​Click here to purchase your copy!

​It is the worst of times . . .
 
Paris groans with a restlessness that can no longer be contained within its city streets. Hunger and hatred fuel her people. Violence seeps into the ornate halls of Versailles. Even Gagnon’s table in the quiet village of Mouton Blanc bears witness to the rumbles of rebellion, where Marcel Moreau embodies its voice and heart.
 
It is the story that has never been told.
 
In one night, the best and worst of fate collide. A chance encounter with a fashionable woman will bring Renée’s sewing skills to light and secure a place in the court of Queen Marie Antoinette. An act of reckless passion will throw Laurette into the arms of the increasingly militant Marcel. And Gagnon, steadfast in his faith in God and country, can only watch as those he loves march straight into the heart of the revolution.

I ​haven’t read Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities since high school, and so I did not remember the character of the seamstress. However, I love reading stories about the French Revolution, as it is an often overlooked time period in my reading experience, and Allison Pittman has written an excellent novel in The Seamstress.
 
This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Pittman, and I was immediately drawn in. She has created a setting and characters so vivid I could immediately see the setting and the characters in my head. The story begins when the main character, Renee, and her cousin, Laurette, are taken in by a neighbor, Gagnon, who lets them sleep in his barn and work on his farm.
 
Renee is a great character. She loves the farm and raising sheep, though a little too idealistic. It seems weird to say that someone who grew up in poverty and endured the struggles of that upbringing could be idealistic, but once she moved to Paris to work in the royal household, I found her often naïve and hopeful when she should have been more aware of the consequences of the unrest growing in pre-Revolutionary France.
 
Laurette is the other main character, and I related to her immensely. She was desperate for a place to belong and kept trying to fill it with people and things instead of God. The themes of redemption are strongest in her storyline and I found myself rooting for her as she navigated her way through a life of uncertainties and unwise choices.
 
The Seamstress is a book that will stick with you. I was rooting for all the characters and the portrayal of the King of France and Marie Antoinette is an interesting one, and one not often seen as they are considered the “villains” of the French Revolution.
 
I give this book 4/5 stars and recommend it to those wanting to read more about the French Revolution and those who enjoy nuanced takes on polarizing historical figures (in this case, Marie Antoinette). The book is well-written and the themes of redemption, what makes a family a family, and equality in the eyes of the government are given appropriate amounts of page space and conclude the story in a way that is satisfying.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

​My dream of being an author began by “finishing” other author’s works, fleshing out the stories of neglected characters. When I read the final books in the Little House series, I was far more interested in Cap Garland than I was in Almonzo Wilder, and I imagined all kinds of stories in which he was the hero.
This, The Seamstress, is one of those stories that came to me in a single burst of thought. I was teaching my sophomore English class, discussing through the final scenes in A Tale of Two Cities,when the little seamstress in those final pages reached out to me. She is a nameless character, seemingly more symbolic than anything. Dickens, however, gives her an entire backstory in a single phrase: I have a cousin who lives in the country. How will she ever know what became of me? I remember pausing right then and there in front of my students and saying, “Now, there’s the story I want to write.”
Now, years later, I have.
While every word of every Charles Dickens novel is a master class in writing, what he gave to me for The Seamstress is the kind of stuff that brings life and breath to fiction. I have to convey the fact that any character on my pages—no matter how much story space he or she is allotted—has a life between them. Every man was once a child; every woman a vulnerable young girl.
So, Dickens gave me the bones of the story. A seamstress. A cousin in the country. A country ripped apart; family torn from family. I did my very best to put flesh on those bones, but no writer can ever bring the life and breath. Only a reader can do that.

​Fiction Aficionado, February 9
The Lit Addict, February 9
The Power of Words, February 9
Jennifer Sienes: Where Crisis & Christ Collide, February 10
Lis Loves Reading, February 10
Maureen’s Musings, February 10
Carpe Diem, February 11
A Baker’s Perspective, February 11
All-of-a-kind Mom, February 12
Emily Yager, February 12
Mary Hake, February 12
Stories By Gina, February 13
Stephanie’s Life of Determination, February 13
The Christian Fiction Girl, February 13
Inspired by fiction, February 14
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 14
Remembrancy, February 14
Through the Fire Blogs, February 15
Seasonsofopportunities, February 15
Inspiration Clothesline, February 15
Books, Books, and More Books, February 16
Inklings and Notions, February 16
Locks, Hooks and Books, February 16
Bibliophile Reviews, February 17
Texas Book-aholic, February 17
Margaret Kazmierczak, February 18
A Reader’s Brain, February 18
By The Book, February 18
Multifarious, February 19
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 19
Pause for Tales, February 19
Bigreadersite, February 20
Simple Harvest Reads, February 20
Janices book reviews, February 20
For the Love of Books, February 21
Book by Book, February 21
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, February 21
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 22
To Everything A Season, February 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 22

​To celebrate her tour, Allison is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card, a hardcover copy of The Seamstress, and this copy of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens!!
​
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/db0e/the-seamstress-celebration-tour-giveaway

Click here to purchase your copy!

​​When Tori and Derek get involved in building a local women’s shelter, the extra time together stirs more than an ember of attraction. Haunted by the fear of exposure, each must wrestle with the chains of their pasts to experience freedom, love, and the full depths of God’s grace.

​Unbound by Grace is the first book I’ve read by Michelle Massaro. It is an excellent contemporary Christian romance novella that is well-written and touches on the theme of our pasts and trusting God with His plan for our lives.
 
Tori Bishop is our main character, and she comes from a wealthy and well-connected family. When the book opens she is between jobs and living with her parents. Tori’s experiences growing up in a rich family makes her wary of people’s intentions. She knows she can never be sure if people like who she is or if they want her connections.
 
Derek Miller is the opposite of Tori. He grew up in a poor area of town, his mother suffered physical and emotional abuse, and he is an ex-convict. Derek struggles with feeling inadequate because of his upbringing and his time in jail.
 
Both Tori and Derek are believers when the story begins, and each is struggling with what God is calling them to do. What we want to do is not always what God wants for us, and the disconnect causes us to struggle.
 
One of the aspects I appreciated the most about Unbound by Grace is that Tori and Derek both struggle with their different upbringings. How each of them were raised and how they lived informs a large part of their current upbringing and it rings true. We are all shaped by our life experiences and Tori and Derek are no different.
 
Though this book is well-written and Tori and Derek each have distinctive voices, the descriptions and settings are not well-detailed, and it is difficult to get a sense of place in a lot of this novella. The secondary characters are well-developed and have worries and troubles of their own. None of the secondary characters felt shoe-horned in or superfluous to the story. 
 
I give Unbound by Grace 4/5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance and themes of forgiveness and not letting our past experiences cause fear to override our trust in God’s plan.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

When I sit down to write a new story, I tend to gravitate toward some pretty deep emotions. The raw kind we all have known at one point or another. It’s what connects us all as human beings, no matter how different we are on the outside. If we can learn to see ourselves in others I believe that’s where compassion is born, as well as some self-revelation. Like King David hearing the story of the rich man stealing the poor man’s lamb and realizing he was that man!

In Unbound by Grace, I was approaching the story of two super fun characters I had introduced in my first novel, Grace in the Flames. In that book, they were side characters. But I always adored writing their scenes. They were both so entertaining! And the chance to put these two together and give them their own book was just too delicious an idea to pass up.
​
I got to put them into some interesting surroundings (anyone been to watch a horse race lately?) and take them to some very exposed, vulnerable places as well. Through them I was challenged to get inside someone else’s skin, and understand. Plus, they kept me smiling as well! This story was a blast to write, and I hope you enjoy these fictional friends of mine as much as I do.
​
It’s such a pleasure to meet new readers. I hope to hear from you soon!

​Real World Bible Study, September 20
Godly Book Reviews, September 20
Among the Reads, September 21
The Power of Words, September 21
Bibliophile Reviews, September 22
A Baker’s Perspective, September 23
Fiction Aficionado, September 24
Faithfully Bookish, September 25
Reading Is My SuperPower, September 26
Carpe Diem, September 27
Lis Loves Reading, September 28
proud to be an autism mom, September 28
Simple Harvest Reads, September 29 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Janices book reviews, September 30
The Mimosa Blossom, October 1
Books, Books, and More Books., October 1
Texas Book-aholic, October 2
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 3
Bigreadersite, October 3

​To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away a grand prize package that includes a notebook, a mug, a bookmark, a pen, a signed copy of Grace in the Flames, and an Amazon Gift Card ($40)!!
​
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d3a6/unbound-by-grace-celebration-tour-giveaway

Click here to purchase your copy!

​Red Sky Over America is the first book I’ve read by Tamera Lynn Kraft and is the first book in the Ladies of Oberlin series. And it definitely won’t be the last!
 
Ms. Kraft has written an excellent story about the years before the American Civil War, seen through the eyes of two young abolitionists: America, the daughter of a slave owner, and William, a minister. I was excited to read this book as it is hard to find stories about the years just prior to the Civil War, and it does not disappoint!
 
America Leighton is our main character, and she is a great one. She struggles with trusting God, her belief that slavery is wrong, and her love for her father, who sees nothing wrong with slavery. The family dynamics that Ms. Kraft creates are handled well. We often find ourselves not believing the same way as our families and that causes friction, as it does here between America and her father.
 
William Woods is the other main character, and I will admit I struggled to like him at first. In one of their first scenes together, he is judgmental toward America because she doesn’t behave how he expected when interacting with two of her family’s slaves. Over the course of the book, however, we see William’s deep commitment to abolition, his faith, and his calling as an overseas missionary, and I liked him more as the book continued.
 
Trying to control his daughter, Colonel Leighton arranges a suitor for her, a local mill owner. America reluctantly agrees to the courtship despite the fact he owns slaves, as he promises he will free them if they are married. This is where she struggles between her overseas missionary calling and her abolitionist views, because she believes him. Needles to say, there is a lot more to Harland than meets the eye and I feel this plotline was settled satisfactorily.
 
Though the writing is simplistic at times, this story is engaging and well-researched. I was so engrossed in the story I hardly stopped reading to take notes! Red Sky Over America is not an easy book to read, as there are detailed descriptions of beatings and violence against slaves and allusions to rape.
 
This book has a wonderful balance of romance, suspense, and Christian themes. I appreciated America’s struggle between her faith, her family and what she’d known growing up, and what is morally right. I give Red Sky Over America 4/5 stars and recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about this time frame just before the Civil War.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

​Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

100 Steps to Freedom

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

Before the Civil War, Ohio had the largest Underground Railroad of any state in the Union. It is believed that every county in Ohio had a route. Many slaves would escape over the Ohio River and through Ohio on their way to Canada. This was a dangerous undertaking because, even though Ohio was a free state, the Fugitive Slave Law made it so anyone helping escaped slaves could be fined and jailed.

One small town, Ripley, Ohio, is believed to have helped more slaves escape than any town in Ohio. Ripley is located on the banks of the Ohio River across from Mason County, Kentucky.

One man who helped slaves escape was a freed black man named John Parker. Parker was educated by his master in Virginia and eventually bought his freedom. He traveled to Ohio and opened a foundry on Front Street facing the Ohio River. He was the first black man to earn a patent for one of the inventions he used in his foundry. At night, he would search the Ohio River looking for escaped slaves and helping them find their way to an Underground Railroad Station.

Rev. John Rankin, a Presbyterian minister, owned a house on top of a hill in Ripley. He built one hundred steps to the house that could be seen on the other side of the river. At night, he would light a lantern and hang it from the porch to signal slaves that it was safe to cross. It is estimated that over 2,000 slaves escaped through the Rankin House. None of them were ever recaptured. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote her famous novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, about the escape of the slave, Eliza, after hearing the story from Rev. Rankin.

Rev. John Rankin’s house is in my novel, Red Sky Over America. John Parker also is introduced as a minor character. The story takes place on the Ohio River in Kentucky across from Ripley where all these exciting events happened.

Oberlin College: A School Ahead of Its Time

My current novel series, Ladies of Oberlin, is about 3 women roommates who graduated from one of the most amazing colleges in American history, Oberlin College. Book 1, Red Sky Over Americafocuses on America, a woman attending Oberlin who is an abolitionist studying to become a missionary. The problem is her father is a slave owner. Here’s a little bit about this amazing college.
Oberlin College, founded in 1833 in Northern Ohio, was a college ahead of its time in many ways. In 1835, it became the first college in the United States to regularly admit African Americans. It’s also the oldest co-educational college in the US. In 1837, it admitted four women, three of whom graduated and earned a college degree. Mary Jane Patterson, another Obeberlin graduate, became the first African American woman in 1862 to earn a Bachelor of Arts college degree.

One of Oberlin’s founders once bragged that “Oberlin is peculiar in that which is good”. Oberlin was peculiar in many ways in advancing the causes of the time. Charles Finney, the second president of the college, helped it earn its controversial reputation. He was the fiery evangelist of the Second Great Awakening, a Christian revivalist movement in the early and mid 1800s.

Oberlin College was the hotbed of abolitionist activity and a stop for the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. It was once called “the town that started the Civil War” because of its participation in the Oberlin Wellington Rescue in 1858. Slave catchers came to Oberlin to capture an escaped slave and return him to Kentucky. Most of the town came to the slave’s aid and rescued him. For their trouble, over twenty were arrested and put on trial for violating the Fugitive Slave Act. During the raid on Harper’s Ferry by John Brown, three men from Oberlin participated.

Oberlin College was also well known for the women who graduated from the college and participated in the suffrage and prohibition movements. Lucy Stone, considered a pioneer for the women’s movement, graduated from Oberlin College in 1847.
​
Oberlin was also very well known in the missionary movement of the late 1800s. Between 1860 and 1900, 90% of missionaries sent overseas by the American Missionary Society were graduates of Oberlin College. Between 1899 and 1901, thirteen missionaries from Oberlin were martyred during the Boxer Rebellion of China. An arch in Tappan Square at the center of Oberlin pays honor to their sacrifices.

