Celebrate Lit Presents: Wheeler’s Design Author: Rachel Skatvold

 

About the Book

Book: Wheeler’s Design

Author: Rachel Skatvold

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: March 28, 2023

Clay is messy and so is Sabrina’s life sometimes, but will God mold it into a work of art?

Sabrina Wheeler, single mom and business owner, won a scholarship to expand her pottery studio on Luamua Island. Now, she can finally have the career and life she’s been praying for. The scholarship includes a mentor, and Sabrina is anxious to make a good impression.

For Chad Berkley, an impromptu business trip to the Suamalie Islands couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Aside from it triggering his OCD personality, he also has important obligations in Yorkshire, and being absent for a month was not in his plans. The new assignment is an honor, however, and a huge step up in his career. He can’t risk disappointing his boss now.

But then he sees Sabrina. After their brief meeting at the business conference, he hasn’t stopped thinking of her. How had he missed that she is the business owner he’s been sent to mentor? Talk about distractions on his first big assignment. Will he be able to push his personal feelings aside and keep his focus on business?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author and stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing Christian romance and devotionals. Rachel has published over a dozen novels, including books in the Hart Ranch Series, set in the Montana wilderness and the Ladies of Ardena Series, set in medieval times. She is also a contributing author in the Whispers in Wyoming and Brides of Pelican Rapids Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons. You can find more information about Rachel and her books on her website: www.rachelskatvold.com.

 

More from Rachel

Sabrina Wheeler’s life has not gone quite the way she imagined. As a single mom, waitress, and in-home art studio owner with many responsibilities, she often wonders how her life could have gone if she’d taken a different path. After attending a small business convention and winning a scholarship to launch her mobile art studio, Sabriana sees her path shifting. Could this signal a new beginning for her? Find out in Wheeler’s Design.

Wheeler’s Design is inspired by the verse, Isaiah 64:8. “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.”

During hard times we can all feel as though our lives resemble lumps of discarded clay. Yet, the truth is, we are God’s masterpiece in progress. He is still molding and shaping us into what we are meant to be. He will never discard us if we are His children.

During high school, I discovered a love for making pottery. While learning the art, it amazed me clay can be recycled over and over if the project doesn’t turn out right. It only has to be dried out a little and wedged until all the air bubbles are out before it can be molded into something new. As a busy homeschool mom and author I don’t have as much time for art, but it is still something I enjoy and have taught my children how to throw a pot on our pottery wheel at home. This special experience with my kids provided the inspiration for the relationship between Sabrina and her daughter, Hazel, who both share a love for making pottery.

Thank you for following the celebration tour for Wheeler’s Design. Please remember to follow the blog stops this week and don’t forget to enter in the giveaway!

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, April 22

She Lives to Read, April 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 25

Aryn The Libraryan

Texas Book-aholic, April 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 28

Sylvan Musings, April 29

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 30

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

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 3

Simple Harvest Reads, May 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, May 5

Splashes of Joy, May 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/258b6/wheeler-s-design-celebration-tour-giveaway

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Red Hot Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries) by Michele Pariza Wacek

 

Red Hot Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries)
by Michele Pariza Wacek

April 25 – May 8, 2023

Cozy Mystery

6th in Series

Setting – Wisconsin

• Does this book contain any explicit language or adult scenes? no
• If a series – Can it be read as a standalone? yes

Reviews, 1 Author Guest Post, 1 Character Guest Post, 1 Author Interview, 1 Character Interview, Spotlights

Digital Books for Reviewers

Rafflecopter Giveaway – 3 signed paperbacks with swag, US only

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About Red Hot Murder

Red Hot Murder (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Love-Based Publishing (April 25, 2023)
Digital – 200-250 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BFC7MN2G

Charlie Kingsley’s tea customers have two things in common:

 

They rave about her teas.

 

AND they have a knack for attracting trouble.

 

There’s never been a connection between the two … until now.

 

One night, one of Charlie’s customers passes out, only to wake up to her fiancé dead in her home and no memory of what happened the night before.

 

But one thing she DOES remember is drinking a cup of Charlie’s tea.

