Sunday, November 13, 2016

Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway: "Love in the Seams" by Jodie Wolfe

About the Book


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Mae Stafford longs for the companionship and unconditional love her sister has found in her new husband. But after years of refusing potential suitors because of a pact they made as children, Mae no longer has any choices left once their agreement is broken. She has no hope that God will give her what she desires most, a family of her own. Instead of dwelling on what she doesn’t have, she throws herself into her work as the recent sole owner of the local dress shop.
As a promise made to his late wife, Johannes Mueller agrees to travel west to be a school teacher in Calder Springs, Texas, away from the bigotry associated with being an immigrant in New York City. He hopes to improve his life and forget his loss. Johannes isn’t counting on his five-year-old daughter’s search for a new mother when they arrive. His little LillyAnn finds ways to bring the seamstress and him together…often. Can he learn to embrace his German heritage and unlock his heart to love again?

My Thoughts

"Love in the Seams" by Jodie Wolfe is set in 1875 Texas and is book 2 in the Twins & Needles series. I did not read the first one, and while I wasn't totally lost on what was going on, I think that it still would be better to read them in order to know the backstory for this book. I really enjoyed reading this book and found it to be charming. I loved little LillyAnn and how the book opens right up with her asking Mae Stafford if she will be her new mama. The characters were realistic and flawed like regular people and I was glad to spend time with them. The struggles that they faced were ones that I could relate to even if I hadn't ever experienced them personally. Once I picked up the book, I didn't want to put it down and read it in an afternoon. I look forward to seeing what Jodie Wolfe writes in the future.

About the Author

social-media-2015Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She’s been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests and is a member of ACFW. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.

Guest Post from Jodie Wolfe

I’m so excited to be a part of a Celebrate Lit tour. Thank you for the opportunity to give a small peek into my world. J Love in the Seams is book two in my Twins & Needles series. Mae Stafford’s journey to believe and have hope that God will give her the desires of her heart echo the ups and downs of my writing adventure.
 I wrote my first novel as a teen quite a number of years ago. Ahem. We won’t say how many years that have passed since then. J Let’s just say it’s quite a few. My next novel didn’t get written until my early twenties…and then soon after I had children. Fiction writing took a back seat as I raised my sons and home schooled them all the way through high school.
 Over seven years ago I felt God nudging me back to writing. I still had a son at home, so the progress was a little slow at first. Since then I’ve written four novels, three novellas, and have pitched a half dozen other ideas at various conferences or through my amazing agent.
 God dropped my agent, Linda S. Glaz of Hartline Literary Agency, into my lap when I least expected it, but that’s a different story. I’ve had quite a number of rejections over the past few years as she’s tried to drum up interest for my books. We’ve had some nibbles and times when an editor or two was interested, but things didn’t progress any further than that.
 I’ve entered contests and have experienced mixed results. I semi-finaled in American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest a few years ago, and this past summer I found out I’m a finalist in three different contests. But there also have been quite a few where the responses weren’t so great.
 Earlier this year I decided to put out a novella independently and Hearts Tightly Knit was the result. It told the tale of Mae’s twin sister, Ellie, and their pact to always stay together and never marry. When Ellie ended up with her happily-ever-after, I knew that Mae needed one too. The only thing is Mae isn’t sure if her hopes for a family will ever come to fruition.
 Highs and lows are part of a writer’s life. Well, actually for all of us. J Sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down in the negatives, the ‘rejections’ and not be able to see past them. Believe me, at times I wallow there for a little bit, but my aim is to write books that share about the hope we have in Christ. How can I convey that if I don’t believe and experience it myself?
 One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB) which says, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” One of the things I have hoped for many years was a writing contract. That finally happened in September when I signed for a novelette with Celebrate Lit that will be coming out in the spring. In the process of waiting, I’ve found God has refined and honed me in this journey of hope.
 My prayer is that my books will touch your heart and give you a glimmer of the hope we have in Christ. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity into your world.

Blog Stops

November 10: Pause for Tales
November 12: Quiet Quilter
November 13: A Greater Yes
November 13: Blossoms and Blessings
November 15: Lane Hill House
November 15: Ashley’s Bookshelf
November 16: ASC Book Reviews
November 17: Christian Bookaholic
November 18: Daysong Reflections
November 19: bigreadersite
November 20: Splashes of Joy

Giveaway

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In honor of her tour, Jodie is giving away a wooden decorated basket, 24 thread spools with needles and threader, a pack of 30 needles, a tape measure, a tomato pin cushion, embroidery scissors, a thimble, 15 piece sewing kit, and a $10 Amazon gift card! Click the link below to enter; be sure to comment on this post to claim your nine bonus entries for this giveaway!  https://promosimple.com/ps/a88d
"Love in the Seams" is available in paperback:
  • Series: Twins & Needles Book 2
  • Paperback: 206 pages
  • Publisher: Jodie Wolfe (November 2, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0997502622
  • ISBN-13: 978-0997502626
  • Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 8 inches

and in Kindle edition:
  • File Size: 718 KB
  • Print Length: 97 pages
  • Publication Date: November 4, 2016
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01MQEMD48

I received a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and voluntarily given. No compensation was received.

1 comment:

Jodie Wolfe said...

I appreciate your kind review. Thank you. :) I'm glad you enjoyed Love in the Seams.