“God’s Frying Pan” from Christian Faith Publishing author B.A. May is a clever and inspiring contemporary Christian fiction about one woman’s life and the lessons learned along the way about rolling with what life has to offer.
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Friday, May 27, 2022
Read an exclusive excerpt from The One Who Loves Me by Joan Embola
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
The One Who Loves Me
(Sovereign Love #2)
By Joan Embola
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 340 Pages
May 21, 2022 by Love Qualified Press
IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER LOVE STORIES?
Amara Ikezie is a new grad nurse who is thrilled to start her dream job in Atlanta’s biggest children’s hospital. But when her best friend gets engaged, Amara is faced with the looming pressure from her mom to find her own man. Determined to escape the pressure to marry, Amara takes on a task to find the ‘perfect’ man who ticks all the boxes on her list.
Raymond Aderinto is a pediatric cardiologist with a wall of accolades and a string of failed relationships. After his fourth girlfriend dumps him, Raymond vows to get confirmation from God first before entering into his next relationship—even though he’d love to find his bride before turning thirty.
When Raymond spills coffee on Amara’s scrubs, he becomes certain she’s the woman God wants to be his wife. But unfortunately for him, Raymond doesn’t tick Amara’s boxes, and worst of all, Amara is sure her Igbo mom would never approve of a marriage to a man from the Yoruba tribe.
Despite Amara’s efforts to stay away from Raymond and convince herself he is not the one for her, her growing attraction for his character, values, and vision gives her more reasons to wonder if she was wrong about her prejudices toward him. When another doctor walks into Amara’s life who ticks all her boxes and shows interest in her, she is caught between running into his ‘perfect’ arms, or going with Raymond who is turning out to be more perfect than she thought.
The One Who Loves Me, book two in the Sovereign Love series, is a beautiful standalone novel about surrender and learning to take comfort in the sovereign goodness of a loving God who writes the best love stories.
(Affiliate links included.)
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Read an exclusive excerpt:
“Ray, I’m busy right now. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. I’m so sorry for showing up unannounced like this.” I clasp my hands and search for the right words. “I…um...I realized I invited you to the youth event but never gave you the address.”
Amara raises her eyebrows in that cute little way she does, which makes me think she doesn’t believe me.
“I wasn’t sure if you were working today and I didn’t know if I would see you again before Saturday,” I add.
“Okay?” she says. It’s not irritation in her big brown eyes, but a slight indifference. “Do you have the address written down or something?” She extends her hand.
“Oh, well, since you’re busy, I have a better idea. Can I get your number instead?” I smile and when she doesn’t respond, I explain further. “So I can text you the address?”
She sends me a blank stare.
“If I write it on a piece of paper, you might lose it. Plus, what if you get lost? I’d love to find you.” I flash her another nervous smile, my heart suddenly picking up pace.
She stares and crosses her arms against her chest. Then finally, after what feels like forever, Amara cracks a smile and shakes her head. “You never give up, do you?”
Wow, look at those beautiful teeth. Fine girl. Omoge.
I scratch my head. “Are my efforts going to be in vain?”
She kisses her teeth and extends her hand again. “Where’s your phone?”
Excerpted from The One Who Loves Me by Joan Embola, Copyright © 2022 by Joan Embola. Published by Love Qualified Press.
Other Books in the Series
The One Who Knows Me
(Sovereign Love #1)
By Joan Embola
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 318 Pages
July 21, 2021 by Love Qualified Press
IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY?
Bullies and family disasters have left eighteen-year-old Teeyana Sparks filled with anxiety and doubt. She feels pressured to believe in God, but as she embarks on her college journey in the hope of one day working at Google as a graphic designer, the only thing she believes in is controlling her own life. Things change when she meets Jayden Williams—the guy with a charming smile and kind heart.
Struggling with grief and recovering from a season of depression, nineteen-year-old Jayden is determined to help Teeyana believe in God’s goodness again. But when yet another tragedy strikes close to home, Teeyana’s response exposes Jayden’s unhealed wounds and tips him into a mental health relapse.
With the looming possibility of not getting her dream life, Teeyana is caught between holding on to her illusion of control and surrendering to a God she’s rejected. And as Jayden strives to break out of his despondency, he has to face that letting God in may involve him letting go of his friendship with Teeyana. Teeyana and Jayden must wrestle with uncomfortable truths, and the pride in their hearts, in order to face their biggest giant—God’s sovereignty over both triumph and tragedy.
The One Who Knows Me, book one in the Sovereign Love series, is a heart-warming standalone novel about hope and learning to take comfort in the sovereign goodness of a loving God who knows all things.
