Showing posts with label growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label growth. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

The Ties That Bind (A Story of Grace book 1) by Jane Bayly Vaughan

 

 

One side of me longs to rebel against the submission I am called to as a woman and wife. Another side finds fulfilment as Richard’s wife and the mother of his children living under his protection.

Very moving. Interesting story getting to know Grace and her family. It's difficult to really know your spouse before you marry and know how they'll be under changing circumstances. But there's commitment. And your new family takes a place in your heart as well as your own that you came from and the one you make together. Very well written, easy to feel the difficulties, challenges and all of the relationships, things that make us who we are. You can never know all the paths that you will have to walk. Heart-wrenching at times, but full of strength. These people become imprinted on your heart and you want to learn more about their future. It fills you up.

#TheTiesThatBind #JaneBaylyVaughan #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BritishHistoricalLiterature #IndianOrchardPress

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

About the Book

Book: The Ties That Bind

Author: Jane Bayly Vaughan

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: April 14, 2026

In 1830s Cornwall, Grace Bayly faces unimaginable events that threaten the survival of her family. Her father and half of her large family are an ocean away and her mother and remaining siblings are poised to follow. As hardships close in, hopes of a new beginning grow distant. She must summon fortitude borne of love and sacrifice to hold her family together. Amid the unyielding grip of loss and grief, Grace steels herself to persist as she faces the ultimate challenge that threatens to break her.

Will Grace find the strength she needs to ensure her family survives?

A poignant tale of loyalty, resilience, and the enduring bonds that shape a woman’s courage when everything she cherishes is at stake.

Inspired by real people and events.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Jane’s love of God and family permeates her life, including her passion to share stories rooted in genealogy and history. She weaves the theme of family into the fabric of her historical fiction and dives deep, by writing about true events and people.

Using her 20+ years of experience in genealogy research as a family historian, Jane has written articles and short stories. She was awarded a travel grant by the Cornish American Heritage Society and visited Cornwall to walk in the footsteps of her ancestors and research her roots.

Jane has won several awards for her writing, and invites readers to experience timeless lessons of faith, resilience, and heritage that echo from the past into our lives today.

She makes her home in the beautiful lowcountry of South Carolina with her husband of 45+ years. They have two grown children, and lots of cats.

To learn more about Jane, visit her at JaneBaylyVaughan.com and sign up for her newsletter to receive an award-winning short story that will introduce you to the series A Story of Grace.

More from Jane

I have been a long-time family historian for over twenty years. When COVID hit, I was at a crossroads and could choose the next grand adventure. As I took stock, I revisited a question that had nagged me on and off for some time: how do I ensure the family history is not forgotten? Around that time, a friend of mine invited me to observe a writer’s group. I accepted her invitation, and after one meeting, I became a member of Word Weavers International. I knew that writing stories about my ancestors would generate interest among my relatives.

I faced a learning curve and dedicated myself to writing brief scenes as submissions each month. At first, I considered this venture as something fun, not to be taken seriously, but after several months, someone I respect encouraged me, and so I applied myself. As my writing improved and my research continued, I thought of my fourth great-grandmother from Cornwall. A story formed, and I wrote all my submissions to the writer’s group about her in a fictional narrative. After a year or two attending the writer’s group, I was suffering from imposter syndrome and needed encouragement from sources who were not familiar with me. I wrote a short story and entered it into a contest as validation to either continue writing or quit altogether.

I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference in 2024 and sat white-knuckled as they announced the short story winners. They announced third place first, and I didn’t win, so I almost stopped listening because I assumed I hadn’t placed at all. They announced second place, and of course, someone else won. Then the announcer paused and explained that the first-place winning piece was so good they said it was ready for publication. The words, “In first place is ’Becoming Grace’ by Jane Vaughan,” shocked me! That was a God moment, and I realized He was offering me a partnership.

Driven by my love for family history, I found my next grand adventure: partnering with my Creator to create stories that help us remember the resilience and sacrifices of our ancestors and how their lives affect us today. Ultimately, my stories are about how important it is to love each other. The Ties That Bind is the first book in the series A Story of Grace.

Blogs Stops

Books Less Travelled, October 20
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , October 21
Simple Harvest Reads, October 22 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 23
Texas Book-aholic, October 24
Blossoms and Blessings, October 25 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, October 25
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 26
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 27
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 28
Stories By Gina, October 29 (Author Interview)
The Bookish Pilgrim, October 29
Avid Reader Nurse, October 30
Cover Lover Book Review, October 31
Holly’s Book Corner, November 1
Pause for Tales, November 2

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Jane is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/94vrw/the-ties-that-bind-celebration-tour-giveaway


My reviews

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

An Uncharted Dream by Abbey Downey

 

Lenora and Marcus had known each other and had been friends for years. They both belonged to the Explorers Club. An opportunity came up for the group and they decided to go on an exploration trip. Secrets on both sides and things withheld from others make for quite a journey for them all. But in the end their faith showed them that what was bad was used for good and they grew from the experience. Lovely story. 

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.

#AnUnchartedDream #AbbeyDowney #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #WildHeartBooks #GildedAgeHistoricalRomance 

About the Book

Book: An Uncharted Dream

Author: Abbey Downey

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 1, 2025

An explorer in search of answers, a determined protector, and an expedition that could cost them everything…

Leonora Thornton always envisioned following in her father’s footsteps—exploring the world and chasing adventure. But after his tragic death, she can’t get past the debilitating fear…until she meets an explorer who promises to take her on his expedition to the very place where her father died.

Marcus Turner knows a con man when he sees one, and after years of hiding his family’s shameful financial situation, he won’t let anyone he cares about be swindled again. Especially not Leonora, his longtime best friend and the woman he secretly loves. Joining the expedition, Marcus embarks on a mission to protect Leonora from the swindler, no matter the cost.

When betrayal leaves them stranded far from their destination, Leonora and Marcus must determine if they can rely on God—or each other.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Abbey Downey started writing inspirational romance stories during naptime when her kids were babies and found she couldn’t stop. She previously published two books with Love Inspired Historical under the pen name Mollie Campbell. She also works with Spark Flash Fiction producing a quarterly digital magazine that contains love stories under 1000 words.

A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in central Indiana with her husband, two kids, and one rather enthusiastic beagle. She loves watching her kids play sports and fixing up a 1900 farmhouse with her husband.

 

 

More from Abbey

Have you ever doubted God’s faithfulness toward you? That He could take a tough circumstance and make anything good come out of it?

As with all my books, An Uncharted Dream is filled with romance and fascinating real history. I had the best time writing the love story between lifelong friends Marcus and Leonora. And the research into archeology, exploration, and surveying in the early 1900s was so interesting. You can get a peek into that in my author’s note.

However, I also wrote An Uncharted Dream while struggling with the kind of doubts I mentioned above in my own life. I was fighting to understand how God’s loving plan for me could include so much heartache that quite honestly still seems to have no end in sight. I know I’m not alone. Many of us grapple with questions like this every day and it’s so tough.

Leonora also faces these questions. Just when there might be a chance for romance with her best friend and her dream of going on an archeological expedition is within her grasp, she faces an obstacle that makes her doubt God’s goodness in her life. Like us, she has to come to grips with the reality that following Christ doesn’t mean things automatically go smoothly. Even for His faithful followers, God doesn’t always work out a difficult situation with a tidy happy ending. Often, we’re left to learn to lean on Him as we go straight through the worst of that situation, instead.

It’s not easy, I know that just as well as many of you. And while I don’t know why it has to be that way, I can tell you that God’s faithfulness is constant. He doesn’t love us any less when He lets us remain in a struggle. This story is just that—a work of fiction. But I hope you’ll go through this journey with Marcus and Leonora and be encouraged. I hope you’ll see the unwavering truth of God’s Word and His character. And I hope you’ll be uplifted by the moments of joy and success these characters find in their hardship and see those same kinds of blessings in your life.

Happy reading!

Blog Stops

Giveaway


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


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/00adcf54258


My reviews

Sunday, March 7, 2021

A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel

 


1920 Ireland Christian Historical 
Moira travelled to Ireland after her mother died. The school teacher from her Mother's town where she had grown up had passed and they accepted Moira to take over. It's quite a journey in distance from Boston and culturally as well. Interesting and lovely to learn the customs of the area.  There is also a hidden secret that keeps Moira puzzled and in danger. Some of the residents of the village know about Moira's mother, or at least they know what they were told. God brought Moira there for a purpose though, and she grows as a person along the way. So does Sean who has recently returned to the town.  Become immersed in a lovely small town in Ireland, its people and customs. 
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#ADanceinDonegal #NetGalley

My Reviews:
ChristianBook


Saturday, June 27, 2015

The Trouble with Patience by Maggie Brendan



http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Patience-Novel-Virtues-Vices/dp/0800722647/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435430307&sr=8-1&keywords=the+trouble+with+patiencehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22504617-the-trouble-with-patience?ac=1http://www.christianbook.com/the-trouble-with-patience-novel-ebook/maggie-brendan/9781441221209/pd/67865EB?product_redirect=1&Ntt=67865EB&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCPhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trouble-with-patience-the-maggie-brendan/1119744210?ean=9780800722647
http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Trouble-Patience/Maggie-Brendan/Q435165784?id=6163396555110http://www.familychristian.com/catalog/product/view/id/302211/https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-trouble-with-patience-a/9780800722647-item.html?ikwid=the+trouble+with+patience&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780800722647-0http://www.lifeway.com/Product/the-trouble-with-patience-P005725750

A heartwarming Christian Historical Romance! This is definitely a good one to add to your reading list. You'll quickly find all of the characters endearing, and feel right at home with them in 1866 Montana, where Patience has inherited a boardinghouse from her Grandmother. Patience has an early run in with the sheriff. Her struggles with him and her own opinion of herself are endearing. She learns Christian based lessons about herself and helps others to learn and grow, making the town a better place and enriching the lives of others she's touched.. Even her mother is changed throughout the story. You'll also find a murder mystery and other romances entwined. Maggie Brendan is a new author to me - I'll be sure to read any other books she's written! I'm a fan. There's an excerpt from the next book at the end of this one - I'm hooked - can't wait till it comes out.

A previous book written by Maggie is free on Amazon (double check before buying).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher from Revell and  Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.

My reviews: