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Monday, October 30, 2023

Marshaling Her Heart by Mary Connealy

There's another book before this, not necessary to read but you'll be glad you did to get to know this special town in Wyoming. A state where women have some rights and a town where they are quite progressive and supportive of each other. Each person has special skills that contribute to making the town grow and they're great to learn more about. Becky has her own ranch; Nate works for her. The Deadeye gang is still at large and there the story unfolds, twists and winds. Keeps you turning the pages! Excellent story. Love, murder, danger, milestones and growing. Faith filled lessons. Incredible community.

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.

#Marshaling Her Heart #MaryConnealy #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #FiveStarNovel

About the Book

Book: Marshaling Her Heart

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: October 17, 2023

Will their lives and romance survive the trouble coming their way?

Becky Pruitt has always prided herself on knowing everything that’s happening on her successful ranch, so an unexpected admission from her foreman, Nate Paxton, comes as quite a surprise. With the notorious Deadeye Gang on the loose, Nate–a former U.S. Marshal–believes Becky’s ranch is the best spot for a group of Marshals to use as a base to hunt them down.

The timing couldn’t be more crucial for the town of Pine Valley, and Becky feels obligated to help. But after escaping the grasp of her harsh father, she’s never liked giving up control, of her life or her ranch. If there’s anyone she can trust with her ranch, and her heart, it might be Nate. But the outlaws won’t go away quietly, and as danger draws ever nearer, Becky and Nate are faced with impossible choices that will test their growing bond.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Connealy (maryconnealy.com) 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, The Lumber Baron’s Daughters, Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

More from Mary

Becky Pruitt has a problem. Her ranch is being invaded by good guys.

Becky wants the Deadeye Gang caught and thrown in jail as much as anyone, but the lawmen asking her to hire them on at her ranch aim to do their investigating while working undercover as cowhands. She runs a good ranch, however, and doesn’t like the idea of a bunch of low-skilled men making her look like she’s hired them foolishly.

Yet she goes along with it, suspicious and annoyed, because her foreman, Nate Paxton, a man she trusts, convinces her that these men are honorable. Then the three lawmen she hires, all of them U.S. Marshals, urge her to send every single one of her regular cowhands—except Nate, a former Marshal himself—off on a cattle drive.

Now she’s got Marshals cropping up everywhere. Her ranch isn’t being run in a way that suits her. She’s got trouble with her father, and an important speaker is coming to town to talk about women’s suffrage. So much is distracting her when all she really wants to do is make sure her herd is being tended properly.

Before long, Nate starts to question the behavior of the U.S. Marshals Service. They’re secretive to the point that they put him in jeopardy a few times before he decides to quit. Here he’d found a decent job on a top ranch, and he even shared a few special moments with his pretty, feisty boss that gave him ideas of how he’d like to change things around a little just so he could be with her. And then his brother, who’s still a U.S. Marshal, invades the ranch with a few fellow lawmen. Quite a few.

Meanwhile, the Deadeye Gang is more dangerous than ever. The woman coming to Pine Valley to speak is now at risk, which makes Becky frantic to protect her. The cattle aren’t being looked after like they ought to be. And yet Nate finds himself being drawn closer to Becky with each passing day. He’s determined to stand firmly between her and danger, but he’s got to keep up with her to do that. He soon discovers that nothing is easy when it comes to the hard-charging Becky Pruitt.

Wyoming Sunrise is a series I wrote in which I cast women as having nontraditional jobs: Forged in Love has a woman blacksmith, Laws of Attraction a woman justice of the peace, and Marshaling Her Heart a woman rancher. Those are all nontraditional for sure, but not really in my case personally. I must force myself not to make all my heroines feisty lady ranchers. It’s almost a reflex at this point. I fought that reflex as hard as I could, but I decided it would be okay to sneak one lady rancher into this series, and that’s Becky Pruitt. I slipped her into the western vernacular, the tough attitude, the riding skirts and boots and Stetsons—and I loved it.

Marshaling Her Heart is my first true lady rancher, and so I let loose and had fun with Becky. The foreman Nate recognizes intelligence and competence in his boss, and he’s smart enough to take orders from her because he knows those orders are the right way to run the ranch.

Add in the backdrops of the other books in the series, the vicious, stagecoach-robbing Deadeye Gang, the coming of the lady suffragist speaker to town, and you’ve got a story full of trouble, action, adventure, romance, and fun.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 27
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 27
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 28
Bizwings Book Blog, October 28
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 29
Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 29
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 30
Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 30 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
lakesidelivingsite, October 31
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 1
Book Looks by Lisa, November 1
Connie’s History Classroom, November 2
Mary Hake, November 2
Wishful Endings, November 3
An Author’s Take, November 3
Betti Mace, November 4
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 4
For Him and My Family, November 5
Holly’s Book Corner, November 5
Splashes of Joy, November 6
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 6
Pause for Tales, November 7
Life on Chickadee Lane, November 7
Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 8
Cover Lover Book Review, November 8
Labor Not in Vain, November 9
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon Gift Card and a paperback copy of the entire Wyoming Sunrise series!!

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/28976/marshaling-her-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Monday, October 9, 2023

The Resourceful Stockman by Karen Baney

Part of a series but will stand alone, except you'll enjoy them all. Deacon and Grady are as close as brothers. They are solid guys, stand together for what is right. They're both veterinarians and are inspectors for the local stockyard, where they meet Lillian and also find abnormalities in brands on the cattle there. Deacon is OCD, a blessing and a curse. Lots of adventure as you get to know Lillian's family and as they uncover evidence that they have been looking for. Godly people, faith lessons, learning to trust on all sides. A family you have to fall in love with, certainly admire. Feeling secure is not a thing to be underrated.

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.

#TheResourcefulStockman #KarenBaney #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #DesertLifeMediaLLC

About the Book

Book: The Resourceful Stockman

Author: Karen Baney

Genre: Christian Historical Romance, Christian Western

Release Date: January 24, 2023

Gripping western romance and murder mystery set in Prescott, Arizona Territory in 1893.

Deacon Colter was happy in his job as the stockyard vet. But when his best friend asks him to work as a livestock inspector, he must confront his own obsessive-compulsive nature to support his friend. Even though he hopes for a family of his own one day, he believes that no woman will see past his quirks. Will he find a woman who can overlook his behavior to see his true heart?

Grady Thatcher waited six long years for justice for his parents’ murder. When a strange twist of fate puts him in a position to find the killers, he must decide if he will sacrifice his budding romance with one of the Harper sisters to pursue justice. Will he choose love over justice?

Lilian and Justine Harper were two sisters who moved to Prescott to escape the abusive men their father tried to pair them with. When Lilian meets Deacon Colter, she wonders if he could ever love someone with her past. Justine falls hard for Grady Thatcher. Yet she doubts if he truly loves her or if he befriended her only to get information about the men who killed his parents. Will Lilian and Justine find true happiness with the men they love?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Karen Baney is passionate about writing stories full of flawed characters. She enjoys weaving together stories of second chances, redemption, and overcoming personal trials. As a transplant to Arizona in the late 1990s, she loves researching the state’s history and finding ways to seamlessly incorporate real history and real settings into her novels. In addition to writing and speaking, Karen works as a Software Development Manager for a Christian ministry.

Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. Karen and her husband, Jim, make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs, Bella and Daisy. Both Jim and Karen are active at Rock Point Church in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Visit Karen on the web at: www.karenbaney.com

More from Karen

What was the inspiration behind the Colter Sons Series?

The Colters (Will and Hannah) are the central characters from my first series, the Prescott Pioneers. For years, I have wanted to write stories about their children. I love the idea of writing many series about several generations of the same family.

Nothing came of the idea until I brought back a character, Joshua, from the Prescott Pioneers who fancied Hannah before she married Will. Joshua’s unrequited love led me to write a scene where he meets Hannah and Will again after eight years. To hit home the point that Hannah had everything he always wanted, I spontaneously wrote that she had five sons. Only a few sentences sparked the idea for the entire Colter Sons Series. (Joshua’s story is in Joy for Mourning, Book 2 in the Desert Manna Series).

Before I mapped out a series outline or developed the characters, I wrote the introductory chapters in the first person from each of the son’s point of view. Their personalities came to life, and I eventually fine-tuned that writing exercise in Chapter 1 for each of the books in the series.

Where does Deacon Colter fit into the series?

