Friday, July 19, 2019

"Yours Truly, Thomas" by Rachel Rachel Fordham -- Book Review

Rachel Fordham is a new to me author and I will be looking for more books by her. I enjoyed reading "Yours Truly, Thomas". I liked Penny and Thomas and found them to be realistic in their desires and fears. I liked the inclusion of the letters as part of the book. I liked the spiritual thread that was wound through the book. I found myself wanting to be able to visit Azure Springs and go get dinner at Margaret's boardinghouse.

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.

"Midnight on the River Grey" by Abigail Wilson -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Midnight on the River Grey

Author: Abigail Wilson

Genre: Historical Romance/Mystery

Release date: July 2, 2019

Abigail Wilson returns to Regency England with another tale of murder, mystery, and romance.

After her elder brother’s mysterious death, Rebecca Hunter vows to expose the man she believes responsible-Mr. Lewis Browning-known by the locals as the Midnight Devil and by Rebecca as her new guardian. He alone was on the bridge that fateful night and openly admits striking her brother with his horse, but he claims he remembers little else.

Summoned to his reclusive country estate to await her London season, Rebecca plans her own secret investigation. Yet, Lewis Browning is not as she once imagined, and his motivation is horribly unclear. Recurrent nightmares and Rebecca’s restless feelings are further complicated by the shadow of her mother’s prior descent into madness and whether she too will follow the same heartbreaking path.

Even as midnight rides, strange injuries, and further murders lead back to Lewis, Rebecca can’t ignore the subtle turn of her heart. Has she developed feelings for the man she swore to see hanged? And moreover, can she trust him with her uncertain future?

My Thoughts

"Midnight on the River Grey" was a delight to read. I eagerly devoured it. I found it to be well written with realistic characters, some to like and some to dislike. I was kept guessing to the mystery as the book took twists and turns that were unexpected. Several times, it felt as if I were reading a Jane Austen book with the language usage appropriate for the time period. The book didn't really have any spiritual element to it at all. I look forward to reading more books by Abigail Wilson.

About the Author

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children. Connect with Abigail at www.acwilsonbooks.com; Instagram: acwilsonbooks; Facebook: ACWilsonbooks; Twitter: @acwilsonbooks.

An excerpt from Midnight on the River Grey

My heartbeat turned sluggish as an ache swelled in the back of my throat. This man—the person responsible for my brother’s death—expected me to live with him? In his house? Madness.

“And if we refuse?”

“I’m afraid there is little choice in the matter at this point. The arrangements are already complete.”

Mr. Browning narrowed his blue eyes, scrutinizing me, no doubt, as the numbing shock of his declaration faded to resignation across my face. He sighed. “I do realize Greybourne Hall might hold unfortunate associations for you—”

“Unfortunate?” My voice came out a bit louder than I’d expected. “Is that what you choose to call it?”

He gave a sideways glance at Aunt Jo then returned to me, a pained look hovering about his eyes. His voice, however, remained firm. “Forgive me if I startled you. I hadn’t expected such a violent reaction to what I assumed was the logical next step. Perhaps I should make myself a bit clearer.” He gave a curt sigh. “I only intend for you to stay at Greybourne Hall till some place more suitable can be arranged. Unfortunately, there are few options at present.”

Ice enveloped my heart. I had no wish to travel to, let alone live at that dreadful house, not even for a single night. In his letters, Jacob had described the rambling structure as a gray pile of stones fit for vampires, or worse. I could only image Mr. Browning, this dark-headed devil before me, at home in such a place.

Blog Stops

Fiction Aficionado, July 11

All-of-a-kind Mom, July 11

The Power of Words, July 11

Emily Yager, July 12

Blogging With Carol , July 12

Stories By Gina, July 12

Just the Write Escape, July 13

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 13

Simple Harvest Reads, July 14 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

For Him and My Family, July 14

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 15

Wishful Endings, July 15

Godly Book Reviews, July 15

Texas Book-aholic, July 16

Retrospective Spines, July 16

Seasons of Opportunities, July 17

For the Love of Literature, July 17

Mary Hake, July 17

Genesis 5020, July 18

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 18

Bigreadersite, July 18

Blessed & Bookish, July 19

Through the Fire Blogs, July 19

Blossoms and Blessings, July 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 20

Remembrancy, July 20

Inspiration Clothesline, July 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 21

Pause for Tales, July 21

A Reader’s Brain, July 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 22

Inklings and notions, July 22

Hallie Reads, July 23

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, July 23

janicesbookreviews, July 23

A Baker’s Perspective, July 24

Ashley’s Bookshelf, July 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Abigail is giving away a grand prize of a copy of her 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/e5a8/midnight-on-the-river-grey-towers-celebration-tour-giveaway

"Midnight on the River Grey" is available in paperback:

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 2, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0785224122
ISBN-13: 978-0785224129
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches

and in Kindle edition:

File Size: 2148 KB
Print Length: 336 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 2, 2019)
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
Language: English
ASIN: B07KDZLDP8

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.

Friday, July 12, 2019

Amanda Tero Guest Post #2

About the Tour

Welcome to the second month of the Tales of Faith 3-Month tour! For the month of June, Amanda guest posted on a dozen blogs, featuring “Befriending the Beast.” This month, we’re getting a deeper look into book two of the Tales of Faith series: “The Secret Slipper.” Each post by Amanda is unique to the blog—an inspirational post, an article on the writing craft, an excerpt from one of the Tales of Faith books… you’ll just have to visit each blog to see what comes up. ;) Amanda will link to each blog on With a Joyful Noise, so check in every week and see what blogs have a special Tales of Faith feature!

About Amanda

Amanda Tero began her love for words at a young age—reading anything she could get her hands on and penning short stories as young as age eight. Since graduation, she has honed her writing skills by dedicated practice and study of the writing craft. She began her journey of publication with a few short stories that she had written for her sisters and continued to add to her collection with other short stories, novellas, and novels. It is her utmost desire to write that which not only pleases her Lord and Savior, but also draws the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Connect with Amanda

Email: amandaterobooks@gmail.com
Website: http://amandatero.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandateroauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandateroauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amandaruthtero/
Blog: www.withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AmandaTero
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/amandatero

One Word: Balance

About the Process

Sometimes, life throws a little irony your way.

Unless you’re me.

Then life throws a lot of irony your way.

Because I love that word.

The irony of today? Well… I’m in the process of working hard to get “Protecting the Poor” edited so I can format it and get it off to the printers in time for August 26. My goal was to run through five chapters of beta readers’ comments so I could get everything on my list done. Instead, I darted through two readers’ complete comments and was grinding my way through a third when I glanced down at my to-do list.

3-Month Tour posts!!

How could I forget?! This post’s deadline comes before “Protecting the Poor’s,” even though a book involves an insane amount more of work than an article. And the article’s theme? “About the process.”

So far in this tour, I’ve focused each month on a specific book from the Tales of Faith series. But for this post, I’m going to have to ignore that it’s “The Secret Slipper’s” month and just talk about today. Because it was almost two years ago that I wrote “The Secret Slipper” and though I know I had juggling issues in order to get it done (because it always happens), my poor brain can hardly remember what I did a week

ago. Today, you’ll get the very real-life author with a very real-life, up-to-date post of the writing process—and here is your fair warning that you’ll get 100% me: rambling, nonsensical, rushed, hoping-these-ideas-make-sense me (yes, my books take a lot of editing ;)).

Because it doesn’t really matter which book I’m in the process of, the invaluable lesson for every manuscript is this: balance.

When I was a kid, I used to think that authors lived a 9-to-5-type job. Big deception there. I think I have met two authors who are able to keep that type of a schedule? Otherwise, pretty much all authors have it the same: writing is just another ball in this grand juggling act of life. For me, balance is a huge issue when it comes to the process of writing. In fact, some people don’t even realize I write, because the angle

they see is the musician (teacher, student, composer, accompanist)—and, ironically (yeah… that word), some people don’t realize I’m a musician because they just see the writer. I say this just because sometimes it helps to know the person behind the writing. We all have life to live—families, friends, church, jobs, etc.

Usually, writing is just a small percentage of my life. Thus, when I look at writing, I have to view it in segments in order to stay sane.

There is a purpose.

I have about a hundred ideas. But… for now, there is just one idea that I have to focus on (key point here).