​Carpe Diem, May 29
Books, Books, and More Books., May 30
proud to be an autism mom, May 30
Genesis 5020, May 31
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 31
Janices book reviews, June 1
Mary Hake, June 1
proud to be an autism mom, June 2
Jeanette’s Thoughts, June 2
History, Mystery & Faith, June 3
ansel book blog, June 3
Artistic Nobody, June 4 (Spotlight)
Bigreadersite, June 4
Christian Author, J.E.Grace, June 5
Simple Harvest Reads, June 6 (Spotlight)
Reading is my Super Power, June 6 (Interview)
Two Points of interest, June 7
margaret kazmierczak, June 7 (Interview)
A Baker’s Perspective, June 8
Pause for Tales, June 9
Red Headed Book Lady, June 9
Bibliophile Reviews, June 10
Texas Book-aholic, June 11
Have A Wonderful Day, June 11

To celebrate her tour, Tamera is giving away a themed basket with autographed books of Resurrection of Hope, Alice’s Notions, Red Sky Over America, a copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin (the book is mentioned in the novel) and a copy of Then Sings My Soul (stories about the hymns), plus a $10 Amazon Card!!
​
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cebb/red-sky-over-america-celebration-tour-giveaway

Click here to purchase your copy!

​Saved in the Jesus Movement of the seventies, Chris DuPré connected with countless Christians across the world. Yet too many of those Christians, Chris discovered, have years later lost the fire and stepped back from living out their faith. Why? Because they got stuck—stuck in rejection by others, stuck in fear of the unknown, stuck in loving a comfortable life, stuck in scores of similar ruts. What can set them free from their internal prisons? And what could Christians accomplish if we all just got unstuck?

​Unstuck: Hope for Christians in a Dead-End Job, Dead-End Faith, or Some Similar Soul-Shriveling Rut is the first book I’ve read by Chris Dupré. And what a book it is!
 
Mr. Dupré has written an excellent book that provides insight and help for those struggling with their place in life. It is full of stories, quotes, and while the conclusions seem simple, they are difficult to solve if we remain “stuck” in our routines. The style is informal, almost as if Mr. Dupré is having a conversation with his readers. It is a quick and meaningful read and one that I will most likely reread over and over.
 
The chapter on comfort zones was one of my favorites. It is easy for humans to fall into them and are difficult to get out of. Fear is the driving force behind leaving our comfort zones and Mr. Dupré devotes a chapter to fear as well. I will say that reading this book helped solidify a life change I had been praying about for a while and I’m sure I’m not the only one!
 
The chapter on character demonstrates a profound understanding of human nature. People know when you are not being truthful about who you are. We want people to have integrity and are often disappointed when they prove they do not, and the author delivers his conclusions on character perfectly.
 
I also appreciated the idea presented that it is usually not one thing in our lives that can make us “stuck” in place. Moments in our lives build on each other and make us who we are, and trying to pin down what caused us to become complacent or fearful of leaving our comfort zones can be disheartening or even create bigger problems in our lives.
 
The emphasis on listening to God instead of others, even those who love us and want the best for us, is present throughout the entire book. Scriptures used by Mr. Dupré are abundant and relevant to the topic at hand.
 
I give this book 5/5 stars and recommend it to anyone struggling with feeling “stuck” in their lives. Those wanting an easy to read, informative book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it should also read this book. You will not be disappointed in Unstuck!
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Whitaker House, through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

​Originally from Upstate New York, Chris moved to Kansas City to work alongside Mike Bickle in establishing the International House of Prayer. Chris recently served as Associate Pastor at Grace Center Church in Franklin TN, and is now an associate pastor of Life Center in Harrisburg, PA. A pastor, teacher, worship leader, traveling speaker, and spiritual father to many, Chris may be best known for his song “Dance With Me.” He has produced eight albums and published three books, including The Wild Heart of God (Whitaker House, 2016) and The Lost Art of Pure Worship with James Goll. Parents of three daughters and grandparents of four grandchildren, Chris and his wife, Laura, reside in Harrisburg, PA.

I grew up in a small town about 30 miles east of Rochester, NY. Winters there could be brutal. One year, I received beautiful new pair of boots which I loved, particularly for the joy with which they enabled me to engage in the marvelous sport of puddle jumping. One day when the ice and snow had begun to melt, I eyed a nice puddle and jumped in the middle sending a freezing splash in all directions. But wait, something was wrong — this was no ordinary puddle! This one was made to capture people, and I was captured! Frantic, I pulled one foot out, but no matter how much I tried, the other foot would not budge. My boot was stuck. I was stuck! I pulled and pulled until finally my foot came free in a soggy sock. My beautiful boot had been left behind, buried beneath the slush. My little mind was faced with a choice. Did I care enough about to do something? It only took a second to act. I loved those boots. I found a stick and began to fish. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally pulled out my boot. That’s the first time I ever went fishing and was glad to catch a boot instead of a fish.
​
My desire with this book is to address some of those “stuck” moments we all face. I want to provide keys that will hopefully open a door or two that have held you back on the incredible journey of life. I say a door or two, or even three, because it’s almost always more than one thing that gets us stuck. Ah, but God—He is the change factor in all of this and in Him we can break free.

​Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 28
Mary Hake, December 28
A Reader’s Brain, December 29
Carpe Diem, December 29
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 30
A Baker’s Perspective, December 31
New Horizon Reviews, January 1
proud to be an autism mom, January 2
Books, Books, and More Books., January 3
Kristin’s Book Reviews, January 4
A Greater Yes, January 5
Texas Book-aholic, January 6
Blossoms and Blessings, January 7
Janices book reviews, January 8
Bigreadersite, January 9
Pursuing Stacie, January 10

​​In honor of the tour, Whitaker House is giving away

Grand Prize: Unstuck: Hope for Christians in a Dead-End Job, Dead-End Faith, or Some Similar Soul-Shriveling Rut by Chris DuPré; The Wild Love of God: A Journey That Heals Life’s Deepest Wounds by Chris DuPré;” Covenant” Pillar Candle scented with ancient biblical fragrances from Abba Jerusalem, and a Whitaker House Grown-Up Coloring Book.

First Place Prize: Unstuck: Hope for Christians in a Dead-End Job, Dead-End Faith, or Some Similar Soul-Shriveling Rut by Chris DuPré; The Wild Love of God: A Journey That Heals Life’s Deepest Wounds by Chris DuPré;” “Man of God” Ceramic Mug, CTAInc.com; and a Whitaker House Grown-Up Coloring Book.

Second Place Prize: Unstuck: Hope for Christians in a Dead-End Job, Dead-End Faith, or Some Similar Soul-Shriveling Rut by Chris DuPré; and The Wild Love of God: A Journey That Heals Life’s Deepest Wounds by Chris DuPré”.
​
Click the link to enter! https://promosimple.com/ps/c457

Click here to purchase your copy!

​Hope Travels Through is the debut novel by Loni Kemper Moore. It begins in October 1976 and culminates with the events of and immediately following December 13, 1977, when the plane carrying the University of Evansville’s men’s basketball team crashes.
 
Ms. Moore has written a nice book that has a great message about figuring out your place in the world after its been turned upside down, trusting in God even when tragedy and grief strike, and the importance of relationships in our lives, whether they are romantic, platonic, or familial.   
 
Our main characters are TeJae, who is a flight attendant, and Mikel, an Army Reserve chaplain. TeJae and Mikel are both characters I related to, for different reasons, and I enjoyed the development of their relationship.
 
The book is descriptive, with all the cities, hotels, and places coming alive on the page. Secondary characters have motivations and lives of their own, though one of them is nearly an over the top “villain” with a pretty weak justification for it.  
 
The short snippets that take place in each chapter with shifting POVs often made it difficult to track the events happening in the story. The chapters are often days, weeks, or months apart and so the story feels simultaneously slow and quick because of the time jumps.
 
The back-cover copy is a little misleading and it sounds like the book is going to be about the tragedy that takes places on December 13, 1977 and the aftermath, but most of the book is before that.
 
The themes and message in Hope Travels Through means I can recommend it, though I give this book 3/5 for the disjointedness of the small snippets and how the pacing of the story felt excruciatingly slow and lightning fast at the same time.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

​When she’s not writing, she’s an entertainer, technical support analyst; mom of a teenager named Adam; traveler with Robert, her dear “Hugsband,” stepmom to University of Evansville alumna Becca and her husband, Anthony; and spender of way too much time on Facebook. With her experiences of learning to trust God through tragedy, being employed by travel agencies and Delta Air Lines, and attending University of Evansville graduate school, she’s the best person to tell this story.

​What Made Me Write Hope Travels Through?
The weathered orthopedic surgeon shook his head and stared at the x-rays. Without making eye-contact, he said, “I usually work on Olympians and professional athletes. This doesn’t look good. She’s going to have arthritis and limp for the rest of her life.”

I hadn’t had anything stronger than Tylenol since the entire weight of my 128 (at the time) pounds crunched my left ankle, 24 hours earlier.

Robert, aka Dear Hugsband, had told me, so very graciously, when we arrived at Skate City, “Once you’re over 50, you shouldn’t roller skate.” But our son, Adam was 10 and I wondered how many more years he’d want me to hang out with him, so I’d strapped on the skates and joined the crowd of skaters. I avoided landing on the body of the five-year old who cut me off. Didn’t that count for something?

However, none of that mattered at that moment. I needed drugs, and Robert agreed to whatever that surgeon said to get my prescriptions.

One afternoon, my stomach growled on a gurney as I waited in the surgery center with IVs in my hands until a perky nurse announced, “The doctor will need to reschedule because something came up.”

REALLY? After waiting 10 days, he no-shows?

I’ve never loved Robert’s New York attitude more than the next day when by 7 pm that evening I was at Red Robin, post-surgery, eating a celebratory French Onion soup. Thanks to a nerve blocker the new, cute surgeon had provided after rebreaking bones and inserting pins.

Adam was able to complete his homeschool work with little interference from my drug infested brain and I occupied my time by flipping through decades of accumulated diaries. The story of a woman surviving tough times percolated in my brain and I remembered my mother saying, “Everyone has a Great American Novel in her. You just need to take time to write it.”

As my leg healed leaving no arthritis nor limp, I returned to the million things life demands, including a visit to our Becca at the University of Evansville, where I’d done my graduate work. As she showed us the Weeping Basketball, my protagonist informed me the story began in 1976, not 2011. The story climaxed when the university’s men’s basketball team plane crashed, but I was too busy to spend much time on it.

Three days before Christmas that year, my younger sister passed away from Lyme complications, I could barely breathe. I’ve seen it a dozen times someone’s busy life prevents her from taking care of herself until something stops them in their tracks and they cannot move on. That happened to me.

At the time, Dear Hugsband programmed Coca-Cola’s Freestyle machine (you’re welcome), so Adam and I joined him in Atlanta for several months. During that time without the cooking-cleaning-requirements and Adam insisting he preferred independence of his homeschool curriculum with minimal input from me, I processed my grief by putting the story that became Hope Travels Through on my computer.

“In a weak moment, I have written a book.” Margaret Mitchell – Gone With The Wind

Dear Hugsband loved his project with Coca-Cola and enjoyed everything about working in Atlanta except the humidity, the traffic and the commute. Typically, he worked in Georgia every other week, and was home every weekend.

But occasionally, he’d be forced to stay in Atlanta over the weekend and tried to find something to entertain himself. One weekend, after seeing every movie running, he decided to go to the Margaret Mitchell House Museum where one of my favorite books, Gone With The Wind, was written.
He bought me a mug with the above quote on it which he said was to encourage me in my writing, along with several commonalities between myself and the famous author.


She was short—I am 5 feet tall, if I stretch;
Her husband was over 6 feet tall—mine is 6’3 1/2”;
She started writing her novel, after an ankle injury– I started writing after I a similar injury;
She used a typewriter—I use a computer;
Her mother gave her the quotes she used about how to survive in an upside-down world – my mom had a Bible verse for every occasion. I think her favorite was Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind, Loni to whomever…”;
It took Margaret ten years to complete her novel – I’m not far behind, at nearly eight years.


Obviously, I don’t have one commonality with Margaret, in that she died at the age of 48 in a traffic accident, but his conclusions are precious.
​
I’m well aware the odds of my little novel being successful, without the industry connections Margaret had, are low, but it’s been a fun journey even if no one buys a copy!

​Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 16
Karen Sue Hadley, December 16
Jami’s Words, December 17
Quiet Quilter, December 18
Reading Is My SuperPower, December 18
Inspiration clothesline, December 19
Texas Book-aholic, December 19
Radiant Light, December 20
Carpe Diem, December 21
Avid Reader Book Reviews, December 21
A Reader’s Brain, December 22
A Greater Yes, December 23
Blogging With Carol, December 23
Books, Books, and More Books, December 24
SusanLovesBooks, December 25
Remembrancy, December 26
Mary Hake, December 26
Janices book review, December 27
The Power of Words, December 28
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 29
Just Jo’Anne, December 29

​To celebrate her tour, Loni is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon Card!!
​
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! 
​https://promosimple.com/ps/c5be

Click here to purchase your copy!

​As these women join forces to search for Joey’s father–a Rockland area pastor, no less– Emily learns compassion for a woman who just wants the best for her son and can’t quite imagine that Jesus wants anything to do with her.

Each day, Davia weakens until Emily isn’t confident she’ll find the boy’s father in time–if at all. Doubts form. Should she look? Is it right to risk destroying a family like this–an entire church? The weight of that responsibility crushes her as Davia wastes away before her eyes.

A mother’s love. A boy’s confidence. A family’s faith. A preacher’s failure. Is redemption even possible anymore?
​
Christmas Embers: a story of love, failure, and redemption.

