Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Into The Sunset by Mary Connealy

 

Can you believe a woman could be declared insane by her husband back in 1873? So you can understand the depth of this story when Ginny, who escaped from and insane asylum and went into hiding needs to be declared sane now so that she can live her life and keep her husband from putting her back there. She has a bigger family and friends that accompany her - into danger. Suspense heightens the story, as well as love and companionship, and the support of others who encourage each other to be all that they can be and live their best life and grow in God's grace. Multiple characters are struggling with their own issues, but they help each other through it. Excellent read, masterfully woven.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#IntoTheSunset #MaryConnealy #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction #BethanyHousePublishers




About the Book

Book: Into the Sunset (A Western Light Book Three)

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: October 15, 2024

Will the sun set on their chance at happiness before they can seize it?

To finally escape the clutches of her controlling husband and the threat of being recommitted to an asylum, Ginny Rutledge enlists the help of her friends, Maeve O’Toole and Dakota Harlan. Fleeing their own tumultuous pasts, the group embarks on a journey to prove Ginny’s sanity. However, as they confront the shadows they wish they could forget, danger looms from unexpected places.

Maeve grapples with her mother’s impending remarriage and seizes a rare chance to escape her homestead–but that means reuniting with Dakota, the man she holds responsible for her father’s death, who is caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful family. As the two of them navigate their shared history and a dangerous mission, Dakota is forced to confront his deepest fears and fight for the woman who has unwittingly captured his heart.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books and is the author of the popular series Wyoming Sunrise and The Lumber Baron’s Daughters and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. 

More from Mary

Into the Sunset is the third book in A Western Light series, and I always love the wrap up of a series. In this book I’ve got a deliciously evil villain, and I’ve worked that villain in and out of the characters lives at the end of each of the first two books, but he keeps coming back. This time, he really gets what’s coming to him. Anyway, it’s not a shocking thing to say: the bad guy loses. I’ll bet most readers of my work knew that was coming. It’s the HOW that makes it fun.

My heroine is one I really enjoyed: Maeve O’Toole—a red-headed, sassy Irish lass with a mild brogue. And my hero, Dakota Harlan, has interested her from the first moment she laid eyes on him. Except that moment was several years ago, and she blamed him for her father’s death on the wagon train Dakota was leading. Then life separated them as he went on to Oregon and her family turned aside to homestead in Idaho. Now Dakota is back in Maeve’s life again. She’s had a chance to see that her anger with Dakota was unfair and has discovered that Dakota has always admired her. He’d probably scoop her up and marry her, if it wasn’t for the men trying to kill him. He doesn’t have much room for a wife in the life he’s living now.

In this story, I bring back all the characters from the earlier two books. The villain who’s been harassing them all along reappears, and the men hunting Dakota show up, too. Ginny must go to court to break the hold her evil husband has over her, declaring her insane and locking her away. She’s been hiding ever since. But now she’s ready to face him in court, but a conniving, wealthy man like her husband never plays fair.

Into the Sunset is packed with love and action, adventure and danger. All play out against the hectic railroad town of Cheyenne, Wyoming a few years after Wyoming becomes the first state to give women the right to vote. And there are some tough, smart women ready to stand between Ginny and a cruel husband. And plenty of tough smart cowboys, too. I hope you love this story!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 9
Book Looks by Lisa, November 10
Devoted To Hope, November 10
lakesidelivingsite, November 11
Texas Book-aholic, November 12
For Him and My Family, November 12
Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 14
Jeanette’s Thought , November 14
Betti Mace, November 15
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 16
Holly’s Book Corner, November 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 17
Stories By Gina, November 18 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, November 18
She Lives To Read, November 19
Cover Lover Book Review, November 20
Labor Not in Vain, November 20
Books You Can Feel Good About, November 21
Connie’s History Classroom, November 22
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Amazon gift card and a full paperback set of the A Western Light series by Mary Connealy: Chasing the Horizon, Toward the Dawn, and Into the Sunset!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5491


My reviews

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Shoot at the Sunset (Chaparral Hearts Book 5) by Kathleen Denly

 

"Why couldn’t he be the cold-hearted, arrogant loner his profession suggested? It would’ve made keeping the walls around her heart so much easier."

Continuing the series at the desert ranch with Lucy and Preston. Realistic characters who have had tragedy, abuse, fear and abandonment in their lives. They learn that God is the answer and brings miracles and growth, and that none of them can do it all alone. Interesting lives and backgrounds including a wild west show and danger at the family ranch where they're used to attacks. Entertaining read. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ShootAtTheSunset #KathleenDenly #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction 

About the Book

Book: Shoot at the Sunset

Author: Kathleen Denly

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 9, 2024

Will love survive when truth takes aim at their secrets?

