- Wrote everyday at least a minimum of 100 words? yes
- Number of days that I wrote 500 words a day: 0
- Wrote 3638 words this month
- Be creative
- Tat
- Crochet
- Knit
- Sculpt
- Exercise 5 days a week? no
- Read my Bible everyday? yes
- Blog posts that weren't book reviews: 0
- Read 11 books
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Month in Review -- October
"Certain Threat" by Kimberly Rose Johnson -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway
About the Book
Book: Certain Threat
Author: Kimberly Rose Johnson
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Katrina White’s garage explodes and she fears someone is out to get her.
Not long after Katrina overhears two people talking about robbing the bank where she works, her attached garage explodes. With the help of her neighbor, Frank Davis, she escapes the burning home after a storage shelf falls over, trapping her beneath it.
The co-owner of Protection Inc. has one thing on his mind for the week of Christmas—rest and relaxation, but when his favorite neighbor needs his help he calls in his team. Unable to turn their backs on someone Frank clearly has feelings for, the co-owners agree to help out Katrina.
When things escalate, Frank is certain of two things—he cares a lot for Katrina and he can’t let anything happen to her.
Join the team of Protection Inc. this Christmas where love is in the air even in the midst of danger.
My Thoughts
"Certain Threat" is the third book in the Protection, Inc. series, but you could read it as a standalone. Things are mentioned from the other books, but you don't feel like you are missing part of the picture. I do recommend reading series in order, though, just because it gives you a bit more of the history. I liked seeing the softer side of Frank in this book. We get three points of view in the story: Frank, Katrina, and Carissa. There was a small amount of a biblical element in the story. There was one thing I was a little disappointed/confused about. I wasn't entirely sure if Katrina was a Christian or not. She said she believed in God and then when she wanted to know more about having a relationship with God, she was told to pray like she was talking to Him like you would a person. If she weren't a Christian, she would need to accept Him as her savior first. But if she were already saved and just wanted a closer walk with Him, then the advice would be right. Walking up to a stranger and talking to them doesn't make you part of their family. I enjoyed the book and liked the characters. I didn't have a clue who was behind the events, so that was nice. I look forward to reading more books about the people involved with Protection, Inc.
About the Author
Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.
Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
More from Kimberly
Certain Threat was one of my favorite books to write. There are three point of view characters. Two have been in the series from book one and the third is a new addition in this book.
I adore Frank, the hero of this book. The man is tough, honest, and always does his best to do the right thing. He’s a good example for his younger business partners who like to do things their own way, especially Carissa.
For me the most fun part about writing this book was getting inside Frank’s head. He comes across as tough and sometime gruff, but he is a marshmallow on the inside when it comes to Katrina, his neighbor. Katrina brings out a side in Frank we haven’t yet witnessed and it was a blast to write—no pun intended. LOL you’ll understand when you read the book.
I look forward to writing future books in this series and going deeper with the rest of the Protection Inc. team and their friends.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 19
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 19
Worthy2Read, October 20
21st Century Keeper at Home, October 20
Texas Book-aholic, October 21
Inklings and notions, October 22
deb’s Book Review, October 22
Betti Mace, October 23
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 23
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 24
Mary Hake, October 24
Sara Jane Jacobs, October 25
April Hayman, Author, October 25
Splashes of Joy, October 26
Artistic Nobody, October 26 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 27
mypreciousbitsandmusings, October 27
Aryn the Libraryan, October 28
CarpeDiem, October 28
For Him and My Family, October 29
Daysong Reflections, October 29
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 30
Bigreadersite, October 30
Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 31
Blossoms and Blessings, October 31
Simple Harvest Reads, November 1 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Bizwings Blog, November 1
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Kimberly is giving away the grand prize of a $25 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/10266/certain-threat-celebration-tour-giveaway
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.
Thursday, October 29, 2020
"Beguiled" by Jody Hedlund -- Book Review
About the Book
In a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .
A princess rejected and hunted by her mother, and a prince who lives as a shunned outcast.
