Saturday, November 30, 2019

Convenient Amish Proposal

Convenient Amish Proposal 

(Love Inspired Historical) 

Mass Market Paperback – ebook

February 5, 2019

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Amish Women of Lawrence County by Tracy Fredrychowski

The Amish Women of Lawrence County: A Collection of Amish Short Stories 

ebook

  • Publication Date: July 31, 2019
  • ASIN: B07TX2TXP

Tucked away in Northwestern Pennsylvania, resides a small group of Amish that calls Lawrence County their home. Along the winding country roads, etched with well-worn buggy tracks, are families that hold the values of God, Family, and Community deep in tradition. Among them, are ten women whose lives intertwine in this quiet Pennsylvania town. I invite you to come with me as I take you for a walk in a “day in the life” of these Amish women.

Each of them is led by the Lord to take care of her family, and each embraces her role as the one who holds her family together. Some will discover new love, one will battle health issues, some will need to forgive, and others will find who they are in Christ. But what binds them all together is their desire to serve God, love their families, and support their community by loving their neighbors, just as God instructs them to do.

My thoughts: (Reviewed by Marilyn):  The Amish Women of Lawrence County is a beautiful and heart stirring collection of 10 women who faced a variety of issues but held to their faith, family and community. Each tale is filled with characters that became quick friends and a day spent with each one would be so much fun. After reading about Emma in Secrets of Willow Springs it was a delight to read this brief story of her. Each woman in every story was just as captivating as they faced life with determination and trusting in God. There were moments of laughter, tears, admiration and pure joy as I read how each one faced their trials in life. Having read Emma’s story in, Secrets of Willow Springs, by Fredrychowski I ’m looking forward to reading more about these women in upcoming books by this author. I’m sure each future book will be filled with another cast of dimensional characters, plots, twists and turns along with a interweaving of faith and God’s love for all.

.I received a complimentary e-copy of this collection from the author. I was under no obligation to write a review but have freely shared my own thoughts.






Thursday, November 28, 2019

Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls - An Inspirational Romantic Suspense Family Series

Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls - An Inspirational Romantic Suspense Family Series 

ebook, print

by Susan May Warren (Author)



  • Print Length: 325 pages
  • Publisher: SDG Publishing 
  • Publication Date: November 26, 2019
  • ASIN: B07Z616NKM




She loved...and lost.

Ruby Jane never thought she'd meet the man of her dreams while running from the police in Russia. That he'd steal her heart on a train to Siberia. But loving a former CIA officer comes with a price...a life of danger. A life of high stakes.

A life where he simply disappears...

He has no memory of the man he was.

Mack Jones has no memory of his past...just the dark sense that he is hiding. And, he wants to stay that way. Mack likes the life he's built in a small tourist town, tucked away beyond the mountains, and has no desire to dig around in the gray areas of his memory.

When his place of business catches fire and Mack rescues the owner, he makes the news, which of course alerts the past he's hoping to outrun.

The only person who can help him is a mysterious woman he doesn't remember.

But a woman he desperately needs.

The surprising, thrilling conclusion to the Montana Marshall series.



My thoughts:  Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls - An Inspirational Romantic Suspense Family Series is the page-turning conclusion to this five book series.  I absolutely loved this book. It was one of those rare stories that come around where you read the whole thing in mere hours.  I  *love* York and fell in love with him when he was introduced in Ford's story.
And I love the way Ms. Warren made York's confusion realistic. So many authors don't handle this subject well.

Warning for more conservative readers:  There is some beer/wine drinking.

I absolutely loved the strong faith message and the way it was woven through. York is a  book boyfriend you don't want to let go.

I would love to see an epilogue novella - wrapping up the unfinished threads. Glo's mother and Coco's son...  Does Glo and RJ come to like each other?  And the who-dun-it I never saw coming. Not even remotely.

Do read this series in order, starting with Knox. This would make a fantastic gift for the avid reader on your shopping list. The Marshall family is the way families should be -- for the  most part. 

I was  given a copy free.  All opinions are my own.








