Monday, October 21, 2024

The Way of the Shepherd

Don't miss this new release! The Way of the Shepherd by Danny Davis is full of wisdom to help all who read it grow! Be sure to get your copy!

Click here for more information: https://tinyurl.com/mtb4mpn6

#TheWayOfTheShepherd #DannyDavis #CelebrateLit #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout
@celebratelit @wayoftheshepherd

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Trail to Love by Susan F. Craft

Great Wagon Road 1753 Philadelphia to Graniteville South Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I really loved reading this book. The characters are quite real and it's easy to get attached to each of them. The country and many of their experiences made me wish I was there with them, that I was taking part. I'm sure I'd love it there. The beauties along the trail, the experiences with the Native Americans and how gorgeous the farm is, and then Anne's dream after emigrating from Scotland unfolding to being a tailor/seamstress with her own shop. The dangers of the trail and the terrible experiences are all part of the unexpected path they traveled on, taking them exactly where God led them.

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.

#TrailToLove #SusanFCraft #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: Trail to Love

Author:Susan F. Craft

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: September 17, 2024

A widowed father…a heartbroken nanny…and a wagon train journey that will change their lives forever.

Since the death of her fiancé, Anne Forbes has given up on the life she thought she’d have. After taking a role as nanny to her two young nephews, she’s grown close to her brother’s family—a replacement for the one she never had the chance to start. But when she accompanies them on the wagon trail to their new life in South Carolina, a handsome and gallant widowed father who’s also part of the group catches her eye and her heart, making her wonder if God might have plans of love for her after all. If only the beautiful woman the man escorts didn’t have her sights set on him.

Michael Harrigan never considered remarrying after the death of his wife. No woman could ever compare. But when he meets the gentlehearted Anne while escorting his sister-in-law on their journey to the Blue Ridge Mountains, he’s taken aback by Anne’s lovely voice and her compassion. As they face the trials and adventures of life on the trail, he finds himself open to the idea of marriage for the first time in many years.
But when disaster strikes the wagon train, Michael and Anne must work side-by-side to save lives. In the midst of their struggles, can they find a way to abandon their separate trails of grief and hardship for the trail to love?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan F. Craft retired after a 45-year career in writing, editing, and communicating in business settings.

She authored the historical romantic suspense trilogy Women of the American Revolution—The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia. The Chamomile and Cassia received national Illumination Silver Awards. The Chamomile was named by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as an Okra Pick and was nominated for a Christy Award.

She collaborated with the International Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation to compile An Equestrian Writer’s Guide (www.lrgaf.org), including almost everything you’d ever want to know about horses.

An admitted history nerd, she enjoys painting, singing, listening to music, and sitting on her porch with her dog, Steeler, watching geese eat her daylilies. She most recently took up the ukulele.

More from Susan

A History of Buttons

In my Christian Historical Romance, my main character, Anne Forbes, is a tailor and seamstress. When she arrives in Philadelphia from Scotland in 1753, she visits several shops and is amazed by the huge supply of buttons.

Buttons have been around for 3,000 years. Made from bone, horn, wood, metal, and seashells, they didn’t fasten anything but were worn for decoration.

The first buttons to be used as fasteners were connected through a loop of thread. The button and buttonhole arrived in Europe in 1200, brought back by the Crusaders.

The French, who called the button a bouton for bud or bouter to push, established the Button Makers Guild in 1250. Still used for adornment, the buttons they produced were beautiful works of art.

By the mid-1300s, tailors fashioned garments with rows of buttons with matching buttonholes. Some outfits were adorned with thousands of buttons, making it necessary for people to hire professional dressers. Buttons became such a craze that the Church denounced them as the devil’s snare, referring to the ladies in their button-fronted dresses.

In 1520 for a meeting between King Francis I of France and King Henry VIII of England, King Francis’ clothing was bedecked with over 13,000 buttons, and King Henry’s clothing was similarly weighed down with buttons.

In the 16th century, the Puritans condemned the over-adornment of buttons as sinful, and soon the number of buttons required to be fashionable diminished, though they were made from gold, ivory, and diamonds.

By the mid-1600s, button makers used silver, ceramics, and silk and often hand painted buttons with portraits or scenery.

The late 17th century saw the beginning of the production by French tailors of thread buttons, little balls of thread. This angered the button artisans so much that they pressured the government to pass a law fining tailors for making thread buttons. The button makers even wanted homes and wardrobes searched and suggested that fines be levied against anyone wearing thread buttons. But in la Guerre des Boutons, it’s not clear that their demands went beyond fining of tailors.

Towards the end of the 1700s in Europe, big metallic buttons came into fashion. At this time, Napoleon introduced the use of sleeve buttons on tunics. This time period saw the development of the double-breasted jacket. When the outside of the jacket was soiled, the wearer would unbutton it, turn the soiled surface to the inside, and re-button.

Thread buttons were used on men’s shirts and other undergarments from the late 17th into the early 19th century. Cheaper, they wouldn’t break when laundresses scrubbed and beat the material. They were also used on shifts and undergarments because they were soft and comfortable. Other types of thread buttons were death head buttons, star buttons, basket buttons, and Dorset buttons. Some said that death head buttons were called that because they resembled a skull and crossbones, memento mori, a reminder that life is short and should be lived as well as possible. Dorset buttons originated in Dorset in southern England where they became a cottage industry. Families, prison inmates, and orphans were employed in the manufacture of thousands of Dorset buttons each year, which were used throughout the UK and exported all over the world.

Bone button molds, slightly domed on one side and flat on the other, were common in the mid to late 18th century. Button molds were used to make both cloth and thread (passementerie) covered buttons.

Horn buttons were used mostly for spatterdashes and gaitered trousers. These strong durable buttons were competitive in price with other types but available in limited numbers in the 18th century since the making of them was slow.

Many colonial American buttons were made from seashells, wood, wax, and animal bones. The bones were boiled for 12 hours, cut into small pieces, shaved around the edges and had a hole punched through them with an awl. The shape was up to the maker — round, oval, square, rectangular, or octagonal.

Brass buttons, functional and ornamental, were also popular in colonial America. In 1750 in Philadelphia, a German immigrant, Caspar Wistar, made brass buttons guaranteed for seven years. He later opened the first successful glass making factory in the colonies.

(I want to thank the William Booth Drapers of Racine, WI, for some of the information provided in this post. Please visit their website at www.wmboothdraper.com where you’ll find a treasure trove of books about 17th and 18th century fashion — shoes, slippers, hats, bonnets, buttons and trimmings, etc., and Packet books about sewing. Fantastic resource. Thank you, William Booth Drapers.)

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 8
Simple Harvest Reads, October 9 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 10
DevotedToHope, October 10
Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 11 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 12
Texas Book-aholic, October 13
For Him and My Family, October 13
lakesidelivingsite, October 14
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 15
An Author’s Take, October 16
Blossoms and Blessings , October 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 17
Life on Chickadee Lane, October 18
Karen Baney Reviews, October 19
Holly’s Book Corner, October 19
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 20
Cover Lover Book Review, October 21
Pause for Tales, October 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan 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/00adcf5462

My reviews

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Virginia (Daughters of the Lost Colony Book 4) by Shannon McNear

Virginia Dare was the first child born in the New World. This is a fictional account of what could have happened to her with actual historical information used. As a teenager she was captured by a hostile Native American tribe and forced to be a slave. Interesting entanglements take place and she escapes to return to her people. A lot has happened and she has left a lasting impression on those around her. A story of strong Christian faith and how it changes lives. Very realistic and interesting, to learn how Native Americans lived as well. Good long 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.

#Virginia #ShannonMcNear #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction #BarbourFiction

About the Book

Book: Virginia (Daughters of the Lost Colony Book Four)

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Romance

Release date: September, 2024

The White Doe of the Outer Banks Grows into Womanhood

Return to the “what if” questions surrounding the Lost Colony and explore the possible fate of Virginia Dare–the first English child born in the New World. What happened to her after her grandfather John White returned to England and the colony he established disappeared into the mists of time? Legends abound, but she was indeed a real girl who, if she survived to adulthood, must have also become part of the legacy that is the people of the Outer Banks. In the spring of 1602 by English reckoning, “Ginny,” as she is called by family and friends, is fourteen and firmly considered a grown woman by the standards of the People. For her entire life she has watched the beautiful give-and-take of the Kurawoten and other native peoples with the English who came from across the ocean. She’s enjoyed being the darling of both English and Kurawoten alike—but a stirring deep inside her will not be put to rest.

