Wednesday, October 31, 2018

God Bless You and Good Night Touch and Feel by Hannah Hall, Steve Whitlow (Illustrations)






God Bless You and Good Night is now available as a touch-and-feel book! This beloved bedtime classic has touched more than 315,000 families, and this touch-and-feel edition offers even more fun as little ones prepare for bed.

Bedtime can be a precious time of connection for you and your little one. Enjoy those snuggly moments together as you read this classic bedtime book while exploring all the fun touch-and-feel elements, from the polar bear's soft fur to the elephant's leathery skin to the silky grass of the African grasslands.

In God Bless You and Good Night Touch and Feel, sleepy little ones are reminded of God’s blessings and how much they are loved. The delightful rhyming story takes readers through several scenes of snuggly animals who are getting ready for bed from putting on pj's, brushing teeth, and saying good-night prayers. Now with added touch-and-feel elements, children can engage with the story even more. God Bless You and Good Night Touch and Feel will be a favorite part of the bedtime ritual for parents and children.

Whether for a baby shower or birthday, or as a heart-melting way to surprise the grandparents-to-be, God Bless You and Good Night Touch and Feel is the perfect touch for any celebration.


Amazon







My Review








A sweet book that you toddler can hold and drop and you don’t have to worry, as it is made of very sturdy cardboard.
We are introduced to different animals as they get ready to retire from their day. As you read the pages to your little one can touch and feel the each of the pages with the different textures.
At our home, it has quickly become a go to book, and my little one sits close and can’t wait to feel and touch each page.
A great addition to our library.

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


Tuesday, October 30, 2018

When Winter Comes by V.A. Shannon, Vivienne Shannon







Mrs. Jacob Klein has a husband, children, and a warm and comfortable home in California. No one—not even her family—knows how she came to be out West thirteen years ago. Jacob, a kind and patient man, has promised not to ask. But if she were to tell her story, she would recount a tale of tragedy, mishaps, and unthinkable choices—yet also sacrifice, courage, and a powerful, unexpected love . . .

1846: On the outskirts of Cincinnati, wagons gather by the hundreds, readying to head west to California. Among the throng is a fifteen-year-old girl eager to escape her abusive family. With just a few stolen dollars to her name, she enlists as helpmate to a married couple with a young daughter. Their group stays optimistic in the face of the journey’s hazards and delays. Then comes a decision that she is powerless to prevent: Instead of following the wagon train’s established route, the Donner Party will take a shortcut over the Sierras, aiming to clear the mountains before the first snows descend.

In the years since that infamous winter, other survivors have sold their accounts for notoriety and money, lurid tales often filled with half-truths or blatant, gory lies. Now, Mrs. Klein must decide whether to keep those bitter memories secret, or risk destroying the life she has endured so much to build.


Amazon


About The Author






I’ve got one of those disjointed, rambling career paths that always look rather fun on a book’s flyleaf (but never make any money); lawyer, artist, teacher, house-cleaner, chocolatier, baker, property developer, pantomime producer. I also suffer from moving-house syndrome. I once calculated that I’d moved house more than forty times, in the UK and abroad including Greece, Belgium and the USA.

It finally struck me one day that maybe I’d be better off staying put in one place and writing about all these different lives instead of trying to experience them myself. And my writing career was born!

I write historical novels - the latest, 'When Winter Comes' will be published in November 2018, and is based on the true story of the Donner Party - members of a wagon train trapped by snow in the Sierra Nevada. I love the challenge of the research and finding an appropriate historical 'voice'.

I'm currently also working on a second historical novel set in London and Nazi-occupied Greece - another challenging write. But my guilty pleasure lies in writing romantic comedy. My first published rom-com is 'Prospero's Island', and I am in the throes of completing my second, 'Isabella', which I am hoping to get published by the end of the summer.


Website


My Review





I have in the past read stories about the Donner party, and the horrific end to these people, but the author puts faces to theses travelers. All the while reading this it made me think of what we really take for granted.
At the very beginning we see that Mrs. Klein is in California, but we travel in her shoes, from the beginning of this book as a fifteen-year-old in Cincinnati Ohio and how she ends up on the wagon train, to her being married, a school teacher, a mom and wife.
Just like the old whispered game of telephone, how a story gets twisted, and how you know the actual facts, having been there, and how frustrating it must have been to see the truth twisted.
This book became a page-turner, and knowing part of the ending still kept me interested, and I was surely not disappointed.

