Buck Denver's Bad, Bad Day: A Lesson in Thankfulness by Phil Vischer

From creator of Veggie Tales® Phil Vischer, these fun and easy-to-read picture books based on the popular video series Buck Denver Asks... What's in the Bible? teach children about character and virtue through beloved Bible stories.

What does it mean to be thankful?

Buck Denver has had a bad, bad day, so his friends take him on a quest to learn about thankfulness. Soon, he's on a ride with Sunday School Lady, Marcy, and Brother Louie to learn about Jehoshaphat and Lazarus. In the end, Buck learns that on good days AND bad days, God is good and worthy of our thanks-every day, no matter what!

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About The Author

Phillip Robert Vischer is an American voice actor, puppeteer, writer, animator and songwriter known for creating the animated video series "VeggieTales" with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki.

From 1993 to 2002, Vischer led the company as lead director and writer. In 2003 (after the release of "Jonah") Big Idea went bankrupt, and Vischer sold the company to Classic Media and left the company.

In 2005 he started Jellyfish Labs a new creative workshop where he produces faith-based projects. Starting in 2010, Vischer produced "What's In The Bible," a direct-to-DVD video series using puppetry and animation to present biblical material.

A weekly podcast discussing life in a post-Christian America co-hosted by Phil Vischer, Skye Jethani and actress Christian Taylor, ranks in the top 100 podcasts regularly.

https://youtu.be/Km5dP542trw


My Review

I was excited to share this life lesson book with my preschool niece and she now keeps asking me to read it to her.
She loves the eye drawing colors, and keeps pointing out the characters, and saying “Bad Day” “Bad Day”! Explaining why Buck is wearing that very big mask, and looking for what to be thankful for.
One of the things I really loved about the book as we turned the pages we are reinforcing our Christian faith with our little one.
What an exciting find for our family and by the author of VeggieTales!

I received this book through WorthyKids Blog Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Amish Spinster's Courtship by Emma Miller

An Amish courtship no one expected…
But is he too good to be true?

To prove she has a fun side, ultraserious Lovey Stutzman accepts her sister’s dare: a buggy ride with Hickory Grove’s most handsome Amish bachelor. But what Lovey can’t accept is Marshall Byler’s claim that he fell in love with her at first sight. Now Marshall must defy everyone’s expectations—including his family’s—to prove his intentions once and for all.

Amazon 


About The Author




















Emma Miller is a wife, mother and a grandmother who lives a quiet life in Delaware. She's the author of the Hannah's Daughter's series and is at work on her next Amish romance novel.




My Review

Laugh out loud delightful are the first words that come to mind about this book.
A man who knows his mind, and a young Amish woman who has low self-esteem, and we get to see who wins!
The author has given us a strong woman who loves her family, and being her mother’s oldest has been given a lot of responsibilities through the years, including getting a home ready for sale in a different state.
The we have a young man given the responsibility of raising his younger brother and caring for his grandmother.
Has fate put them together, or has God put this on their hearts? We get a front seat and this quickly became a page turner for me, and a sense of loss once the last page was there.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

Letters from Peaceful Lane (The New Americana Series) by Janet Dailey

In the rugged Ozarks of beautiful Branson, Missouri, a woman struggles to save her marriage--and finds answers from an unexpected source . . .

Allison felt like she'd stepped into a fairy tale when she married widower Burke Caldwell. But after less than a year of marriage, he's become removed and distant. His friends see Allison as little more than a trophy wife, his only daughter regards her as the enemy. With everyone so devoted to the memory of Burke's first wife, Kate, how can Allison possibly compete? Then a harrowing car crash leaves Burke badly injured. But it becomes achingly clear that the woman Burke wants by his side is the wife he lost . . .

No longer able to dismiss the power Kate still holds, Allison can't resist reading a trove of hidden letters from Kate to Burke. What she discovers sets her mind reeling. The letters give Allison an enlightening window into her husband's heart. But will she have the courage to put aside her own fears, and grab hold of a love as big and bold as the man she once dared to marry?

Amazon  

About The Author

Janet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey (her married name). Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.

Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.

She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.

Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.  

My Review

A I was devouring this read, I had to wonder if all would survive until the last page was turned.
A major accident, the mob, a new trophy wife, a step-mother, a college daughter, just a few of the plots of this book.
Was the accident just an accident? Well, the more you look into Burke’s company, the more you will wonder.
The title of this read, is another sub-plot, and it allows Allison to come to love her husband’s deceased wife. Got your attention, yes, and what a relationship and bond they seem to form.
There is danger here, people you really don’t mess around with, and we have a college age daughter, herself in love with a man that her dad might not approve of.
An emotional read, but one you will keep turning pages for answers for.
As I got to the end, and really involved in the character’s lives, I sure appreciated the epilogue!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zebra, and was not required to give a positive review.

Anywhere with You (A Montana Brides Romance #5) by Gina Welborn, Becca Whitham

A Montana Brides Romance

From the Montana Territory to the farthest railroad stops across the magnificent West, love has a way of finding those who need it the most . . .

Heiress Colette Vanderpool-Vane needs to prove she’s outgrown her impetuous ways before her parents will allow her to open her beloved art museum. But when the solutions she proposes aren’t enough, her father tasks her with a mission that demands she keep her life in Denver a secret. It’s a clandestine train adventure that brings her face to face with an intriguing stranger . . .

Jakob Gunderson has always come in second in matters of the heart. Hired to protect young ladies rescued from the streets of Helena as they journey to a better life, he is drawn to their lovely, free-spirited chaperone. He’s finally someone’s number one. When their train ride ends, Jakob proposes marriage. But then he learns the secrets Colette’s been forced to keep.

How can Colette say yes? But—with their hearts on the line—how can she say no?

 Amazon





 About The Author

Bestselling author Gina Welborn is a lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum. She is also graduate of the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Motor Resort in Pahrump, Nevada, and she bought fabric (for her mother) at The Quilted Dragon. Should you not be a fan of the premier American Sports Car or of doing sewingy stuff with fabric, know Gina has actual writing credits.

Gina Welborn is the co-author of the new Montana Brides Series (Kensington Publishing). A longtime member of Romance Writers of America, she once served at president of the RWA-FHL chapter. Her manuscripts finaled in numerous contests, including the RWA Golden Heart© and ACFW Genesis. A few of her books are ECPA bestsellers. Gina currently serves on the ACFW Foundation Board, where she helps organize the silent auction which provides scholarships for ACFW members. Find more about her books at www.ginawelborn.com!

Becca Whitham (WIT-um): Award-winning author, paper crafter, and Army wife, Becca currently resides in Virginia with her husband of over thirty years and a twelve-foot long craft cabinet she thinks should count as a dependent. So far, neither the army nor the IRS are convinced. In between moves from one part of the country to the other, she writes stories combining faith and fiction that touch the heart. You can find her online at www.beccawhitham.com 


My Review

This book is a very quick read, I read it in one evening, and it can be read alone, but there are references to past books, and my feelings for certain characters changed with this book, so I would recommend you read the previous books in this series to fully enjoy the read.
Back with us is Jakob our very unlucky in the romance department young fellow, and we meet a wealthy young woman with a lot of compassion for her fellow man and for animals, Colette.
We are given a glimpse into life back in early America and the Montana Territory, and watch these two try and help these young woman, will they succeed?

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review

Celebrate Lit Presents: The White City by Grace Hitchcock

About the Book

Book: The White City
Author: Grace Hitchcock
Genre: Christian Historical/Suspense
Release Date: March, 2019
 

Mysterious Disappearances Taint the Chicago World’s Fair
Step into True Colors—a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.
Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?

Click here to order your copy.

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the author of three novellas in The Second Chance Brides, The Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. The White City is her debut novel and releases March 2019 with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son. Visit Grace online at GraceHitchcock.com.

