Showing posts with label strength. Show all posts

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Return To The Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

Muireall is a talented seamstress, living at a fort in Kentucky. She is driven to find her sister, and happens across Jude, who is travelling to where she needs to go in the wilderness. They marry for convenience, each searching for answers, each holding something back about themselves. They face dangers on their journey, and they both fall back on their faith to see them through. Very hard to put down, very easy to become attached to them both. Excellent quick 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.

#ReturnToTheWilderness #AndreaByrd #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: Return to the Wilderness

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: October 22, 2024

Two outcasts. One marriage of convenience. A love story forged in the fires of adversity.

Muireall Blair has finally found a comfortable life at Fort Harrod—until she experiences a recurring nightmare that warns of impending doom for her sister. Unable to shake the weight of foreboding, Muireall cannot sit idle anymore and risk the dream becoming a reality. With her near-sightedness a closely guarded secret, she seeks the help of Jude, a man with his own hidden past, to reach her sister.

Jude Browne has been gifted with a life of fighting for survival, not one of finding acceptance. Half-blinded as a youth, the scars across his face and the knowledge of his illegitimate birth serve as a reminder of his worthlessness. However, when his mother falls ill, she finally lays bare all the secrets she has kept all his life. Secrets that point to his one chance of finding who he truly is.

Jude and Muireall soon realize that a marriage of convenience is the key to reaching Pitman Station safely. But when their secrets unravel and danger closes in, will they succumb to the shadows of their pasts, or will they find the strength to forge a new future together?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a Christian wife and mom located in rural Kentucky, who loves to spend time with her family in the great outdoors, one with nature. Often described as having been born outside her time, she has a deep affinity for an old-fashioned, natural lifestyle.

With a degree in Equine Health & Rehabilitation gathering dust and a full-time job tethering her to a desk eight hours a day, Andrea decided it was time to show both herself and her children that it is truly possible to make your dreams come true. Now with over 1,000 contemporary Christian romance novellas sold, Andrea is pursuing her passion of writing faith-filled romance woven with a thread of true history.

More from Andrea

I love to read books that have historical facts, especially little-known ones, woven into their pages. Within my books, I strive to do the same and Return to the Wilderness is no exception.

This book comes in after the unrest of what some call the “Indian Wars,” in Kentucky. During that time, attacks by the native were frequent and brutal. Many of the Station Masters and long hunters in the area lost family members. If you read, Rescue in the Wilderness, you have seen a glimpse of this time and how devastating it could be.

Due to these attacks, stations and settlements were often abandoned. Sometimes the families returned after this time period came to an end and sometimes the buildings were simply left to deteriorate and become shells of a past time. I do not want to give any spoilers, but if you decide to read Return to the Wilderness, you will find out just how this little piece of history impacts the main character, Muireall (the sister from Redemption in the Wilderness).

Blog Stops

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 22
lakesidelivingsite, October 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 23
Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 24 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Texas Book-aholic, October 25
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 26
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 27
Book Looks by Lisa, October 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 29
For Him and My Family, October 30
An Author’s Take, October 31
Cover Lover Book Review, November 1
Holly’s Book Corner, November 2
Pause for Tales, November 3
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 4 (Author Interview)
Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Andrea is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon 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/00adcf5474/

My reviews

Friday, March 8, 2024

Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

Right from the beginning both Keturah and Daniel are alone and had been in families that had abusive people. They both need to be loved. They are opposites in many ways but each works hard to achieve their goals. There is a lot they have to learn to get to the lives they need, but they stick with it. Nice read, seems to go fast.

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.

#ReverenceInTheWilderness #AndreaByrd #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

About the Book

Book: Reverence in the Wilderness

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 5, 2024

She’s desperate to save the homestead she’s poured her life into…but is a marriage of convenience with him the answer?

Alone in the Kentucky wilderness, Keturah Elliot finds herself bereft of family and facing the looming threat of losing all she has left. After toiling alongside her demeaning father for two years, she cannot bear losing the homestead they built with their own hands. Keturah has no choice but to trust the Lord’s urging—she must marry to protect all she holds dear. But when a candidate presents himself in the form of a wealthy dandy from back East, can she find enough redeeming qualities to accept him?

Haunted by his mother’s death and a lifetime of failure and isolation, Daniel Scott sees little hope of a better situation when he’s sent to a remote Kentucky station. But when he meets a captivating Scottish woman in need of a husband such as he, he’s determined to break the cycle and prove himself once and for all.