(Affiliate links included.)
One winner will receive a $25 Amazon e-gift card (open internationally)
Ends June 1, 2022
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Review of Light the Way (The Lighthouse Sisters #1) by Lin Stepp
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Welcome to the book tour for Light the Way, the first book in the new Lighthouse Sisters series by Lin Stepp! Today I'm sharing with you my thoughts about this novel. Be sure to follow the tour for even more, including my interview with the author at Candrel's Crafts, Cooks, and Characters. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Light the Way
(The Lighthouse Sisters #1)
By Lin Stepp
Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 292 Pages
April 1, 2022 by Mountain Hill Press
In this new coastal series, Lin Stepp transports her readers into the rich, colorful lives of Burke and her sisters, Lila, Gwen, and Celeste, who grew up at the Deveaux Inn and Lighthouse on a windswept island, accessible only by boat. Get ready to be introduced to the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, challenges and adventures of a Lighthouse Keeper.
Life had grown hard for Burke Deveaux at the family inn and lighthouse since her father died. She missed his warmth and still expected to see him walking into a room, his big laugh booming. Burke and her mother were gradually adjusting to the change, and Lila had come home this winter to help, but the workload was heavy. With spring coming and tourism picking up in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Burke welcomed Hal Jenkins’ request for his son Waylon to work for them. Waylon, retiring early from the Navy, knew the island and the lighthouse, having grown up nearby. Burke also knew Waylon well since they’d grown up together. He’d always been older, and she wondered how he’d see her now.
Waylon had been away from Edisto Island for over twelve years now, traveling around the world in the military, but it felt good to be home. He’d hated learning Lloyd Deveaux was gone, the warm-hearted Lighthouse Keeper he’d followed around as a boy. But he liked the idea of coming to stay at the lodge at Watch Island to help the Deveaux family with the inn, lighthouse, and nearly five-hundred acres of land the Lighthouse Station occupied. He knew Burke had picked up many of her father’s old tasks and he looked forward to seeing her again. He’d kept feelings for her clamped down for years but one look at her brought them surging back. How would he handle that with them working together?
(Affiliate links included.)
“This book feels just as tranquil as Edisto and has a wonderful, laid back flow, like beautiful ocean waves lapping up on the shore … you can’t help but fall in love with every facet of this novel.” – Christ F. JUST READS Review
“From the stunning backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry … this book was like going home.” – Kim Standridge Boykin, Bestselling Author of Palmetto Moon
“Each book showcases Lin Stepp’s natural gift as a novelist for originality and narrative driven storytelling.” – MIDWEST REVIEW
**My thoughts**
Light the Way was a bit of a change of pace for me, but nevertheless an entertaining read. You have history, strong family bonds, a sort of second chance romance, and a touch of mystery and suspense.
I always love reading about bigger families and small towns. There is a special kind of chemistry and bond that you can't find elsewhere. I would love to see the stories of Burke's mom and sisters fleshed out more. I believe there will be future installments that will update us on them. I think a prequel of Etta and her late husband in their early days could also be fun!
As for the relationship between Burke and Waylon, which is the focus of this installment, I love when childhood crushes are realized and given a second chance. They fit together well. Their leap to boyfriend-girlfriend felt a little abrupt and out of sync at the moment where it happened, though. Their engagement was also fast and felt a bit out of place. But their relationship quickly fell into a great pace as they grew a lot as friends while they worked together on the island.
The author is clearly well-versed in the history of the area and of lighthouses. I enjoyed learning all of that. Lighthouses fascinate me. And while we have some here on Lake Ontario, I haven't yet delved as deeply as I would like into their stories and histories.
I just felt like the information was shared awkwardly at times via conversations that the characters were having. For example, as Burke is taking Waylon around the island, she is giving him a big history lesson as if he had never been there before. But if he grew up there and spent as much time with her family as is indicated, I feel like he should have known a lot of that already. Or sometimes characters talked about places to visit and would describe where they were in ways that you wouldn't in normal conversations with people who were from the same area. I appreciated the background knowledge to help me better understand the setting, but personally would have described it differently. It just felt like the characters were doing too much of the narration.
This is an enjoyable start to a new series and I am looking forward to seeing the future installments, because I really want to know what happens to the sisters as they embark upon new chapters in their own lives.
