25 Book Reviews

Sunday, December 17, 2017

A New Author Appears on the Christian Fiction Scene!! Make sure that you enter the giveaway!

      
                    "Hope Travels Through"
                      By Loni Kemper Moore

About the Book:

Genre: Contemporary Lit
TeJae Smythe gave up on God and her hometown of Evansville, Indiana, ten years ago, but a deep personal loss requires her to return to both. Her life as a stewardess is going to be perfect. She has a plan. If only life would stick to it.
In Hope Travels Through, TeJae finds the biggest challenge comes from the conflict within herself. Will she hold it all together? Or will she fall apart and embrace the beauty in the midst of disaster?
Based on actual events of December 13, 1977, a date most people don’t remember, but one many living in the Ohio River Valley will never forget, the crash of the University of Evansville men’s basketball team plane.

Click here to purchase your copy.
My Thoughts:

As this book was written by a brand new author, I had no idea what to expect! Would it be great? Would it be boring? It would be a complete surprise. 

To this particular reader, the most important message that the author is giving me is to appreciate and cherish my family and friends, at all times. You just never know what the future holds! Will there be a tomorrow to make peace and ask for forgiveness? Will you be able to heal those hurts that you wish you hadn't been the cause of? 

The plot deals with a very real event in Sports history,  which took place in Indiana in the 1970's. Those who are interested in basketball will definitely have memories of this era. 

I must admit that I had some difficulty identifying with the main characters at the beginning of the book. Eventually, with some concentration, I was able to live parts of the story alongside them. However, as I am not a sports fan, this was an unknown time to me. It would definitely mean more to a person who could recall this past time in the country's history. There were some characters that I had a particular dislike to , while others appealed to me. 

The plot was well developed , although at times , moved rather slowly. There were unexpected events from time to time that managed to hold my interest. I just found them somewhat difficult to follow. 

The Christian message of hope, caring and forgiving  , come through loud and clear. We must value each moment we share with loved ones and not let spiteful , unimportant feelings get in the way. You just never know when a tragic event could  take them away. 

All in all, this book was a good debut novel. I am looking forward to more creations by this author. 

This book was received as a gift. The opinions and thoughts expressed are honest and my own.



About the Author:

Loni Kemper Moore is a Denver-Broncos cheering, Diet-Pepsi sipping, Rocky Mountain adventure-seeking kind of girl. She’s passionate for God and wants to share His beautiful love through life’s ugliness with remarkable women around the globe. Her writing came alive seven years ago after she broker her ankle. The crazy time of being laid up forced her to flip through decades of diaries which inspired the story that became Hope Travels Through. 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.


Guest Post from Loni Moore

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.
  1. She was short—I am 5 feet tall, if I stretch;
  2. Her husband was over 6 feet tall—mine is 6’3 1/2”;
  3. She started writing her novel, after an ankle injury– I started writing after I a similar injury;
  4. She used a typewriter—I use a computer;
  5. 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…”;
  6. 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!

Blog Stops

Karen Sue Hadley, December 16
Jami’s Words, December 17
Quiet Quilter, December 18
Texas Book-aholic, December 19
Radiant Light, December 20
Carpe DiemDecember 21
A Reader’s BrainDecember 22
A Greater YesDecember 23
Blogging With Carol, December 23
SusanLovesBooks, December 25
Remembrancy, December 26
Mary Hake, December 26
Janices book review, December 27
The Power of Words, December 28
Just Jo’Anne, December 29

Giveaway

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

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

A Fantastic Christmas Read!! NOT Your Typical Christmas Story!! Heart Wrenching and Realistic! Enter the Author's Giveaway!

 

"Christmas Embers"
By Chautona Havig


Genre: Contemporary Christmas
Release Date: November 25, 2016
It’s a truth universally unacknowledged that sin will hunt you down and advertise its presence the moment you try to hide it.
Emily Byrne sits in her daughter’s classroom listening to the deepest wishes of twenty kindergarteners as she sketches them. But when little Joey Cordell breaks down, weeping and insisting the only thing he wants to find is his father, she isn’t sure where her Christmas project will take her.
Davia Cordell came to Rockland for one purpose–find her son’s father before she dies. An ex-prostitute, she’s well aware that the news will cause waves, but what’s a mother to do?
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.

My Thoughts:

If you are looking for a light hearted story that ends happily ever after, this is NOT the book for you!! However, if you are like me, and love a book that has a complex plot with characters that leave a deep imprint on your soul, then it is definitely the perfect novel!! 

I have enjoyed all of this author's books, but this one touches on a heart wrenching topic that is dealt with in such a realistic manner that you are drawn immediately into the characters' lives. I cried as I pondered the problems that just seemed to be getting worse and worse as the plot progressed. My heart hurt as I felt the horrible feelings  that lies and deceit had caused. As Christians, we are all vulnerable to the sins of the flesh. No one is exempt from giving into temptation when the conditions are right in our path.  We don't always plan it, but fall into Satan's traps. The subject makes one cringe but any one of us can stumble and fall. Hiding the weakness, certainly doesn't help the problems. The characters make all of us think of self examination, causing us to take a look at ourselves, maybe our failings are not as deep as this one, however, we all need to confess at times of doubt .

The overall message comes through loud and clear!! Temptations are right in our paths every single day, however we need to make an effort to stay clear of any situations that we know are not in God's plan. God is ALWAYS ready to forgive but we MUST acknowledge our guilt and yes, take the punishment owing. God doesn't refuse us , but He certainly wants us to live a Godly life. 

