Thursday, November 2, 2023

The Bobtails Meet The Preacher's Kid by Arthur Yeomans

 


Fabulous series. These are the kind of books that I want to read.
The kids are orphaned, and it's decided by their family that their strict widowed Aunt will take them in as she has a cheese farm and has the room and the work for them. Common sense, down to earth, and I loved it. I'm a fan of Grace Livingston Hill books, with the life lessons here it reminded me somewhat of her style of story. In this book there are lessons about everything you do on a dairy farm, and life lessons as they all work through this big change in their lives. Good Christian lessons throughout. Their Aunt believes in showing them what to do and expecting them to do it well and quickly. Even the smallest toddler was given a job. In addition, wonderful way to bring up the kids with nurturing routines like daily family reading and play time. Excellent for kids and adults alike. I can't speak highly enough of this series.

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.

#TheBobtailsMeetThePreachersKid #WisePathBooks #ArthurYeomans #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical #FamilyFiction

Sample to read on author's page: Published Works - Arthur Yeomans

My reviews

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson

 



1907 to 1992 Woven back and forth, gradually revealing a family story as a savvy reporter digs into the facts. Very intricate, details hard to unweave to figure it all out, making it very intriguing - and you have to know what happened to these very real seeming people that are fictional derived from historical facts. I live not far from the Thousand Islands area. It's beautiful and has fascinating history. This story reveals hope in some of the hardest of times for the people on every side. Very well written! 

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.

#TheWingsOfPoppyPendleton #NetGalley #MelanieDobson #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #TyndaleHousePublishers #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical #ChildTrafficking

My reviews

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

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

After Death from Angel Studios

 



Beautifully filmed and told stories of people who have physically died and were returned to their bodies, the experiences that they had. Their purpose is to give people hope, to show the reality that this life is not all there is. It presents the evidence that has been recorded, it does not preach. Things that are spiritual and holy and existential. Something that everyone can benefit from watching. Several authors who had this experience talk about what happened to them. Quite moving!

If you cannot afford to pay for a ticket, there are tickets available. If you can afford it, pay it forward so that someone else can go.

Many thanks to Angel Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#AfterDeathMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork #AngelStudios #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

From Angel Studios (The Chosen, Sound of Freedom) comes After Death! Get your tickets to see this movie in theaters starting 10/27!

Based on the true accounts of New York Times Bestselling authors, survivors give us a peek into life’s biggest question: What happens when we die?

John Burke was a skeptic before he first read about near-death experiences. Now, after researching near-death experiences for over 30 years and interviewing countless people who have gone beyond the veil and back, John is a pastor and an international speaker. Hear more from him in the film After Death, which comes to theaters on October 27.

Synopsis: After Death is a gripping feature film that explores what happens after we die, based on real near-death experiences, conveyed by scientists, authors, and survivors. From the New York Times bestselling authors who brought you titles like 90 Minutes in Heaven, Imagine Heaven, and To Heaven and Back, emerges a cinematic peek beyond the veil that examines the spiritual and scientific dimensions of mortality, inviting us to wonder: Is there life after death?

Buy tickets today to see After Death in theaters starting October 27th!

Links
Website/Pay-It-Forward: LINK
Buy Tickets: LINK
Trailer: LINK
Press Release: LINK

Giveaway: 2 tickets to see the film in theaters.
(Note: This is limited to US winners only. Please submit your full name and email address by 10/24. Winner will be chosen randomly from comments below who include this information.)

Saturday, October 21, 2023

A Deeper Love: Year One (Suamalie Islands Book 9) by Heidi Gray McGill

 


Better than a Hallmark movie. Feels like you know these people right away. Alicia has a scuba diving business with guided tours on an island near Hawaii. Dan has contracted her for a vacation week getaway from a demanding job. Fun and interesting to get to know them all. Learning to trust, finding that special someone and making life changes. Getting to know what's important in your life. Wonderful sermon lesson and how it's applied in their lives.  A page turner that makes you wish you could see it filmed! 

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.

#ADeeperLove #HeidiGrayMcGill #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #CelebrateLitPublishing #ChristianContemporary #FiveStarNovel

My reviews

Monday, October 16, 2023

A Deeper Love ARC

 

Glad to be an advance copy review reader!
One of the best parts of being on a launch team is receiving a copy of the book before anyone else. I love working with an author to ensure the book is ready for the rest of the world to see. This book is one you do not want to miss. Preorder it now so it drops directly into your Kindle on October 31st. You can thank me later.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLJ2CSNV, or if you prefer paperback, order your paperback copy through Celebrate Lit
Publishing for 30% off the list price plus FREE shipping! Fill out the form here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScO_Kptv6X.../viewform

Friday, October 13, 2023

The Looking Glass Illusion (The Curious Realities Book 2) by Sara Ella

 



A whole different Alice in Wonderland. Very detailed and convoluted, really needs to be a movie to keep it straight. This is book two...I think reading book one would be very helpful. Of course, the whole struggle for Alice is a learning process, for her and for the other characters. Who are human by the way, with the characteristics of their wonderland persona. Took a long time to read...couldn't miss a word. Interesting story and conclusion, somewhat allegory to Christian beliefs although it's difficult to connect. 

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.