Thank you to the author and Prism Book Tours for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the Author
Lin Stepp is a native Tennessean, businesswoman and educator. A New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon best-selling international author, Lin has twenty published novels out now, including her twelve beloved Smoky Mountain novels, all set in different Tennessee and North Carolina locations, three Mountain Home books, a novella in one of Kensington’s Christmas anthologies, and four South Carolina coastal novels, including her three Edisto Trilogy books and her first release in the new Lighthouse Sisters series. Lin and her husband J.L. also write regional guidebooks, including a published Smoky Mountain hiking guide and a TN and a SC state parks guidebook, all filled with hundreds of color photos. Stepp’s latest 2022 releases are Eight at the Lake, set in Dandridge near the Smoky Mountains, and Light the Way, set at the SC coast. Writing and adventuring are her joys and more novels set in the Smokies and at the beach are on the way, as well as more colorful regional guidebooks. Lin’s title Claire At Edisto was the 2019 Best Book Award Winner in Fiction: Romance, sponsored by American Book Fest and her novel Welcome Back a finalist in the 2017 Selah Awards. Lin enjoys speaking for events, festivals, libraries, and book clubs. And she loves reading, hiking, exploring out of doors, and keeping up with her readers. Look for her pages on Facebook and Twitter and follow her monthly blog and newsletter, too, that you will find on her website at: www.linstepp.com
Tour Schedule
Tour Giveaway
Ends April 6, 2022
Friday, September 24, 2021
The Widow Rescue (Disaster City Search & Rescue) by Ginny Sterling
Breanna Martin felt like life was splintering apart before her very eyes. Arguing over an unexpected pregnancy, her husband never returned home again. Widowed, wounded, her heart aching and full of regret, she focuses nurturing the only thing left that seemed to matter anymore other than her growing baby. Karma has other plans for her, when an unexpected kindness comes in the form of a handsome fireman, Jake Childress.
Jake knew the torture of losing a loved one, saying goodbye to his own brother after a tragic accident, yet something in the frantic woman’s tears struck a chord in him. He’s drawn immeasurably to Breanna. Her sad, soulful eyes that seemed to look right through him, making him wonder at what it would be like to make her smile again.
When attraction kindles a flame neither expected, can a second chance at life be just what both of them needed?
Available on Amazon
(affiliate links included in post)
Find more of Ginny Sterling's books on Amazon here.
About the author:
Ginny Sterling is an avid romance writer. She lives to tell sweet, inspirational, tender tales that tug at the heart, leaving the reader smiling, laughing, or crying. She favors writing sweet historical and contemporary romance books - including The Lawkeepers Series, Disaster City Search & Rescue Series, Legendary Brides, and her own beloved series, Healing Hearts.Growing up, Ginny traveled extensively, visiting family all over North America, seeing the sights and learning that everything in life worth having... revolves around love, faith, and home. When not at work, she spends all of her free time writing, quilting, or shopping for coffee mugs to add to her vast collection.
Each book written is sure to be an adventure, bringing laughter and love to your heart!
www.GinnySterling.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ginny_sterling
Monday, August 23, 2021
Cover Reveal: Preying on the Church by Kimberley B. Jones
Coming in September is an inspirational Christian fiction novel from Kimberley B. Jones. Today, we're sharing with you the cover of Preying on the Church. You can also enjoy an excerpt to whet your appetite for next month! Be sure to follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Preying On The Church, is an inspiring novel about an African American middle-age woman Margie, who is well-known in her community through her job as a Realtor, serving as a representative on the Rockford Town Council, and giving her portion of life at Rockford Baptist Church.
A tragic accident happens that no one could ever believe. After a church shooting, Margie loses faith as her life is shattered into pieces losing someone close to her that causes her to journey through the five stages of grief.
It takes her to the lowest possible point of survival: isolating herself from friends and family, losing faith, drinking alcohol, almost getting arrested, and losing her job to realize she is on a path of destruction.
Read an excerpt:
The paramedics placed Margie on the stretcher and rushed her outside to the ambulance while the cops placed tape around the church, which is determine a murder scene.
Meanwhile at home, Barry heard the news on television.
Wait, Margie and Jason are at the church. Why did no one call me?
He jumped up, put on his shoes, grabbed his keys, and ran out the door to his work truck.
When he arrived at the church, Barry glanced around the church and noticed red and blue lights blinking from all the police cars. There were crowds of people surrounding the church. He heard the cops telling everyone to move away and go home.
He ran up to the tape and his eyes widened as he realized that something terrible had happened inside.
Barry started screaming, “Where are my wife and son? Where is wife and my
son? Can somebody tell me where they are?”
“Calm down, sir,” said the detective. “I’m Detective Earl. Four of the victims have been rushed to the hospital, but we haven’t identified the bodies inside yet.”