Brought together by circumstances beyond their control, can these two opposites overcome their challenges to build the future they both crave?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

More from Andrea

In many ways, Reverence in the Wilderness is deeply personal for me.

To read about Daniel Scott is to receive a glimpse at my own husband. Dark hair and a golden-brown gaze…and my complete opposite in nearly every way. He is also talkative, entertaining, and gentlemanly. He definitely shares Daniel’s fun-loving and caring nature. Just as God blessed Keturah with Daniel, God blessed me with a man who perfectly complements me while keeping life interesting.

And, not to provide spoilers, but the miscarriage was drawn from one of my own experiences. During my most recent pregnancy, I experienced a threatened miscarriage. I just knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had lost my baby, and in that moment, I glimpsed the hopelessness one would face during a miscarriage. Thanks to the prayers of others and the good Lord above, I was blessed with a healthy pregnancy from then on out and now have a beautiful, healthy baby boy. However, there are so many women who must face that grief and loss in full force. And for always, my heart will break for them. As soon as I returned home from the hospital that night, I knew I had to represent their plight within these pages.

This book is dedicated to every woman who has ever experienced a miscarriage or threatened miscarriage.

Blog Stops

Madi’s Musings, March 5
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 6
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 6
Texas Book-aholic, March 7
Books You Can Feel Good About, March 8
She Lives to Read, March 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 10
For Him and My Family, March 10
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 11
Lighthouse Academy Blog, March 12 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Betti Mace, March 13
lakesidelivingsite, March 13
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 14
Cover Lover Book Review, March 15
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 15
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 16 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, March 16
Holly’s Book Corner, March 17
The Lofty Pages, March 17
Pause for Tales, March 18
Life on Chickadee Lane, March 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Andrea 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/2a550/reverence-in-the-wilderness-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Thursday, February 8, 2024

The Paris Spy's Girl by Amanda Lees

Wow. Talk about intense. Christine is tough from what she went through growing up, but she's also very beautiful, smart, shrewd, intuitive. And closed off. Using her beauty as a weapon, she made one of the best spies in Paris against the Germans. Her friendships are few, she trusts no one. But in getting to hear her thoughts you can feel the underlying vulnerability and intense struggle in trying to make a difference. She finally lets Charlie the American in. Unbelievable how it plays out as her colleagues are captured, the games that are played, the betrayal. Really hard to put down. (Clean read but skates along the risqué line.)

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

#TheParisSpysGirl #NetGalley #AmandaLees #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #Bookouture #HistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical @bookoture

Buy link: Buy link: https://geni.us/B0CLKV2LPVsocial

From the Publisher:

An utterly breathtaking and emotional World War II novel, inspired by true events.

Paris, 1943. The candlelit salon goes silent, the eyes of every German officer on me. I pause in the door, no hint of a tremble from the champagne glass in my hand, playing my part to perfection. If my deception doesn’t utterly convince them, the war will be lost…

As war rages all over Europe, former runaway Christine is now the most dangerous – and most beautiful – asset the British Secret Service has in Paris. Every safe house that falls under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is like a second home, and she can disappear into the winding maze of cobbled streets that lead to the Seine like a shadow. Now Christine is on her most vital mission yet. She must go deep undercover to find out who has betrayed the Allied spy network, selling their secrets – and her fellow agents – to the Nazis.

Forced to work with Charlie, a charmingly determined American secret agent, Christine has no choice but to rely on him. Together, they must pretend to be everything they aren’t – Nazi collaborators, and lovers – and risk not just their lives but the lives of their colleagues all over France to unmask the traitor in their midst.

But as they get closer to the truth, and each other, the stress of living undercover takes its toll. Christine can’t trust anyone, even Charlie. And just as her past – and the girl she was before she became Christine – catches up with her, the mission demands a sacrifice so great it may destroy everything she holds dear. Can Christine find the courage to do what it takes? And who will pay the ultimate sacrifice if she fails…?

A totally compelling, page-turning historical novel of love, courage and sacrifice in the darkest of times. Set in wartime Paris, this is an utterly gripping and tear-jerking read perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Rhys Bowen and Mandy Robotham.

About the author

Amanda Lees is an author, broadcaster and an actress. She has written for, or contributed to, the Evening Standard, The Times, US Cosmopolitan and Company Magazine, as well as numerous online publications. Amanda appears regularly on BBC radio and LBC and was a contracted writer to the hit series Weekending on Radio 4.

As well as her new World War Two romantic thriller series, she has published two bestselling satirical fiction novels, a YA thriller trilogy and a number of non-fiction titles including The Dictionary of Crime.