Action, drama, adventure, flawed individuals and emotional and spiritual challenges are hallmarks of Warren's books. - Christian Library Journal

Warren has a knack for creating captivating and relatable characters that pull the reader deep into the story. - Radiant Lit

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Length 300 pages

THE MONTANA MARSHALLS (family series)
Book 1: Knox
Book 2: Tate
Book 3: Ford
Book 4: Wyatt
Book 5: Ruby Jane (November 2019)

Other books by Susan May Warren:

MONTANA FIRE
Book 1: Where There's Smoke (Summer of Fire)
Book 2: Playing with Fire (Summer of Fire)
Book 3: Burnin' For You (Summer of Fire)
Book 4: Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful (Christmas novella)
Book 5: I'll be There (Montana Fire/Deep Haven crossover)
Book 6: Light My Fire (Summer of the Burning Sky)
Book 7: The Heat is On (Summer of the Burning Sky)
Book 8: Some Like it Hot (Summer of the Burning Sky)
Book 9: You Don't Have to Be a Star (spin-off)

MONTANA RESCUE
Book 1: If Ever I Would Leave You (novella prequel)
Book 2: Wild Montana Skies
Book 3: Rescue Me
Book 4: A Matter of Trust
Book 5: Crossfire (a novella)
Book 6: Troubled Waters
Book 7: Storm Front
Book 8: Wait for Me

TEAM HOPE: (Search and Rescue series)
Book 1: Waiting for Dawn (novella prequel)
Book 2: Flee the Night
Book 3: Escape to Morning
Book 4: Expect the Sunrise

NOBLE LEGACY (Montana Ranch Trilogy)
Book 1: Reclaiming Nick
Book 2: Taming Rafe
Book 3: Finding Stefanie




Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Berenstain Bears Go Christmas Caroling / Merry Christmas, Nighty Night


The Berenstain Bears Go Christmas Caroling 

(Berenstain Bears/Living Lights) 

Paperback – ebook, audible, audio cd

October 1, 2019

My thoughts:   THE BERENSTAIN BEARS GO CHRISTMAS CAROLING is a fun look at Christmas celebrations that families might engage in--including decorating, sleigh rides, caroling, and church--and includes a nice discussion of some of the old-fashioned terms included in the older carols.

My teenage daughter, a huge fan of The Berenstain Bears, both enjoyed reading the book and wanted to keep it for future family enjoyment.  This is a great read for children new to The Berenstain Bears and as part of a collection for long time fans.

I was  given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

**********************************



Merry Christmas, Nighty Night 

(Nurturing Steps) 

Board book – ebook

October 8, 2019

  • Grade Level: Preschool and up
  • Series: Nurturing Steps
  • Board book: 22 pages
  • Publisher: Zonderkidz 
  • ISBN-13: 978-0310767077


It’s so hard to fall asleep on Christmas Eve! Lucky for Cole and his sister, Rose, the Nighty Nights have a special Christmas song to have them dreaming and sleeping in no time. This snuggly story is the one parents and grandparents turn to when their little ones are having trouble falling sleep.
Merry Christmas, Nighty Night follows the familiar rhythm of the classic Clement Moore poem “The Night Before Christmas” to tell this gentle, musical, heartwarming story that captures the wonder of Christmas Eve while helping little ones settle in for a cozy “Silent Night.”
This cute (and sleepy) adventure leads Cole and Rose to discover that when you’re having trouble falling asleep, a Christmas lullaby might just do the trick.
Founded by Michael W. Smith, Nurturing StepsTM is an infant and toddler series of children’s music and books with a simple mission to enliven a child’s journey with hope and faith through music and storytelling.
On the night before Christmas, Cole asked from his bed,
“May I wait by the tree for my presents instead?”“No, Cole,” his mom answered, as she handed him Bear.Then she kissed him goodnight and helped him say prayers.
Merry Christmas, Nighty Night:
  • Is created by Grammy winner Michael W. Smith, who has sold over 15 million albums with 32 number one hits, and VeggieTales co-creator Mike Nawrocki and the co-creator of VeggieTales, Mike Nawrocki
  • Is a cute holiday padded board book that sparkles with glitter and will help little ones settle in for a cozy night’s sleep
  • Is the perfect stocking stuffer or Christmas gift for the little sugarplum in your life

My thoughts:  MERRY CHRISTMAS NIGHTY  NIGHT  is an absolutely adorable children's book for your favorite little  one.  I absolutely loved the nighty night band! So unique!  This would  be an absolutely awesome gift for Christmas Eve to read and snuggle with at bedtime. Your favorite child will be dreaming of   piano-playing pups and singing teddy bears.  

