadow on the Snow, the first novel in the Rae Riley Mysteries series, won first place for published YA fiction in the ACFW KidLit Contest. A Storm of Doubts, her second novel, came in second for YA fiction at the Selah Awards. Online, she offers writing tips and prompts to ignite the creative spark in every kind of writer. She also leads writing workshops for adults and teens. Coming from a long line of Mountaineers, she’s a life-long Buckeye, a wife of one for twenty years, and mother of two for sixteen.

 

 

More from JPC

Writing a Historical Mystery … Sort Of

I had a great time concocting the elaborate mystery for A Riddle in the Lonesome October. What made this novel unusual for me was the importance of history in figuring out the riddle to the hidden inheritance. In my other mysteries, the suspects were living people my amateur sleuth Rae Riley knew. She could speak to them and evaluate who was telling the truth, who was lying, and who was hiding something.

But for this mystery, Rae has to dig into the past. She decides in order to crack the riddle that was left to the heirs, she has to understand what kind of man was Cyrus Morley, the man who created the riddle. Since he died over seventy years ago, she has to use historical resources.

I had a lot of fun coming up with the documents Rae uncovers. Since Cyrus Morley was wealthy and owned coal mines in Marlin County, Ohio, where Rae lives, he was a prominent citizen, often featured in stories in the local newspaper. But official sources like that only revealed part of Cyrus Morley’s complicated life.

As a former librarian, I knew that local libraries can have books or documents that you can’t find anywhere online. Those materials were printed decades or even centuries ago and only have local interest, so no one has bothered to put them online. So I created a memoir, written by a local pastor’s wife. It’s the kind of book a church and its members would have but no one else.

I loved writing in a different style from Rae’s narration. The pastor’s wife, Rebecca, had help to write her memoir in the 1980s. But I thought the style would be older since Rebecca was born in 1900. I grew up on Agatha Christie and Rex Stout, so I enjoyed writing excerpts from the memoir in a more old-fashioned style, so readers would feel like they were reading a genuine, historical document.

What was even better was figuring out a way for Rae’s eighty-one-year-old great-grandfather Walter to provide clues. Coming up with a family history that intersects with Cyrus’s life was an absolute joy to create. I loved writing the chapter in which Walter tells Rae this unknown chapter in the Malinowski family’s history.

So if you like your mysteries with a touch of history, I’m sure you’ll love Rae’s investigation into a mystery seventy years in the making.

MY REVIEW

The beginning of the book was a little off putting. There are so many characters I had a hard time keeping up with them. What really bothered me was the relationships of children that are illegitimate, talk of seances, Halloween scary things and strange characters. 

The story does have some redeeming qualities such as trying to solve a mystery that many have tried to uncover. October is a month that doesn’t give much happiness as a family member is remembered. That loss is felt deep and although Rae didn’t have a relationship with her brother’s mom, she still wanted to pay her respects. 

I did find a little faith element in the story but this book wasn’t for me. Although the mystery is entertaining I didn’t like all the family fights and unnecessary emotional turmoil. I don’t care for Halloween so perhaps this story is not suited for me. I would caution parents to be aware of fortune telling and other talks of Halloween themes that may not be something you would want your teenagers to read. 

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 1

Stories By Gina, October 2 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, October 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 3

Simple Harvest Reads, October 4 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 5

Artistic Nobody, October 6 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 7

Guild Master, October 8 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, October 9 (Author Interview)

Hannahbandanarama, October 9

For the Love of Literature, October 10 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, October 11

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 12 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 13

Blossoms and Blessings, October 14 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, JPC is giving away a signed copy of A Riddle in the Lonesome October and Christmas fiction off the beaten path, an $25 Amazon gift card, mug, tea, and chocolates!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d265/a-riddle-in-the-lonesome-october-celebration-tour-giveaway