#TheLookingGlassIllusion #SaraElla #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit #Teen #YoungAdult #FairyTale #Folklore #EnclaveEscape


About the Book

Book: The Looking-Glass Illusion

Author: Sara Ella

Genre: YA Retelling (or dystopian fantasy)

Release Date: September 19, 2023

Step through the looking glass. Slay the Jabberwock. Seek the King.

Alice is not prepared to face what awaits beyond the Tulgey Wood. When she and the rest of Team Heart enter the fourth and final Wonderland Trial, it’s up to her to lead them to victory. But this Trial is more than a game. If Alice and the others fail to defeat the Jabberwock and reveal the truth about Wonderland, more than points and fame will be lost.

Chess Shire never believed he’d make it this far. Now he’s stuck navigating a Trial he’s seen but doesn’t remember, all while searching for the brother he left behind. Not everything is as black and white as the game that shares his name. And if Alice discovers his deepest regret? Chess might just lose her too.

Apart, Chess and Alice scour the eight squares of the Heart Trial in search of memories, truth, and an Ivory King who seems more illusion than reality. Will they learn to lead together to face their greatest fears? Or will they remain pawns in a queen’s game, never truly seeing the Wonderland they’ve come to believe in?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Once upon a time, Sara Ella dreamed she would marry a prince and live in a castle. Now she spends her days homeschooling her three Jedi in training, braving the Arizona summers, and reminding her superhero husband that it’s almost Christmas (even if it’s only January). Sara is the author of the Unblemished trilogy and Coral, a reimagining of The Little Mermaid that focuses on mental health. Her latest journey into the world of The Wonderland Trials feels like coming full circle after working for Disney. Sara loves fairy tales and Jesus, and she believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away.”

 




More from Sara

“Step through the looking glass. Slay the Jabberwock. Seek the King.”

It’s my tagline for The Looking-Glass Illusion, but in truth, I had no idea what those words truly meant until I wrote the ending (and rewrote it several times).

I didn’t fully understand what the looking glass did or did not do—only that Alice had to step through it.

I didn’t know who or what the Jabberwock really was—only that Team Heart had to overcome it.

And I really couldn’t quite figure out this Ivory King character I had introduced in The Wonderland Trials—only that he was real, and that, somehow, the King would reveal himself in the end.

This is my process and it’s rather frustrating not to know what you’re up against. I wish I could outline and have all the answers ahead of time. I wish I knew every intricate detail about my stories. It would certainly make the writing life a lot easier. But I like to think the not-knowing part is God’s way of keeping me humble in all of this. Because I only discover the story and the true underlying theme of it all when He decides to reveal it to me.

So, in the name of revealing things, here are three truths God showed me through the process of writing The Looking-Glass Illusion.

  1. Faith is not blind.

I think we can all remember the quote from The Santa Clause with Tim Allen that goes, “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.” It encompasses the idea that we don’t have to see in order to believe. And while I believe this is true, I also think if we say our faith is blind, we’ve missed the mark.

God gives us every tool we need to base our faith on the truth in the Bible. He doesn’t ask us to walk blindly. He’s given us sight in His Word! And while we don’t know or see everything yet, we do have concrete evidence to stand on that what the Bible says is real.

In The Looking-Glass Illusion, Alice steps through the looking glass not knowing what awaits her on the other side. She does know, however, that The Adventurer’s Almanac her sister gave her has never steered her wrong. It’s guided her along the way, and she holds fast to it as she steps into the unknown.

I didn’t know how this book would end. But I do know that time and time again, God has walked with me through every ending to every book I’ve written. When I hold fast to that truth, I can have faith and the courage to move forward rather than let fear get the better of me. And speaking of fear . . .

  1. Fear is a liar.Anyone who’s listened to Christian radio has probably heard the popular song “Fear is a Liar” by Zach Williams. It’s a great song and I think we all need to hear it from time to time. Alice and her team have a multitude of fears to overcome. Chess Shire in particular has to overcome his fear of facing his past. I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t read it, but the theme of overcoming fear is an overarching one in this duology. Perhaps I could have made it more complex and profound, but it’s really quite simple:Fear is a liar. And the only way to combat lies is to stand on the truth of what we know is real because . . .
  2. The fairy tale is real.I am often asked why I choose to write fairy-tale-inspired stories. I like to turn back to my author tagline. While my logo and website design and even my bio have changed over the years, my tagline has remained the same:“Happily Ever After is Never Far Away”This is something I have held to from the onset of my author journey. While fairy tales may be but stories, our walk as Christians is in the living breathing fairy tale of God’s Word. Remember that quote from “The Princess Bride?”“Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!”

    That line always reminds me of the Bible. Everything we love about fairy tales can be found within the pages of His #1 Best-Selling Book. And it all really happened! The fairy tale is real, and no matter what dragons (or Jabberwocks) we face in this life, we are promised happily ever after (dare I say, Wonderland?) in the next.

    ****

    Thank you for taking the time to sit a while with me and for sticking with this series through its conclusion. Cheers, and happy reading, Wonders! The true Wonderland awaits!

Sincerely,

Sara Ella

Blog Stops

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sara is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card, a $15 Starbucks gift card, and a hardcover 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.

Giveaway Link




My reviews