Princess Pearl flees for her life after her mother, Queen Margery, tries to have her killed during a hunting expedition. Pearl finds refuge on the Isle of Outcasts among criminals and misfits, disguising her face with a veil so no one recognizes her. She lives for the day when she can return to Warwick and rescue her sister, Ruby, from the queen’s clutches.
Amidst his royal testing on the Isle of Outcasts, Prince Mikkel of Scania has kept his identity a secret. Captured by a warring band of outcasts and condemned to die, he finds himself making friends with an intriguing but feisty young veiled woman. Intending to win her trust and gain her help to escape, he soon finds himself coerced to wed her.
Mikkel reluctantly agrees to the union to save his life, and Pearl hopes the marriage will provide protection for her and Ruby. But the queen is more determined to kill her daughter than either Pearl or Mikkel realizes and has a sinister reason neither expects—one that could rip their new love apart forever.
The real Snow White story.
My Thoughts
"Beguiled" is the second book in the Fairest Maidens series, this one a Snow White retelling. It is best to read the books in order to get the background of the Testing and Vilmar. I found the book to be well written and it kept my interest. There was a biblical thread and the characters grew. I feel that the book would be a good one for my teen daughters to read and it teaches important truths of looking at who a person is on the inside and not just the outside. After having read both Vilmar's and Mikkel's stories, I want them both to be king! I can't wait to read Kresten's story and also to find out the results of the Testing.
About the Author
Jody Hedlund is the author of over twenty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
"Beguiled" is available in paperback:
- Paperback : 264 pages
- ISBN-10 : 173375346X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1733753463
- Product Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.66 x 8.5 inches
- Publisher : Northern Lights Press (September 22, 2020)
- Reading level : 13 - 18 years
and in Kindle edition:
- File Size : 4028 KB
- Publication Date : October 20, 2020
- Publisher : Northern Lights Press (October 20, 2020)
- Print Length : 266 pages
- Word Wise : Enabled
- ASIN : B088NLHFBR
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
"The Red Ribbon" by Pepper Basham -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway
About the Book
Book: The Red Ribbon
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Christian historical/suspense
Release Date: October, 2020
An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912
In Carroll County, a corn shucking is the social event of the season, until a mischievous kiss leads to one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history. Ava Burcham isn’t your typical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. She has a bad habit of courtin’ trouble, and her curiosity has opened a rift in the middle of a feud between politicians and would-be outlaws, the Allen family. Ava’s tenacious desire to find a story worth reporting may land her and her best friend, Jeremiah Sutphin, into more trouble than either of them planned. The end result? The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912.
My Thoughts
I have been enjoying the True Colors series and I enjoyed reading "The Red Ribbon", too. I found the book to be well written and I felt immersed in the culture of the Appalachian people. It was hard for my mind to understand how the feuds are held for so many generations, but I know that it was the way of the people in the mountains. I liked the little bit of mystery in the story. There isn't much in the way of seeing Ava and Jeremiah falling in love, more just realizing they already are in love. There was a nice biblical faith element through the story.
About the Author
humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains where her family have lived for generations. She’s the mom of five kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus, and proud AlleyCat over at the award winning Writer’s Alley blog. Her debut historical romance novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015, and the second in February 2016. Her first contemporary romance debuted in April 2016.
More from Pepper
Feuds, Moonshine, and Family Loyalties by Pepper Basham
My upcoming release for Barbour’s True Colors series is really close to my heart…and pretty close to my house.
The Red Ribbon, my first foray into a historical suspense novel, takes place in the county where I grew up. Carroll County, Virginia, is a county on the border of Virginia and North Carolina, not too far from Mt. Airy (Mayberry). Nestled in the foothills and mountains of the Blue Ridge, it is a part of the Appalachian Mountains, and with that comes similar histories as other backwoods Appalachian communities: feuds, moonshine, and family loyalties.