​Christmas Embers by Chautona Havig is a difficult book to get through and for me, a difficult book to rate. I settled on the higher rating because of the writing and the handling of the tough subject matter despite slight dissatisfaction with the end of the book.
 
This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Havig. She is an excellent writer, and both main characters are well-rounded, flawed individuals. Christmas Embers is also what I like to call an “internal” book—one that consists of character’s thoughts and interactions, so there are no long descriptions of the setting.
 
Emily and Sean, a married couple, are our main characters. Infidelity and adultery is rarely addressed in Christian fiction, and Ms. Having handles it well. She doesn’t shy away from the impact it has on the adulterer, the spouse, family members, the church, and friends. The themes of sin, love, hate, temptation, and forgiveness permeate the book and make it rich and rewarding.
 
One of the aspects of the story that didn’t work for me was the flashback to the actual adultery—it’s not explicit. However, by that time in the story I knew the information the flashback conveyed and felt it interrupted the flow of the story.
 
I couldn’t put Christmas Embers down. One reason is I was never a hundred percent certain which way the relationship between the adulterer and the cheated-on spouse would go. Ms. Havig writes this broken relationship so well I didn’t know if they would stay together or divorce. And I think I would have been able to accept either decision because of the way Ms. Havig presented the relationship.
 
However, I would have appreciated a few chapters detailing what happened between Emily and Sean after the decision (I won’t spoil) instead of skipping to the epilogue.

I give Christmas Embers 4/5 stars and recommend it for those looking for a read that will make you think about sin and forgiveness. I thought it dealt with a tough topic well and appropriately, and despite the excellent writing and the deftly handled subject matter, the lack of story after the decision about their relationship struck me as odd.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

Infidelity to the Tune of Adeste Fideles

“I think my husband is having an affair.”

An explanation followed. Look, I tend to be one who assumes the best of others—to a fault even. I read the “evidence” and frankly could see it going either way. It’s hard to tell across thousands of miles. While others on the message board saw red flag after red flag—and frankly, I did, too—I also saw perfectly innocent explanations for things. It’s a curse sometimes—that ability to see both sides of an issue. I cautioned against assumptions no one would want other people to make of themselves. And I prayed she was wrong.

She wasn’t.

It wasn’t the first time I’d come face to face with infidelity. As a child, there was an extended family member. As a newlywed, one of my wedding party—then another. Then another. The excuses, the justifications. Friends and I went to confront a sister in Christ on her affair with her husband’s best friend. We foolishly asked “what happened?” regarding her marriage. Her words: “We drifted apart.”

I wanted to scream the words that battered my brain and heart. “Then row back together!”

But over the years, it just grew worse. One by one, wives and husbands tossed aside vows made to a brother or sister in Christ—vows made before the Lord—in favor of what sometimes were serial affairs. Abuse. Horror.

I’ve prayed women I love through court cases, medical visits, and disclosures from children no mother should ever have to hear. I’ve prayed for men I didn’t even like because of the pain their wives inflicted each time she left them alone with the kids. He knew. He always knew.

Adultery is real. It’s ugly. And there’s absolutely a cure for it. Jesus. 100% surrender to Jesus. But as long as we rely on those little loops on the back of our boots instead of the saving, healing, strengthening power of Jesus, we’re just as vulnerable as the next person.

And that’s why I wrote Christmas Embers. I took every heartbreaking story I’d observed over the years and put in each character for a reason. Every scene, every plot point, every twist—I put them exactly how and where they are for a reason.

They’re there as a warning.

This isn’t your lighthearted Christmas novel. Some have suggested I shouldn’t have set it at Christmastime. But you know what? Over half the disclosures I’ve ever heard of happened between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. I couldn’t get the idea of Joey’s story out of my head. And to write his story, it had to be at Christmas.

Let me say it again. While Christmas may not seem like the optimal time for a hard-hitting book like this, I had to do it. Adultery is reaching epidemic proportions in the church. There’s a solution. His name is Jesus. 

​Carpe Diem, December 5
A Baker’s Perspective, December 5
Mary Hake, December 5
Moments Dipped in Ink, December 6
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, December 6
Daysong Reflections, December 6
Fiction Aficionado, December 7
A Simply Enchanted Life, December 7
Genesis 5020, December 7
Blogging With Carol, December 8
The Power of Words, December 8
Bigreadersite, December 8
Reading Is My SuperPower, December 9
A Greater Yes, December 9
Radiant Light, December 9
Just Jo’Anne, December 10
For The Love of Books, December 10
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, December 10
Aryn the Libraryan, December 11
A Reader’s Brain, December 11
The Fizzy Pop Collection, December 12
Books, Books, and More Books., December 12
Quiet Quilter, December 13
Seasons of Opportunities, December 13
Christian Book Devourer, December 13
Allofakindmom, December 14
Texas Book-aholic, December 14
Pursuing Stacie, December 14
Pause for Tales, December 15
Reader’s cozy corner, December 15
margaret kazmierczak, December 15
Red Headed Book Lady, December 16
Purposeful Learning, December 16
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 16
Janices book reviews, December 17
Christian Bookaholic, December 17
Karen Sue Hadley, December 18
Remembrancy, December 18
Blossoms and Blessings, December 18

​​To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a grand prize of a 6 month Kindle Unlimited Subscription!!
​
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c512

Click here to purchase your copy!

​Hunter Lewis is intrigued by the new woman staying at his friend’s Amish inn. Annie appears to be what she claims, but she’s secretive and won’t open up. He’s been burned by a woman before and can’t tolerate deception. But his interest in Annie is growing, and the attraction seems to be mutual—until something happens that makes Hunter question everything he’d thought was real. Dare he risk his heart, when he’s certain Annie is keeping secrets?
 
Can their new romance withstand the pressure, or will Ann choose to run again?

​Runaway Romance is a contemporary romance by Miralee Ferrell set in an inn near a small Amish town and is the first of a series. This is not the first book I’ve read by Ms. Ferrell and I was pleased to get a chance to read another one. However, I am not sure I will read the next book in this series.
 
Ann “Annie” Stanway is the main character. At the beginning of the book, she is the girlfriend of a reality show star and appears on the show as well. She’s likable and is blindsided when she discovers her relationship will be ending to improve the show’s ratings. Annie is kind and as a celebrity, is worried about other people finding out where she’s from, so she doesn’t share details about herself when she breaks down near an Amish inn after running away from Los Angeles.
 
Hunter Lewis is the other main character, and he’s nice. He’s nice to Annie, to Sarah the innkeeper, to Carla the homeless woman, to everyone. And he hates liars as he’s been in relationships before with women who lie and manipulate. His personality is basically reduced to these two characteristics.
 
And once Hunter stated he could stand liars, I knew exactly what the “misunderstanding” that would hamper Hunter and Annie’s fledgling relationship was going to be. Hunter finds out about Annie’s real identity and doesn’t let her explain why she felt the need to keep it secret. There’s even the “you’re just like all the other liars” argument before he leaves.
 