Guest Post from Grace

True Colors—Fiction Based on Strange, But True, American Crime Stories
True, riveting stories of American criminal activity are explored through 6 unique stories of historical romantic suspense in the exciting new True Colors series.
In book one, The White City, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped while attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a detective, for bodyguard.
Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?
The Real Criminal Behind the Story
While Winnifred Wylde is a fictional character, Doctor H. H. Holmes was very real and became infamously known as America’s first serial killer. Learn more about him HERE.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, March 14

A Baker’s Perspective, March 14

The Lit Addict, March 14

janicesbookreviews, March 14

The Power of Words, March 15

Multifarious, March 15

Back Porch Reads, March 15

Livin’ Lit, March 16

Lis Loves Reading, March 16

Just Your Average reviews, March 16

Rev. Rebecca Writes, March 17

For the Love of Literature, March 17

Bibliophile Reviews, March 17

Reflections From My Bookshelves, March 18

Through the Fire Blogs, March 18

By The Book, March 18

A Reader’s Brain, March 18

Girls in White Dresses, March 19

Stories By Gina , March 19

EmpowerMoms, March 19

Inklings and notions, March 19

All-of-a-kind Mom, March 20

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 20

Bigreadersite, March 21

Genesis 5020, March 21

Blossoms and Blessings, March 21

The Becca Files, March 21

Emily Yager, March 22

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, March 22

Pause for Tales, March 22

Inspired by fiction, March 23

Mary Hake, March 23

Book by Book, March 23

Real World Bible Study, March 23

Blogging With Carol, March 24

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, March 24

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, March 24

Maureen’s Musings, March 25

amandainpa, March 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 25

Older & Smarter?, March 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 26

Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner , March 26

Godly Book Reviews, March 27

For Him and my Family, March 27

Texas Book-aholic, March 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of The White City!!

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/dd7d/the-white-city-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

I enjoyed this quick read, and it had a lot of danger, or heart stopping moments, you never knew when evil would strike.
The place setting is the Chicago World’s Fair, and we get to experience through these character’s some of the happenings here, some of the new inventions, that we take for granted, and others that have been replaced.
The story does focus on a young woman, Winnifred Wylde, and her Aunt’s wish for her to marry socially well, and a young detective who desires to find and convict the people responsible for his brother- in-law’s death.
Now our girl has a vivid mind and loves to read and has in the past suspected things that weren’t really happening, but now she finds a woman being kidnapped, and has she cried wolf to long?
You don’t want to miss this one!

I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: As Directed [A Maggie O'Malley Mystery] by Kathleen Valenti

As Directed
(A Maggie O’Malley Mystery)
by Kathleen Valenti

I love the way Valenti crafts her plots and her characters – smart, humorous, full of heart, and having the tendency to steal your breath.
~Reading Is My SuperPower

I really love the way Ms. Valenti tells a story. It’s not straight forward in your face. There are layers that need to be peeled and each little reveal moves the story along at just the right pace until everything tragically falls into place.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Maggie and Constantine are people I would like to hang out with in real life, and the action is almost non-stop. Throw in some humor, a little romance and a faithful canine companion and this series has it all.
~The Book’s the Thing

An enjoyable and well-paced read with an intricate plot.
~Cassidy’s Bookshelves

About the Book

As Directed (A Maggie O’Malley Mystery)
Mystery
3rd in Series
Henery Press (March 12, 2019)
Hardcover: 286 pages
ISBN-10: 1635114705
ISBN-13: 978-1635114706
Digital ASIN: B07LB6N22B

In the shadow of a past fraught with danger and tainted by loss, former pharmaceutical researcher Maggie O’Malley is rebuilding her life, trading test tubes for pill bottles as she embarks on a new career at the corner drugstore.

But as she spreads her wings, things begin to go terribly wrong. A customer falls ill in the store. Followed by another. And then more.

The specter of poisoning arises, conjuring old grudges, past sins, buried secrets and new suspicions from which no one is immune.

As Maggie and her best friend Constantine begin to investigate, they discover that some of the deadliest doses come from the most unexpected places.