“I can help you identify some of the victims because I attend this church with my family and I practically know everyone!” yelled Barry.
Barry knew that would be the only way to get inside to see if Jason and Margie were all right.
“Okay, just stay right here, sir, for just a minute.”
The detective went over and talked to the chief of police. They looked back and forth toward Barry and glanced at him sideways with narrow eyes.
Kimberley is a professional early childhood educator and entrepreneur. She was born in the small town of Saint George, South Carolina, on September 12, 1982. Graduated from Woodland High School in 2000, Benedict College in 2004 with B.S., Child & Family Development, and from Ashford University in 2013 with a Masters in Early Childhood Education.
After receiving her education and being a military spouse, she held several jobs as a preschool teacher and a preschool director, but she wanted to her education to use by writing children’s books. She wrote her first book in college for her children’s literature course. She has self-published several children books on Amazon.
Currently, she is branching off into writing fiction YA, NA, and A novels on issues in society. She loves writing and would not change it for nothing in this world She is now published by Rhetoric Askew. Kimberley is the author of Our Friendship Matters and Preying on the Church.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberley.jones.3762584/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimberleyBJones
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberleybjones/
Website: https://www.kimberleybjones.com/
Kimberley will be giving away a $10 Amazon/BN gift card via rafflecopter during the tour.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Fully Involved by Lindy Bell
Today we welcome author Lindy Bell to the blog, as she shares an excerpt from her new contemporary romance, Fully Involved. Be sure to also check out the rest of the tour for even more! And best of luck entering the giveaway.
Katie Garrett is madly in love with her dashing firefighter husband, Andy. When he is diagnosed with cancer, their entire world is turned upside down. Andy clumsily tries to protect Katie from the truth by not telling her, but her fear — and his increasing pain and tumultuous emotions — only feed her deep-seated insecurities, as they fight for Andy’s life and for their marriage.
While the fire station and its camaraderie are Andy’s refuge, station officer Lt. Mike Bentley wages a vendetta against Andy, making Andy more determined to avoid revealing weakness of any kind. In spite of Bentley’s despising Andy, the C shift crew rally to support Andy until events take a downward turn.
As she discovers Andy’s cancer was caused by exposure to lethal chemicals while on duty, Katie navigates the treacherous maze of uncertainty and grief to emerge a stronger, more confident woman who represents her husband and the fire service as an advocate for firefighter safety and protection.
Firefighters face a myriad of dangers, but the invisible dangers – his past, her fears -- can pose the greatest threat of all. Will courage, duty, and love be enough to save Andy from these unseen threats? Will he come to recognize the far-reaching impact his life has on others? If the worst should happen, would his greatest legacy be the love of the fire service or the love for his wife? In the end, the unforeseen might have the greatest significance of all.
Read an excerpt:
“Anybody recognize this guy?” Andy asked, pointing to Hedrick who waved with a silly grin. The children laughed and nodded. “Well, Hedrick is going to put on the rest of the equipment we wear when we’re fighting a fire,” Andy said with a nod at Hedrick.
“First, he’s going to put on his hood. This protects the back of our necks and ears.” Hedrick pulled the hood up over his head and made sure it was securely in place before slipping on his mask. “The mask helps protect our faces and our eyes from smoke and ashes. When the tank is connected to the mask through this place here,” Andy continued, pointing to the regulator, “we can breathe fresh air from the air tank on our back.”
Hedrick fastened the hose and clicked the breathing regulator onto its place on the front of the mask. Immediately, the sound of his raspy breathing could be heard. “Finally,” Andy said, “his helmet goes on, and he buckles the strap under his chin. The helmet protects our head from anything heavy that might be falling,” Andy finished as Hedrick pulled on his gloves. As Hedrick stood in front of the group, his breathing loud and scratchy through the regulator, the children's eyes went wide with wonder, or possibly fear.
Andy clapped Hedrick on the shoulder. “Remember the goofy-looking guy with an even goofier smile we saw just a few minutes ago? Let’s think a minute . . .”
Andy looked at the unsure looks on their faces. “Do you remember that guy who put on all this equipment to protect himself when he’s fighting a fire?” A few heads nodded tentatively. “Well, that’s the same goofy guy on the inside of all this gear,” Andy said, resting his arm on Hedrick’s shoulder. Hedrick reached over and playfully thumped Andy on the arm, and the children laughed.