I loved this book!   Highly recommended.  Plus words to a well-known Christmas song are  included so you can sing with or to the child.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.
  

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

26 Ways to Inspire Yourself

 
Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a book tour for 26 Ways to Inspire Yourself by Sonia Nwajei. The tour will run November 18- December 18, 2019. Book your own tour here

Genre: Self Help/Non-Fiction

ASIN: B07DZS4JQF


                      MEET SONIA
            
Sonia A Nwajei is the author of this wonderful book. She began her writing career only two years ago and had since published three non-fiction titles (including 26 Ways) to her credit. 

She is currently working to publish her first fiction, a murder mystery. Which she hopes will captivate lovers of fiction/detective novellas. 

Sonia lives in Brisbane, Australia.




       
             ABOUT THE BOOK

26 Ways To Inspire Yourself - is a powerful self-help book, written with the sole purpose to motivate readers with ideas that'll enable them make positive changes in their lives. The book is packed full of insightful and encouraging messages for those seeking to improve themselves, rebuild their lives and achieve set goals. It's your ultimate self-guide to a Better New You. Get it now.





EXCERPTS

Chapter 9-Letter I-Inspiration:

Inspiration leads us to a course of action that tends to showcase a different and more creative side of us that people may not have noticed before.

Chapter 10 -Letter J-Jealousy:

Jealousy is an unpleasant feeling of low self-esteem mixed with insatiable desire to acquire the same material possessions as some else.

Chapter 13-Letter M-Mother:

Every child feels safe and happy when their mother is around. Every child craves the affections and support of their mother. Even adults run to their mothers when they experience difficulties in life. 

Connect Socially



Purchase Links



Tour hosted by wnlbooktours.com  








Monday, November 25, 2019

Interview with Laura Nelson Selinsky about her new book Season of Hope


Hi Laura Hilton,
Thanks for letting me contribute to your beautiful blog. I so appreciate the opportunity to share Season of Hope.          
                                                                                                Yours,
                                                                                                Laura Nelson Selinsky

Thanks for stopping by -- and congratulations on your new release!

Tell us about the book – a brief blurb: 



The Christmas lights in the mission’s front window are burning a little dim. So is Pastor Nick Mayfield’s hope. Managing a down-on-its-luck mission in a tough neighborhood in Philadelphia isn’t easy, and he questions his decision to leave a promising law career to follow his calling. Across the street, Claudia Delacorte works day and night in her abusive stepfather’s store. She’ll do anything to assure her beloved half-sisters have a happy and safe future, even sacrifice her own happiness. When the new pastor shows interest in her, she scoffs—she doesn’t have time for love. Or Christmas. But a series of crimes throws the neighborhood into turmoil, and Claudia becomes an easy target. During a robbery gone horribly wrong, Nick and Claudia must work together to save her sisters, the store, and each other.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? 

I’ve never had a book reviewed—Season of Hope is my first long-form publication. But I’ve had scads of rejection letters. After a few dozen, I learned to balance my desire to ignore rejections against the wisdom of taking seriously the advice that rejections contain. In my day job as an English teacher, I work for the harshest possible critics, high school students with significant learning differences. I’m used to their “no pulled punches” assessment of my work, my words, and even my wardrobe.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? 

I’d love to be mentored in writing humor, which is such a challenge to do well. I’m in the Philly suburbs, and Tina Fey is a local, so in this fantasy, I will be coached by Tina Fey.  

What book are you reading now? 

I am finishing Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys, which is a heartbreaking story about an abusive correctional school. For seven years, I taught in an alternative program, largely with adjudicated youth. Whitehead’s story leaves me wondering where many of my troubled former students are now. I can only place them in God’s hands.

What books have most influenced your life most? 

I adored reading Jane Eyre when I was very young, maybe ten or eleven. I keep a copy in the car for delays and waiting rooms, so I’m never not reading Jane Eyre. As an English teacher, I concede absolute dedication to Shakespeare, Wilde, and Chaucer. My favorite pleasure genre is high fantasy; I have Tolkien to thank for that. In Christian literature, I treasure the Medieval mystics. A classic on Christian living, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger strikes firmly against my selfishness, even decades after I first read it.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? What book do you wish you could have written?

