Gladden the Heart by Olivia Newport

“When you have experienced the Holy Ghost as I have, you would see that it is difficult to turn back.”

When the lively fervor of nineteenth century revivalism endangers the staid customs of the Amish community in the lush but rugged Kishacoquillas Valley of central Pennsylvania in 1847, the Amish church must deal with a divisive question: What is a genuine spiritual experience?

The question turns personal when Susanna’s beloved cousin Noah begins preaching while under trances and even though he is not a minister he gives long sermons that attract increasing attention. Curious, she helps to keep Noah safe during his trances. At the same time Adam, Susanna's intended, feels pressure from the bishop to speak out against the ways of revivalism.

Susanna and Adam are pushed to opposite sides of a controversy that threatens their traditional Amish faith..  Now they must grapple with whether love is possible...even if they come to different conclusions.
          
When Noah goes missing at a time of day when he often preaches while asleep, circumstances thrust community members with divergent opinions into a crisis that demands they recognize the humanity they share regardless of beliefs.  But can strong-held opinions be softened by the truths that shape their lives? 

Amazon 


About The Author

About The Author

Olivia Newport's novels twist through time to find where faith and passions meet. She chases joy in Colorado, where daylilies grow as tall as she is. Her husband and two twenty-something children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books.  

 

 

 

 

 

My Review

What a run of emotions this story has, and is it against the Amish faith, you will be wondering as you quickly turn the pages to get to the answers.
The author has placed the setting of this book in 1847 Pennsylvania, the early times in this country, and a time when Amish lived pretty much as everyone else, except maybe for their clothing.
I did some research and found that this “Spirit preaching” has actually happened, and this is what has happened in this book to Noah Kaufman. The story revolves around this preaching and how it is accepted by both Amish and English, and those who are close to Noah.
There is a bit of romance, a bit of skepticism, and some are even thinking of moving away, as the Church is becoming too liberal.
A book that is going to make you think, and how can this be happening, a bit unsettling for this small community.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

Light of Dawn by Vannetta Chapman

Before Dawn, What Dangers Lurk in the Darkness?

For nine months, since a devastating solar flare caused a complete failure of the electrical grid, Shelby Sparks and her diabetic son, Carter, have been living at the ranch of Shelby's high school sweetheart, Max Berkman.

Mostly insulated from the chaos surrounding them, Shelby and Max discover that the Texas government has fled the capitol and is barely maintaining control of the state. The governor needs volunteers to search for the new federal government, but no one knows exactly where it might be located—if it even still exists—or what perils await those brave enough to take on the mission.

Compelled by Carter's desperate need for insulin and their God-given sense of duty, Shelby and Max answer the governor's call and set out on a treacherous 600-mile journey, where they will experience the terrifying effects of unrestrained anarchy. If they have the faith and fortitude necessary to reach their destination, what will they find when they get there?

In this thrilling conclusion to the Remnant trilogy, America is left teetering between total collapse and the dawn of a new and vastly different reality.

Amazon




About The Author 

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania.

Her novel, Falling to Pieces, was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award winner for best mystery. All of her books have been Christian Book Distributor bestsellers. She currently writes Amish fiction for Abingdon Press, Zondervan, and Harvest House. Chapman lives in the Texas hill country with her husband.

For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com or blog with her at http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/. 

She can also be found at http://www.facebook.com/VannettaChapman



My Review

 This book is so real and in a way a scary reality, a solar flare, a nuclear bomb, lawlessness, and complete disregard for mankind.
The author has us thinking about how we would survive, what we all take for granted, all gone, no more picking up you phone and calling or looking for information, nothing works, and if it did there is nothing to hook up to.
Why does disaster bring out the worse in some people, there is so much unnecessary bloodshed, and for what? When we travel to find the Government we discover a lot of hidden secrets, did they know or were they just being prepared. Who is playing God, and yes there are some of his followers left, and I just wanted to stay with them.
We are back with friends, some we met in the first book, and yes you want to read them all, they are tremendous, and others we met in the second, and now we are together in the third, the conclusion to this mind thinking series. I wish there was another book to come, I hate to say goodbye, and want to keep up on their lives, and those I have come to love.
This is a book that is going to make you think and you will be quickly page turning and then feeling remorse when the last page is turned.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harvest House and was not required to give a positive review.

The Captain's Daughter (London Beginnings #1) by Jennifer Delamere

Enter to win a copy of The Captain’s Daughter. Five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced July 10th on the Litfuse blog!

Warm-hearted Victorian romance brings 1880s London to life.
When a series of circumstances beyond her control leave Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater that is presenting the most popular show in London. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage.
A hand injury during a skirmish in India has forced Nate Moran out of the army until he recovers. Filling his time at a stable of horses for hire in London, he has also spent the past two months working nights as a stagehand, filling in for his injured brother. Although he’s glad he can help his family through a tough time, he is counting the days until he can rejoin his regiment. London holds bitter memories for him that he is anxious to escape. But then he meets the beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate can’t wait to leave behind.

Learn more and purchase a copy.


About The Author

Jennifer Delamere’s debut Victorian romance, “An Heiress at Heart,” was a 2013 RITA award finalist in the inspirational category. Her follow-up novel, “A Lady Most Lovely,” received a starred review from “Publishers Weekly” and the Maggie Award for Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers. Jennifer earned a BA in English from McGill University in Montreal, where she became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for winter sports. She’s been an editor of nonfiction and educational materials for nearly two decades, and lives in North Carolina with her husband.

Find out more about Jennifer at http://www.jenniferdelamere.com.


My Review

The author gives us a glimpse into the world of theater back in 1870’s England, and the name drops of Gilbert and Sullivan, well known opera producers whose names live on.
Right from the beginning to the end of this book the author showed us how God played a roll in this young woman’s life, she ends up in the right place at the right time. Even when danger lurks somehow she becomes aware of her plight and is given time to flee.
Having grown up in a Christian orphanage Rosalyn has known her share of hardship, and finally ends up all alone in London, then becoming penniless and fleeing from a crime she never committed. She finally ends up at the theater and ends up as a dresser, right spot at the right time, definitely!
Then a meeting with a man whom is carrying his own demons, but has such a huge heart, Nate, he is working in his injured brother’s place to hold his job. Coincidence he is there with Rosalyn, don’t think so, but will these two be able to make a connection despite there different goals.
The author has given the opening for a new novel to come, first with sister Julia, a woman determined to break into a man’s world and become a doctor, and then I’m sure we will be seeing younger sister Cara.
I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review







 

Solveig Leithaug – TIME – Blog Tour Kick Off

“Listening to Solveig singing is like the pure vibrations of an innocent soul. She bypasses our cynical scar tissue and stylistic prejudices and goes–like the laughter of a child–straight to the heart.”

“Blending a mature adult contemporary sound with some Americana influence, Norwegian artist Solveig Leithaug has given fans a steady stream of heartfelt melodies since the mid-‘80s when she had a deal with Word Records. These days, she’s reaching fans as an indie artist with an impressive catalog and an enjoyable new release, Time. Leithaug’s buoyant, acoustic songs, such as Lift You Up and Simple Things, are filled with equal measures of truth and encouragement. Other favorites include the title track and the beautiful opener Supermoon.” ~ CCM Magazine

Time highlights guest vocals by Anthony Skinner, Cindy Morgan, Kelly Willard and Solveig’s daughter Kari Julianna. Eight of the project’s eleven songs are new and were written by Solveig with award-winning songwriters such as: Reba Rambo-McGuire, Cindy Morgan, Sarah Hart, Anthony Skinner, and Kelly Willard.
​Time was produced by Steve Hindalong and features some of Nashville’s finest musicians including Jeff Taylor, Stu Garrard, Matt Slocum, and

Listen to the interview below.



https://youtu.be/s2wEo-VA06E

About Solveig Leithaug

“Listening to Solveig singing is like the pure vibrations of an innocent soul. She bypasses our cynical scar tissue and stylistic prejudices and goes–like the laughter of a child–straight to the heart.” Gloria Gaither, Award-winning songwriter
Dove Award-winning recording artist Solveig Leithaug is hesitant to admit that she is an internationally loved singer-songwriter and masterful guitar player. In fact, her decades of phenomenal success is not the result of a desire to “get ahead” but simply an outpouring of support from people across the globe who have connected with her music and her heart. Her gentle-yet-powerful gift for writing and communicating a song catches listeners by surprise and invites them into the joys and challenges that have refined her artistically and spiritually.
With fifteen solo recordings, including her newest release Time (spring 2017), and three best-selling children’s CD’s to her credit, Solveig consistently breaks new ground with each release. Her music is a brilliant blend of heart and art, fitting for a wide variety of events and venues of all sizes.
She performs around 30-40 concerts per year, and tours frequently in her native Norway. Her repertoire ranges from original songs that mirror her life and faith, to her own arrangements of traditional Scandinavian folksongs and classic hymns. Solveig has performed in over twenty nations, from Parliament functions, national and international conferences to cathedrals, prisons, jazz-cafes and outdoor festivals. She is featured on the Billboard chart-topping Gaither Homecoming Series with her live performances of her original song “Everything Has Its Season” on Women of Homecoming, Volume 1 (DVD and CD), and the classic “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” on How Great Thou Art (DVD and CD) from The Grand Ole Opry. Millions have watched her perform on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) TV-programs over the years.
Award-winning songwriter Gloria Gaither comments on Solveig’s music: “Listening to Solveig singing is like the pure vibrations of an innocent soul. She bypasses our cynical scar tissue and stylistic prejudices and goes–like the laughter of a child–straight to the heart.”
An ordained minister since 1994, Solveig is a commentary writer for Thomas Nelson’s Women of Destiny Bible and contributed devotionals for Thomas Nelson’s 2012 Gaither Homecoming Bible. She currently serves as a founding board member for Compassion International in their Nordic region.
Summarizing her goal as an artist, Solveig states: “Whether performing with a band, full orchestra and choir, or alone with my guitar, my prayer has always been that my music will be an artistic bridge of hope, connecting the listener to their Creator.”
In addition to her roles as an actively touring artist, and songwriter, Solveig is first a wife to Jim, a mom and a stepmom. Her family resides near Nashville, Tennessee.
Please feel free to join Solveig on social media:

• Facebook: Solveig Leithaug Music 
• Twitter: @Solveigmusic
• Instagram: sophie_lighthouse
• ​Website: Solveigmusic.com

Time highlights guest vocals by Anthony Skinner, Cindy Morgan, Kelly Willard and Solveig's daughter Kari Julianna. Eight of the project's eleven songs are new and were written by Solveig with award-winning songwriters such as: Reba Rambo-McGuire, Cindy Morgan, Sarah Hart, Anthony Skinner, and Kelly Willard.

Time was produced by Steve Hindalong and features some of Nashville’s finest musicians including Jeff Taylor, Stu Garrard, Matt Slocum, and others along with Solveig's signature acoustic guitars.

https://youtu.be/bR1JdOeJdhw


My Review

Music to get lost in, feel good about, and be moved by, and yes enjoy. 

The music is so timely for the world we live in, and listening moves you to a sweeter place.

Love how God has blessed her with these gifts.

I received this CD through Christians Speaker Services, and was not required to give a positive review


https://youtu.be/V8eq5skm7MU

Write Now Literary Presents: Until Ray by Cheryl Robinson & Giveaway

Write Now Literary is pleased to announce Until Ray Virtual Book Tour, with author Cheryl Robinson. June 19- July 14, 2017. 

Releasing "free" June 27 at select ebook retailers. 

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary

 

About The Author

Cheryl currently resides in the Sunshine State with plans to return to her hometown Detroit shortly. For the past fifteen years, she has been busy writing contemporary women’s fiction. While writing is her first love, making delicious green smoothies is easily her second. She also enjoys spoiling her miniature Schnauzer and whipping up healthy meals from recipes she finds online. 

 

About The Book

Two people in the same city but worlds apart. Until Ray is an unconventional love story of how two young people transitioning into adulthood find each other and develop a bond that will be tested through three decades. RAY IS LOST … He lives in northwest Detroit with his mother. When he’s not at home, he’s either at the mall selling women’s shoes or in the club. In both places, he's focused on one thing—picking up women. Only now he’s ready to make a change but isn’t sure how to do it. THEN SARITA ARRIVES … At twenty-four, she has an MBA, is a CPA, and works in upper-level management at GM. But all that success comes at a cost: she’s lonely and craves the one thing she’s never had—attention from men. Dive into a love story filled with soul-searching drama told from two very different perspectives. Until Ray, the first book of a trilogy, is set in the mid-eighties in Detroit, where the author was born and raised.
 