One thing I love most about my Appalachian upbringing is the intense closeness of family – and when I say ‘family’ I mean, of course, my mom, dad, and brother, but also my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents…the whole “gang”, as my granny used to say.
The closeness of family, and the protection of the family name, is a big deal in Appalachia. There’s a lot of pride in the way your ‘name’ is thought of throughout the community, so when someone insults your name, there’s a good chance the repercussions aren’t going to be pleasant. Especially back in the early 1900s, when The Red Ribbon takes place. In fact, insulting someone by “stealing a kiss” is one of the events that leads to The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre/Tragedy.
A long-time feud between the Allen family and the “Courthouse Clan” came to a head inside the Hillsville Courthouse in March 1912 and this event resulted in the largest shootout within a courthouse in Virginia history. The story followed with a nationwide manhunt and made national news until the sinking of the Titanic the following month.
Growing up in Carroll County, I knew a few things about this story. Rumors and whispers, really. Most folks didn’t talk about it because it still caused a stir among those who were descendants (because another thing about Appalachia is that families tend to stay on or around family land for generations). People still took “sides”. So, when I decided to write this book, I knew I was stepping into precarious territory. Not that anyone would start up a shootout nowadays because of a book, but because people still have some deep feelings about how their ancestors are portrayed in history, and since many of my family members still live in Carroll County, I wanted to tread carefully into the events of “The Allen Tragedy”.
What I discovered was a story that still held a whole lot of mystery even one hundred years later. Bullet holes still mark the courthouse steps from that fateful day, rumors still circulate about who was to blame, and no one knows who fired the first gunshot that began the tragic shooting.
I’m not a “scary” book writer or reader, but I love a good adventure, so this book takes the reader on an adventure into Appalachia to my neck of the woods, and follows the journey of Ava Burcham and Jeremiah Sutphin as they live among the illegal moonshiners, dirty cops, and mountain gunslingers of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
(To learn more about the true events of the Courthouse Tragedy, you can read about it here: https://roanoke.com/news/virginia/the-courthouse-tragedy-gunfight-in-hillsville-in-1912/article_45d0d7f3-6e1f-57c4-83be-fceb3d98dafd.html)
Have you ever read a book set in Appalachia? If so, what was the title and what did you learn about the Appalachian culture? Have you ever visited the Blue Ridge Mountains?
Let’s chat mountain people, mountain ways, and mountain books 😊
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 29
Fiction Aficionado, October 29
deb’s Book Review, October 29
Blossoms and Blessings, October 29
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 30
Texas Book-aholic, October 30
Blogging With Carol, October 30
Inklings and notions, October 31
Emily Yager, October 31
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 31
Hallie Reads, October 31
For Him and My Family, November 1
reviewingbooksplusmore, November 1
Christian Bookaholic, November 1
Betti Mace, November 2
Genesis 5020, November 2
For the Love of Literature, November 2
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess , November 2
Rebecca Tews, November 3
Robin’s Nest, November 3
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 3
Connect in Fiction, November 4
Older & Smarter?, November 4
To Everything There Is A Season, November 4
Artistic Nobody, November 4 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
21st Century Keeper at Home, November 5
By The Book, November 5
Remembrancy, November 5
Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 6
Britt Reads Fiction, November 6
Life of Literature, November 6
Connie’s History Classroom, November 7
Splashes of Joy, November 7
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 7
A Reader’s Brain, November 8
Sara Jane Jacobs, November 8
Through the Fire Blogs, November 8
Godly Book Reviews, November 8
Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, November 9
Bigreadersite, November 9
Where Faith and books Meet, November 9
Books I’ve Read, November 10
Just the Write Escape, November 10
Adventures of a Travelers Life, November 10
Amanda Tero, blog, November 11
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 11
Pause for Tales, November 11
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a 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/1032d/the-red-ribbon-celebration-tour-giveaway
"The Red Ribbon" is available in paperback:
- Paperback : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1643526499
- ISBN-13 : 978-1643526492
- Product Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
- Publisher : Barbour Books (October 1, 2020)
and in Kindle edition:
- File Size : 2071 KB
- Publication Date : October 1, 2020
- Print Length : 258 pages
- Publisher : Barbour Books (October 1, 2020)
- ASIN : B085LZ8VJ9
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.