 

Charlie knows it wasn’t the tea, but everyone else is suddenly blaming her, so she has no choice but to get to the bottom of this mysterious death.

About Michele Pariza Wacek

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links

Website – https://mpwnovels.com/
Facebook – facebook.com/michelepwauthor
Linked In linkedin.com/in/michelepw
Twitter – twitter.com/michelepw
Instagram – instagram.com/themichelepw
Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/red-hot-murder-charlie-kingsley-mysteries-book-6-by-michele-pariza-wacek

Purchase Link – Amazon

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 25 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

April 26 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 27 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 28 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 29 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

April 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 30 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 1 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

May 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

May 3 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 4 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

May 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 6 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

May 7 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

 

 

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The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific by Marcus Brotherton , Tosca Lee

 

Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire.

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise--until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history.

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive. 

Amazon 

 

About The Author

"Storytelling at its best. Unreservedly recommended." --Heather Morris, #1 internationally bestselling author, ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz,’ on A BRIGHT AND BLINDING SUN.

"The wonder of this book is how good it makes you feel."--New York Times bestselling author Robyn Post, on SHIFTY'S WAR.

"A story so powerful it could change your life." --Colonel Jim Coy, (Ret) on BLAZE OF LIGHT.

"Fascinating ... Be amazed. Be humbled."--Flint Whitlock, Pulitzer nominated author and military historian, on WE WHO ARE ALIVE & REMAIN.

Marcus Brotherton is a New York Times bestselling author and coauthor dedicated to writing books that inspire heroics, promote empathy, and encourage noble living.

His commendations include the Christopher Award for literature “that affirms the highest values of the human spirit.”

For more information, please visit: www.marcusbrotherton.com

 

"Superior storytelling."

--Publishers Weekly

"One of the most gifted novelists writing today."

--Steven James, bestselling author

Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels including THE LONG MARCH HOME (with New York Times bestselling author Marcus Brotherton) THE LINE BETWEEN, THE PROGENY, THE LEGEND OF SHEBA, and ISCARIOT. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and been optioned for TV and film. She is the recipient of two International Book Awards, Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion, ECPA Book of the Year, and the Nebraska Book Award, and has finaled for numerous others including the Library of Virginia People's Choice Award, the High Plains Book Award, a second Silver Falchion, and the Christy. When she's not writing, Tosca loves binging television shows, looking for something good to eat, cooking when she can't find it, traveling with her husband, and sleeping in.

You can find Tosca on social media or hanging around the snack table. To learn more, please visit toscalee.com.

 

My Review

This is Jimmy Propfield's story, his growing up in Mobile Alabama, and his father being the local Pastor. We meet his friends, and follow him as his life unfolds. Jimmy as he grows up during the time when war has broken out in Europe, and follow him as he and his friends enlist and end up in the Philippines!

Hank, Billy and Jimmy are wondering how they got so lucky to be away from the fighting in Europe in such a lovely warm setting, but then Pearl Harbor happens, and soon they are prisoners of war!

While a fictional read, the author based this book on fact, so much lack of regard for human life, and we soon wonder if these life long friends will ever see Mobil again?

We are coming up on 80 years since the end of this war, and we need to never forget, and hope this never happens again. The authors did a wonderful job of bringing this story alive!

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

 

A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker

 Sowerby, England, 1802

Miss Genevieve Wilde—a magistrate’s daughter and independent heiress—is determined to meet life’s challenges all on her own, just as her late-father had taught her. So when her father’s pocket watch is stolen, she will do anything to get it back, especially when the local authorities prove incompetent.

Upon reading an advertisement in the paper, she takes a chance and contacts a thief-taker to find the watch. It’s a choice Ginny regrets when former Bow Street officer Jack Travers arrives on her doorstep. He is frustratingly flirtatious, irritatingly handsome, and entirely unpredictable, and Ginny wonders if she’ll be able to resist such a man.

