Monday, August 23, 2021

About the Book

When a hurricane rips through Hooper Island, a tidal wave of TV crews follows and upsets the locals.

Brooks Crawforth agreed to volunteer crews helping to clean up and repair things on the island, not a whole home and garden series on the total renovation of several houses and a bit of cleanup on the side. He’s furious, and the show host is spitting nails at the person who blew it in the first place.

His and his father’s jobs are in jeopardy, the islanders are about to kill him, and that crazy show host blames him for her assistant’s last-minute, “you’ve-got-to-sign-this-now-or-we-can’t-come” contract.

One more thing. Did she have to be so cute?

He’s got even more trouble, though. Islanders are starting to blame Mallory Barrows for the invasion. Not only that, there are rumors of dismantling the association and allowing tourism on the islands. How’s he supposed to fix this mess?

They can’t stand each other, but if they can manage to flip off the enemy switch and flip on some cooperation, maybe their hearts’ll get flipped, too.

This “enemies to romance” novel introduces the next island in the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona

How I Almost Missed This Important Life Lesson

He annoyed her. The guy was bossy, demanding, rude, and unwilling to admit fault—mostly. Truth be told, she was pretty much the same. Two people with similar faults. The relationship would never happen.

Now what was I supposed to do?

Without any idea how I’d take two near enemies and turn them into a couple, I kept writing the primary story—the one that was supposed to bring them together. The one that would have driven me far, far away from a guy like Brooks.

Right about the time I thought about that is when Bailey had her revelation. “He likes me.”

I nearly did a spit take. I mean, where did that come from? Why would he like someone who hadn’t bothered to be likeable?

And still the story unfolded. “Life or death” moment? Check. Unintentional sharing of attraction and heart. Check. Still confused author as these characters draw closer and closer… check, check!

It took until after the story’s climax for me to realize that Brooks really did like Bailey for who she was—and vice versa. Only after all that tension diffused and their distrust had been smashed to smithereens were Bailey and Brooks able to examine everything. Only after that was I able to realize a truth I hadn’t expected to learn.

People fall in love with people they argue with.

People in love argue. See, my husband and I don’t do that. We don’t argue. Ever. Do we agree on every little thing? No. We just don’t argue about it.

Look, it’s not like I’ve never written people who argue. I do. But Never have I looked at a fictional relationship, seen that it would produce the kind fireworks that Bailey and Brooks will, and thought, “Oh, they’re perfect for each other.”

Because see… if I were Bailey, I’d run. Fast. Conflict is a natural part of life and relationships, and I’m not so naïve as to think it’ll never occur. But entering a relationship knowing it’ll be a regular occurrence? Unthinkable!

So as I pondered all this during those last pages of the book, something hit me.

Jesus enters a rocky relationship with us. Willingly.

Don’t believe me? Think about it. Jesus knew, before He ever spoke light into existence, that His bride would blame Him for… pretty much everything. He knew she’d get him brutally murdered. He knew she’d rail at Him, spit at Him, abandon Him, cheat on Him, and even after forgiveness… she’d do it all over again the next day.

Even knowing all that… He still whispers to our hearts, “Be Mine. I love you.”

If that’s not the most beautiful, unbelievable, amazing thing, I don’t know what is.

It’s probably one of the most important life lessons I’ll ever learn. People choose to be in relationships with people they know they’ll argue with—people who will hurt them, annoy them, demand things of them. And the greatest example of One who does it so beautifully is Jesus. Because see… Jesus entered that relationship with me, knowing I’d be that person. Humbling, yeah. Important life lesson? Most definitely.

MY REVIEW

I really wish that this series would continue forever because I love visiting the people and setting. They have become like family to me. It was interesting to have the story centered on a renovation television show. There are many of those type shows now and I have always wondered how they get the work done. I liked that the show was there to help the islanders recover from a storm that did a lot of damage.

The townspeople were not very happy about the television crew and it is not well received when it gets out that they have been deceived. I wonder why Brooks didn’t look over the contract better? Was he too busy or too trusting? It does open the door for a great conflict between Brooks and Bailey. Poor Brooks has the town upset with his decision and now has to deal with the woman in charge of the project.

I liked Bailey because she really had a heart to help others but everywhere she turned, opposition followed her. The mystery of who was sabotaging the project was ruining her reputation and if she didn’t find out who was behind it, it could be the end of her career. Bailey, you have your work cut out for you.

At first I was not connecting with the characters well and didn’t like the story but then nestled in the pages were two very important lessons I needed. It is very true that opposites attract. When I first met my husband we didn’t like each other at all. We argued a lot and said some pretty mean things to each other. I’m happy to say that after thirty-eight years together enemy to friends does work. Brooks and Bailey have this love/hate thing going and I enjoyed reading the banter between them. It was obvious that they liked each other but who was going to swallow their pride and admit it? When they spend more time together it gives them a chance to share their faith and help Bailey understand how God is there to be her guide. It is hard when everyone seems to be against you, but Bailey will need to trust God and allow Him to show her that she is worthy to be loved. I’m glad that I was reminded that God loves me even when my attitude is not good.

The other lesson was about grace. It is funny how we want grace when we mess up, but when someone else makes a mistake we are quick to want them punished. Finding out who was behind the sabotage didn’t surprise me, but the punishment did. I was all for wanting them to go to jail and be publicly humiliated. Now where was my grace? Well it disappeared as that ugly thing called revenge and judgmental attitude came out. Yes I am guilty of doing that in my own life but after reading this story I have had to ask God to forgive me. We may not think someone deserves grace, but God is in control not us. I think I have gotten stale in my walk with God and this story has given me a fresh outlook. Grace is something I have expected for myself but not others. I have a critical spirit and realize that I need to ask God to help me overcome this critical, jealous and woe is me attitude. Thank you Chautona for writing a story that I needed at this moment.

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

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, August 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 23

Texas Book-aholic, August 24

CarpeDiem, August 24

Lots of Helpers, August 25

Inklings and notions, August 25

For Him and My Family, August 26

Connect in Fiction, August 26

deb’s Book Review, August 27

Livin’ Lit, August 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 28

Blogging With Carol, August 28

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 29

Simple Harvest Reads, August 29 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, August 30

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 30

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 31

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 31

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 1

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, September 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 2

Splashes of Joy, September 2

Blossoms and Blessings, September 3

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, September 3

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, September 4 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 4

She Lives To Read, September 5

Kayem Reads, September 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of $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/11422/flipping-hearts-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, August 22, 2021

About the Book

Book: Vision

Author: Hope Bolinger

Genre: YA Christian Suspense

Release date: August 9, 2021

Rabbits for Food meets Waiting for Fitz meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

After Danny Belte ends up with a gunshot wound to the head, he’s shipped off to a local psychiatric center under the assumption he’d attempted to commit suicide. Knowing that he’d actually been killed by a fellow enemy at his high school, and a photographic memory to prove it, manages to keep him sane.

After meeting the fun and playfully rebellious members of his ward, he suspects that some underlying connection ties them all together. Haunted by revealing visions, he may have a shot at discovering a conflict of interest and buying their ticket out of the ward.

But memories are dangerous things. He may just make as many enemies as friends at the ward who want his memories erased.

A modernized take on Daniel 7-12.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Hope Bolinger is a content editor at Salem Media and a multi-published novelist. More than 1000 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer’s Digest to Keys for Kids to HOOKED to Crosswalk.com. She writes about 250-300 articles a year.

She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. She had four of her books traditionally published in the last three years (see below) She has 8-9 books scheduled to published between 2021-2023.

She has won awards for her essays, poetry, children’s books, novels, and plays. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on Instagram and Twitter @hopebolinger .

More from Hope

“The Book of Daniel? In a high school? Where on earth did you come up with an idea like that?”

I’ve gotten this question a number of times and the answer to it comes from an even stranger place than the concept itself … a college classroom.

We’d blitzed through the entire Old Testament in a semester for our Biblical Literature Class my freshmen year. The professor often accompanied each class for this Gen-Ed with a PowerPoint full of 70 or so slides we’d try to keep up with in our notes. Our hands would cramp from the sheer speed our pencils had to go across the paper.

One day, as she went over the Book of Daniel, something she said snapped me out of my 9 A.M. stupor. “Daniel, and his friends, would’ve been 14 or 15 years old when taken into the Babylonian captivity.”

This woke me up. I’d dropped my pen onto the paper and stared at the front of the atrium classroom for a few moments. Fourteen or fifteen? High-school aged?

I’d always pictured Daniel in his late thirties. Part of me blames VeggieTales and Larry the Cucumber’s rendition, which in no way could’ve been interpreted as a teenager’s voice. But the reality of the Old Testament story came crashing down on me right then and there.

Daniel had been evicted from his home through the Babylonian siege. He likely watched his friends and family members die at the hands of the Babylonians and the fires that scoured Jerusalem. Then he and the cream of the crop were herded to Babylon for a three-year education, where they tried to stamp anything Israelite out of him.

And yet, he trusts God. He continues to stand strong in his identity. As do Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—even when it meant certain death … as teenagers.

That got me thinking about culture now. And how so many Christian teens face problems and dilemmas we could’ve only dreamed about in our adolescent years. What would it look like to stick Daniel in a modern-day high school? I thought.

So that summer, I started to write the Blaze trilogy. I chopped the Book of Daniel into three parts, and showed a teenager standing strong in integrity and faith despite death threats, bullying, and peer pressure. It was the book I needed back in high school when confronted with hot-button issues, and I was so thankful to have that college professor guide me to learn more about the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament.

MY REVIEW

I highly recommend that you read the first two books in this series before beginning this one. It will help you understand what is going on and appreciate the writing style of the author. I want to put a warning here about the subject in the story. It deals with tennis and suicide so this could be a trigger for some.

Danny is a good character who is someone that steps up and helps others out. He knows that there is something not right in the psychiatric facility he is in and is determined to get answers. The way he was brought there is enough to give him reason to believe that the place is run by people who don’t care. I liked how Danny was always thinking of ways to escape and save his friend that were stuck in there.