For favorite author, my choice is Tolkien. I read his fantasy and his Old English translations for pleasure. My British Literature students are required to read Tolkien’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. You don’t inflict something on your students if you aren’t passionate about it yourself. What I enjoy most about Tolkien’s work is his ability to incorporate ancient literary influences into a world which is nevertheless entirely his own. I wish I had his ability to read in the ancient forms and had brought them to life in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest

I’m a member of RealmMakers, a consortium of Christian speculative fiction authors. The fantasy author Brent Weeks, whom I had never read, gave the keynotes and led panel discussions at last summer’s RealmMakers conference. He’s a wonderful preacher, and I was happy to buy a trilogy of his to have signed. His writing is astonishing.

If you didn't like writing books, what would you do for a living? 

I’ve been lucky to have had three careers I’ve loved and would return to in a heartbeat. I was an Interpretive Naturalist in the New Jersey State Parks System, I was a United Methodist pastor, and for the last twenty-four years I’ve taught English to atypical students. In less than two years, I’m retiring into the new career of writing full time

Can you share a little of your current work with us? 

Right now, I am busy promoting Season of Hope, my Christmas story, and Beach Dreams, an anthology. I am juggling two novels; one’s the third book and finale of a fantasy trilogy, the other’s a historical novel with touches of fantasy. Only my husband knows the historical events used in the later novel. Even my critique group sees it with names and places redacted; if they knew the real people and events involved, that knowledge would color their reading of the book and affect their critiques.


Share your bio, links for social media and to buy: 

Laura Nelson Selinsky is a wife, mother, author, and high school teacher. She writes in her (Hah!) free time, through the support of her wonderful husband and critique group. She teaches Shakespeare, Chaucer, mythology, and where the apostrophe goes to students with significant learning differences. For twenty years, she has chased second graders through Hope Community Church; allegedly, that’s teaching, too. When she’s not teaching or writing, Laura loves to spend time with her grown children and their partners. She grows too many tomatoes, finds hand-sewing relaxing, and makes excellent Scotch shortbread, which is great with a cup of tea and a book.

Contact Laura on Twitter or Facebook by searching Laura Nelson Selinsky; she’s the only one with that name.

Laura’s Christmas novella Season of Hope and her other work can be found through her author’s page amazon.com/author/laura-nelson-selinsky








Sunday, November 24, 2019

When He Speaks by Heidi Dru Kortman


Text: Isaiah 38:15-19.

“But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul.”

Sometimes we deliberately choose discontent, and for a little while God will permit us to take that direction in our lives. Then, when depression has a firm grasp on our spirits, he will come and sit patiently beside us, answering our questions. At that moment, we have a critical choice. How will we react to the truth God has given us our circumstances, or to the fact that we have deluded ourselves about how he chooses to work?

God has placed us where we are because it suits his broad purposes. Whether our accomplishments are small and private or large and visible, his hand is there in protection and guidance. Hezekiah willingly admitted the things God wants us to understand: truths that make our limited lives effective.

God gives us our health. He allows us to live. He also loves us. He keeps us out of the pit of permanent destruction by removing our sin. God’s amazing gift of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection puts all our sins behind God’s back. He doesn’t look at them anymore. When we truly open our eyes, we won’t see them either. What we will see is the character and love of our God.

Once that happens, we begin to fulfill our true purpose, whether we are handicapped or Olympic athletes at the height of capability. What is God’s purpose for us? Verses 15, 18, and 19 of our text spell it out clearly: “I will walk humbly all my years. . . .” We are to praise God for his grace and character. “For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers will tell their children about your faithfulness.”






Heidi Dru Kortman DTM
God's gifts and call are irrevocable.

Heidi Dru Kortman, a CWG Apprentice graduate, ACFW member since 2004, and Word Weaver member has published devotionals in various newsletters, and a collected volume of devotionals. Her poetry, flash fiction, and short stories have appeared in small magazines, and a website. She is applying herself to the task of writing smoothly polished fiction.






Abundant Grace: 40 Days of Walking in the Goodness of God: A #Devotional #preorder

  Abundant Grace: 40 Days of Walking in the Goodness of God: A Devotional  April 2, 2024 by  Will Kassner   (Author),  Courtney Kassner   (A...