But after Ginny discovers that the missing watch is just a small part of a larger, more frightening plot against her, she needs Jack’s help more than ever. To protect her home and her reputation, the two enter into a risky charade—pretending Jack is her cousin so he can begin his investigation, starting with the household staff. As they work together to unravel the mystery, Ginny finds herself falling fast for her charismatic thief-taker, leaving her heart in just as much danger as her life.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 

Joanna Barker firmly believes that romance makes everything better, which is why she has fallen in love with writing Regency romances. When she’s not typing away on her next book, you’ll find her listening to podcasts, eating her secret stash of chocolate, or adding things to her Amazon cart. Joanna is a three-time Whitney Awards finalist, and her books have received praise from Publisher’s Weekly, the Historical Novel Society, Readers’ Favorite, and more. She thinks being an author is the second-best job in the world—right after being a mom. She is just a little crazy about her husband and three wild-but-loveable kids.

Website 

 

My Review

 

A Heart Worth Stealing, is a romance, suspense, mystery, and page turner. Yes, I need to find answers, and although I had my suspicions, I was partly right, but there is so much more.
This is a story about a family, sisters, but no relationship, a story of a missing watch, that becomes so much more, but brings in a thief taker aka as a private investigator! Wow, there is so much action, and seems everyone is under suspicion, including the help.
This is Genevieve and Jack's story, but it is also Catherine and Genevieve's and their father.
We begin looking for a watch, but then there is vandalism, and arson, guns being fired, and then we wonder whom will survive!
I loved this story, it kept my attention from beginning to end, and then I still wanted more!
I'll be look for more ready by Joanna Barker!
I received this book through the Publisher Shadow Mountain, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Swindler's Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee

 

A surprise inheritance. A cache of family secrets. A choice that will change her life forever.

Lillian Doyle has lived her entire high-society life with her widowed mother, believing her father died long ago. But when news arrives that her estranged father only recently passed away--in jail--Lillian is startled to find that the man has left a business and all of his possessions to her, making her a rather unusual heiress.

When she goes to take possession of her father's house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure is already occupied by another woman who claims it was promised to her son, Jonah. In her attempts to untangle the mess, Lillian will discover not only a family she never knew she had but a family business that is more than meets the eye--and has put a target on her back.

To discover the truth and take hold of the independence she's always dreamed of, she'll have to make friends with adversaries and strangers--especially Jonah, the dusty and unrefined cowboy who has secret aspirations of his own.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 Stephenia H. McGee is a multi-published author of stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. She lives in Mississippi, where she is a mom of two rambunctious boys, writer, dreamer, and husband spoiler. Her novel The Cedar Key was a 2021 Faith, Hope, and Love Readers’ Choice award winner. A member of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), she loves all things books and history. Stephenia also loves connecting with readers and can often be found having fun with her Faithful Readers Team on Facebook. For more on books and upcoming events and to connect with Stephenia, visit her at www.StepheniaMcGee.com. 

 

My Review

 I enjoyed this read about a spunky girl who has lived her whole life under her mother's thumb. After the surprise death of her, supposedly already deceased, father this young woman is about to sprout her wings.

When she arrives in rural Georgia and goes to her inherited new home, she finds it already occupied, the woman claims her son was promised this home, and your thinking, now what?

Well, as you keep reading this woman plays and important part in Lillian's new life. Although I did find this story to be predictable, there are some twists and turns that make you wonder if all will survive.

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

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

 In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 

Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling novelist of fifteen novels, including the historical fiction (writing as Patti Callahan) BECOMING MRS. LEWIS—The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis. In addition, she is the recipient of The Christy Award—A 2019 Winner "Book of the Year.” ; The Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year for 2020 and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year for 2019, and the RNA UK finalist for Romantic Historical Fiction.

Her newest novel SURVIVING SAVANNAH will be released on March 9, 2021 by Penguin Random House/Berkley Publishing.

She is also the co-founder of the Facebook weekly show Friends and Fiction.

The author is also the host of the popular seven-part original "Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis Podcast Series" launched, October 2019. The podcast audiobook collection including bonus material was released January 2020, and available now. The new expanded Becoming Mrs. Lewis paperback edition was released March 2020, and available now.

On March 9, 2021, SURVIVING SAVANNAH—a new historical fiction novel based on the true story of the Steamship Pulaski wreck will be released and available for pre-order now.

THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER (writing as Patti Callahan Henry—Southern Contemporary Fiction) was launched in June 2019, and THE PERFECT LOVE SONG—A Christmas Holiday novella released October 2019.

Patti Callahan is the co-host and co-creator of the popular weekly Friends and Fiction Facebook Live Show and podcast, featuring the five bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Kristin Harmel, and Mary Alice Monroe with endless stories, special guests, and a way to connect readers and writers.

A full-time author and mother of three children, she now resides in both Mountain Brook, Alabama, and Bluffton, South Carolina with her husband.

Patti's Story

Growing up in Philadelphia as the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Patti learned early the value of storytelling. At the age of twelve, her family moved to South Florida where Patti found the sanctuary of libraries and began her slow but steady journey into understanding the power of story to navigate confusing times in life.

Patti attended Auburn University for her undergraduate work, and Georgia State University for her graduate degree. Once a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, she now writes full time. The mother of three children, she now lives in both Mountain Brook, Alabama and Bluffton, South Carolina with her husband.

 

My Review

A special bonding of sisters, and the evacuation of children from London during the bombing of WWII. The author gives us two sisters one 14 and the other 5, what a hard time, and love the author's notes about this time at the end of this read!
Hazel makes up special stories to help her sister during this difficult period, and these stories become the catalyst to finding each other.
As the years go by and her lost sister isn't found, she goes about her life, and even has a new job on the line, when there is a ray of hope or how has someone found out about the stories?
What a journey the author has us on, reuniting with dear old friends, and all the while hope! Yes, hope for answers and closure! Answers do come, and there are definite surprises, and you will also be page turning for all those questions you have!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Blooming with Murder (A Sierra Pines B&B Mystery) by Kathryn Long

 

Blooming with Murder (A Sierra Pines B&B Mystery)
by Kathryn Long

About Blooming With Murder

Blooming with Murder (A Sierra Pines B&B Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – California
Camel Press (March 14, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1684920671
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1684920679
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6YB1ZL9

Spring is blooming in Sierra Pines, and everyone’s busy preparing for the annual Spring Fling Festival. Ali Winston takes her B&B guests for a tour, and their first stop is the face painting booth. Local school board president, Melvin Renville, is there to honor a bet he lost to the student body by having his face painted. However, things turn tragic when he has an allergic reaction and ends up dead. No one is more surprised than Ali’s best friend and art teacher, Lyla Lane, when it’s discovered her face paint contains peanut oil, an ingredient Renville was highly allergic to. Lyla insists she’d never use store bought paint, only homemade, because in teaching elementary school, she’s aware many kids have food allergies.

 

Ali suspects someone wanted Renville dead and cleverly framed Lyla for the crime. The question is who had motive and the opportunity to pull off such a daring deed? Of course, rumors spread and fingers point at Lyla when word gets out that Renville had notified her, merely hours before his death, that the art program and her job would be cut next year. Talk about a motive to kill. With Sheriff Sterling painting Lyla as his prime suspect, Ali is determined to help her friend by discovering the true killer and to keep spring blooming in Sierra Pines.

About Kathryn Long

Kathryn Long is a native Ohioan who spends her days plotting murder and writing mysteries. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime as well as of International Thriller Writers. She’s actively involved in the writing and publishing worlds and stays up to date on her social media platforms. Kathryn lives with her husband and furry friend Max in the quiet suburbs of Green, Ohio. The B&B series also includes Boarding with Murder and Snowed Under Murder. Inspiration for the storyline comes from her classic movie obsession, particularly Arsenic and Old Lace, and her love for Cary Grant. Kathryn also writes the PAINT BY MURDER mystery series under the name Bailee Abbott.

Author Links

Website – https://www.kathrynlongauthor.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/authorkathryn.long
Twitter – https://mobile.twitter.com/BaileeAbbott1

Purchase Links:
Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Kobo
Apple

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 1 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

May 1 – Maureen’s Musing – SPOTLIGHT

May 2 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 2 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

May 3 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

May 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 4 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

May 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 5 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 6 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

May 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

May 7 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR GUEST POST

May 10 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

May 11 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

May 11 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

May 12 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

 

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