One careless decision lands her and fellow “first baby” Henry Harvie, along with their Croatoan friend Redbud, in enemy hands. Carried away into Mangoac territory, out of the reach of Manteo and the others, she must learn who she truly is—not only the daughter of Elinor and Ananias Dare but also a child of the One True God, who gives her courage to go wherever the path of her life might lead.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in the Deep South, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s the author of four novellas, the first a 2014 RITA® nominee and the most recent a 2021 SELAH winner, and six full-length novels. Her greatest joy, however, is in being a military wife, mom, mother-in-law, and grammie. She’s been a contributor to Colonial Quills and The Borrowed Book, and is a current member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers. When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies.

More fron Shannon

So—here we are! I am just so, SO, sooo blessed to get to be on Celebrate Lit yet again. And book FOUR of my Lost Colony series! Initially I thought two, maybe three books. I pretty much disregarded the possibility of writing Virginia Dare’s story because, well, there’s a good bit of mythology surrounding her, and I felt absolutely no inclination to tackle any of that.

Until early last year. The idea dropped into my head and seemed too obvious to turn away. I didn’t have much idea of what would actually happen in the story, although I knew I wanted to explore the identity of the Mangoac, who held the interior of what is now North Carolina and Virginia when the Spanish and the English first arrived in the New World. They spoke an Iroquoian language and were referred to with dread and distaste among all their neighbors, including the Powhatan. Those people are what we know now as the Tuscarora.

Little was known of the Tuscarora before John Lawson wrote of his journey through the Carolinas in 1700-01. A few years later, Lawson himself met with a fairly horrible death at the hands of the Tuscarora (one wonders what he might have done to tick them off), and tensions soon escalated between settlers and indigenous peoples into all-out war. After their defeat by the English, the Tuscarora people moved northward and became the sixth nation of the Iroquois Confederacy.

They call themselves Skaru:re—pronounced sgah-ROOO-rah (with that long “ooh” held out a little extra)—translated variously as “Long-Shirt People” or “Hemp People,” for the garments they would weave from “Indian hemp,” also known as milkweed. The Tuscarora word for milkweed does indeed contain the same root as Skaru:re, but no one knows when as a people they might have made the transition from merely using milkweed fiber for cording or twine to spinning and weaving it into fabric, as the English did flax for linen.

I decided to have a bit of fun in my story, then, with Ginny being questioned about the making of a linen garment, and then a later mention of a “rough, twiny fabric.” I’d meant to expand upon that a bit, or at least address it in the historical notes at the end—and then completely forgot until working through the galleys.

So I get to talk about it—now. 😊

You might guess that both details, which may feel random to the casual reader, are a nod to the translation of the name Skaru:re, and to the influence that either the Spanish or the English might have had on various Native people groups. A good author endeavors, of course, to not have any random details littering a story. In Virginia, many small things point back to previous stories—there are hints of connection to Rebecca as well even though either story could be read before the other. By the same token, all four books are what we could term alternate history—a reach beyond what is known into what might have been. I think it most likely that as Native peoples acquired European fashions, they used what they already had (in the case of the Skaru:re, a familiarity with milkweed and other materials to provide fiber) to produce garments and other items modeled after what the Spanish and English used. They were nothing if not eager to take advantage of new technologies—and what if their contact with members of the Lost Colony was what sparked the idea behind their famed “long shirts”?

A stretch, for sure. But there’s a reason why I’ve always enjoyed writing speculative fiction as well as historical. 😊

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 4
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 4
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 5
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 6
To Everything There Is A Season, October 6
Devoted To Hope, October 7
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 8
lakesidelivingsite, October 9
Texas Book-aholic, October 9
Betti Mace, October 10
Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 11
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, October 11
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 12
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 13
Bizwings Book Blog, October 14
Cover Lover Book Review, October 15
Lights in a Dark World, October 15
Holly’s Book Corner, October 16
Sylvan Musings, October 17
Pause for Tales, October 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

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/00adcf5458

My reviews

BarnesAndNoble

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Average Joe Movie

Another great family film about how we can all make a difference. Growing up Joe had a really tough life and was always in trouble. As an adult he is berated for praying on the football field, and stands up for himself, for his freedoms and rights. This brings on hate messages and makes their lives miserable. It's also another of God's twists for his life considering how he started out. God can use anyone; what we experience in life gives us skills and strengths. It's a really good movie for everyone to watch and share about.

