Welcome to the Blog Tour for In a Grove of Maples by Jenny Knipfer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title:In a Grove of Maples Series:Sheltering Trees #1 Author: Jenny Knipfer Publisher: Independently Published Release Date: July 1, 2021 Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction
In 1897 newly married Beryl and Edward Massart travel more than one thousand miles from Quebec to farm a plot of land in Wisconsin that they bought sight-unseen. An almost magical grove of maples on their property inspires them to dream of a real home built within the grove, not the tiny log cabin they’ve come to live in.
Misunderstandings and tempers get the better of them when difficulties and troubles arise. Just months after they wed, Edward leaves pregnant Beryl in the midst of the coming winter to tend the farm and animals while he goes to be a teamster at a northern Wisconsin logging camp.
Will Beryl and Edward walk into the future together to build their house of dreams in the grove of maples, or will their plans topple like a house of sticks when the winds of misunderstanding and disaster strike?
Readers of Christian historical fiction, Historical fiction, Women’s fiction, and Christian historical romance will be endeared to this slice of late 19th-century farm life.
Dear Diary,
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. This broken wing. This storm between us. All the unmade memories I held dear before I put on my dress of white wound me. I grieve for a wish which hasn’t come to pass—a wish for happiness. My disillusioned, childhood fantasy has taken flight like a dandelion seed blown off course. Happiness has not come to germinate inside of me. I’m not even sure how to define that most elusive of desires. I simply know—I do not possess it.
Is there a way through the tornado of our differences, or will the cold and the heat in us clash and destroy what we’ve built? Will we topple like a house of sticks or stand because we’ve chosen to construct our home, our hearts, together, from something more substantial?
I don’t know. All I can do is try and pray that Edward is willing to do the same.
MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenny Knipfer lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.
Spending many years as a librarian in a local public library, Jenny recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability. Her education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions.
Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set.
She deems a cup of tea and a good book an essential part of every day. When not writing, Jenny can be found reading, tending to her many houseplants, or piecing quilt blocks at her sewing machine.
Her new historical fiction, four-part series entitled, Sheltering Trees, is set in the area Jenny grew up in, where she currently lives, and places along Minnesota’s Northern Shore, where she loves to visit. She is currently writing a four-part novella series entitled: Botanical Seasons.
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 16, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 23, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Set in Stone by David James Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
The continuing adventures of Rembrandt Stone from the creative minds of James L. Rubart, Susan May Warren, and newcomer David Curtis Warren, writing collectively as David James Warren.
Title: Set in Stone Series: The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone #4 Author: David James Warren Publisher: TriStone Media Release Date: August 10, 2021 Genre: Time Travel Detective Series
Rembrandt Stone is on the case of a serial killer. But when the killer finds him first, he puts the one person Rembrandt loves in his cross hairs. Now, Rembrandt must outwit time to save the people he loves.
What is happiness? Is it a place? A time? A choice?
I am afraid of the answer. Because if it is either of the former two, it’s lost to me.
Lost in time, a place that has vanished by my own making and I stand in the wasteland of my choices.
Except, not a wasteland, really. Because I have nearly everything I want.
Nearly.
“Rembrandt, come to bed. It’s cold out.”
The voice lifts from the beautiful woman under our covers, my wife of seven years, which is almost correct.
Close enough, really, to the truth.
Maybe this is my truth.
I’m standing at the open window of my two-story craftsman home. The bare wood floor chills my feet, and a crispness layers the June air, as if the night is on alert.
The sky is a deep indigo, stars staring down at me. The giant dead elm tree at the back of our yard, still here, despite my taking it down in a previous timeline, stretches skeletal arms across the yard and through moonlight waxing my backyard.
In my dreams, I see a swing set there, a little girl, age seven, swinging, her braids flopping with every pump. Daddy, watch me!
She is blonde and sweet, and her laughter fills my soul.
My throat burns and I have my answer.
Happiness is a person.
Movement, the bed clothes rustling, then the creak of the floor and I still as Eve comes up and wraps her strong arms around me. She is warm and solid and real and this should be enough for me.
A kiss to my spine sends a ripple of heat through me.
I’ve missed her so much, my body aches.
“Thinking about your new job?” She smells of the lavender cream she lathers onto her skin every night.
It feels like a lifetime since I’ve wrapped my hands around hers, since we’ve shared this quiet awareness of each other.