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

Celebrate Lit Presents: Miles From Where We Started by Cynthia Ruchti

Miles from where we started FB banner copy



About the Book



Miles from Where We Started



Book Title: Miles from Where We Started
Author: Cynthia Ruchti
Genre: Christian Romance/Family life
Release date: October 16, 2018
These no-longer-newlyweds want out of this road trip—and their marriage. Too bad they can’t find the off ramp.
Weeks away from their one-year wedding anniversary, Mallory and Connor Duncan can’t even agree on how to end their marriage. But when a last-minute crisis lands them on a three-thousand-mile road trip together, Mallory wonders if their story may not be over after all.
The trip begins to unravel before the key is even in the ignition, and an at-risk, trouble-seeking missile of an eleven-year-old is unexpectedly launched into their travel plans. Close quarters get even tighter, and the couple believes this whole experience will spell disaster.
Their first year of marriage hasn’t been the arm-in-arm togetherness they expected. How can they find a new beginning when the road ends?

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

cynthia ruchtiCynthia Ruchti tells stories of hope through novels, nonfiction, devotionals, and speaking events. She serves as the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers and is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences across the country. She married her grade school sweetheart, and the two live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five grandchildren.

Guest Post from Cynthia



I have a confession to make. I  heart millennials.
My other novels have had a few millennial characters. Some even played starring roles. But I knew there was more to the heart of millennials than I could gain from listening to the often unfair sighing or comedy routines about that generation. As a person, I wanted to know them better—what are they really like? What challenges do they face with which previous generations saddled them? What strengths to they offer our culture?
Until now, I hadn’t written a story about a millennial couple whose marriage was in crisis. Like, serious crisis. I-don’t-want-to-be-married-to-you-anymore. That kind of crisis.
As any good novelist knows, part of what we do to our characters is make the situation worse. So, millennial couple, approaching their one-year anniversary, ready to call it quits because “This marriage thing is really hard. Is it supposed to be so much work?” But what if…? What if they were forced to be together for three weeks…in a micro-camper…on America’s backroads…with an 11-year-old foster boy troublemaker…and both the husband’s AND the wife’s jobs depended on the trip’s success?
Plot idea in hand, I set off to write Miles from Where We Started, not entirely sure when I began the journey where they would end up or how they’d get there. It was an education for me in so many ways. The impact of the turning point of the story? In the words of my millennial friends, “That’s lit!”
Side note: I’m a big fan of a young teen musician at our church. The boy has mad skills as a keyboard artist. He approaches life as if it’s an endless game of Ninja Warrior. Why walk when you can vault into the room? Why walk up a flight of stairs when you can hop four at a time? He also sports a perpetual smile and is famous for his kindness, but his eyes give away that a little mischief may be hiding behind that smile. I asked Judah’s permission to use his name (and a little bit of his personality) as the foster child character in Miles from Where We Started. I can’t wait for him to read the part he inspired.
Can’t wait for you to read it, too.
Hemmed in Hope,
Cynthia


Blog Stops

The Power of Words, October 25
All-of-a-kind Mom, October 26
Lighthouse Academy, October 26
Quiet Quilter, October 27
cherylbbookblog, October 28
Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)
Remembrancy, October 28
Godly Book Reviews, October 29
By The Book, October 29
Maureen’s Musings, October 30
Spoken from the Heart , October 30
SusanLovesBooks, October 30
Mary Hake, November 1
Book by Book, November 1
amandainpa , November 1
Pause for Tales, November 2
Just Commonly, November 2
Baker Kella, November 3
Bibliophile Reviews, November 4
Texas Book-aholic, November 5
Carpe Diem, November 6
A Diva’s Heart, November 7
Bigreadersite, November 7


Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Cynthia is giving away a grand prize of the Adventure begins” large tote bag, “This way to adventure” travel notebook, “Home is Where We Park It” metal wall hanging, a teardrop camper birdhouse, PLUS a $50 gift Visa gift card…to start your adventure fund!!
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/d4ea/miles-from-where-we-started-celebration-tour-giveaway


My Review





It took me a bit to get into this book, but when the child arrived it became a page-turner, how I loved him, a tough little cookie.
The author has us with a couple that has been married less than a year, but are about to thrown the towel. What happens next is something you never expect, when these two take off in a mini camper with an eleven-year-old boy, not related to them. There isn’t room in this thing to even turn around and now there are three of them traveling around the country. It soon becomes so funny that I found myself falling in love, especially with the boy, you never knew what was going to happen next.
I don’t think you will be disappointed picking this one up, and as we travel we find so many people with such great compassion, this one will make you think!

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

Friday, October 26, 2018

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Death, Diamonds, and Freezer Burn (Grime Pays Mysteries) by Tricia L. Sanders

Death, Diamonds, and Freezer Burn (Grime Pays Mysteries)
by Tricia L. Sanders


About the Book


 


Death, Diamonds, and Freezer Burn (Grime Pays Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Soul Mate Publishing, Inc.
Release Date – October 24, 2018
Approximately 254 pages
Book is not up on Amazon or GoodReads yet.


An unwelcome visitor, an unrequited love, and a dead body create chaos in a middle-aged woman’s plan for a productive summer.
Despite a looming divorce, an empty checkbook, and a struggling cleaning business, Cece Cavanaugh is determined to land on her own two feet. Adamant about staying a safe distance from the handsome detective who has her fantasizing about violating the morals clause in her prenuptial agreement, Cece dives headlong into her work.
Even though she has no free time to spare, Cece finds herself guilted into cleaning a hoarder’s home. Her discoveries in the condemned house are too shocking to ignore. Diamond-laden pachyderms, a secret cache of money, and a dead body lure Cece into launching an investigation that places her in direct contact with the one person she’s desperate to avoid–hunky Detective Case Alder.
With clues in hand, Cece runs down leads and eliminates suspects one by one. Her conclusion and brave accusation put a friend’s life in peril forcing Cece to hatch a plan to outsmart the killer. A daring move could either save Cece and her friend or lead to their demise.

About the Author




Tricia L. Sanders writes cozy mysteries and women’s fiction. She adds a dash of romance and a sprinkling of snark to raise the stakes. Her heroines are humorous women embarking on journeys of self-discovery all the while doing so with class, sass, and a touch of kickass.
Tricia is an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, so don’t get between her and the television when a game is on. Currently, she is working on a mystery series set in the fictional town of Wickford, Missouri. Another project in the works is a women’s fiction road trip adventure.
A former instructional designer and corporate trainer, she traded in curriculum writing for novel writing, because she hates bullet points and loves to make stuff up. And fiction is more fun than training guides and lesson plans.


Author Links
Website: www.triciasanders.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authortricialsanders/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tricialsanders
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/tricialsanders/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXRJSRSmTjg
Newsletter Sign Up: https://mailchi.mp/23a87d715dc3/tricia-l-sanders-sleuthscoop


Amazon


TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 24 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 24 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 25 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 25 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 26 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
October 26 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
October 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
October 27 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 28 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
October 28 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT
October 29 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
October 29 – Valerie’s Musings – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 30 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
October 30 – Laura’s Interests – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 31 – The Montana Bookaholic – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 1 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW
November 1 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 1 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 2 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
November 2 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST
November 3 – That’s What She’s Reading – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 3 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
November 4 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 4 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW
November 5 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
November 5 – The Avid Reader – SPOTLIGHT
November 5 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
November 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
November 6 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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




Thursday, October 25, 2018

Celebrate Lit Presents: The Mending of Lillian Cathleen by Linda Brooks Davis


About the Book





Book Title: The Mending of Lillian Cathleen

Author: Linda Brooks Davis
Genre: Historical
Release date: October, 2018
It’s 1914. American women are demanding the vote. And the first flames of the Great War are igniting Europe. But a battle of a different sort rages in Oklahoma.
The thermometer registers one hundred six degrees, an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence even for the twenty-eighth day of July. But this is no ordinary day.
The jury has reached a verdict.
Lily fidgets in the old church pew. Her name has clotted into a by-word. Her blood is tainted. Can she right the wrongs? Or will her past forever define her?
She eyes the judge. And the courtroom holds its breath.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Davis_LindaBrooks_2016_01-31 copy 3 


Linda Brooks Davis was born and reared on a farm in Raymondville, a small Rio Grande Valley community in the southernmost tip of Texas. Linda earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Pathology from Abilene Christian University and a Master’s Degree from Houston Baptist University. She retired in 2008 after forty years as a special educator and administrator. Linda and her beloved husband Al worship and minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio and dote on six grandchildren, three of whom are triplets. Readers may contact Linda through her website, www.lindabrooksdavis.com.
Linda’s debut novel, The Calling of Ella McFarland, is set in 1905 Indian Territory prior to Oklahoma statehood. It won the 2014 Jerry Jenkins Operation First Novel Award. It was released in 2015 and won the 2016 American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award. The sequel novella, A Christmas to Remember, is set in 1908 Oklahoma and released in December, 2016. A second novella, A Christmas Measure of Love, released in 2017. It is set in 1910 and is a prequel to Linda’s second full-length novel, this one set in 1914, The Mending of Lily Cathleen, which releases in 2018.

Guest Post from Linda

Certain ancestors and their experiences appear in my stories. There’s bit of my grandmother and a strong dash of my mother in one character. My father’s sterling qualities appear in another. And there’s a low-down family reprobate in another. Don’t forget cotton planting, hoeing, and harvest time. The glorious aroma of fresh-picked cotton and the nothing-in-the-world-like-it odor from the pig pen. A sewing machine whirring. The clink of a milk pail. A cow hollering to be milked. Summer’s sun on my face, the hearty South Texas wind in my hair, and the comfort of backing up to a wall heater on a cold winter morning. All find their way into the plot lines.
In my family’s history, my own life, and the kaleidoscope of lives in my stories, Jesus appears as the golden thread linking the past to the present and beyond. He turns an ordinary morning into a hint of the “Sweet By & By.” He adds the delicate aroma of the Rose of Sharon to the sultry stillness before a summer storm. And He wraps the bitterness of grief and failure in the richness of His incomparable grace. The Mending of Lillian Cathleen is one of those tales that reach beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary because of Jesus.
Lily’s story captures some of the heartache of domestic abuse, but it packs a powerfully joyous punch at the end. I thought I’d add a strong dash of sweet to this post with a recipe that appears in The Calling of Ella McFarland (which is re-releasing in October 2018). Mama’s (or Papa’s) Nectar of Heaven was a treat my mother enjoyed as a child. She set the same yummy delicacy before her kids, and I, of course, have done the same. Here ’tis, ya’ll, from Texas with sweet, sweet love.

lillian cathleen recipe

Blog Stops

Multifarious, October 19
The Becca Files, October 19
The Lit Addict, October 20
Godly Book Reviews, October 23
A Reader’s Brain, October 24
Maureen’s Musings, October 25
Baker Kella, October 25
Mary Hake, October 26
Bibliophile Reviews, October 28
Texas Book-aholic, October 29
Bigreadersite , October 30
Carpe Diem, October 31
Lis Loves Reading, October 31

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d56e/the-mending-of-lillian-cathleen-celebration-tour-giveaway


My Review


As I picked up and began reading this read I realized that there had to be a previous book, but I was soon caught up and page-turning as it kept getting better and better.
The author gives us a glimpse into the dark side of something that was happening back in the early 1900’s, and unfortunately it is still going on.
The world Lillian is embracing is about to enter into a worldwide war, but she is supporting rights for women, and the vote, all the while dealing with missing her mother and newly found treasures from her.
Don’t get too comfortable, there seems to be bomb shells fall around every corner, and you never see what is coming! One thing I did see was love for fellow man, and those that are less fortunate, heartwarming and scary at the same time, and you won’t want to put it down until there are answers.

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

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

His Promise (The Amish of Hart County, #6) by Shelley Shepard Gray







New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s latest Christmas novel in her Amish of Hart County series.

It’s set to be a white Christmas in Hart County, and Grace King is pet-sitting in a beautiful home with only a difficult dachshund for company. Just as she starts to miss the bustle of her large Amish family, Grace runs into a familiar face. Living right next door is John Michael Miller. He’s a fireman now, but five years ago, he had courted her older sister, then broke her heart. Seeing him again stirs Grace’s anger, but also reminds her of deeper feelings she’s done her best to deny.

The infatuation John Michael once saw in Grace’s eyes is long gone, though his complicated attraction to her remains. He had walked away all those years ago when he realized he was falling in love with the wrong sister. Now, as suspicious fires are set in their community, that’s not an option. Grace dismisses his warnings, and John Michael vows to keep an eye on her. But he can’t help wondering if he’s reconnected with Grace, only to risk losing her again.

Now all John Michael wants for Christmas is to keep Grace safe, in the hopes that they can one day have a future together.


Amazon

About The Author






Shelley Shepard Gray lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. A busy wife and mother of two, she spends her days writing and keeping track of her two teenagers. Her two dogs keep her company when she writes in her basement.

Shelley enjoys writing about the Amish and visits Amish communities in Adams and Holmes counties several times a year. When not spending time with her family or writing, she serves on several committees in her church.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news...or become her friend on FaceBook.