Amanda was born in Hong Kong and survived both a convent boarding school and a Jesuit boys’ school before being summarily ejected from the latter. She gets her thirst for adventure from her parents who met in the jungle in Borneo where her mother had set up a hospital and her father, a former Gurkha Intelligence officer and Oxford-educated spy, was probably up to no good.

Amanda has a degree in drama and her first TV job was as a member of the Communist Resistance in ’Allo ‘Allo. This involved running around with a dachshund under her arm and deploying her best cod French accent. It has all been dramatically downhill since.

Her latest nonfiction book, From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer: The Dictionary of Crime, was published by Robinson/Little Brown in July 2020 to excellent reviews. It was published in the US by Ulysses Press in May 2021.

The Silence Before Dawn, the first in her WW2 spy thriller series was published in September 2022 and the second, Paris At First Light, in November 2022. The third book in the series, The Midwife's Child, was published on 16th May 2023. All are bestsellers. The next book in the series, The Paris Spy's Girl, will be published on 6 February 2024.

Author's Social Media:

Website: amandalees.com

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLeesAuthor/

Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/amandalees

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/amanda-lees/

For the best deals on books you can't put down, make sure to sign up to the Bookouture Deals mailing list!

My reviews

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Rocky Mountain Promise by Misty M. Beller

Lorilei is one of the Collins sisters. A family of capable, strong women, smart, savvy. Her strength is in healing animals. Tanner set up quite near their ranch with a fort for a trading post. He has some self worth issues. Quite the adventure when Lorilei finds a white buffalo baby. Wonderful family story, very close-knit and supportive yet they need to learn to let others help them as well. The town is still small and growing, so everyone knows each other and they help one another. Excellent faith lessons.

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.

#RockyMountainPromise #NetGalley #MistyMBeller #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethenyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

Description

"Misty Beller is one of the most amazing and enticing storytellers. I love reading her books and enjoy her ability to bring the characters to life. I encourage my readers to give her a try."--TRACIE PETERSON, bestselling author of the Pictures of the Heart and The Jewels of Kalispell series

Lorelei Collins possesses a soft heart for any animal in need, so when she finds a buffalo calf bawling beside its lifeless mother, she can't help but bring it home to raise on the ranch she and her sisters are building in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Little does she realize that its white coloring is rare and considered sacred by Native Americans, which makes it highly valuable to them and European trappers alike. Men soon begin to visit their ranch to regard the marvel, with some trying to woo Lorelei into marriage and others trying to steal the calf outright.

When the men's advances become more sinister, Lorelei approaches Tanner Mason, the quiet and mysterious owner of the new trading post, with an idea: she and the calf will move to his post, along with her family's trusted Blackfoot friend. This will solve both their problems by bringing customers to his trade room and protecting her family from the trouble brought on by so many strangers. Yet as the danger travels with her, Lorelei and Tanner are faced with a threat greater than anything they're prepared for--one that will test the limits of their abilities and the love growing between them.

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. For a limited time, you can get one of her bestselling novels FREE here: https://mistymbeller.com/freebook

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.

Learn more at www.MistyMBeller.com.

My reviews

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Anne by Rena Groot: Prairie Roses Collection Book 27

Set in 1881, a treasure of a story. Simply, deeply, faithfully told. Anne is a new mail order bride on a wagon train when her husband is killed. Her travels and trials from there are full of deep pain and great joys, supported by scripture. Beautiful descriptions of the scenery as they travel. Several historical lessons of the areas they went through. Rena is a great storyteller!

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.

#Anne #RenaGroot #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: Anne

Author: Rena Groot

Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction

Release Date: 2023

It is 1881. Anne is 19, a widow travelling on the Oregon Trail. She has no option, but to travel with her husband’s murderer. As she struggles to survive on the unforgiving trail, Anne must confront her own doubts and fears. Will she succumb to the darkness in her heart and seek vengeance at any cost? Or will she find the strength to forgive, and discover a path to redemption and healing? With each step she takes, Anne must face the harsh realities of life on the frontier and the deep mysteries of faith, trust, and grace. She dreams of revenge…but God has other plans.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

I am an artist, writer, online course creator (Broken to Beautiful…rena-groot.mykajabi.com), B & B host, have a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Religious Education, have been a teacher in Canada and China, a tour manager from the Rockies to the Pacific, and God has given me the honor of being an ambassador with “The Department of Eternal Affairs” to so many cool places—He must have laughed knowing His plans for me…that one day I would be praying with a voodoo queen in Haiti, another day leading a dying woman to Jesus in a hut in Belize, another day sharing the love of Jesus as an earthquake shook the Earth under my feet. God is beyond amazing. I started a blog to bless, encourage, and sometimes challenge people. Here’s the link. renagroot.com.