Read the first 4 chapters here 

Book Trailer 

Connect Socially

Website

Facebook Contest # 1

Link to contest Facebook

Blog Contest # 2

Link to blog contest Meet the Characters Giveaway 

Tour hosted by Write Now Literary Book Tours


 www.wnlbooktours.com

Click here to follow the tour

The Underground River by Martha Conway

Set aboard a nineteenth century riverboat theater, this is the moving, page-turning story of a charmingly frank and naive seamstress who is blackmailed into saving runaways on the Underground Railroad, jeopardizing her freedom, her livelihood, and a new love.

It’s 1838, and May Bedloe works as a seamstress for her cousin, the famous actress Comfort Vertue—until their steamboat sinks on the Ohio River. Though they both survive, both must find new employment. Comfort is hired to give lectures by noted abolitionist, Flora Howard, and May finds work on a small flatboat, Hugo and Helena’s Floating Theatre, as it cruises the border between the northern states and the southern slave-holding states.

May becomes indispensable to Hugo and his troupe, and all goes well until she sees her cousin again. Comfort and Mrs. Howard are also traveling down the Ohio River, speaking out against slavery at the many riverside towns. May owes Mrs. Howard a debt she cannot repay, and Mrs. Howard uses the opportunity to enlist May in her network of shadowy characters who ferry babies given up by their slave mothers across the river to freedom. Lying has never come easy to May, but now she is compelled to break the law, deceive all her new-found friends, and deflect the rising suspicions of Dr. Early who captures runaways and sells them back to their southern masters.

As May’s secrets become more tangled and harder to keep, the Floating Theatre readies for its biggest performance yet. May’s predicament could mean doom for all her friends on board, including her beloved Hugo, unless she can figure out a way to trap those who know her best.

Amazon


About The Author

Martha Conway is the author of The Underground River, coming June 20, 2017, from Simon & Schuster. She's also the author of Thieving Forest, Sugarland, and 12 Bliss Street, which was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Novel. She's received several awards for historical fiction, including the North American Book Award. Her short fiction has been published in the Iowa Review, the Carolina Quarterly, The Quarterly, Folio, an other journals. She teaches creative writing for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program and UC Berkeley Extension.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Martha is one of seven sisters. She currently lives in San Francisco.

Website

My Review

This is really May Bedlow’s story; the author has us walking in her shoes, from the first page to the end. A young woman who cannot tell a lie, or when she does she is reciting the Greek alphabet, or will she learn with all that happens in her life.
Can you imagine being on a steamboat and having it blow up around you, and then having to swim for your life, thank goodness she knew how, and then she helps others.
It does take over half the book to set up the side story of helping rescue babies across the Ohio River and to freedom. What a concept, when you think about the sacrifices these mothers made for their infants, a heart breaking decision for sure.
May has a gift with a sewing needle, and because of that she is at the right place at the right time, and it becomes her life to live on a show boat, making all the costumes and helping put on the performances.
Watch what happens when evil rears it ugly head and greed tries to take over, will our girl survive, and will this be then end of these daring rescues?
I received this book through Touchstone Publishing and was not required to give a positive review. 

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Presents: The Ghost Of You An Me by Kelly Oram & $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

 


The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram

How do you tell someone who hates you and blames you for the death of his best friend that you miss him? From the bestselling teen and young adult author of Cinder & Ella comes a new heart-wrenching romance sure to bring all the feels. The tragic death of Spencer Schott unravels the lives of the two people he loved most—his girlfriend, Bailey, and his best friend, Wes. Secrets and guilt from that fateful night keep both Bailey and Wes from overcoming Spencer’s loss and moving on with their lives. Now, nearly a year later, both Bailey and Wes are still so broken over what happened that Spencer can’t find peace in the afterlife. In order to put his soul to rest, he’s given one chance to come back and set things right...even if that means setting up his girlfriend with his best friend. With the emotional resonance of Jellicoe Road and the magical realism of The Lovely Bones, The Ghost of You and Me is a story about overcoming grief, finding redemption for past mistakes, and the healing power of friendship and love. Fans of John Green, Sarah Dessen, and Nicholas Sparks are sure to love this haunting new tale from Kelly Oram. This is a clean young adult romance stand alone novel that reads like contemporary drama romance and has just a touch of magical realism.