Three lifetimes, actually.
Because this is my third try at rewriting my life, to find myself back at the beginning.
And like I said, this time, I nearly got it right.
James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man’s body. He’s the best-selling, Christy Hall of Fame author of ten novels and loves to send readers on mind-bending journeys they’ll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He’s dad to the two most outstanding sons on the planet and lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in eastern Washington. More at http://jameslrubart.com/
Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling, Christy and RITA award–winning author of more than eighty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. The mother of four grown children, and married to her real-life hero for over 30 years, she loves traveling and telling stories about life, adventure, and faith.
For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com.
David Curtis Warren is making his literary debut in these novels, and he’s never been more excited. He looks forward to creating more riveting stories with Susie and Jim, as well as on his own. He’s grateful for his co-writers, family, and faith, buoying him during the pandemic of 2020, and this writing and publishing process.
(1) winner will receive a print copy of Set in Stone and a $15 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 10, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 17, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Not sure how it happened, but I ended up with TWO copies of The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner. The mix-up is now your gain, because I am giving one copy away to one of my readers. Just leave a comment to be entered. (US only please.) The winner will be randomly picked August 18. Good luck!
In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.
Though her father supports Mindy’s desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he’ll lose the daughter he’s poured his heart into. Mindy’s mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy’s sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family–but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.
Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code.
Susie Finkbeiner is a story junkie. Always has been and always will be. It seems it’s a congenital condition, one she’s quite fond of.
After decades of reading everything she could get her hands on (except for See the Eel, a book assigned to her while in first grade, a book she declared was unfit for her book-snob eyes), Susie realized that she wanted to write stories of her own. She began with epics about horses and kittens (but never, ever eels).
It takes years to grow a writer and after decades of work, Susie realized (with much gnashing of teeth and tears) that she was a novelist. In order to learn how to write novels, she read eclectically and adventurously (she may never swim with sharks, but the lady will jump into nearly any story). After reading the work of Lisa Samson, Patti Hill, and Bonnie Grove she realized that there was room for a writer like her in Christian fiction.
Her first novels Paint Chips (2013) and My Mother’s Chamomile (2014) have contemporary settings. While she loved those stories and especially the characters, Susie felt the pull toward historical fiction.
When she read Into the Free by Julie Cantrell she knew she wanted to write historical stories with a side of spunk, grit, and vulnerability. Susie is also greatly inspired by the work of Jocelyn Green, Rachel McMillan, and Tracy Groot.
A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl (2015), Finkbeiner’s bestselling historical set in 1930s Oklahoma, has been compared to the work of John Steinbeck and Harper Lee (which flatters Susie’s socks off). Pearl’s story continues with A Trail of Crumbs: A Novel of the Great Depression (2017) and A Song of Home: A Novel of the Swing Era (2018).
What does she have planned after that? More stories, of course. She’s a junkie. She couldn’t quit if she wanted to.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Father He Deserves by Lisa Jordan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The Father He Deserves Series: Holland Brothers Author:Lisa Jordan Publisher: Love Inspired Release Date: June 29, 2021 Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
A determined dad. A wary mother. Making amends is never easy…
Injured in a kayaking accident, champion Evan Holland returns home to train rescue dogs. But his unexpected partner is the woman he left behind, Natalie Bishop. And she has a secret: a son Evan never knew he had. Now Evan must prove he can be a real father. But earning Natalie’s trust back will take hope, forgiveness—and risking everything on forever…
“I got it!” Aidan cried. “You and Dad can get married.
“Then we can all move into the new house when it’s put together. Like a family.”
Natalie’s gaze drifted across the road. “I wish it could be that simple, A, but it’s not.”
“Why?”
Natalie shot Evan a pleading look.
“Hey, buddy. Sometimes moms and dads live together and sometimes they don’t. Even though we don’t live together, that doesn’t change how we feel about you.”
“But I want us to be a family with one house, not two.”
Truth be told, at one time, Evan had wanted the same thing.”
Excerpt From: Lisa Jordan’s The Father He Deserves.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heart, home and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. She is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing novels that promise hope & happily ever after. Happily married for nearly thirty years, she and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, good books, crafting with friends and kayaking. Visit her at www.lisajordanbooks.com.