About the Author

Kathleen Valenti is the author of the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series, which includes her Agatha- and Lefty-nominated debut novel, Protocol. When Kathleen isn’t writing page-turning mysteries that combine humor and suspense, she works as a nationally award-winning advertising copywriter. She lives in Oregon with her family where she pretends to enjoy running. Learn more at www.kathleenvalenti.com.
Author Links
https://www.kathleenvalenti.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kathleenvalentiauthor/
https://twitter.com/KathyValenti1
https://www.instagram.com/kathleen_valenti/
https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomkathleenvalenti
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-valenti
Purchase Links
Amazon Barnes & Noble  iTunes  Kobo
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 1 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST  
March 1 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – Mythical Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 4 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
March 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 6 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – GUEST POST
March 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 8 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
March 10 – The Book Diva’s Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST  
March 10 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 11 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
March 11 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 12 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
March 12 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 14 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW
March 15 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 15 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT

My Review

If you enjoy a book that seems to have danger around every corner, with non-stop action, you sure don’t want to miss this one.
I have read the first book in this series, and love it, and now the third which is equally good, and am so glad that I chose to do so, they are very entertaining and page turning books, ones that you want to get to the end and know the answers, but at the same time you don’t want them to end.
Maggie is a tough cookie, but with all that is going on, including her upcoming wedding, will she make it to the end. I love that we add a new character to the family, along with Vanilla, and her beloved Lark, that made her really stand out.
Will justice prevail, innocents get hurt, people die, why? You won’t be disappointed picking this one up!

I received this book through Great Escapes Book Tours and the Publisher Henery Press, and was not required to give a positive review.  

Hearts in Harmony (An Amish Journey #1) by Beth Wiseman

They both love music. Will God deny what brings them such joy?  

Musical prodigy Levi Shetler hasn’t touched a piano since he secretly played one years ago. His strict Amish community forbids instruments or the singing of any music not in their approved songbook. Levi asks God often why music tempts him when playing an instrument isn’t allowed in his world.

One person knows Levi’s talents: Mary Hershberger, the girl who promised years ago to keep his secret. Mary comes from a more liberal district than Levi, but she’s facing family troubles of her own. The mutual care for an aging Englischer, Adeline, reunites Mary and Levi as young adults. They realize that, despite their differences, they have a shared love of music—and a shared confusion about whether their talents are God-given gifts or temptations luring them into the Englisch world.

The couple realizes they must compromise or part ways, but a tragic accident shakes their decision. Both Mary and Levi will need to reconcile what they love with what their hearts say is right—because even as their passion for music brings them together, it could be what tears them apart.

The first novel in the new Amish Journeys series by bestselling author Beth Wiseman, Hearts in Harmony explores how far the heart will travel for the melody of love.

About The Author

Beth is the best-selling and award winning author of the Daughters of the Promise series - Plain Perfect, Plain Pursuit, Plain Promise, Plain Paradise, and Plain Proposal. She is contracted with HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Her other series--the Land of Canaan Novels--begins with Seek Me With All Your Heart, then The Wonder of Your Love and now, His Love Endures Forever. Seek Me With All Your Heart is the first Amish fiction book selected as a Women of Faith novel in 2011. Beth has also written three contemporary Christian fiction novels, Need You Now published in 2012 and The House That Love Built in 2013. In The Promise, (2014) Beth jumps way outside the box. This story takes readers far away from Amish Country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by a true story, Beth believes this is the book she’s been working toward for a long time. 2015 brings Beth back to the Pennsylvania Amish with her new series, Amish Secrets. She is currently working on book #2 following much success with book #1, Her Brother's Keeper.

You can also follow Beth on Twitter: @BethWiseman

Website


My Review

A chance meeting of two Amish children at a funeral 8 years prior are reunited when they offer to help the elderly widow. They along with a distant cousin of the widow’s husband, bring joy and family that she had been lacking.
The Amish live 40 miles apart, but when you compare their lives it seems like 100 years, the districts are so different, one progressive and the other, well! This being said, one of the funniest parts of this book happens at the home of the less modern, Levi! Laugh out loud moment.
I loved how these three-showed compassion to their fellow man, and decided to do one of the hardest things, care giving.
We see that these three all live differently, but the family dynamics are not all that dissimilar.
A story full of love, tears, and a few good laughs.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.