Andy smiled. “Show them what we’re talking about, Hedrick.” Hedrick removed his helmet and then unhooked the hose from the mask to the air tank and finally, pulled the mask and hood off, which lifted his hair into spikes all over his head. Hedrick smiled his goofiest smile and waved. The children broke into cheers and applause as Hedrick bowed with a flourish.
Available on Amazon
(affiliate link)
Lindy’s first book, Jane Austen Celebrates~Holidays & Occasions Regency Style, is a showcase Regency Era holidays and their impact on modern holiday celebration traditions. A member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Lindy has spoken to a variety of groups and taught Continuing and Adult Professional Education courses at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
A graduate of Abilene Christian University, Lindy currently lives in Plano, TX and works from home for a governmental executive recruitment and training firm. As hobbies, Lindy enjoys supporting Plano Fire Rescue by volunteering with the Plano Fire Rescue Association, writing, reading an engaging novel and cross stitching.
Website: lindybellwrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindyBellWrites
Twitter: @LindyBellWrites
Instagram: LindyBellWrites
Lindy Bell will be awarding a $25 Starbucks gift card (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thursday, February 4, 2021
The Hope Series by E.C. Jackson
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Welcome to the tour for The Hope Series by E.C. Jackson! You'll want to follow the rest of the tour to get all of the reviews and excerpts! Plus you can enjoy entering the great giveaway at the end. Read on for more information and thanks for stopping by!
A Gateway to Hope
(Hope Series #1)
By E. C. Jackson
Christian Contemporary Romance
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 297 Pages
May 20, 2015
Twenty-one-year-old Neka is a bit of an introvert, she also happens to be stunningly beautiful.
When she discovers her friend James is about to be dumped, she sees the perfect opportunity to escape from her quiet life. Can she summon the courage to leave it all behind?
James Copley comes from a ruthless family. It’s rubbed off.
Years ago, he disengaged from his brother’s smear campaign, but now his father has offered him an ultimatum, “Get married or lose your seat at the table.”
Plotting to stamp his design on the family business, he proposes to a woman, even though he doesn’t love her.
But his carefully laid plans start to unravel when she leaves him on the day she’s due to meet his family.
Could years of planning his comeback vanish with her departure?
A possible solution comes in an unexpected form: Neka. She’s not only a friend, but the daughter of his benefactor. And she’s right there, offering to support him.
But will her support stretch to marriage?
He attempts to win her over to his plan but collides with her powerful father who wants to leverage the situation for his own gain.
In their fight for survival and love, they are forced to face some uncomfortable truths.
Can they overcome thwarted dreams and missed chances to find true love, or does forcing destiny’s hand only lead to misery?
**My thoughts**
This book reminded me a lot of a soap opera, only without all of the sex and debauchery and a strong tie to the characters' faiths. After all, you have an almost arranged marriage being forced onto James in order for him to maintain his stake in the family company. Neka is already in love with James, but he has only thought of her as a friend thus far. He is the one who has a lot of money and enjoys using it to "shape" his future wife. She is merely 21 years old and seems quite naive and like she has been sheltered from a lot in her life. And then there is all of the interference from their families. I almost flashed back to Dallas in a way. But again, much "cleaner."
I felt a little confused at the beginning because I was having a hard time understanding all of the connections between the characters, but eventually that was sorted out. It did remind me of a TV show in a way, so that would definitely work in that format. It's definitely a different kind of contemporary romance!
I received a requested review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
(Affiliate links included.)
A Living Hope
(Hope Series #2)
By E. C. Jackson
Christian Contemporary Romance
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 287 Pages
July 31, 2016
It was a match made in heaven. Or so everyone thought. Sadie Mae Cummings is all set to marry her childhood sweetheart, Kyle, when she is assigned to tutor Lincoln, the new college football running back. This sophomore phenomenon has all the girls on campus knocking on his door. But Sadie isn't interested in his advances.
Lincoln’s overblown ego doesn't take well to being shunned, and he resolves to make Sadie his own. He pursues her relentlessly, until finally Kyle finds himself shut out of Sadie's life, with their shared future crumbling around him.
After two years, Sadie’s relationship with Lincoln ends, and she is left having to put the pieces of her life back together. She desires nothing more than to recapture her relationship with Kyle. He has stayed true to the dreams they had planned together, living the vision even without Sadie by his side.
When she moves back to her hometown, she labors to rekindle their love. But things have changed, and Kyle has moved on. Sadie quickly discovers how hard it is to rebuild burned bridges.
Follow Sadie’s story as she fights for a chance to restore broken dreams. Will love endure?
This inspirational romance by E. C. Jackson is book two of the Hope series and is a standalone book.