(1) winner will receive a print copy of The Father He Deserves by Lisa Jordan and a $20 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 5, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 12, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Print copy US only. Ebook and gift card available for international where available. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Far Above Rubies by Jolyn Canty, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Far Above Rubies: The Life of Louisa MacDonald Author:Jolyn Canty Publisher: Azure Star LLC Release Date: April 14, 2021 Genre: Biography
Her husband — a friend to Mark Twain, mentor to Lewis Carroll, and the man C.S. Lewis called his “master” — was one of the greatest Christian writers of the Victorian era. She was his hidden gem, the bulwark and bastion on which he could lean. Though she was an accomplished musician and singer, an advocate for the poor and neglected, and a published author, she didn’t need the spotlight, but was content to be her husband’s biggest fan and companion. She bore eleven children and adopted and cared for several others. Enduring hardships few of us will ever experience, this petite woman faced them with courage and strength.
As George wrote and taught, Louisa sang and prayed, nursed and loved. She lived by example the things she most wanted her children to learn: to be industrious and willing to do the next thing; to be filled with God’s Spirit so they could pour out His love to those around them; to discover their gifts and use them to bless others; to care for the poor; and, most importantly, to always keep their hearts and homes open to any child in need.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jolyn Canty is the wife to her beloved Earle, the mother of six, and the adoring Nana of three grandchildren. She is a talented artist, a passionate quilter, and a long-time devotee of George MacDonald.
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Far Above Rubies by Jolyn Canty and a $25 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 6, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 13, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Print copy US only. Ebook and gift card available for international where available. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Pearl’s Promise by Edwina Kiernan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Pearl’s Promise Series: Gems of Grace #2 Author: Edwina Kiernan Publisher: Moliant Publishing Release Date: May 1, 2021 Genre: Christian Historical Romance
A duty-bound heir. A dejected spinster.
An encounter that could ruin both their families’ demands for their futures…
Horrified to see the man she had always dreamed of marrying saying his vows to someone else, Pearl Acton’s devastation only seems to confirm one of her deepest fears – that she’ll remain unseen and alone, never mattering to anyone.
And when her family falls on hard times and seeks to marry her off to a wealthy suitor as soon as possible, her other deepest fear seems inevitable – being trapped in a loveless marriage, just like her parents.
Until an encounter with a quiet and soulful heir, Nicholas Dalton, sparks a fragile hope that perhaps Pearl might save her family’s fortune and marry for love.
But when circumstances on both sides of their families take drastic turns, the promise of happiness seems irrevocably shattered.
As Pearl and Nicholas each strive to uphold their family duties, they soon discover that things aren’t quite what they seem. But is it too late to escape their crushing obligations and forge a new path – together?
Mr. Acton sighed. “We may have to seek out a position for you.” He looked at her, turning his gaze away almost as quickly as it had met her own.
“A position?” Pearl asked. Her heart picked up speed.
Hear him out, she instructed herself. Perhaps, he does not mean—
“As a governess.”
Mr. Acton’s words seemed to echo in the air as Pearl took them in.
A governess. Not only would she never marry Henry — now, she may never marry at all. Nor would she even be able to take refuge in the company of like-minded friends. Instead, she would be isolated from all that she had ever known, caught in the grey area between gentry and domestics — fitting in with neither, belonging to no one.
She swallowed hard, determined to force back down her rising despair.
“Your mother and I shall remove to a smaller house. We may be able to scrape by. Two mouths may be possible to feed, but three . . . A position as a governess will ensure that you have a roof over your head and food in your belly. It is my duty to make sure you are taken care of, and at present, this is the best way it seems that I might do so.”
Pearl was grateful for the sorrowful remorse that filled her father’s voice as he spoke. It made it sound like he didn’t want to send her away. Not really. Yet, he had referred to her as a mouth to feed. Was that all she was?
A burden. Such a horrid word. It felt as heavy as it sounded.
Nausea rippled through her each time she thought of the other word that would soon describe her.
Governess.
So that was to be her destiny. A life unseen as she cared for someone else’s children, stripped of the possibility of ever having her own.
Edwina Kiernan is a Christian writer, and author of the well-received Inspirational Regency romance novel, Ruby’s Redemption.
An enthusiast of classic novels and history, Edwina combines her faith, imagination, and research in hope-infused tales set in times past. Her latest novel is the second in the Inspirational Regency romance series, Gems of Grace.