Be inspired by the true story of Coach Joe Kennedy and his fight for freedom in the new movie, Average Joe, in theaters October 11!

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

#AverageJoeMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Inspire your family to stand up for what they believe in by watching Average Joe, in theaters October 11!

Synopsis: High school football coach Joe Kennedy had no other choice but to fight. A childhood in foster care followed by 20 years in the Marine Corps was nothing compared to his biggest battle: his commitment to stand for God publicly by taking a knee in prayer after each game. When he was fired, Joe and his wife Denise knew this battle for religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the rights of all Americans was one they would have to fight—no matter the cost. From the director and producers of God’s Not Dead and the producers of The Blind comes AVERAGE JOE, in theaters beginning October 11.

Giveaway: $10 Amazon giftcard

(Note: This is limited to US winners only. Please submit your full name and email address by 10/17 in the comments below. (You will not be spammed!) We will not be able to accept winners submitted after this date)

Trailer link: Average Joe - Official Trailer (2024) (youtube.com)

Website link: Average Joe - Average Joe (averagejoemovie.com)

Tickets link: Average Joe - Fathom Events

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Lost On A Mountain In Maine movie trailer

A new movie coming out next month that might be a great film for the whole family. It looks like it could be pretty scary and also very interesting especially his survival techniques, plus a good story line. Looks like it's well acted and filmed.

Synopsis:

Lost on a Mountain in Maine tells the inspiring true story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who becomes separated from his family by a fast-moving storm atop a treacherous mountain. For nine days Donn fights to stay alive as he attempts to survive the unforgiving wilderness of northern Maine without food, proper clothing, or the knowledge of how bad his situation really is. His disappearance sparks a massive search effort that captures national headlines and attracts hundreds of volunteers, including his own father who fears he may never see his son again.

Release Date: 11/1

Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeXDvVXAvz4

#LostOnAMountainInMaineMIN# LostonaMountaininMaine #lostonamountaininmainemovie #bfe #bluefoxentertainment #balboaproductions #sylvesterstallone #truestory #basedonatruestory #survival #independent #donfendler #Maine #searchandrescue #booksyoucanfeelgoodabout

A Token of Love: (A Victorian London Split-Time Christian Historical Romance Novel) by Carrie Turansky

Interesting time-slip story that brings to life a foundling home in England in 1885 and its 2023 Museum. The problem of child trafficking ties both times. Brilliantly illustrates people involved in both timelines and their relationships, with fully believable characters and their struggles with what goes on in their lives, how they work through it and also weaves in romances that you want to cheer on. Hope, perseverance, fighting for what's right, caring about each other. Shining a light in the darkness. Excellent read, important subjects.

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.

#ATokenOfLove #CarrieTuransky #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #BethanyHousePublishers

About the Book

Book: A Token of Love

Author: Carrie Turansky

Genre: Fiction, Historical Romance

Release date: September 3, 2024

Separated by centuries, the lives of two women intertwine through their shared pursuit of love, truth, and justice.

In 1885 London, Lillian Freemont embarks on a treacherous journey to reunite with her long-lost niece, Alice, who was abandoned at the Foundling Hospital eight years ago. Fueled by her sister’s plea and armed with the gold token that identifies her niece, Lillian teams up with investigative reporter Matthew McGivern to expose the grim reality of the shadowed streets of London. As Lillian and Matthew unravel the mystery of Alice’s disappearance, their partnership blossoms into one of shared purpose and undeniable attraction.

In present-day London, Janelle Spencer finds herself unexpectedly running the Foundling Museum. When filmmaker Jonas Conrad arrives to document the museum’s history, their collaboration takes a surprising turn as they uncover articles from the past that shed light on a haunting connection to the present. As Janelle becomes caught between exposing the truth and protecting the museum’s reputation, she must decide if she can risk everything for what she believes.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of twenty-one inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She loves traveling to England to research her Edwardian novels, including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, and the Edwardian Brides series. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have received starred reviews from Christianbook.com and Library Journal.

More from Carrie

Come with me to London!