Sharpshooter Preston Baker has spent a lifetime confronting danger head-on. So when a heartfelt letter arrives from his big sister asking for help, he doesn’t hesitate to put his traveling show career on hold and journey to her remote desert ranch, determined to make amends for past failures. What he doesn’t expect is to discover his long-lost little sister and her best friend, Lucy, are both hard at work on the ranch.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Lucy Arlidge’s decision to travel to a remote desert ranch was born as much from desperation as friendship. Fleeing San Francisco may have saved Lucy’s life, but the decision left others in danger. To thwart the evil plans of those who pursue her and her family, Lucy must keep her new gem-mining operation concealed and her secrets safe.

Preston is drawn to the mysterious woman, despite her plans to marry the neighboring rancher. Lucy’s quiet strength and undeniable beauty beckon him like a campfire in the wilderness, offering light amidst the dark memories and deepest fears resurrected by the presence of his sisters. But as danger closes in, Preston and Lucy must confront their pasts to save not only their own futures, but the lives of everyone they love. 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author



Kathleen Denly lives in sunny California with her loving husband, four young children, two dogs, and ten cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

 

 

 

More from Kathleen

One of the primary themes of Shoot at the Sunset is secrets and the fears that sometimes drive us to keep them. Did I mention there’s even a secret signal used in the book? So today I thought it would be fun to play with a secret code. Using the key provided below, see if you can reveal the hidden message.









Blog Stops

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/2b594/shoot-at-the-sunset-celebration-tour-giveaway



My reviews

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust by Misty M. Beller

 



The story continues for the series in Montana, with Naiomi catching up with Eric, the father of her child. Since she had spoken with Jonah about marriage it was more than a bit awkward. But there's a mystery or two to unfold, hidden truths that need to come out and be resolved. Wonderful, believable characters and a story that keeps you involved until the end. Looking forward to the next one! 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#EarningTheMountainMansTrust #MistyBeller #CelebrateLit #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #MistyMBellerBooksInc 



About the Book

Book: Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 9, 2024

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Naomi Wyatt has finally given up on the man who once promised to love her for the rest of his life—then disappeared with no way to contact him. She’s now a single mother with a beautiful baby girl to provide for, a daughter whose red hair reminds her daily of the man she gave her heart to. She has to move on though, so when Jonah Coulter asks for her hand in marriage, she knows she would be hard-pressed to find a better husband for herself and father for her sweet daughter. He’s a Coulter, after all, and he’s proven to be a good friend during her darkest hours.

But when her first love rides onto the ranch property saying he’d been searching for her for months, her heart is shredded once again. Before she has time to catch her breath though, a new threat appears on the horizon. This time she has far more at stake than her heart, and only a Divine hand can turn this disaster for their good.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain family saga filled with a second chance romance, love triangles, hidden treasure, and love that heals wounded hearts.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

A HEROINE DISGUISED AS A MAN

I love a heroine in disguise! It’s one of my favorite tropes, but I don’t often get to write stories with that plot. It adds so many fun and funny moments to the storyline. J

In Rocky Mountain Journey our heroine goes undercover as a “man” to travel with a group of trappers so she can reach her destination safely. Numbers meant a better chance of survival back in those days. I love that Grant, our hero, was the only man in the trapper group who looked close enough at the young “man” riding with them to realize things weren’t what they seemed at first glance.

One challenge that definitely arises in a story where the heroine is pretending to be a man is the development of the romance between her and the hero. In this case, Faith was pretending to be her (fictitious) brother Frank. Grant had met Faith in an earlier chapter before she took on the disguise, and he immediately noticed the resemblance between “Frank” and the woman whose memory still lingered with him, even days later. Every time he looks at “Frank” while they’re traveling with the trappers, he recalls the memory of Faith by the waterfall…and the attraction to that woman grows a little more every time. What a shocking surprise when he discovered she’s riding just ahead of him on the trail the entire time!

I pray you love Faith’s stint “in disguise” in Rocky Mountain Journey! J

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , April 23
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 23
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24
Pause for Tales, April 24
Madi’s Musings, April 25
Alena Mentink, April 25
Devoted To Hope, April 26
Texas Book-aholic, April 26
Lighthouse Academy Blog, April 27 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 27
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 28
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 28
Where Crisis & Christ Collide, April 29
Wishful Endings, April 29
Life on Chickadee Lane, April 30
lakesidelivingsite, April 30
Cover Lover Book Review, April 30
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 1 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, May 1
Books You Can Feel Good About, May 2
For Him and My Family, May 2
Book Looks by Lisa, May 3
Melissa’s Bookshelf, May 3
Betti Mace, May 4
Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 4
The Lofty Pages, May 5
Holly’s Book Corner, May 5
An Author’s Take, May 6
Blossoms and Blessings, May 6

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/2b143/earning-the-mountain-man-s-trust-celebration-tour-giveaway





My reviews


Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Ruthie by Sharon Srock

 



I fell into this story quickly. The characters are so real I thought I should look for their Facebook profiles and friend them. Nice to read about an older couple, who had been separated by the Vietnam war - putting them more in my own time frame. Interesting family twists and a wonderful close-knit group who love and support each other through everything. Some serious life challenges, great faith filled moments. 