A lifelong word admirer, with Welsh and Irish heritage, she started writing stories early in childhood. She still loves to learn, taking courses from places like Oxford University and the Beau Monde, for both fun and further education.
When she’s not writing, Edwina loves spending time with her dashing husband and lively little son, reading and studying the Bible, getting lost in a captivating novel, and drinking more types of tea than most people realize even exist.
For free gifts, updates, and lots of classic and historical fiction goodness, join her mailing list at EdwinaKiernan.com
(1) winner will receive a print copy of Pearl’s Promise and a $25 Amazon gift card!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight June 22, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on June 29, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
A modern-day fairytale of rescue and hope from NYT bestselling author Rachel Hauck
Growing up in small town Hearts Bend, Tennessee, Gemma Stone had big dreams. So she headed to Hollywood to make her mark in the world.
But dreams have a way of becoming nightmares. When she returns home twelve years later, she’s limping through life and harboring a dark secret.
Running a rescue ranch and raising her friends’ orphaned daughter is her sole mission now. All the while she’s well aware these defenseless ones are also rescuing her.
HRH Crown Prince John has learned a royal title cannot shield him from heartbreak. He had the perfect life as heir to the revered House of Blue, the royal dynasty of Lauchtenland, and married the love of his life. Then tragedy changed everything. Is there any way to be saved from a life of grief?
When he finds himself in Hearts Bend on a mission for his mother, Queen Catherine, he catches up with a good friend–country music great Buck Mathews. He has no intention of joining the 4th of July fun until he’s cajoled into a three-legged race with the beautiful Gemma Stone.
The disastrous race leads to a quick friendship. They are easy and comfortable around one another because love is absolutely not an option.
John desperately wants to hold onto the memories of his wife while Gemma refuses to trust her heart to any man. Even a prince.
When trouble in Lauchtenland calls the prince home, he realizes how much Gemma has rescued him. Saved him and restored his hope for his role as future king.
For Gemma, falling in love with the prince must be quenched. If it weren’t for her past, she’d give him her heart in a second. How could she risk bringing her shame to the House of Blue and the world stage?
However, she’s not the only one who can rescue and heal the wound. If she saved Prince John, why can’t he save her? And when he tries, will she have the courage to say yes to the best role of her life?
“Another compelling royal story by the master of princely tales!” Susan May Warren, USA Todaybestselling, RITA award-winning novelist
Part fairy tale, part parable, all wonderful — that’s my impression of Rachel Hauck’s newest novel, To Save A King. For those like me who are big fans of Hauck, you will recognize many favorite characters as she brings together the Wedding Shop and True Blue Royal series. Prince John is reeling from the loss of his wife of only 4 months. Sent off to America by the Queen, he meets a woman destined to heal his wounded heart. Gemma has wounds of her own that she covers with false smiles and hard work. I really liked these two characters. Flawed as they were, they were relatable. Grief, betrayal, shame, and guilt all are obstacles they face. I especially connected with Gemma. She refuses to deal with past mistakes, instead hiding them away so that they gnaw on her soul. I think many Christians resist God making them clean again. As always Hauck infuses a supernatural spiritual element that gives the books a fairy tale quality, yet are spot on in the realities of a faith journey. I loved the tough love of Emmanuel and the princess-prep of Adelaide. In fact Adelaide was a great reminder that all believers are daughters (or sons) of a King. And for fans of romance — this book is filled with swoony moments!
I loved my return visit to Hearts Bend and Lauchtenland, and look forward to many more. You don’t have to read any of the previous novels to enjoy To Save A King, but why miss out? Several books await your reading pleasure!
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to Celebrate Lit and the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
About The Author
Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner. Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie. Three more of her titles are under film contract.
Rachel was awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.
A retired member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Executive Board, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.
In the real world, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.
A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.
She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.
More from Rachel
One of the biggest challenges in a series is keeping the reader interested. Even more of a challenge is writing in a trope like royals.
I never set out to write a second royal series. With five stories in the Royal Wedding Series, I thought I’d explored the topic to my satisfactions.
Yet when readers asked for more, and when I found myself in a season to produce my own stories, another royal series seemed like the perfect fit.
But can I be honest? Really honest? Come close. I’ll tell you a secret. Closer…
Royals can be a bit boring. At least to write. You laugh but I’m serious.