 


 

Author Kelly Oram Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

     


$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 7/15/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Israel - God's Heart by Ron Gafni, Kathleen Barrett

Israel—God’s Heart: Landscapes and Legacy of Israel (Skypics Israel, November 2016)
Soar across the skies of beautiful Israel and visit contemporary and historic sites beckoning visitors to stay and explore.
The beauty of Israel from above is captured by top aerial photographer Ron Gafni.  As you sweep over ancient ruins, fly high in hot air balloons, and view vignette’s of Israel’s modern lifestyles, Holy scripture will also come alive. Author Kathleen Barrett offers reflective narrative with scripture pointing to God’s redemption plan for the world.

Amazon


Click here to discover a flipbook sample of the book.


About The Authors

Ron Gafni works as a professional aerial photographer after spending more than a decade in Israel’s High-Tech Industry. He brings his vast experience and personal perspective through the lens of a proud Israeli citizen. His work has been featured in “National Geographic,” and his company, Skypics.co.il, provides books from its “Israel From Above” collection to the Israeli government, Army and Air force, as well as to large corporations in Israel.

 Kathleen Barrett, a south Florida resident and former teacher is a student of the Word. She shares her thoughtful point of view in “Israel-God’s Heart” from a personal, 40 year walk of Christian faith and study. In 2002, she authored a children’s devotional. Before that and since then, she has published numerous articles from mission’s outreach to local political events. Her more personal and reflective work has been featured in a number of collections.

Find out more about Ron Gafni & at http://skypics.co.il.


My Review

Like a lot of Christian’s I would love to go to the land that Jesus walked, and this book gave me a wonderful glimpse into this beautiful country of Israel.
The artist Ron Gafni is very gifted and makes you feel like you are experiences this landscape first and full of facts that will keep you turning the pages.
One is the Dead Sea, with salt as a great commodity, yes salty, but I didn’t know that it has other minerals that offer health benefits and that you don’t sink in the water.
The pictures are often breath taking, and to think that we are lucky to know that our Savior walked here, and gave sermons like at the Mount of Beatitudes, so overwhelmingly beautiful.
From the flower fields to the cities, you want to miss anything, and now you have a chance to go there, without leaving your home. A treasure for sure, and a keeper to look at often!
I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.

Freedom's Price (Keys of Promise #3) by Christine Johnson

When Englishwoman Catherine Haynes loses both her parents and her home in 1856, she decides to cross the Atlantic to find her American mother's family in Louisiana. She enlists the help of Tom Worthington, a dashing Key West man who makes his living salvaging wrecked ships, but whose real goal in life is to bring to justice the man who stole his father's ship and caused his untimely death.

When Catherine finally arrives at her family's plantation, she finds it in disarray and her family absent landowners. Torn between returning to Key West with Tom or beginning the hard work of restoring the plantation, Catherine soon finds herself snared in a plot to steal her inheritance. When an incredible secret comes to light, both she and Tom will face a choice. Can they relinquish the dreams that have been holding them captive in order to step forward in faith--even if it costs them everything?

Amazon


About The Author

Christine Johnson grew up in small-town Michigan, where tales rise taller than old-growth forest. God blessed her with a love of story, which thus far has led to two RWA Golden Heart® award finals and publication with Love Inspired Historical and Revell. When not at the computer keyboard, she loves to explore God’s majestic creation.