This book is predictable in other ways, as well. I knew who was going to reveal Annie’s identity fairly early in the book, and the setup for the next book in the series was painfully obvious. The writing style itself is fine, though the dialogue is stilted. It makes sense for our Amish characters but awkward for the worldly main characters. I was never able to completely immerse myself in the story and would have appreciated more descriptions of the settings.
 
The book’s message of learning to trust God in our lives is an important one and is handled well. The characters make frequent references to their beliefs and all struggle to live their faith when their own desires clash with what they feel called to do.
 
The story involving Carla, the homeless woman, is very touching and I’m glad it was included. However, I felt more emotion when her plot was resolved than I did with the main characters throughout the entire book, which I’m sure was not the intent of the author.
 
I’ve enjoyed previous books by Ms. Ferrell. However, I am disappointed to say that I cannot recommend Runaway Romance due to the lack of emotional connection I felt with the main characters and the predictability of the plot. I want to be surprised, and nothing about this book surprised me.
 
I give Runaway Romance 2/5 stars.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.** 

​I started writing shortly after I turned 50, and discovered I loved it so much I don’t want to stop. I have 15 novels out & a five book set of horse novels for middle-grade girls. I write both women’s contemporary fiction, historical & contemporary romance, and horse/mystery novels for girls. One of my Western romances, Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, was awarded the Will Rogers Medallion for Western Fiction, three books have been optioned as movies, and several books have been on the ECPA best seller list.

​You can find out more about me and my books at www.miraleeferrell.com.

​In the spring of 2015, I received an email from a Hollywood producer, followed by a phone call. Imagine my surprise when she asked if I’d be willing to write a book for them. They were no longer producing the Love Finds You books into movies and were working on a different project for UP TV, a possible three-movie series, and she hoped I might be able to work with them. She explained that she’d optioned Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming, two or three years earlier, and loved it. Of the thirty-five or so titles she’d read of the line, that was her favorite. However, UP TV didn’t want to make historical or old west movies, so she’d shelved it for now.

During that time period, I’d gotten my rights returned to all of my LFY books and had retitled them Finding Love in Last Chance, California, Finding Love in Tombstone, Arizona, and Finding Love in Bridal Veil, Oregon. Sundance became Outlaw Angel, and all four are still in print.
​
Here’s the amazing part. I came very, very close to turning down that contract offer with Summerside for Sundance. I was disappointed in the advance and royalty rate, and shortly after they released it, they sold the line to Guideposts, and that company didn’t continue the line much longer. Understandably, sales waned on their final releases, and I was disappointed with my sales from that final book as my others had done quite well. For a long time, I wished I hadn’t taken that contract and instead held out for one with another company for a three-book series. However, had I done that, I doubt Runaway Romance would ever have been written. It was Sundance that grabbed Chevonne’s attention and caused her to contact me. And the rest, as they say, is history.

​Blogging With Carol, November 28
Reflections from my bookshelves, November 28
Janices book review, November 29
Books, Books, and More Books., November 29
Books n baubles, November 30
Blossoms and Blessings, November 30
Have A Wonderful Day, December 1
Inklings and notions, December 1
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, December 2
Texas Book-aholic, December 2
History, Mystery & Faith, December 3
Bigreadersite, December 4
The Power of Words, December 4
Kat’s Corner Books, December 5
Reading Is My SuperPower, December 5 (Interview)
Baker Kella, December 6
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 6
Splashes of Joy, December 7
Karen Sue Hadley, December 7
Quiet Quilter, December 8
Red Headed Book Lady, December 9
Just the Write Escape, December 9
Cafinated Reads, December 10
Remembrancy, December 11
Carpe Diem, December 11

​In honor of her tour, Miralee is giving away a grand prize of a Kindle Fire! Click the link below to enter! Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c31a

Click here to purchase your copy!

​My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah is the first book I’ve read by Angie Dicken, and while I enjoyed it, there were some minor issues that did affect my opinions. I can recommend it, but with reservations.
 
Ms. Dicken has written a carefully crafted romance dealing with racism, class discrimination, and the plight of immigrants in the early 20th century. This is not a period or theme that is popular in most of the fiction I’ve read, so I was excited for the setting.
 
And the author does not disappoint there! The city of Castle Gate feels alive and so do the secondary characters. They are not mere plot points but have dreams, opinions, and stories of their own.
 
Leanna McKee is our heroine and I liked her. At the beginning of the story, she is a widow dealing with guilt over the way she treated her husband while he was alive. Her husband Jack had been a gambler and gambled away savings they were going to use to move to San Francisco. Leanna views Castle Gate as a stop to somewhere “better” and is angry that she remains in Castle Gate. She is a schoolteacher and teaches the class of immigrant Greek children, separated from the American children. Her faith is strong though she struggles with forgiveness toward her late husband.
 
Alex Pappas is the hero of this book. He’s a widower who moved to America to make money for his sick wife back in Greece, who died before he could send any money to her. He is determined to make a living in America and his brother and parents have joined him, running a restaurant that feeds the Greek miners. Alex is stoic. He doesn’t fight back against the discrimination or comment on it—he simply ignores it. As he regrows closer to God we see his emotions come out more.
 
Both Leanna and Alex are great characters who experience change throughout the book. However, they make a lot of assumptions about what the other person wants while trying to navigate the relationship and do not talk to each other enough! Both believe they don’t deserve a second chance at love and don’t want to harm the other person, but Leanna and Alex make this decision without informing each other—one of my pet peeves in romance. Let the person you love know how you feel and then allow them to make their own decision!
 
While I enjoyed the story, there were a few things I didn’t like. The ending felt rushed to me. I wanted a bit more conversation between Alex and Leanna, and wanted to see how the town reacted to their relationship. It played such a big part of why they wouldn’t take the chance of being together yet there was no resolution to that particular barricade to their romance. 
 
I give this book 3/5 stars and can recommend it to readers looking for a book that carefully deals with racism, class discrimination, and has a strong message of what God is able to do in our lives if we only trust in him.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

My Publishing Story: A Journey of Perfect Timing​
“Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14

​I wrote a story five years ago. My footing was finally solid on how to write, after a couple ACFW conferences and connecting with my bestie writing sister, Ashley. So in 2012, I poured my heart out within the parameters of what I’d learned.
​
The story I wrote stemmed from my heritage. From a very young age, I’ve been inspired by my grandfather. He was the son of a Greek coal miner who came over from Greece in the 1910’s. My grandfather always had wonderful stories to tell–he stirred up my intrigue for WWII era as he was a Purple Heart recipient (twice), and spoke of freeing concentration camps and invading Hitler’s homes; my grandfather lived a rags to riches legacy, having been born in a tent in a coal town, and then becoming a successful home and commercial builder–I declared I’d be an architect at age eleven…even majoring in Landscape Architecture in college.

So, at ACFW 2012, I took my novel to conference with more confidence than I had before. This story caught the attention of an agent– and I signed a contract with the Steve Laube Agency in November of that year. That was amazing…I chuckle now because the name of the room that I interviewed with Tamela was the “McKee” room–the last name of my heroine. A sign? Maybe. When she sent my story out for all publishers to see that next month, I thought my time for that book was just around the corner.