What do we really know of their day to day lives? They attend national functions, patron charities, represent the nation on walkabouts around the world. They are ambassadors with no real political agenda. They champion causes.
But what exactly do they do with their days? What are the inner workings of palace life? What are the real expectations? Do they call the queen “her majesty” when talking among themselves? When talking to her? Are they as formal as it seems on television?
Yet royals are the most documented people in history. So there is a lot to glean from when I make up my worlds.
But at the end of it all, they key for me in writing royal characters is to make them real, everyday people. The prince is the kind of chap you want to chat with over tea. The heroine is the sort of girl you’d love to see become a princess. Maybe even see a bit of yourself in her.
In To Save A King, Crown Prince John is trying to emerge for a year of grief. Gemma Stone is desperate to escape her past.
Gemma’s story has some what of an edge to it. In her attempt to achieve her goals, she walked a path she never thought she’d walk when she was a girl growing up in Hearts Bend, Tennessee. And it proved her undoing.
While we may have never faced a past like Gemma’s, we can all relate to personal betrayal of our values from gossip to immorality. I hope Gemma’s story reminds us the nearness of love and forgiveness.
On a lighter side, I recently learned British society has moved away from chap and bloke, replacing it with the American term “guy.” Isn’t that funny. Louise Lee, my narrator, said it was funny to read those words in To Love A Prince since there were more her parents’ generation. Ah, the signs of a more global society.
Well, I didn’t care if they have gone out of style for young people. I used them anyway. I like them. Maybe we should adopt “chap” and “bloke” over here. What do you say, guys?
I hope you enjoy To Save A King, book two in the True Blue Royal series and find your heart cheering on broken, wounded characters to a happily ever after worthy of a prince and princess.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Hooked On You by Kathleen Fuller, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Hooked On You Series: Maple Falls Romance #1 Author:Kathleen Fuller Publisher: Thomas Nelson Release Date: May 11, 2021 Genre: Contemporary Romance (clean/sweet)
She never wanted to come back. He never wants to leave. The town of Maple Falls has plans for them both.
Riley McAllister is living the dream in New York City . . . if the dream means being a struggling mixed-media artist, part-time food delivery driver, and having a carefully curated social media to hide all of the above. She refuses to admit defeat and move back to small-town Maple Falls, but when her grandmother breaks her leg sliding into third base during a softball game (she was safe, by the way), Riley reluctantly agrees to go home and help the woman who raised her—while secretly hoping she can convince Mimi to sell her house and yarn shop and move in with a good friend. Then Riley can return to her new life in NYC, on her own and for good.
But Mimi has her own plans, which include setting Riley up with local baseball star Hayden Price, who returned to Maple Falls after an injury ended his major league career. Now he works at his father’s hardware store, coaches the church softball team, and worries about the declining town. It’s not the life he dreamed of having.
With a little meddling and a lot of kindness from the town, Hayden and Riley find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other as they discover the true meaning of home.
Welcome to Maple Falls, where everyone knows your name and your business.
A riot of colors, textures, and fibers filled the canvas in front of Riley McAllister. She tilted her head to the right. To the left. Then, with careful precision and pointed tweezers, she started to apply a hair-thin golden thread to the narrow bead of glue on the peacock feather in the center, the final touch to a project that had taken over three months to complete.
“Riley! Your Mimi called!”
Riley flinched and the tweezers pierced through the canvas, marring the multilayered feather. She started to mutter a curse but bit her tongue. She couldn’t afford foul language, not when she had almost zero dollars in her bank account. Besides, she was determined to win the cash in the cuss jar at the end of the month. There had to be over three hundred dollars in it already.
“Oops, my bad.”
She turned around and glared at her roommate. Melody had entered her bedroom–art studio–living room in the apartment they shared, a silver headband pushing back her short, curly black hair. Then Melody’s words hit her. The torn canvas and gold thread forgotten, she jumped up from her chair. Mimi.
“Is she okay?” Riley asked, panicked.
“She’s fine, but she sounds a bit cranky. She said she must have called five times before I answered.” Melody took a sip of coffee out of her brand-new Probably Wine mug. The purchase was courtesy of her winning the cuss jar bounty last month. “You really should put your phone on vibrate at least. It’s a good thing I saw it light up on the kitchen counter.”