If I try to tackle all of the ideas I’m interested in, I will get nowhere. So at any given time, my focus is

primarily on one idea.

There is a process.

Brainstorm. Write. Brainstorm with two or three friends. Write more. Finish the rough draft (sometimes rewrite, if needed). Read through. Send to beta readers. Take a break while beta readers are reading. Get their feedback. Apply their notes (which may mean rewriting, may mean just editing). Print and hand to Mom (line editor). Edit. Format. Submit to the printers.

Okay, okay, so that was a really blunt and quick overview, but it’s really how my brain works. Because I realize I need to hone my attention to one idea at a time (this is just me as a writer), it helps me to go through the process I need to go through.

Now, sometimes processes can overlap. This summer, while “Protecting the Poor” was in the hands of my beta readers (usually a one-month process), I worked madly on writing the rough draft of my Librarians of Willow Hollow novella (read about that upcoming series here). My timing doesn’t always work so perfectly, but God blessed me (I do not say this lightly!), so now my Willow Hollow manuscript is in the

hands of my alpha readers (the authors of other Willow Hollow novellas), and I can turn my attention back to “Protecting the Poor.”

There is promo.

At the same time all of this is going on, I have to slip in some time to do promo stuff (like… this blog post I nearly forgot about; yeah, it’s not exactly promo-promo, but I count it in that ballpark). I know I’m not the only author who despises that word. Graphics designs. Quote graphics. Blog posts. I have to work to connect with my readers—and I truly do love my readers. But with everything going on, it sometimes

is the one thing that falls to back burner. But I do make my attempts at promo.

There is a product.

There you have it. At long last, there is something at the end of this juggling act of life-and-writing. So often, though, we look at others’ lives and see only the product instead of the process it took to get there. My word of encouragement to any writer reading this is remember that pretty much any author’s life is as crazy as your own… but with a prayerful balance, it can be done. I don’t write every day (I sometimes wish I could)—sometimes I haven’t written for months on end. I don’t churn out as many projects as I wish I could, but in the end, I firmly believe I publish as many projects as God directs me to.

How do you keep a balance in your life (this totally doesn’t have to be writing-related)? Are you a list-type person?

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

"Tate" by Susan May Warren -- Book Review, Facebook Takeover, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book Name: Tate
Series: The Montana Marshalls #2

Author: Susan May Warren

What will it cost this bodyguard to save the woman he loves?

Bodyguard, Tate Marshall, has always been the family troublemaker. Maybe it’s his impulsive propensity to get into the middle of problems that don’t belong to him. But once in, he can’t stop himself from trying to solve them and that includes his recent dilemma. He’s in love with the woman he’s supposed to protect, the beautiful Gloria, “Glo” Jackson, daughter of US Senator and presidential hopeful Reba Jackson. A member of the country band, the Yankee Belles, Glo was targeted in a recent terrorist attack designed to deter her mother from running.

Glo is as stubborn as her mother, and Glo isn’t about to hide from threats, at least the kind that won’t cost her heart. Because she’s already paid a terrible price for the war on terror, and she can’t let herself love a man who might die, especially because of her.

As the campaign heats up and the threats deepen, so does the attraction between Tate and Glo. But when they’re discovered, and Tate is fired, what will he do to protect the woman he loves?

And what will Glo do to keep from losing another man to the costs of war?

The gripping second installment of the Marshall Family series.

My Thoughts

"Tate" starts off right where "Knox" ended. The book does give you an excerpt from "Knox" to catch you up a little, but it would be much better to just read the books in order. Tate and Glo's story starts as a sub plot in "Knox", just like Ford and Scarlett's story starts as a sub plot in "Tate". Once I picked up the book, I didn't want to put it down. There were good spiritual truths in the book and it had twists and turns I didn't expect. Life is messy and families are not all roses and sunshine, but God can meet you where you are and lift you up. I can't wait to read the rest of Ford's story.

Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Tate & a $25 Amazon gift card

Link to Tour Landing Page & Giveaway: http://bit.ly/TakeoverTate

"Tate" is available in Kindle edition:

File Size: 6077 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: SDG Publishing; 1 edition (July 9, 2019)
Publication Date: July 9, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07QJDFS8K

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.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

"Married to a Stranger" by Laura V. Hilton -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Married to a Stranger

Author: Laura V. Hilton

Genre: Christian Amish Romance Fiction

Release date: July 2, 2019

He marries her out of need. She marries him to escape. What does love have to do with it?