The story is a unique take on Daniel from the Bible. Danny has visions at night that he can’t explain but he knows there is meaning behind each one. The facility is unsafe and mistreatment of patients has gotten out of hand. I liked how the group began to question the person in charge. Oren has a reason that he won’t release anyone and that could hold the key to getting set free.

The book does explore treatments for people who are in mental facilities that are not always pleasant. For this story the author showed the ugly side of how some patients could be treated. I appreciate how she gives readers a look at mental illness and the need for treatment in a safe environment. Danny was persistent in believing that he could find a way out and help him friends as well. It is a great example of faith and hope.

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 22

Texas Book-aholic, August 23

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 24

For Him and My Family, August 25

Inklings and notions, August 26

Blogging With Carol, August 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 27

deb’s Book Review, August 28

Nancy E Wood, August 29

Rebecca Tews, August 30

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 1

Mary Hake, September 1

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Hope is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of each book in the trilogy!!

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/1141f/vision-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, August 21, 2021

About the Book

Book: Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks

Author: Susan K. Stewart

Genre: Devotional

Release date: July 15, 2021

Did you know the Bible mentions only two talking animals? Each of these creatures had a different message. The first to speak out was the serpent. This character certainly wasn’t a model. If God was using this snake for a test drive, I can see why he kept the mouths of the other animals closed. This snake in the grass spoke words meant for evil. Later God allowed another animal to speak—the lowly donkey. The beast of burden. This time the animal had words of wisdom.

Susan K. Stewart expected dogs, cats, and the occasional goldfish would be all the pets she’d need—until the day Susan met donkeys at a rescue center. A few years after that fateful visit, three donkeys became part of the Stewart family. Susan soon learned these humble creatures are still messengers of wisdom.

Donkey Devos is a collection of forty pearls Susan has learned from spending time learning about her equine friends and chatting with them. She uses her experiences, donkey facts, and Biblical donkey details to share the truths God has taught. The whole family will delight in the donkey tales with a message from God.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan K. Stewart didn’t expect to become a “donkey whisper,” as some of her neighbors say. One day God put her in a herd of donkeys, and it was love at first bray. Susan and her husband Bob live in Central Texas with their three dogs, three cats, numerous chickens, and inspiring donkeys. They have three children and six outstanding grandchildren. Susan’s passion is to inspire readers with practical, real-world solutions and a few donkey stories.

More from Susan

I like to say, “I can’t not write.” I’m not even sure what event or who encouraged me to follow this pursuit. I do know my dream was to be a news reporter by day and a ballet dancer at night. God has given me the gift of teaching. I teach through written words.

Lois Lane was my inspiration. Seriously, in my teens I envisioned myself as a news reporter chasing after breaking stories around the world. I met my Superman, and Lois retired. But I began my own writing career with the help of friends and mentors.

Cecil Murphey has been a valued mentor and friend for nearly twenty years. His no-nonsense approach to helping this wanna-be writer pushed me forward to being able to call myself an author. And, Kathy Ide showed me I could be an editor. Her example and friendship have improved my writing as well

I grew up in a traveling family. (I went to fourteen different schools before graduating high school.) Of all the places my family lived, a rural ranch was not one of them. Pet donkeys and surly chickens were not part of my life experience or my bucket list.

Then it happened. I met a donkey nose-to-muzzle and a special bond was created. After my first visit to the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, I wanted donkey pets. Alas, our property was too small to meet the adoption requirements. When we made the move from California to Texas, donkeys soon became a part of the small ranch.

Caring for the donkeys turned into a friendship. Like all friends, my donkeys and I have had wonderful experiences. These goings-on became the basis for the stories in Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks.

I’ve written four books including the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers. When I’m not walking and conversing with my donkeys, I tend a vegetable garden, track family history, and read everything from the great American novel to the back of cereal boxes.

MY REVIEW

I must confess that when I saw the title of this book I laughed. What did donkeys and devotional have to do with each other? The old saying! “Never judge a book by its cover,” is exactly why the statement is true. I started reading and found some very interesting info about donkeys such as they are mentioned more than four hundred times in the Bible. There must be a reason for that and I became intrigued with the book.

I liked how the author pointed out that donkeys don’t go where they don’t think they are safe from harm. I can’t say the same for any of us. We sense danger but push ahead anyway thinking we will be okay. After making a bad decision we find ourselves going down a path that could lead us away from God’s protection. I guess donkeys are pretty smart after all and I certainly took notice of the nuggets of wisdom in the book.

I really liked the chapter where it talked about being bored. Donkeys get bored and find ways to amuse themselves like chewing up a delivery box that was left too close to them. During worship service do we find ourselves bored? Does our mind start to wander on other things and forget where we are at? I am guilty of this and sometimes even think , “ why are we singing the same song we did last week?” At that moment my critical spirit comes in and I have closed myself off from the presence of God. What we need to do is ask God to help us stay focused on Him and keep our minds clear of anything that is distracting us from entering into His presence .

I loved the book and read it twice because there were some great points I wanted to ponder on. The author includes many scriptures that helped me understand what each chapter was about. This is a good tool to use for a daily devotional and the perfect gift to give to someone.

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