(Affiliate links included.)
The Certain Hope
(Hope Series #3)
By E. C. Jackson
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 318 Pages
December 5th 2018
Love at first sight. It’s every girl’s dream. But Tara Simpkins is finding out it’s not as easy as it seems. Is this truly the man God sent to be her husband, or is she just desperate to escape her loneliness? The recent loss of both parents has left her reeling, and close friends don’t think she’s in any position to make major life decisions. She and her new-found love are convinced they can live happily ever after in the home of their dreams. His family thinks he’s moving way too fast and might disappoint the kind-hearted woman he’s fallen head over heels for. And then there’s Leah. Leah is supposed to be part of his past, but what if she decides she’s his future? Tara’s match made in Heaven may be over before it truly begins.
(Affiliate links included.)
The Confident Hope
(Hope Series #4)
By E. C. Jackson
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 338 Pages
September 28, 2020
Is there hope for this love between friends?
Pamela Hayes is a smart, successful business owner with a supportive family and a thriving bakery. She should be the happiest girl in the world. But she can’t shake the melancholy that accompanies every conversation she has with her best friend, Mark. Pamela doesn’t know how much longer she can hide her true feelings.
Why can’t Mark see how perfect they would be together? She would make a much better girlfriend than the one he currently has. Pamela prays he’ll come to his senses soon and realize he’s with the wrong girl. But when her dream comes true, it isn’t the fantasy she had envisioned.
There is trouble in paradise from the start, and all the red flags she’s been ignoring are starting to threaten her confidence…and her relationship with Mark. She’ll have to rely on family and her faith in God to help her secure the hope she so desperately needs.
(Affiliate links included.)
E. C. Jackson began her writing career with the full-length play Pajama Party. Thirty-one years later, she adapted the play into Pajama Party: The Story, a companion book to the second book in the five-book standalone Hope series.
Jackson’s favorite pastime is reading fiction. She enjoys taking the journey along with the characters in the books. That also led to her unorthodox approach to story writing. Her vision for each book she writes is to immerse readers into the storyline so they become connected with each character.
“The Write Way: A Real Slice of Life” is the slogan on her website and Facebook author page. She feels that if every person reading her books feels connected to the characters, her job is done.
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Review of Secret Angel by Cherry Christensen
Christmas is coming and romance is in the air! Check out an excerpt from Secret Angel by Cherry Christensen as well as my thoughts. Be sure to follow the tour for even more and let the author know your thoughts along the way. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Doctoral student Hannah Wagganer has big dreams of leaving her hometown of Glen Arbor behind to teach at a large university. That is, until Jasper Morgan, the new mail carrier, arrives in town. Not only does he send Hannah’s heart racing, but he creates an instant bond with her cat, Jingles.
While Hannah is busy preparing for the church’s candlelight Christmas Eve service and running the family store, she keeps bumping into Jasper—right in front of the prying eyes of the locals, who suspect there’s more going on than business as usual.
But then, a series of unexpected blessings occurs that changes the town’s focus: first, an anonymous donor pays to have the church furnace repaired, and then other locals suddenly find solutions to their problems. Is it coincidental, or the work of a secret angel?
Read an excerpt:
“The meal was wonderful, and so was the company,” Jasper answered, turning briefly to catch Hannah’s eye.
“Glad to hear,” Sabela said, grinning. “Be right back.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “Now you’ve gone and done it. We’ll be the talk of the town by tomorrow morning.”
“That’s one time I won’t mind being in the spotlight.”
The heat in his voice melted her insides to mush. “You’re crazy.”
“Uh-oh,” Sabela said, approaching their table. “I bet you weren’t supposed to figure that out until he had you completely under his spell.” She handed him the credit card and winked at Hannah. “Thank you and come back soon.”
Hannah laughed and put on her coat. Exiting the restaurant, frigid air smacked her cheeks as the door closed behind them. She pinched her collar tighter, stepping beside Jasper on the way back to the shop.
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in there,” he said, kicking a chunk of ice with the toe of his boot.
“It isn’t the first time.” She listened to the faint sound of a snow blower off in the distance, remembering other occasions when Sabela instigated rumors about Hannah’s love life. She quirked a smile, realizing fantasy was more gossip-worthy than reality, and perhaps Sabela’s meddling would somehow prove beneficial in the future.
“Is that a good smile or an ‘I’m plotting my revenge on him’ smile?”
She hastened her pace as Deer Crossings came into view. “I’ll never tell.”
“Hey, wait,” Jasper called out, his footsteps stomping behind her. “That’s not reassuring at all.”