And…
Now it’s 2017, and that story is under contract with a publisher as of Fall 2016.

What timing, right?

Why the heck did it take so long? Not for lack of trying. My agent and I took every possible measure.

Why did I get rejection after rejection, and write two other books in the wait?

What happened between then?

Only in looking back, do I see why I had to wait for this book. And when I look back, I realize just how much Timing is His and there’s nothing I can do to speed it up or make it mine. All I can do is take courage, and wait.
​
I’ll give you a quick recap of what happened between 2013–when the book was put in the proverbial drawer of unwanted manuscripts–and now, 2017, the year it will get published (um, after a few rewrites and edits–always learning…).

​In looking back, this is what I see:

My Community was Built. I fell in love with my writer friendships. A bit dramatic? Maybe, but it’s the truth. I connected with ladies who knew my heart as a writer, and allowed me into their lives in an authentic, Christ-loving way. I found hope in the writing journey because my friends held my hands and rubbed my back when all seemed lost. And in this, I grew not as a writer, but as a heart. My heart became soft for the needs of others and the value of authenticity in this short, precious life.​

​ I wanted it so badly that I turned ugly when it seemed to slip through my fingers with every rejection. And I spiraled and I came up for air to those authentic friendships speaking Truth in love. God knew what He was doing when He built my community, and He knew He would use it to lift me up and tear down my ugly.

​There are several other moments and signs that I see as I look back, but I’m not going for the longest blog post of 2017, but I do want to share two sweet confirmations that the timing really is His.

​I had secretly told those closest to me, that it would’ve been nice for it to come out in September instead…just because that’s when the book opens–September, 1893–the historical date of the Land Run.
So, what happens after I turn in my complete book a few days before its deadline? My editor tells me they bumped up my date to September of 2017. And I am sure, for them, it had nothing to do with the history, but for me, it was everything to do with the history–and His timing. Look for my debut novel, The Outlaw’s Second Chance this September!

There’s more…

My second contract came in! And this was a wonderful surprise. My agent and I had found out last spring that a new series was being launched based on geographical places around the U.S. I immediately thought of my Coal country story. So, I put together a proposal for a book I’d written long ago…and got a contract with Barbour this Fall for my novel, My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah.

But, the timing? November 2017 is my release.

God’s Timing in its finest…The book comes out during the centennial year of my grandfather’s birth. He was born in Dec. 1917 in Carbon County, Utah. My hero and my inspiration for this very book.
I just can’t stop smiling at the chance to honor my late grandfather with a story written by his third generation Greek American granddaughter who was inspired by his roots grown a century ago.

If only he could be here now. But I know he’s smiling, too.

A century.

It took a CENTURY.

​Only by God’s grace, and His perfect timing.

​A Baker’s Perspective, October 31
Faithfully Bookish, October 31
Caffeinated Reads, October 31
Captive Dreams Window, November 1
Reading Is My SuperPower, November 1
A Greater Yes, November 2
Janices book reviews, November 2
Daysong Reflections, November 2
Red Headed Book Lady, November 3
Books, Books, and More Books., November 3
Just the Write Escape, November 3
Carpe Diem, November 4
Christian Bookaholic, November 4
Radiant Light, November 5
History, Mystery & Faith, November 5
Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, November 6
Texas Book-aholic, November 6
Babs Book Bistro, November 7
Kristin’s Book Reviews, November 7
Singing Librarian Books, November 8
Connie’s History Classroom, November 8
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, November 9
J.E. Grace Christian Author Blog, November 9
Neverending Stories, November 9
Have A Wonderful Day, November 10
Pause for Tales, November 10
Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 11
Mary Hake, November 11
Splashes of Joy, November 11
Bigreadersite, November 12
Blossoms and Blessings, November 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12
Vicky Sluiter, November 13
Bibliophile Reviews, November 13

​To celebrate her tour, Angie is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of her book The Outlaw’s Second Chance!!

Click below to enter.
​Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! 
​https://promosimple.com/ps/c1ff

Click here to purchase your copy!

​Jealous of her quiet success as she learns the dye business, he’s especially befuddled by what he considers to be Lydia’s obsession with the Jewish religion. ​When their father dies, Cassius inherits the family’s home; Lydia inherits the business, and unbeknownst to her brother, a small villa in the city of Philippi.
 
Lydia flees with her mother and daughter to Philippi where she sets up shop. At the mercy of a patriarchal society, Lydia needs a man to serve as the public face for her business. She discovers the right person in the handsome face of Greek man she’d hired — an employee with whom she develops a close friendship. The plot thickens as Lydia meets a strange man named Paul the apostle who is stirring up crowds in town. When Lydia’s brother shows up in Philippi, determined to force her to sell the business, he discovers plenty of fuel to accomplish his goals.

​Lydia, Woman of Philippi, is the first book I’ve read by Diana Wallis Taylor. I'm happy I got a chance to read it, as Ms. Wallis Taylor has written an excellent book. In fact, I hardly stopped to take notes for this review because I was so engrossed in the story!
 
The book is well-written and the description of the environment enables the reader to completely immerse themselves. It is not overwhelming and the descriptions never become boring. On a side note, as a historian I appreciated that the characters had difficulty getting information to and from people in other cities. This is accurate to the time but rarely mentioned in fiction!
 
Lydia is calm but not a doormat, though she is a more submissive at the beginning of the book. She becomes stronger as the story unfolds and watching her journey as she becomes the woman God meant her to be is one of the best parts of this book.
 
Nikolas is more mysterious and less developed as the story is told from Lydia’s point of view, but he is a kind, dependable, and emotionally strong man. For me, it is easy to see how Lydia could fall for him and how he could fall for her in return.
 
With one point of view it is often difficult to make the secondary characters seem like real people. Yet I understood their emotions, feelings, and thoughts through the writing. A single point of view can also make romances unbelievable but Ms. Wallis Taylor does an excellent job here with Lydia and Nikolas. 
 
The story itself moves slowly, though there are a few time jumps. The story begins with Lydia as a fourteen-year-old and ends when she’s in her thirties. The transition between younger Lydia and twenty-four-year-old Lydia as the second act of the story begins felt rushed. I wanted more information about those ten years and was disappointed the story skipped over them.
 
The Christian messages, especially about learning to trust in God no matter the circumstance, appears on almost every page. This makes sense as Lydia is a woman who was an early convert to Christianity. If you like your Christian messages and themes a little less prominent, this book may not be your style.
 
Lydia is a calm book in which events happen and the characters remain serene and poised, though there are a few moments where the tension ramps up. At a couple of points in the story I wanted more emotion from the characters, and the lack of it did hamper my enjoyment of this book.
 