Website


My Review

Freedom’s Price is the third book in this wonderful series, and I loved them all, and fun to be reunited with those we have come to care about.
This is Catherine Haynes and Tom Worthington’s story, and one from England and the other from New England, end up together in Key West, coincidence? From Key West these two end up having with the same nightmarish person at the helm of their problems.
Throughout the book I loved how God persevered once turned to Him, and there sure are times when Evil rears its ugly head. This one is going to linger with you, and will be hard to leave the imprint of some of the injustice that was prevalent during this period of time.
Coincidence yes, how two previously unknowns arrive at the same place at the same time, and yet it seems so real that yes it could have happened.
What a great conclusion to a wonderful series that I wish there were more to come.
I received this book through Revell Reads Blogger Program, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Divide (The Alliance #2) by Jolina Petersheim

In this gripping conclusion to The Alliance, nearly six months have passed since Leora Ebersole's Old Order Mennonite community fled to the mountains for refuge after an attack destroyed the power grid and altered life as they knew it. Since then, Leora has watched and waited for news of Moses Hughes, the young Englischer pilot who held off invading looters long enough for everyone to escape. Unsure Moses even survived, Leora has begun to warm to the affections of Jabil Snyder, who has courted her patiently. But she struggles to see herself as the bishop's wife, especially when she learns that Moses is alive and has now joined a local militia.

An unexpected encounter in the woods deepens Leora's crisis, as does a terrifying new threat that brings Moses' militia into the community's shaky alliance with the few Englischers left among them. When long-held beliefs are once again put to the test, Leora wrestles with the divide between having faith and taking action. Just how much will her shifting landscape change her?

Amazon


About The Author

 


Jolina Petersheim is the bestselling author of The Alliance, The Divide, The Midwife, and The Outcast, which Library Journal called “outstanding . . . fresh and inspirational” in a starred review and named one of the best books of 2013. That book also became an ECPA, CBA, and Amazon bestseller and was featured in Huffington Post’s Fall Picks, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and the Tennessean. CBA Retailers + Resources called her second book, The Midwife, “an excellent read [that] will be hard to put down,” and Booklist selected The Alliance as one of their Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Titles for 2016. Jolina’s nonfiction writing has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Writer’s Digest, Proverbs 31 Ministries, and Today’s Christian Woman. She and her husband share the same unique Amish and Mennonite heritage that originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but they now live in the mountains of Tennessee with their young daughters. Jolina blogs regularly at jolinapetersheim.com.


My Review

just finished reading The Divide and am sure it is going to be with me for a long time, this is the sequel to The Alliance, and you really need to treat yourself to both.
This book picks up where we left off, and Moses has been shot, but who else is still trying to protect? Life has gotten so much harder, if that is hard to believe, and yet the will to live continues.
Can you even imagine the suffering, all that you have ever know and thought you had to have is gone! The EMT has taken it all, all but the will to survive, and our group is Mennonite and have always lived with less, but things are not all that easy for them, and others want the little they have.
Will those we have come to care about survive to the end? Or is this really the end of the world? Come and enjoy the conclusion to this dystopian, and find out what has happened to those that we have come to care for.
I received this book through Edelweiss and the Publisher Tyndale, and was not required to give a positive review. 

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: No Turning Back by Tracy Buchanan

NO TURNING BACK by Tracy Buchanan

No Turning Back: A Novel  

Women Sleuths/Suspense Thriller Crooked Lane Books (June 13, 2017) Hardcover: 352 pages ISBN-13: 978-1683311638 E-Book ASIN: B01N4FP1AR

 

Anna Graves’s whole life has recently been turned upside down. A new mother, she’s just gone back to her job as a radio presenter and is busy navigating a new schedule of late night feeding and early morning wake ups while also dealing with her newly separated husband. Then the worst happens. While Anna is walking on the beach with her daughter, she’s attacked by a crazed teenager. Terrified, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her baby. But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy results reveal something more sinister. A frenzied media attack sends Anna into a spiral of self-doubt. Her precarious mental state is further threatened when she receives a chilling message from someone claiming to be the “Ophelia Killer,” a serial killer who preyed on the town twenty years ago—and who abruptly stopped when Anna’s father committed suicide. Is Anna as innocent as she claims? And is murder forgivable, if committed to save your child’s life? Internationally bestselling author Tracy Buchanan takes readers on an emotional roller coaster ride filled with heart-stopping secrets and hairpin turns in No Turning Back, her US debut.