Monday, October 26, 2020
"A Very Bookish Thanksgiving" by Kelsey Bryant, Sarah Holman, Rebekah Jones, J.Grace Pennington, and Amanda Tero --Book Spotlight and Giveaway
Five stories.
Five book-lovers.
Five Thanksgiving novellas inspired by five classics.
This is a limited-edition novella collection
with contributions by five different authors.
The Promise of Acorns ~ Kelsey Bryant
Erin Moore is a nanny whose strained relationship with
Thanksgiving becomes even more complicated when
her new employer asks her to teach his grandchildren
about the holiday. The results surprise them both.
Inspired by Jane Eyre
As Long as I Belong ~ Sarah Holman
Young Analise Marshall has always felt like she straddles
two worlds, like Jane Austen’s Fanny Price. Yet, near
Thanksgiving, she faces the fact she might soon not
belong anywhere at all.
Inspired by Mansfield Park
The Windles and the Lost Boy ~ Rebekah Jones
All Lost Boys could find refuge with Patrick Quill. Jeremy
might do the same—if he could find him and if Patrick is real.
Inspired by Peter Pan
Grand Intentions ~ J. Grace Pennington
Pippa has always dreamed of being a great novelist, but between
her job and helping her mom raise her three younger brothers, she
never seems to be able to write. So when her grandmother offers
her a few months away with all the time she could wish for, she’s
sure to write the story she’s always dreamed of—or does her
problem run deeper than she thinks?
Inspired by Great Expectations
A Fine Day Tomorrow ~ Amanda Tero
Essie March never planned to do much with her life, being the
sickly one of the family. And just as she starts to pursue her
dream of nursing, it seems that everything stands in her way
to prevent it.
Inspired by Little Women
Releases on October 26!
Available for pre-order now at this link
(The price will go up from $2.99 to $4.99 on
October 26, so get it now!)
About the Authors:
Kelsey Bryant is an author, editor, and martial arts instructor
from Central Texas. She loves God, her family, classic
literature, and anything that transports her to the past.
Website | Facebook | Goodreads
Sarah Holman lives in Central Texas with her amazing
family. When not working on her next novel, she can
usually be found hanging out with her siblings, reading,
or taking long walks. If there is anything adventuresome
about her life, it’s because she serves a God with a
destiny bigger than anything she could have imagined.
Website | Facebook | Goodreads
Rebekah Jones is first and foremost a follower of the
Living God. She started writing as a little girl, seeking
to glorify her King with her books and stories. Rebekah
is an old soul in a young body (she’s not 12—honest!).
While her exact age is classified, her interests are not.
Among them are reading a variety of books, singing,
playing and composing music, studying all manner of
subjects, nannying an adventurous group of youngsters,
and, of course, writing her books, poems, articles, and
short stories. She writes a wide range of books from
gentle children’s adventures to family sagas to murder
mysteries.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
J. Grace Pennington has been telling stories since she
could talk and writing them down since age five. Now
she lives in the great state of Texas, where she writes as
much as adult life permits. When she’s not writing she
enjoys reading good books, having adventures with her
husband, and looking up at the stars.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Amanda Tero grew up attending a one room school
with her eleven siblings—and loved it! She also fell
in love with reading to the point her mom withheld her
books to get her to do her chores. That love of reading
turned into a love of writing YA fiction. Amanda is a
music teacher by day and a literary guide by night,
creating stories that whisk readers off to new eras and
introduce them to heroic but flawed characters that live
out their faith in astonishing ways.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Giveaway!
Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a fun fall package!
Giveaway package includes Hello Autumn sign,
Thankful jar, Fall cozy, and Autumn-themed charm
necklace
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