My latest novel, A Token of Love, is a dual-time story set in London during the late Victorian Era and present day. That prompted my husband and I to take a trip to London earlier this year. We were especially delighted to visit the Foundling Museum which tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, the first children’s charity home in England. The Foundling Hospital and Foundling Museum tie the historical and contemporary plots together in A Token of Love.

Thousands of children were taken in by the Foundling Hospital when their mothers could no longer care for them. Some of the mothers left small items such as coins, thimbles, and pieces of jewelry with their infants as identifiers in the hope that if their situation changed, they might be able to return and reclaim their child. Those items were called tokens, and we saw several of them on display at the Foundling Museum.

Each token is unique and represents a mother’s love and desire to be reunited with her child. It was very moving to view them on display and think of all the heartache and hope behind each token.

More than two years ago, I saw an image of the tokens on Pinterest. That sparked my curiosity, and I followed the research trail to learn more about them. That led to the Foundling Museum’s website, which offers a treasure trove of information and personal stories about the mothers and children connected by those tokens. What I discovered helped me develop the characters and plot for A Token of Love. The story highlights one mother who gave her daughter into their care, then eight years later tries to reclaim her. But her daughter is missing, and that sets off a series of events that stirs all of London. Family drama, romance, inspiration, and a touch of mystery will make the story meaningful for readers.

If you like stories based on true events in history that will touch your heart and lift your spirit, then I think you will enjoy reading A Token of Love!

If you’d like to see more photos from my research trip to London and the Foundling Museum, I hope you’ll visit my website photo page!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 7
Maureen’s Musings, October 7
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 8
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 9
Connie’s History Classroom, October 9
Texas Book-aholic, October 10
Devoted To Hope, October 10
Simple Harvest Reads, October 11 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Live.Love.Read., October 11
Stories By Gina, October 12 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, October 12
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 13
lakesidelivingsite, October 13
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 14
Cover Lover Book Review, October 14
Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 15 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 16
Blossoms and Blessings, October 17
Holly’s Book Corner, October 17
Inspired by Fiction, October 18
Pause for Tales, October 18
Labor Not in Vain, October 19
To Everything There is A Season, October 20
Romances of the Cross, October 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of A Token of Love!!

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/00adcf5461/

My reviews

Monday, October 7, 2024

White Bird Movie

It's impossible to watch this and not be moved deeply. Beautifully filmed, the acting impeccable, so real it's like you're there. Such beauty and such deep love and sorrow. It's about loving people who desperately need help. Know that kindnesses are remembered and how important they are.

Be Brave. Choose Kind. You forget many things in life. But you never forget kindness. WHITE BIRD is a deeply moving coming of-age story and testament to the courage it takes to extend kindness and love during the harshest of times.

• WHITE BIRD is the right story at the right time. From the best-selling author of WONDER, the book that sparked a movement to “choose kind,” comes the inspirational next chapter.

• The importance of faith films. Come out on October 4 and support a film that will

make a difference.

• Change the way you see the world. Get tickets now. #WhiteBirdMovie – in theaters

October 4. https://tickets.whitebird.movie/ #BeBraveChooseKind

• Kindness can free you, faith can save you. #WhiteBirdMovie – only in theaters October 4.

Synopsis: From the world of Wonder, which sparked a movement to "choose kind," comes the inspirational next chapter: WHITE BIRD. Struggling to fit in at his new school after being expelled for his treatment of Auggie Pullman, Julian (Bryce Gheisar) is visited by his grandmother (Helen Mirren) and is transformed by the compassionate and heroic story of her attempts to escape Nazi-occupied France during WWII. From the director of Finding Neverland, WHITE BIRD reminds us to be

brave and choose kind.

Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW1h9coypgE

Website Link: https://whitebird.movie/?mc_cid=53e26a9f9b&mc_eid=8178308bbe

Buy Tickets Link: https://tickets.whitebird.movie/

Giveaway: $10 Amazon giftcard

(Note: This is limited to US winners only. Please submit your full name and email address by 10/14 in the comments. (Winner will be chosen randomly. You will not be spammed.) We will not be able to accept winners submitted after this date.)

Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#WhiteBirdMIN #WhiteBirdMovie #BeBraveChooseKind

Lionsgate:

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White Bird

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Kingdom Story Company

Facebook: @KingdomStoryCompany