Buy on Amazon
(affiliate link)
**My thoughts**
It's a sweet short-ish story about a single woman who falls for the new postman in town. He clearly also thinks very highly of her. The two of them quickly bond and get to know each other. But Jasper has a secret past that he isn't willing to tell Hannah about, in spite of their bond and mutual trust. But you can tell it is nothing sinister. I think I would have enjoyed digging even deeper into their personal stories as they embarked upon creating their own story with their close friendship.
The whole story is full of secrets, particularly involving an anonymous benefactor who keeps blessing the small town's inhabitants. I felt like I figured out a lot of the secrets pretty quickly, but that didn't detract from the story. All of that generosity left me feeling warm and fuzzy, especially in our current crazy climate.
I think one of my favorite parts of the story was visiting that area of Michigan again and learning about the Sleeping Bear Dunes again. I grew up just south of the Michigan line and my mom grew up in the Mitten State. One of my favorite memories was a family trip up to the Dunes and all over northern Michigan and the UP. And as always, Go Blue!
Thank you to Goddess Fish and the author for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A confirmed night owl, Cherry wholeheartedly agrees with whoever said, “I could be a morning person, if morning happened around noon.” It’s no surprise then she prefers to write in the evening. She’s a bit of a pantser writer, meaning she dreams up stories without using an outline, so every day is an exciting adventure as she waits to see where the characters lead her next!
A lifelong avid reader, Cherry turned to writing as a creative outlet. Drawing partly from her own experiences, and partly from her wild imagination, she weaves romantic tales with a smidgen of religion and a hint of mystery. Cherry’s first novel, The Fearful Heart, debuted in 2014, and she has never looked back. She continues to grow as an author, learning more about the writing craft with each book.
Social Media:
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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cfyfechristense/_saved/
Cherry Christensen will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Sunday, October 18, 2020
Read an excerpt from The Billionaire's Birthday Blind Date by Jo Grafford
It’s not easy coming up with a birthday surprise for a billionaire best friend — especially a guy she likes a little more than a best friend should…
But that won’t keep Eloise Cantona from trying. After enjoying the Billionaire Birthday Club’s exclusive birthday experience with her brother, Roman, she’s determined to recreate some of that magic for her best friend, Elon. He seriously works too hard managing his family’s golf resort empire. Don’t CEOs deserve a break, too? Unfortunately, Elon is so tight-lipped about his bucket list that she hardly knows where to begin. She ultimately decides to surprise him with a blind date.
Elon Carnegie has been wanting to ask Eloise on a date for a long time, but he is reluctant to risk a lifelong friendship if things don’t work out between them. When she surprises him with her ridiculous birthday gift of a blind date, however, he decides he’s done waiting for the right time and place to reveal his true feelings for her. So what if she thinks she already has the perfect weekend planned for him? He has one goal in mind — to spend every second of his birthday trying to win her heart!
Read an excerpt:
“Our friendship means everything to me.” So much so, that the idea of losing him for good brought her close to tears.
After a pause, Elon folded his arms. His normally empathetic expression was unreadable.\
“Prove it."
“Prove what?” she asked helplessly, half expecting him to break into a laugh and tell her this was all some sort of joke. He’d always been a bit of a prankster. She glanced around them at the crowded cafe. It was a popular lunchtime dive. The tables were jammed with patrons. Not an empty chair was in sight.
“That our friendship still means something to you."
“How?” She reached for her glass of tea to get rid of the sudden dryness in her throat.
“That’s for you to figure out, sugar.” A ghost of a smile tugged at his mouth, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I have a birthday coming up. How about you surprise me?”
Available on Amazon
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Find more of Jo Grafford's books here.
Jo is an Amazon bestselling author of sweet and inspirational romance stories with humor, heart, and happily-ever-afters.
Readers can connect with her in Cuppa Jo Readers on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuppaJoReaders and Bookbub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-grafford. To join her New Release Email List, visit JoGrafford.com.
I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books I feel will be of interest to my readers.
Her Billionaire Best Friend (The Black Tie Billionaires) by Jo Grafford
It’s not easy for an undercover agent to be just friends with the woman he’d much rather be dating.
Titus Rand is sent to Anchorage by a top-secret organization to investigate Genesis & Sons. He goes undercover as the head of his own security firm to serve as a bodyguard — which makes his path cross again and again with Jolene Shore, a lovely nurse on their payroll. Unfortunately, his line of work leaves no time for dating.