I recommend Lydia, Woman of Philippi, to readers who enjoy well-written and well-researched Biblical Fiction with a compelling main character and a sweet romance and give it 4/5 stars. I took away one star for quibbles involving the lack of tension and wanting more emotions from the characters at certain points.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.**

​A Bakers Perspective, October 3
Carpe Diem, October 3
Moments Dipped in Ink, October 4
Books, Books, and More Books., October 4
By The Book, October 5
A Simply Enchanted Life, October 5
Red Headed Book Lady, October 6
Blogging With Carol, October 6
A Reader’s Brain, October 7
A Greater Yes, October 7
Just the Write Escape, October 8
His Grace is Sufficient, October 8
Aryn the Libraryan, October 9
Cordially Barbara, October 9
Pursuing Stacie, October 9
The Fizzy Pop Collection, October 10
Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 10
Zerina Blossom’s Books, October 11
Mary Hake, October 11
Radiant Light, October 12
Singing Librarian Books, October 12
Lights in a Dark World, October 12
margaretkazmierczak, October 13
Pause for Tales, October 13
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 14
Cafinated Reads, October 14
To Everything A Season, October 14
Bigreadersite, October 15
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 15
Henry Happens, October 16
For The Love of Books, October 16
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 16

​In honor of her tour, Diana is giving away

Grand Prize Package: Lydia, Woman of Philippi, “Give Thanks” painting on plate by Donna White for The Hearthside Collection, Inc., commemorative Whitaker House/Anchor Distributors coloring book (not in photo).

1st Place Package: Lydia, Woman of Philippi, abba Jerusalem pillar candle, cassia scented, commemorative Whitaker House/Anchor Distributors coloring book (not in photo).

2nd Place Package: Lydia, Woman of Philippi, abba Jerusalem Spikenard candle tin with lid!
​
Click the link to enter! https://promosimple.com/ps/c173

Click here to purchase your copy. 

​England, 1944
 
With the world at war yet again, Alice Galloway rejects her father’s traditional expectations and offers her piloting expertise to the Air Transport Auxiliary. She may be a woman in a man’s world, but when she overhears key intelligence, she must find the strength to transcend boundaries and her own fears. Or countless people may die.
 
Sometimes the past reaches forward to bring hope to the future.

All of You is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Monzon, and I’m happy to say it won’t be my last. Ms. Monzon has written a good, solid book that I enjoyed, though I did have a few minor quibbles that hampered my reading experience.  
 
Jack Rogers, the heroine, is great. She’s relatable, dependable, and intelligent. She also restores vintage planes, which is a profession I know nothing about! I want Jack to be my friend. She’s struggling with her self-worth and trusting her judgement after an abusive relationship and doesn’t believe she’s capable of being loved or loving someone. Watching her find out otherwise is enormously satisfying and Ms. Monzon pulls it off wonderfully.
 
As a Veteran, I enjoy stories that are focused on military or prior military characters, as the hero, Michael, is. He’s an amputee, and the emotions and thoughts he has during the book as he struggles to find a new path in life rings true. You can tell that Ms. Monzon has carefully researched this, but never in a way that feels boring or as if it’s an info dump of exposition.
 
This is a dual-timeline story, so there is a story that happens simultaneously in 1944 during World War II. Alice is a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary against her father’s wishes, who goes to England and becomes involved in ferrying planes to and from the various places in the European theater of operations. The way her storyline intertwines with that of Jack and Michael is satisfying.
 
Ms. Monzon writes beautifully and the story flows smoothly, though the ending feels abrupt. The detail and scenery descriptions draw you in, and I love the relationships that both Jack and Michael have with their siblings. The siblings all feel like real people and I love that! I’ve had similar interactions with my own siblings. The writing is the best part of the story for me.
 
Both characters are believers and though Michael struggles more with his faith due to the amputation, the religious aspect of this book feels natural and not shoehorned in. I appreciated the themes of learning to trust God again after tragedy and how we can rely on Him to set us on the right path—even if it’s not the one we expected to be on!
 
I have a few minor quibbles. These are personal pet peeves that hampered my enjoyment of this particular book, but not enough that I won’t try anything else by this author!
 
The first is that both Michael and Jack’s brothers fall into the “overprotectiveness described as caring” trap regarding Jack’s ex-boyfriend. It’s not caring, it’s treating an adult like they don’t know how to handle their own lives, and I dislike it in every story I’ve read. And it doesn’t belong in a contemporary romance!
 
The second is that Michael mentions the “bro-code” about not dating a friend’s sister while wrestling with his feelings for Jack. This is a concept that needs to die as it, again, treats an adult like they don’t know how to handle their own life. If you are good enough to be the brother’s friend, why can’t you date his sister? That reasoning makes no sense.
 
The third is minor and thankfully, Michael doesn’t hang onto it long. He bemoans that Jack deserves better than him and resolves to get over his developing feelings. Again, this is Michael trying to decide for Jack, who is perfectly capable. Let her make her own decisions!
 
I give this book 4/5 stars for the excellent main characters, writing style, and the relationship between the siblings. I had to take one away for the minor quibbles mentioned above. I recommend this book to people who love excellently researched, well-written, and clean contemporary romance.
 
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through CelebrateLit. All opinions are my own.** 

​I’m so excited to be here today and getting this opportunity to hang out with y’all in this virtual world. If you are anything like me, you devour books faster than my son drinks orange juice (and he really loves orange juice!). Because of that, it is sometimes hard to come across a book with a unique premise or a message that you haven’t seen incorporated a thousand times before. As a writer, I always try to bring something fresh to the table.

In the first book of the Carrington Family Series, Finders Keepers, neither of my characters were Christians. What? No Christians in a Christian fiction novel? Most Christian fiction books usually have at least one or both main characters a Christians. Don’t worry, they both found their way to Jesus. With All of You, however, I wanted to take yet an even different approach.

I’ve ready lots of books where the main character is angry or upset with God for such-and-such thing that happened in his/her life (I’ve even written a character like that), but I hadn’t really read a story about a character that, no matter what life threw at him/her, he/she was going to trust in God no matter what. As a life-long Christian, this is a message I can identify with. The “If not, He is still good” resonation that is sometimes harder to hold on to in the midst of pain and struggles.

​So, as with all my books, I hope the freshness of the story and the realness of my characters will inspire and uplift you as you travel along with them on their journey.

​God Bless.

​September 12: A Baker’s Perspective
September 12: Quiet Quilter
September 13: Books, Books, and More Books
September 13: Jeanette’s Thoughts
September 14: Cordially Barbara
September 14: Smiling Book Reviews
September 15: Avid Reader Book Reviews
September 15: Carpe Diem
September 16: Inklings and notions
September 16: Christian Bookaholic
September 17: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
September 17: Artistic Nobody
September 18: Bookworm Mama
September 18: Remembrancy
September 19: Back Porch Reads
September 19: Kat’s Corner Books
September 20: Just Jo’Anne
September 20: Margaret Kazmierczak
September 21: The Power of Words
September 21: Mary Hake
September 22: 100 Pages per Hour
September 22: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
September 23: Zerina Blossom’s Books
September 23: Simple Harvest Reads (spotlight)
September 24: Blossoms and Blessings
September 24: Moments Dipped in Ink
September 25: Kathleen Denly
September 25: His Grace is Sufficient