Website


My Review





I loved how the characters here had compassion for those less fortunate in their community, and how the two main individuals come to basically the same conclusion at the same time from different places.
How can a couple have a romance when the girl’s family really dislikes the fellow? Answers are about to come and maybe they are right about him, but you will need to find out for yourself.
We also get to spend some time with a cute, maybe, little pup.
Throughout the challenges that seem to be happening, fires, robberies etc. we get to find out what is really important, and it is not the Christmas tree with the dog bones!
This is a quick read, and I loved being back in Hart County and with the people that I have a fondness for.

I received this book through Edelweiss and the Publisher HarperCollins, and was not required to give a positive review.

Reason to Breathe (Chandler Sisters, #1) by Deborah Raney






At twenty-nine, Phylicia Chandler put her life on hold to help her sisters care for their dying mother. Now Mom is gone and their father shocks them all by running off with a woman young enough to be their sister. Life is moving forward all around her, but Phee feels stuck--until her father's protégé presents her with an intriguing business proposition.

When Quinn Mitchell offers to help Phee purchase and renovate three small lake cottages on the outskirts of Langhorne, Missouri, he doesn't count on falling in love with her. Yet here he is: head over heels. But how can Quinn declare his love for this beautiful, talented woman twelve years his junior when she's still reeling from her father's hasty remarriage to a younger woman? Can Quinn convince Phee that it isn't too late to see her dreams come true?


Amazon


About The Author





DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have since won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have three times been Christy Award finalists. At work on her 34th novel, Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, recently moved to the city after years of enjoying small-town life in Kansas, the setting of many of Deb's novels. They are empty nesters with four children and a growing quiver of grandchildren, all of whom live much too far away.

Website 


My Review




I was drawn into this story very quickly and it felt so very real, and as I got to the end, I am thrilled to know that the other two sisters will also have a story to tell.
This is Phylicia Chandler’s story, and wow, a lot of bomb shells are dropped, but will she get the answers she is seeking. The setting is in Missouri, and a hard time in the lives of three sisters and the author has us feeling their pain, as they lose their mother and in a sense their father.
Grief is hard and we put faces on those recently affected by this terrible pain, but we are also shown how living their faith in God is a healing factor.
We are shown options of moving on, and there is a bit of sweet romance, along with the tears comes a few chuckles, and smiles.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series, I love this family!

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

The Christmas Remedy (An Amish Christmas Romance) by Cindy Woodsmall, Erin Woodsmall








When an Old Order Amish woman takes a job at a small-town pharmacy struggling to survive in a world of "big box" stores, her motive is to help her Plain community. But the advent of the holiday season brings an unusual mystery to the surface--and possibly love.

Twenty-four-year-old Holly Zook lives a unique life for a young Amish woman. Years ago, her bishop allowed her to continue her education and become the lead technician for Greene's Pharmacy, an old-timey drugstore that looks out for the Amish community--a group largely without secure healthcare plans. She knows she can't marry and hold onto her professional job. She's Amish, and she can only have one or the other, so she spurns love and works toward addressing treatable diseases--like the one that claimed her father's life.

As long as Holly continues to avoid Joshua Smucker, the one man who draws her like a warm hearth in winter, she should be fine. When something unexpected threatens Greene's Pharmacy, Holly and Joshua must work together to unravel what's happened and find the "missing" patient before the Board of Pharmacy shuts them down. As the snows of December arrive, with Christmas in the air, will Holly succumb to the generous spirit of the season?


Amazon


About The Authors







Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author who has written nineteen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy's been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as one of the top three Amish fiction writers.

She is also a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.


She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards. 





Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of three. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. 

Website


My Review





A different Amish story, and a young woman who lives her faith, but willing to forego love and family to help her fellow man. While she is willing to sacrifice all, someone has the opposite in mind and is sabotaging the local pharmacy, but who and why?
This story is a great collaboration between these two authors, and when the last page is turned, I still wanted more, and my mind was putting conclusions to maybe other romances.
I loved how so many pulled together to find out answers to what happened, and if they will be able to save the much-needed pharmacy, or if the owner will have to retire due to health reasons. So many questions, but yes there are answers here, and a sweet enjoyable read.

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




Thursday, October 18, 2018

Celebrate Lit Presents: The 12 Gifts of Christmas by Lena Nelson Dooley

The 12 Gifts of Christmas copy

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, October 9
Among the Reads, October 10
A Diva’s Heart, October 10
Baker Kella, October 11
Britt Reads Fiction, October 13
Texas Book-aholic, October 13
Susan Loves Books, October 14
Splashes of Joy, October 15
Creating Romance, October 16
Bigreadersite, October 16
Mary Hake, October 17
Maureen’s Musings, October 18
Bibliophile Reviews, October 20
Pause for Tales, October 20
More Of Him, October 21
Carpe Diem, October 22

About the Book



The 12 gifts of Christmas

Book Title: The 12 Gifts of Christmas

Author: Lena Nelson Dooley
Genre: Christian Romance/ Christmas
Release date: September 4, 2018
Malcolm MacGregor is a descendant of Scotland’s Clan MacGregor and a successful young businessman in Fort Worth, Texas. Alanza Cantalamessa works at a gourmet pizzeria owned by her Brazilian artist mother and her Italian Poppa. Both of them are smitten with each other but Malcolm is too reserved to do much more than make small talk—until a promotion at work that will send him away to Australia for six months. It’s December and he has to do something—fast.
Praying about the situation, Malcolm decides to give her twelve gifts leading up to Christmas. Their families and friends think they are moving too fast. And a gold-digger who tossed Malcolm aside in the past has now decided he’s the man of her dreams.
Can Malcolm and Alanza overcome their obstacles before he has to go abroad? Or is it really not meant to be?

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Leena Dooley


Multi-published, award-winning author Lena Nelson Dooley is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, her local chapter in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, the Christian Authors’ Network, and Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Her forty-plus books have sold more than 875,000 copies. Lena’s books have appeared on the CBA, ECPA, and Publisher Weekly bestseller lists, as well as some Amazon bestseller lists. She also writes a popular blog, A Christian Writer’s World, that features other authors’ books. The blog received the Readers’ Choice Blog of the Year Award from the Book Club Network.
Lena is a three-time finalist in the Carol Awards ACFW contest. Her 2010 release, Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, won the 2011 Will Rogers Medallion Award for excellence in publishing Western Fiction. Her next series, McKenna’s Daughters: Maggie’s Journey appeared on a reviewers’ Top Ten Books of 2011 list. It also won the 2012 Selah award for Historical Novel. The second, Mary’s Blessing, was a Selah Award finalist for Romance novel. Catherine’s Pursuit, released in 2013, was the winner of the NTRWA Carolyn Reader’s Choice contest, took second place in the CAN Golden Scroll Novel of the Year award, and won the Will Rogers Medallion bronze medallion. Her book, A Heart’s Gift, won RWA’s Faith, Hope, and Love Readers’ Choice Award in July 2017.
Lena is also the host of The Lena Nelson Dooley Show on the Along Came a Writer blogtalk radio network. She has experience in screenwriting, acting, directing, and voice-overs, and currently serves on the board of directors of Higher Ground Films. She has been featured in Christian Fiction Online Magazine, ACFW Journal, Book Fun Magazine, Charisma Magazine, and Christian Retailing.

Guest Post from Lena

She took the pan off the burner, dropped tiny marshmal-lows into the waiting over-sized mugs, and filled them with the fragrant hot chocolate. “Do you want to drink it here, or would you rather go in the living room? The sofa is more comfortable.”
“Whatever you want to do.” His honeyed tone wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
She handed a mug to him, picked up her own, along with coasters and two napkins, and headed into the living room. He followed.

Alanza’s Best Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
3 tbls. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 dark chocolate bar
1 can real whipped cream
Maraschino cherries

Instructions:
Heat milk over medium to low heat, stirring constantly until milk starts to bubble slightly (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, mix sugar and cocoa together until well blended. When milk is ready, gradually add in sugar, cocoa, and honey, stirring constantly. Put heat on low and add shavings of chocolate bar and vanilla. Continue stirring until chocolate has melted. Remove from heat and pour into mugs. Add whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and cherries on top, as desired.

http://prmo.me/1xESPq


My Review





A refreshing, feel good, Christian romance, and that is what we have here.
The author offers us a look in the lives of people who live rather affluent ones, but are there to help those less fortunate, and this is part of their romance.
The book is offered as a Christmas story, and the gentlemen does an excellent job with his gifts, who wouldn’t want to be romanced this way.
Now what is surprising is how fast our gentleman wants this romance to progress, and then where he wants to take his new wife. Whirlwind is a term that sure does apply here, but I did enjoy this book, and it doesn’t take long to reach the end.

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

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