I received this book free from the author and publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#Ruthie #SharonSrock #ChristianFiction #womensfiction #inspirationalfiction #contemporaryfiction #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BreastCancerAwareness

My reviews

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Streams of Courage by Sandra Merville Hart

 

Deeply realistic story of life when the Civil War started, in a town along the Mississippi. Once a Union leaning city, they joined the Confederacy, leaving loyalties tied. Social struggles, then war and loss made conflict between friends. So well told, you're there. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#StreamsOfCourage #SandraMervilleHart #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #WildHeartBooks #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel 



About the Book

Book: Streams of Courage

Author: Sandra Merville Hart

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 26, 2024

In a world turned upside down by war and betrayal…will his role as a spy bring them closer…or tear their future apart?

The war that Julia Dodd prayed to avoid is now reality, and with it, her world has been turned on its head. Her fellow citizens, who stood with her in their support of the union, have crossed firmly to the side of the south. And her mother, lost in her grief over the loss of her husband and children, can think of nothing but protecting Julia’s brother’s inheritance. She insists that her daughter seek a wealthier husband than Ashburn Mitchell.

Ash knows what his fellow citizens think of him when he refuses to fight for the Confederacy. Shouldering the accusation of being a coward and refusing to hide behind his limp, Ash remains in Vicksburg to support his family as a saddler while his two best friends join the fight. Struggling to increase his business so he can marry the woman he loves, Ash becomes a spy in support of the Union. He can’t fight for the South but won’t raise a musket against them.

As tragedy instigates Ash to risk greater danger to speed the end of the war, Julia can only pray it won’t cost them everything. She’s already lost her father and two siblings. Must she lose the man she loves too?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author



Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known yet fascinating facts from American history to include in her stories. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. She is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.

 

 

 

 

More from Sandra

In Streams of Courage, Book 4 in my Spies of the Civil War Series, Julia, our heroine, has suffered several significant losses in her life, including her father and two siblings. Her mother’s insistence that Julia stop courting Ash, a saddler, and find instead a rich suitor makes no sense. Surely her father had provided for her.

Then she discovers that her parents have only provided for her younger brother, whom her mother had always adored. Julia will be penniless when her mother dies. The knowledge crushes her.

Ash is already supporting his mother and siblings. As Mama points out, adding a wife and children will stretch his income to the limits. Mama will not give her blessing should Ash propose. Julia, who had been raised in comfort, must find some means of support.

As I considered how Julia could make money in a war-time economy, it was clear her mother, as the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, would never condone her working in a shop. What can she do?

Tatting lace.

Her lace patterns have received compliments in the past. With fewer ships bringing goods into the city, lace is in short supply. Granted, the demand for lace has diminished because even dress fabric isn’t as available as before the war.

I enjoyed researching this skill that was once so prevalent among young ladies in society. I watched videos on making lace with a special needle called a tatting needle.

The most basic stitch is the double-stitch. There is a special way to hold the needle and thread so that the first stitch grabs thread from under the thumb and the second stitch grabs it from over the thumb. There is a rhythm to the stitching in the hands of a skilled lacemaker.

I watched videos that demonstrated making rings with picot trim. There is a variety of stitching. The variations create beautiful patterns. The lace is then rolled for storage.

Fascinating. It’s mesmerizing to watch the different patterns emerge.

Tatting is a small yet interesting aspect in the adventurous story. Ash has become a Union spy. For her and her family’s safety, he keeps his dangerous activities a secret from Julia.

Part of my research for this novel and the next two novels included a trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi. I toured the museums and walked the streets of the historic city. Though I wasn’t certain of my story at the time of my visit, I was inspired by the history.

Avenue of Betrayal, Book 1, is set in the Union capital of Washington City (Washington DC) in 1861, where a surprising number of Confederate sympathizers and spies lived. Boulevard of Confusion and Byway to Danger are set in Richmond, the Confederate capital in 1862. Actual historical spies touch the lives of our fictional family.

Through both real and fictional characters, this series highlights activities spies were involved in and some of the motives behind their decisions.

I invite you to read the whole “Spies of the Civil War” series!

Blog Stops

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Sandra is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/2afa6/streams-of-courage-celebration-tour-giveaway




My reviews