Deacon Colter is the fourth Colter Son, and his book is the fourth in the series. Since he was a very minor character earlier in the series, I refined some of his character traits. (Don’t worry, I write each book in a series to stand on its own, so you won’t miss anything.)

Out of all the Colter Sons, Deacon is the most socially awkward. What made Deacon special for me was that behind his looming, large exterior lies a soft heart and fierce loyalty for those who he cares about. When under stress, his obsessive-compulsive tendencies become harder to control.

Do you normally write a story with over two points of view? Why write the four points of view in The Resourceful Stockman?

Other than my very first series, The Prescott Pioneers, I usually stick with two points of view in my novels: the hero and the heroine.

However, earlier in the Colter Sons Series, I wrote that Deacon Colter became fast friends with Grady Thatcher, the younger brother of the woman who married Deacon’s older brother Sam (The Reluctant Cattleman, Book 1). When it came time to outline the story, I knew Grady’s story had to be told along with Deacon’s. Doing anything else would disappoint fans and leave the story feeling incomplete.

Grady’s quest to solve his parents’ murder provided the perfect catalyst to force the routine-loving, obsessive-compulsive Deacon outside of his comfort zone. Because he is fiercely loyalty, he risked much to help his friend.

Where did the idea for livestock agents come from?

I initially wanted to make Deacon and Grady Arizona Rangers. However, during my research, the timing and even some duties didn’t fit either of these men. I like to stay true to history. Rarely do I take creative liberty because I want readers to learn about Arizona history. Deacon and Grady’s ages put them about a decade before the Arizona Rangers formed.

So, I continued with my research about brand-burning and rustling. When I stumbled on an Arizona Territorial statute to create a Livestock Commission, complete with details on what the duties entailed, I had my answer. The timing and duties fit. Many livestock agents started as veterinarians or ranchers. They had the authority to hunt down the rustlers and deal with disease outbreaks. All this fit with my characters.

And, yes, everything in the novel about their jobs and the livestock commission’s start is true to history, except for the names of real people.

Blog Stops

Alena Mentink, September 28
Lakesidelivingsite, September 28
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 29
Texas Book-aholic, September 30
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 1
The Lit Lady, October 1
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 2
The Book Club Network, October 3
Connie’s History Classroom, October 4
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 5
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 6
Bizwings Book Blog, October 7
Cover Lover Book Review, October 8
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 9
Pause for Tales, October 9
For Him and My Family, October 10
Lily’s Book Reviews, October 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of The Resourceful Stockman!!

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

https://www.celebratelit.com/the-resourceful-stockman-celebration-tour/

My reviews

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

1940 Denmark. Exquisite. So hard to put down. Never doubt, Sarah Sundin can write. You know you're engrossed when you start praying for the characters. Who lived 83 years ago.

Amazing story of Else, a physicist, and Hemming, who is disguised as a shipworker. They both end up doing resistance work and it's all so beautifully entwined and interesting. And dangerous. And meltingly romantic. Gosh I hate to leave them, wish to hear more as their lives go on. The rescue of the Danish Jews is one of the most astonishing and inspiring stories to come out of World War II. The Danes outspokenly refused to allow the oppression of other human beings— and acted on that principle. Neither Else nor Hemming are Jews, but they both sacrifice to save all whom they can. Their resistance must be kept secret for their safety and that of friends and family. Definitely a must read. And leave extra time. Always beautiful covers too.

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

#NetGalley #TheSoundOfLight #SarahSundin #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

My reviews

BarnesAndNoble

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Slashed Canvas by Liz Tolsma

I found this story gripping right from the start. A Princess who had escaped from Russia when her husband was killed in front of her ran to Paris, where her husband had previously set things up for them to flee to. She gave birth to twin girls right after she got to Paris. She was pretty much still in shock 6 years later. She always been taken care of, had not been brought up to do anything, including take care of her girls. It wasn't done in Nobility. To feel more secure, she spent her days at the Louvre where a painting from her country hung, just looking at it. It was the only peace that she had in her life. Even though they lived in the same building, Georges got to know her there when he took over the job as janitor at the Louvre. He was a wounded war Vet on crutches, this a better job than he was able to find before. When her children are kidnapped, they become closer as they look for clues. Through it all she is brought to reality and begins to learn and change. She also brought him strength. Great story straight through.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#LisTolsma #SlashedCanvas #ChristianHistoricalFiction

My Reviews