More from Rena

Blog Stops

By The Book, August 1 (Author Interview)
Madi’s Musings, August 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 2
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 3 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 4
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 5 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 5
Texas Book-aholic, August 6
Sylvan Musings, August 7 (Author Interview)
Books You Can Feel Good About, August 8
The Book Club Network, August 9
Connie’s History Classroom, August 10
Bliss, Books & Jewels, August 11 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, August 12
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 13
Lily’s Book Reviews, August 14

Giveaway

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

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/26f4b/anne-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron

Growing up in an Irish family, I've been aware of the upheaval in Ireland since I was young. I do know firsthand the qualities of the Irish strength, sticking to a purpose that you believe in, and loving a good fight when you know you're right. The Irish are strong in their heritage as well. This story illustrates that beautifully, expertly and smoothly - woven from three different time frames. It takes you from the 1700s to early 1900s to present. It shows the reality of war and the people who live during it. The English "owned " Ireland for many years. The present time frame shows how not all battles are in history, and the vulnerable. And strength and resilience. Excellent read.

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 #ThePaintedCastle #KristyCambron #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

My reviews

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Tyson’s Run

We all need to feel safe, nurtured, loved. Part of that is supporting each other when you want to try something new - especially when you believe strongly in it yourself.

Don’t miss this feel-good story of faith, courage, grit, and unlikely alliances for a teen on the autism spectrum. You will come away inspired!

Have you ever found yourself trying to get the approval of a parent? If not, you likely know someone who has. That’s where Tyson, a teen with autism, finds himself as he watches his hero father lead the high school football team. Tyson’s Run is not only relatable, but also a beautiful picture of the rewards of dreams, determination, and relationships when we don’t quit.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams recorded If You Believe, an original song, just for Tyson’s Run.

Tyson’s Run is a movie we can all relate to. Tyson’s longing to be accepted by his father leads him to push himself further than anyone might have thought possible. Ultimately, it is a heart-warming story of overcoming odds, changing perceptions, and of love winning. Get it now on DVD or digital!

Synopsis: When fifteen-year-old Tyson attends public school for the first time, his life is changed forever. While helping his father clean up after the football team, Tyson befriends champion marathon runner Aklilu. Never letting his autism hold him back, Tyson becomes determined to run his first marathon in hopes of winning his father's approval.

With the help of an unlikely friend and his parents, Tyson learns that with faith in yourself and the courage to take the first step, anything is possible.

BUY Tyson’s Run on DVD or digital NOW!

Website: https://tysonsrun.com/

Buy on DVD/Digital: https://tysonsrun.com/#buy

Giveaway: One digital copy of Tyson’s Run - winner chosen randomly from comments left below.

(Note: This is limited to US winners only. I'll need the winner’s full name and email address.

Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

#TysonsRunDVDMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork @TysonsRun #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CleanEntertainment

Friday, October 1, 2021

A Picture of Hope by Liz Tolsma

Riveting. Heart wrenching. Nellie is a photographer/reporter from America, anxious to make a difference and get the message to Americans about what was happening in the war Hitler had brought. The story starts as D-Day takes place. They didn't give permission to women to go into France, so she blended in and got herself there. The things she found once there were unthinkable, including a village where the Germans forced the women and children into a church and set them on fire. But she also found a little girl hiding, a girl with Down Syndrome. One that the Germans considered imperfect and needed extermination. She was able to get a perfect photo of her in front of the burned out church after the village was deserted again.

There she ran into Jean Paul, a member of the French resistance fresh out of prison. His father was a German officer who was angered that he stayed with his French mother and fought against him. Together they get to a convent where they housed a few other children with Down Syndrome and they all worked to get the small group out of France and across the border into Switzerland. Not an uneventful process. Constant danger and tension.

Both Nellie and Jean Paul are also fighting an internal battle from things in their own lives that motivate them to make a difference and not accept the way things were, not just stand by even though they risked their lives.

Excellent read of love and sacrifice with a Christian message throughout. Showing true beauty where others rejected, hope and love, innocence shining through. Often I didn't like Nellie because of stupid, headstrong choices that she made, but Jean Paul liked her (wink), and the end results turned out well.

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.
#APictureofHope #NetGalley

My Reviews: