Sunday, March 31, 2019

Month in Review -- March

  • Wrote words
  • Sculpted  babies
  • Tatted  crosses
  • Sewed  sock monkeys  
  • Knit  hats
  • Exercised  days
  • Read in the Bible  days
  • Wrote up  backlogged book reviews 
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    Saturday, March 30, 2019

    "Finally Accepted" by Toni Shiloh --Book Review, Promo Blast

    About the Book

    There’s only one thing Chloe Smith has ever wanted: family. Yet the DNA results she’s received have thrown her life into a tailspin. Her utmost desire has ended up being the catalyst for shaking her faith. She doesn’t even know who she is anymore, and she’s certainly too messed up for her longtime crush to give her more than a second glance.
    Darryl Jones is struggling between his past and the grace God so freely offers. His sins feel too big for him to handle, let alone expect the woman of his dreams to accept. Chloe is the only woman he’s ever wanted and the one he doesn’t deserve.
    As they form a tentative relationship and examine their faith, Chloe and Darryl ache to know they are finally accepted and fully loved.

    My Thoughts


    Having met Chloe and Darryl in the previous books in the series, it was nice to finally get their story. Both Chloe and Darryl have issues from their past and are struggling with similar family drama, yet slightly unique, too. I found the way that Toni Shiloh dealt with these issues of abandonment, abuse, and addiction in a very careful way. The struggles that Chloe and Darryl experience made me feel for them and want to keep reading to see if would get resolved. I found the book to be well written and look forward to reading more books by Toni Shiloh.


    About the Author


    Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian contemporary romance author. Once she understood the powerful saving grace, thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
    She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and president of the Virginia Chapter.
    You can find her on her website at http://tonishiloh.wordpress.com.

    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authortonishiloh
    Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tonishilohwrite
    Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/tonishiloh
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/tonishiloh
    Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/tonishiloh
    BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/toni-shiloh
    Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cmNFKD
    Blogs I’m part of:
     http://puttingonthenew.com; http://heartwingsblog.com; http://diversitybetweenthepages.wordpress.com



    "Finally Accepted" is available in paperback:
    • Series: Freedom Lake (Book 3)
    • Paperback: 305 pages
    • Publisher: Independently published (September 7, 2018)
    • Language: English
    • ISBN-10: 1718180322
    • ISBN-13: 978-1718180321
    • Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 8 inches

    and in Kindle edition:
    • File Size: 1127 KB
    • Print Length: 249 pages
    • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
    • Publication Date: August 16, 2018
    • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
    • Language: English
    • ASIN: B07GKKG1L5

    Other Buy links
    Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GKKG1L5
    B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finally-accepted-toni-shiloh/1129309883
    Book2Read: https://www.books2read.com/u/meAqYZ
    Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/finally-accepted
    iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1427627571
    Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=zhppDwAAQBAJ

    Short Buy links
    –
    Amazon: https://amzn.to/2wblC2C
    B&N: https://bit.ly/2PgZKeT
    Kobo: https://bit.ly/2MsahVP
    iTunes: https://apple.co/2MPyHpq
    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150978-finally-accepted

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

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    Monday, March 25, 2019

    "A Very Austen Valentine" by Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, Barbara Cornthwaite, Mandy H. Cook, & Susan Kaye-- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveway

    About the Book

    A Very Austen Valentine Book CoverBook: A Very Austen Valentine
    Author: Robin Helm
    Genre: Historical Romance (Regency), Religious and Inspirational
    Release Date: December 29, 2018
    Six beloved authors deliver romantic Valentine novellas set in Jane Austen’s Regency world. Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, and Barbara Cornthwaite, together with Susan Kaye and Mandy Cook, share variations of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, featuring your favorite characters in sequels, adaptations, and spinoffs of Austen’s adored novels.
    Experience uplifting romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant regret as these authors deftly tug on your heartstrings this Valentine’s Day.
    I Dream of You by Robin Helm
    Newly-married Elizabeth Darcy has a plan: to charm her too-busy husband into desiring her company as much as he did when he was courting her. A series of romantic dreams gives her just the push she needs to put that plan into action.
    Sir Walter Takes a Wife by Laura Hile
    Faced with a lonely future and finding himself strapped for cash, Persuasion’s Sir Walter Elliot manfully decides to marry again. But his careful plans go sadly awry! A lighthearted Valentine mash-up featuring two of Jane Austen’s worst snobs.
    My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis
    Jane and Charles Bingley have married, even though Miss Elizabeth Bennet remains certain Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy gave his best effort to keep them apart. After Mr. Darcy refused to stand up with Bingley and did not attend the wedding, she despises the gentleman more than ever and finds his company intolerable. How will she endure her visit to Kent if Mr. Darcy turns up everywhere she goes?
    Pretence and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite
    A chance encounter with a handsome stranger forces Elizabeth to resort to subterfuge in order to discover his true intentions.
    My Valentine by Mandy H. Cook
    Little Charlotte was always determined and independent, traits which served her well as she battled a serious childhood illness and later as she took on Polite Society. Will those traits now deprive her of true love? Or would her lifelong Valentine win her heart?
    The Lovers’ Ruse by Susan Kaye
    In this Persuasion alteration, Anne is so altered by Wentworth’s love in the summer of 1806, she refuses to give him up when both her godmother and father try to persuade her. “The Lovers’ Ruse” follows Frederick and Anne through their whirlwind courtship and their secret engagement. When Wentworth returns for his Annie girl, the cat comes out of the bag.


    My Thoughts
    I have not read any adaptations or extensions of any of Jane Austen's works before. I found this collection to be delightful. The glimpses as what the lives of some of her characters might possibly be like was fun. I liked how little bits of the original stories were pulled in to tie them together. I thought it was fun when characters from different stories were brought together. Having alternate story lines for existing stories is intriguing. Most of these authors were new to me, which is a good way to get to know more authors and their style of writing.

    About the Author

    robin helmRobin Helm’s books reflect her love of music, as well as her fascination with the paranormal and science fiction.
    Previously published works include The Guardian Trilogy: Guardian, SoulFire, and Legacy (a guardian angel protects a supernaturally gifted girl), the Yours by Design series: Accidentally Yours, Sincerely Yours, and Forever Yours (Fitzwilliam Darcy switches places in time with his descendant, Will Darcy), and Understanding Elizabeth (Regency sweet romance).
    She contributed to A Very Austen Christmas: Austen Anthologies, Book 1, an anthology featuring like-minded authors, in 2017, and A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 2 which was released on December 29, 2018.
    New releases for 2019 include More to Love, a standalone historical sweet romance dealing with body image; Lawfully Innocent, a historical U.S. Marshal romance book in the Lawkeepers series; Maestro, a historical sweet romance featuring a brilliant musician and his student; and A Very Austen Romance: Austen Anthologies, Book 3.
    She lives in sunny South Carolina where she teaches piano and adores her one husband, two married daughters, and three grandchildren.

    More from Robin

    Do you love Historical romance, but avoid “those” covers like the plague?
    Would you enjoy an anthology featuring six Valentine-themed novellas set in the Regency period written by Christian authors?
    In A Very Austen Valentine, stories range from a young wife searching for a way to bring her marriage back to the way it was, to a laugh-out-loud courtship between Jane Austen’s worst snobs.
    Misunderstandings, concealed identities, and romance abound.
    There is even a sequel featuring the children of the Darcys and the Brandons.
    Every reader will find something to love in this wonderful collection.

    Blog Stops

    Emily Yager, March 29
    Moments, March 31
    Mary Hake, March 31
    Pause for Tales, April 1
    Creating Romance, April 2
    Book by Book, April 2
    The Becca Files, April 7

    Giveaway

    To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away
    Grand Prize: a $50 Amazon gift card
    1st Place: An autographed paperback of A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 1
    2nd Place: An autographed paperback of A Very Austen Christmas: Austen Anthologies, Book 2
    3rd Place: A set of three ebooks – Reader’s Choice of any three of my books and
    4th Place: a $5 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/ddfa/a-very-austen-valentine-celebration-tour-giveaway

    "A Very Austen Valentine" is available in paperback:
    • Series: Austen Anthologies (Book 2)
    • Paperback: 477 pages
    • Publisher: Independently published (December 7, 2018)
    • Language: English
    • ISBN-10: 1731382324
    • ISBN-13: 978-1731382320
    • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches


    and in Kindle edition:
    • File Size: 3780 KB
    • Print Length: 479 pages
    • Publication Date: December 29, 2018
    • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
    • Language: English
    • ASIN: B07L6SR1RJ


    I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was given for my review.
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    Thursday, March 21, 2019

    "The White City" by Grace Hitchcock --Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

    About the Book

    Book: The White City
    Author: Grace Hitchcock
    Genre: Christian Historical/Suspense
    Release Date: March, 2019
    The white CityMysterious Disappearances Taint the Chicago World’s Fair
    Step into True Colors—a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
    While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.
    Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?
    My Thoughts

    The cover of this book drew my attention. It was interesting with only the key in color. I read the description and that drew me in even more. These historical stories of American crimes intrigue me. I Googled the villain as soon as his name was mentioned in the book. I found the book to be well written and I liked the pace and flow of the story. Since the story was historical fiction, that part of the book was not a surprise, but I liked how Grace Hitchcock wove in the romance into the story around the events of the crime. I look forward to reading more books in this True Crimes series and by Grace Hitchcock.

    About the Author

    grace hitchcockGrace Hitchcock is the author of three novellas in The Second Chance Brides, The Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. The White City is her debut novel and releases March 2019 with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son. Visit Grace online at GraceHitchcock.com.

    Guest Post from Grace

    True Colors—Fiction Based on Strange, But True, American Crime Stories
    True, riveting stories of American criminal activity are explored through 6 unique stories of historical romantic suspense in the exciting new True Colors series.
    In book one, The White City, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped while attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a detective, for bodyguard.
    Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?
    The Real Criminal Behind the Story
    While Winnifred Wylde is a fictional character, Doctor H. H. Holmes was very real and became infamously known as America’s first serial killer. Learn more about him HERE.

    Blog Stops

    The Lit Addict, March 14
    Multifarious, March 15
    Back Porch Reads, March 15
    Livin’ Lit, March 16
    By The Book, March 18
    EmpowerMoms, March 19
    Bigreadersite, March 21
    Genesis 5020, March 21
    The Becca Files, March 21
    Emily Yager, March 22
    Pause for Tales, March 22
    Mary Hake, March 23
    Book by Book, March 23
    amandainpa, March 25
    Older & Smarter?, March 26

    Giveaway

    To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of The White City!!
    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/dd7d/the-white-city-celebration-tour-giveaway
    • Series: True Colors (Book 1)
    • Library Binding
    • Publisher: Thorndike Press Large Print; Large Print edition (January 21, 2020)
    • Language: English
    • ISBN-10: 1432864742
    • ISBN-13: 978-1432864743
    • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
    and in Kindle edition:
    • File Size: 810 KB
    • Publisher: Barbour Books (March 1, 2019)
    • Publication Date: February 15, 2019
    • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
    • Language: English
    • ASIN: B07HYKQBDP
    I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.
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