 

 

About The Author

Tracy Buchanan lives in the UK with her husband, their little girl and their one-eyed Jack Russell. Buchanan traveled extensively while working as a travel magazine editor and has always been drawn to the sea after spending her childhood holidays on the coast visiting family–a fascination that inspires her writing. She now dedicates her time to writing and procrastinating on Twitter. Author 


Links Webpage - Tracy.Buchanan.co.uk Twitter - @TracyBuchanan Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TracyBuchananAuthor GoodReads - http://www.goodreads.com/Tracy_Buchanan Purchase Links Amazon B&N IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway  

TOUR PARTICIPANTS  

June 5 – Books Direct - INTERVIEW  
June 5 – Socrates' Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
 June 6 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
 June 6 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT  
June 7 – Cassidy's Bookshelves - REVIEW  
June 7 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
 June 8 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW  
June 8 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
 June 9 – That's What She's Reading – REVIEW  
June 9 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST  
June 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
 June 10 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW
 June 10 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
 June 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
 June 11 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT  
June 12 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
June 12 – Varietats – REVIEW
  June 12 – My Journey Back - REVIEW  
June 13 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
  June 14 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, GUEST POST
June 14 – The Editing Pen – INTERVIEW


Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

My Review

I had to almost turn the last page to get answers to this one, and then I was still surprised, oh my I never saw it coming.
A young mother, a broadcaster, a recent divorcee, a daughter, a sister, yes this is Anna Graves. As the story opens you feel like she has it all, a beautiful little one, and a fabulous job, but soon her world comes crashing down around her.
What is going on, and who is responsible, and now Anna is drawn right in, and it is almost like coming full circle as the cast of characters are presented. You are going to be guessing right to the end, and even then shaking your head.
Don’t quite know how I feel about the ending of this story, the author had us chasing after clues, but some times things are not what you think they are.
If you like suspense, and being frightened for the main character, than this is a read you don’t want to miss.
I received this book through Net Galley, and the Publisher Crooked Lane Books, and was not required to give a positive review.





 

The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor

A heart-breaking, heart-warming historical novel of love and survival inspired by real resistance workers during World War II Austria, and the mysterious love letter that connects generations of Jewish families. For readers of The Nightingale, Lilac Girls, and Sarah's Key.

Austria, 1938.
Kristoff is a young apprentice to a master Jewish stamp engraver. When his teacher disappears during Kristallnacht, Kristoff is forced to engrave stamps for the Germans, and simultaneously works alongside Elena, his beloved teacher's fiery daughter, and with the Austrian resistance to send underground messages and forge papers. As he falls for Elena amidst the brutal chaos of war, Kristoff must find a way to save her, and himself.

Los Angeles, 1989.
Katie Nelson is going through a divorce and while cleaning out her house and life in the aftermath, she comes across the stamp collection of her father, who recently went into a nursing home. When an appraiser, Benjamin, discovers an unusual World War II-era Austrian stamp placed on an old love letter as he goes through her dad's collection, Katie and Benjamin are sent on a journey together that will uncover a story of passion and tragedy spanning decades and continents, behind the just fallen Berlin Wall.

A beautiful, poignant and devastating novel, The Lost Letter shows the lasting power of love.

Amazon

About The Author

Jillian Cantor has a BA in English from Penn State University and an MFA from The University of Arizona. She is the author of award-winning novels for teens and adults including the critically acclaimed MARGOT, which was a Library Reads pick for September 2013 and also featured in O the Oprah Magazine, People, Ladies Home Journal, and Time.com. Her most recent book for teens, SEARCHING FOR SKY, (Bloomsbury US & UK, Scholastic book club) was nominated for the 2015 Carnegie Medal in the UK. Jillian's next historical novel for adults, THE LOST LETTER, will be out 06/13/17 from Riverhead/Penguin. Born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, Jillian currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Website 