His plan to keep his emotional distance from her falls apart when he's asked to guard the newest ward of the Maddox clan, a long-lost brother who requires constant medical attention. Though he knows it’s best to keep his relationship with Nurse Jolene firmly in the friend category, it’s getting harder each day to ignore what his heart wants.
Read an excerpt:
In exactly seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, I’m going to be on a lunch date with the hottest nurse on the planet!
Titus Rand glanced at his watch, hardly believing his luck. After months of dodging a powerful attraction to the tall, athletic-looking ICU nurse supervisor, he’d finally given in to the temptation to ask her to lunch. And she’d said yes!
Getting close to her wasn’t advisable on any level. Every instinct of his was waving a red flag of caution. But for once, he planned to ignore his better judgment. In his line of business, he’d learned that sometimes a person only had a narrow window of opportunity to accomplish a particular goal. Usually, those narrow windows involved bringing dangerous criminals to justice.
Today, that narrow window involved letting his guard down a fraction to allow himself the luxury of a single lunch date. He was pretty sure the attraction was mutual. Or so he hoped. And daydreamed about. And at other times prayed it was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part, because he’d rather take a bullet than hurt Jolene.
Which he inevitably would do if he allowed her to get too close to him — something he was choosing not to think about at the moment.
Available on Amazon
(affiliate link)
Find more of Jo Grafford's books here.
Jo is an Amazon bestselling author of sweet and inspirational romance stories with humor, heart, and happily-ever-afters.
Readers can connect with her in Cuppa Jo Readers on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuppaJoReaders and Bookbub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-grafford. To join her New Release Email List, visit JoGrafford.com.
I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books I feel will be of interest to my readers.
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Review of Ready to Trust by Tina Radcliffe
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Welcome to the book tour for Ready to Trust, the second book in Tina Radcliffe's Hearts of Oklahoma series! It's another one of those inspirational, second chance romances that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Find out more about the book as well as more of my thoughts. And be sure to enter the giveaway at the end!
Ready to Trust
(Hearts of Oklahoma #2)
By Tina Radcliffe
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 224 Pages
July 21, 2020 by Love Inspired
Proving he’s a changed man could be his biggest challenge yet.
Rancher Reece Rainbolt’s shocked to learn he’s inherited half of Claire Ballard’s family farm—and that he’s a father. Now Claire’s determined to break ties with the man who once left her behind. But Reece will buy her half only on one condition: she must stay in town to help with the harvest…and let him get to know his little girl.
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Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Christianbook | Harlequin
**My thoughts**
This story was so familiar to me for some reason. Then again, I have been reading a lot of these inspirational, second chance and rancher romances lately. I'd say that you have the same general formula as a lot of those books, but Tina makes this story her own and you'll love follow Claire and Reece along their journey.
The two of them knew each other a little bit when they were younger, as their family homesteads were next door to each other. But then after devastating losses in their lives, they ran into each other in a different city and things happened. They broke up and lost touch and Claire never told Reece that she had given birth to their daughter. But now that her father has passed away and left each of them one-half of his farm, they have no choice but get to know each other. And that is going to include telling the truth about Zoe's parentage not only to Zoe, but also the rest of the town.
Both of them have deep-seeded issues from all of the pain in their past. The difference between them is that Reece has learned to deal with his pain and has put it to productive use. Claire still has her barriers up, which makes sense in a lot of ways, but is also preventing her from following her true heart's desires.
The two of them have to work it out in their own time and ways. And they have the whole town quietly rooting them on. I was also mentally pushing them to figure it out. They just need to have faith. Reece already has it. Claire is still learning how to trust.
Note that while this book is the second book in the series, it very easily works as a standalone. I need to check out some of the other books now!
Thank you to the author and to Prism Book Tours for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Other Books in the Series
Finding the Road Home
(Hearts of Oklahoma #1)
By Tina Radcliffe
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 224 Pages
February 18, 2020 by Love Inspired
Some paths need courage to follow…
Can they find their fresh startwith roadblocks around every corner?
To care for her orphaned nieces and nephews, Daisy Anderson moved to a small town for a new deputy position—but now her job could be eliminated. With potential budget cuts looming, her only hope is to work with police chief Mitch Rainbolt to save their department’s funds. But can their fight for her job lead to something neither dared wish for: a future together?
(Affiliate links included.)
And coming in December...
(Linked to an Amazon affiliate link.)
About the Author
Tour Schedule
Tour Giveaway
One winner will receive a Lily Queen Canvas Totebag (retail value $21.99), a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of READY TO TRUST (US/CAN only)
Ends August 19, 2020
Ends August 19, 2020
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