It is rare that I have read a novel with this depth in both characters and plot. I may have finished reading the book but the emotions and deep thoughts are living on in my soul. This book is a true five star!! Couldn't be any better!! WOW!!!


This book was received as a gift. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.
Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

media-headshotAuthor of the Amazon bestselling Aggie and Past Forward Series, Chautona Havig lives and writes in California’s Mojave Desert. With dozens of books to her name, Chautona spends most of her time writing, but when she takes the rare break, she can be found reading, sewing, paper crafting, or sleeping and dreaming of finishing the dozens of books swirling in her overly-active imagination at any given moment.

Guest Post from Chautona Havig

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.

Blog Stops

Carpe Diem, December 5
Mary Hake, December 5
Daysong ReflectionsDecember 6
Fiction Aficionado, December 7
Genesis 5020, December 7
Blogging With Carol, December 8
The Power of Words, December 8
BigreadersiteDecember 8
A Greater YesDecember 9
Radiant LightDecember 9
Just Jo’Anne, December 10
For The Love of Books, December 10
Aryn the Libraryan, December 11
Quiet Quilter, December 13
AllofakindmomDecember 14
Texas Book-aholic, December 14
Pursuing StacieDecember 14
Pause for Tales, December 15
margaret kazmierczak, December 15
Red Headed Book LadyDecember 16
Purposeful Learning, December 16
Janices book reviews, December 17
Christian Bookaholic, December 17
Karen Sue Hadley, December 18
Remembrancy, December 18

Giveaway



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

Thursday, December 7, 2017

A Great Read, a Contemporary Romance With a hint of the Amish Genre ! Make sure that you enter the author's fantastic giveaway!!



About the Book

RunawayRomanceFrontFinal
Name of book: Runaway Romance
Author: Miralee Ferrell
Genre: Contemporary romance with Amish thread
Release Date: October, 2017
When a reality TV star meets the reality of life, will it be her downfall or her salvation?
Ann Stanway had it all—a starring role in a reality show, an adoring boyfriend, and a sparkling future with limitless possibilities. Until the rules changed and the life she’d thought was real no longer existed. Leaving L.A. seems like her only option, and she lands in Kentucky at a quiet Amish inn—as far removed from her past as possible. Now she knows what was missing in her life–peace, true friendship and, dare she hope, a man who accepts her for who she is–or at least who he thinks she is.
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?
Click here to purchase your copy!

My Thoughts:

Who doesn't love a sweet romance???  Well, I must admit that when I first read the title and looked at the cover, I thought, "Here we go again! Girl meets boy, falls in love, meets challenges along the way... then live happily ever after! HOWEVER......Miralee Ferrell approaches this novel in a unique fashion grabbing my attention by the end of the first chapter and holding me captive until the last page.

The plot was one that was VERY different from the norm. Who hasn't heard of Reality Shows? In this day and age, we meet them every time we turn on the TV. The reader encounters a Hollywood style existence with the typical problems with the nosy , irritating media, the lifestyle of the rich and somewhat famous, as well as the simple, quiet style of the Amish community. Two extremely different worlds, but Ann, the main character, attempts to deal with both!! NOT willingly though! The many twists and turns throughout the book are unexpected and constantly throw the reader for a loop. The Amish , as well as the movie star type characters both had many lessons to learn, the most important being that honesty truly is the best policy. God guides us through the rough patches of life but only if we accept His forgiveness as well as display the same quality to others. 

The characters are so vividly and realistically described that I easily identified with them and walked along side them on their very rocky road of life. At times, they irritated me, made me want to shake them up and at others, I wanted to give them a big hug and reassure them that through God's love and acceptance, all problems can be solved. To me, that is a requirement for a book to be a good one! Miralee has the ability to draw me into the story and live with the characters for a short while.

This is a five star book! Walk in someone else's shoes for a short while!! I am now eagerly awaiting this author's next new book!

This book was received as a gift. The opinions and thoughts expressed are honest and my own.

About the Author
miraleeI love life, love my family, love writing Christian fiction–reading, riding my horse and puttering in my garden are all ways I relax. I often have my little 7 lb Chihuahua, Lacey, on my lap when I’m working–there’s nothing like a warm ball of love on your lap to act as a stress reliever!
First and foremost I’m a child of God and daughter of the King. I’ve been involved in women’s ministries for years, I’m married to a wonderful man, have two grown children, two cats, two dogs, 10 chickens and ride my son-in-law’s Arabian mare since my old mare passed in 2013. We live about 9 miles from the nearest town on 11 acres, in a peaceful setting surrounded by trees.
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 andmy books at http://miraleeferrell.com/

Guest Post from Miralee Ferrell

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, CaliforniaFinding 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.

Blog Stops

Blogging With Carol, November 28
Janices book review, November 29
Books n baubles, November 30
Inklings and notionsDecember 1
Texas Book-aholic, December 2
BigreadersiteDecember 4
The Power of Words, December 4
Reading Is My SuperPower, December 5 (Interview)
Baker Kella, December 6
Splashes of JoyDecember 7
Karen Sue Hadley, December 7
Quiet Quilter, December 8
Red Headed Book LadyDecember 9
Cafinated Reads, December 10
Remembrancy, December 11
Carpe Diem, December 11

Giveaway


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

Another Fantastic Read by One of My Favorite Authors, Vannetta Chapman!

An Amish Proposal for Christmas  By Vannetta Chapman Synopsis: Her deepest Christmas wish will bring more than she imagined…in this novel by...