My Review

I loved this book, was a reminder of the happenings in Austria during 1938, and the loved ones you never see again, here one moment and gone forever the next. The story flips between 1989 and 1938, and the story revolves around a talented stamp engraver and his apprentice, and of course his family.
While the story is fictional, you find yourself fully absorbed in this story, and throughout all we want answers, all the while knowing over eleven million Jewish people were killed in the terror that spread through Europe in the late 1930’s.
The story does revolve around a letter with a stamp on it that all the philatelist have not ever seen and that stamp that is attached to a letter was never mailed, and was found in Katie Nelson Dad’s collection, unfortunately he has the dreaded Alzheimer’s, and can’t tell her much.
When you feel that you are at the darkest times in your life, at Katie did, a door has opened and she is about to embark on a life changing journey, and all because of an unusual Austrian stamp. While we should never forget the horrible time in history, a stamp shows the perseverance of the survivors, a book that you don’t want to miss, I’m glad I turned that first page.
I received this book through Edelweiss Above The Tree Line and the Publisher Riverhead Books, and was not required to give a positive review.  

The Switch by Joseph Finder

Michael Tanner is heading home from a business trip when he accidentally picks up the wrong laptop from security. What he doesn't know is that the owner is US senator Susan Robbins, and her laptop contains top secret files that should never have been on there in the first place.

And Senator Robbins is not the only one who wants the laptop back... Suddenly, Tanner is a hunted man. On the run, terrified for the safety of his family – he is in desperate need of a plan – but who can he trust?

Amazon


About The Author

Joseph Finder’s plan was to become a spy. Or maybe a professor of Russian history. Instead he became a bestselling thriller writer, and winner of the Strand Critics Award for Best Novel for BURIED SECRETS (2011), winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel for KILLER INSTINCT (2006) and winner of the Barry and Gumshoe Awards for Best Thriller for COMPANY MAN (2005). 

Joe lives in Boston with his wife, daughter, and a needy golden retriever, Mia, a dropout from seeing-eye-dog school.

Website 


My Review

From the beginning to when the last page is turned you are waiting for the last shoe to drop. The author kept me on the edge of my seat, and you will be wondering to the end of this book whom will end up surviving, if any.
Tanner innocently takes the wrong computer at the LAX airport, and because of this his life is about to change forever. Two families, one with a young baby and the other still waiting to have children, parallel lives, but oh so different. Now to what length will someone or many go to get this computer back?
With what has happened in our country I had little doubt that this could really be a true story, names and dates changed. Yes a truly believable tale and once you start you won’t be able to put this one down, I couldn’t it kept me looking for answers.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Penguin Group, and was not required to give a positive review. 

Naomi's Hope (Journey to Pleasant Prairie #3) by Jan Drexler

Despite growing pains in her 1846 Amish community in Indiana, Naomi Schrock has settled into a comfortable life in her parents' home with her adopted son, Davey. Surrounded by family and friends, she tries not to think about the fact that she's not at the top of any man's list of potential wives. Yet when Cap Stoltzfus moves into the area and befriends Davey, Naomi finds herself caught between the plans she has made for her future and the tantalizing thought that Cap might be part of a life she never dared to hope for.
When a couple shows up claiming to be Davey's true family, Naomi and Cap must unite to make the decision that will determine the boy's future as well as their own. How can she relinquish him to these unknown relatives? And can God somehow bring wholeness to her heart?

Amazon 

About The Author

 


Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Their experiences are the basis for her stories. Jan lives in South Dakota with her husband, their four adult children, two active dogs, and a cat. When she isn't writing, she enjoys hiking the Black Hills and the Badlands. She is the author of the Love Inspired novels The Prodigal Son Returns, A Mother for His Children, and A Home for His Family.

My Review

This is the third book in this series about the early beginning of an Amish settlement in 1840’s Indiana. We are reunited with dear friends and meet new ones, both friends and foe.
This is Naomi’s story, and in a way the whole settlement here, along with newcomers Cap and Shem, one loveable and the other, well, here is where forgiveness and living your faith comes in.
This is also a love story, between Cap and Naomi, and also between Naomi and Davey, the love of a mother. Can this group make a family and survive the hardships presented to them, and the evil that others want to throw at them.
Things we take for granted and was surprised that the Ordnung for this community was so strict that they could not use their horses for transportation on a Sunday.
Come back for another visit with this beloved community, and if this is your first time, you can read this alone, but you will quickly want to read the past two books. I hated to say goodbye, and wish there were more in this series.
I received this book through Revell Reads Blog Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.