When her father falsely accuses a stranger of dishonoring her, Bethel Eicher finds herself promised in marriage to a man she’s never met. Not exactly a dream come true, but since she has spent several years caring for her handicapped mother, she’s already considered an old maid at twenty-five—and she longs to escape her lonely life as permanent caregiver.

When newly-called Amish preacher Gideon Kaiser learns he’s been accused of a dishonorable act, he’s horrified. But his wife died in childbirth and his baby needs a mother, so he figures marrying a woman he’s never met could be beneficial.

How can Bethel and Gideon possibly make their marriage work—especially when the truth behind the accusations is revealed?

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading "Married to a Stranger". It was fun to see characters we've met in previous books. We actually got to meet both Gideon and Bethel in the previous book "The Amish Candymaker". I liked Gideon and how he really wanted to do the right thing even though he kept messing up. It made him very relatable and human. I felt the spiritual thread in the story was nice and taught good lessons. It was also fun to read about places I've been. I was born in Grand Rapids and have been to White Caps games before. I was a little disappointed to not really learn what was going on with Rodney. Maybe we'll get the rest of the story in the next book? I hope so. I look forward to reading more books by Laura V. Hilton.

About the Author

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Laura V. Hilton is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with more than a thousand reviews published on the Internet.
Laura’s first series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Seymour, includes Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts, and Promised to Another. In 2012, A Harvest of Hearts received a Laurel Award, placing first in the Amish Genre Clash. Her second series, The Amish of Webster County, consists of Healing Love, Surrendered Love, and Awakened Love, followed by a stand-alone title, A White Christmas in Webster County. Laura’s last series, The Amish of Jamesport, includes The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Birdhouse. Prior to Married to a Stranger, Laura published Firestorm, Love by the Numbers, The Amish Firefighter, and The Amish Wanderer.

Previously, Laura published two novels with Treble Heart Books, Hot Chocolate and Shadows of the Past, as well as several devotionals.
A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Laura earned a business degree from Ozarka Technical College. She and her husband, Steve, have five children and make their home in Arkansas. To learn more about Laura, read her reviews, and find out about her upcoming releases, readers may visit her blog at http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/.

Read an Excerpt

He marries her out of need. She marries him to escape. What does love have to do with it?

He’s falsely accused of dishonoring her. She longs to escape her father’s household. Can they make their forced, arranged marriage work?

“Gideon, choose love. Not loss.” Lizzie gave a quiet sigh and then her eyes rolled back in her head.

“It’s a lie.” Bethel straightened. “Whoever he described has never touched me. Nobody has.”

Either he marry the woman who’d accused him of sexually assaulting her—a woman he had nein recollection of ever meeting, not to mention the fact that he had never touched any woman besides his beloved frau—or his name would be dragged through the mud for a sin he hadn’t committed, a sin for which he’d be forced to kneel and confess.

It wouldn’t do any gut to ask der Herr for this stranger—what was his name, anyway?—to be nice to her, because it seemed apparent Gott hadn’t heard one word of her endless prayers over the last few days. Either that, or He callously chose to disregard her requests.

It was probably the only wedding nacht in history during which the groom had hidden in the basement and raged, huddled upon and beneath a pile of blankets for warmth—warmth that never seemed to reach his core—before he cried himself into a fitful sleep.

At least, with this situation being handled directly between Gideon and both their fathers, with nein preacher or bishop involvement, none of the potentially damaging dirty laundry was hung out to dry.

The condemning stares from Gideon’s family members seemed to bore into Bethel’s back the entire time she prepared their breakfast and then washed the dishes.

She should’ve packed her bags and run away instead of going through with the wedding. Which was probably what her sister had done, kum to think of it.

He could see the hurt and bewilderment lingering in her eyes, as if she still didn’t fully realize how she’d gotten here, or why her father had chosen to believe an old widower over his own dochter.

Bethel’s first time changing Elam’s diaper didn’t go as badly as she’d feared. Lying on the changing table in his bedroom, the boppli waved his feet in the air and blew bubbles at her, completely winning her heart.