Dread filled Riley. “What did she say?” Her grandmother was no spring chicken, and as the years passed, she worried the next call would be the one. She grabbed her cell out of Melody’s hand.
“For you to call her. You’re welcome, by the way.” Melody scowled. “Geez, calm down. She’s not at death’s door, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Riley turned her back to Melody and tapped Mimi’s number on the phone screen. “How would you know?”
“Because she said, ‘Tell Riley I’m not at death’s door.’”
Riley turned back around as she put the phone to her ear, relief flooding her. “I’m sorry. You know how I get when she calls.”
“You get crazy,” Melody said with a grin. At Riley’s pointed look, she added, “Crazy with worry, I mean.”
True. She tended to expect the worst when Mimi called, despite telling herself she was being ridiculous. But she couldn’t help it. If anything ever happened to Mimi . . . She drew in a deep breath as her grandmother answered.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With over a million copies sold, USA Today Bestselling author Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, and the Amish Letters series as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at KathleenFuller.com
(3) winners will receive a print copy of Hooked On Youby Kathleen Fuller!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 17, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 24, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Blaine Grayson returns to Three Sisters Island with a grand plan–to take Camp Kicking Moose to the next level. Her dream starts to unravel when she discovers Moose Manor’s kitchen has been badly remodeled by her sister, Cam, who doesn’t know how to cook. Added to that blow is the cold shoulder given by her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to the unbridged Maine islands.
As old wounds are opened, Blaine starts to wonder if she made a mistake by coming home. Little by little, she must let go of one dream to discover a new one, opening her heart to a purpose and a future she had never imagined.
I have always enjoyed my visits to Three Sisters Island, the setting of Suzanne Woods Fisher‘s contemporary series. I have never been to Maine, but if it is anything like the charming island setting depicted in the three books, sign me up to go! The setting is a big draw to the books, but it is the characters and Fisher’s easy writing style that keep me reading. The latest book, At Lighthouse Point, features Blaine, the youngest of the Grayson sisters. Gone for two years, a lot has changed including Blaine’s outlook and dreams. I loved how Blaine has grown. She really becomes her own person. While things change, many want things to remain the same — a lesson some of the Graysons have to learn. There are funny moments, poignant moments, reconciliations, new starts, and wisdom imparted from Jean-Paul, an outsider with great insight. I fear this is the concluding book of the series (I want to return 😉 ), but it is a great one. Make sure you read this series in order, you do not want to miss out on one thing. The Three Sisters Island series is perfect for binge-reading. I highly recommend it!
Highly recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to Celebrate Lit and the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
About The Author
Award winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected. With more than one million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the bestselling author of more than 30 works, ranging from novels to non-fiction books to children’s books. Currently, she lives with her very big family in the East Bay.
*****
More from Suzanne
10 Curious Facts about Lighthouses
People love lighthouses. There’s just something special about those sturdy sentinels with their beacons of light, patiently sweeping the water, their mournful and haunting wail of a foghorn. Longfollow’s poem, The Lighthouse, written in 1850, captured the allure so well:
And as the evening darkens, lo! how bright, Through the deep purple of the twilight air, Beams forth the sudden radiance of its light, With strange, unearthly splendor in the glare!
“Unearthly splendor.” Wow, doesn’t that hit the nail on the head? A lighthouse, to me, represents a spiritual truth: Someone’s watching out for us, looking out for the dangers ahead, and always glad to welcome us home.
Here are 10 facts about lighthouses that you might not know:
THE FIRST KNOWN LIGHTHOUSE was Egypt’s Pharos of Alexandria, Egypt, built in the third century B.C. The lighthouse was made from a fire on a platform to warn sailors of the port’s entrance. This lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
THE OLDEST EXISTING LIGHTHOUSE IN THE WORLD is considered to be La Coruna in Spain that dates from ca. 20 B.C. A Roman lighthouse is located on the Cliffs of Dover in the UK that was constructed in 40 A.D.
THE UNITED STATES IS HOME to more lighthouses than any other country.
THE FIRST LIGHTHOUSE IN AMERICA was at Boston on Little Brewster Island (1716). The first keeper was George Worthylake who, sadly, was drowned, along with his wife and daughter, when returning to the island in 1718.
THE TALLEST LIGHTHOUSE is on Cape Hatteras, NC. Built in 1872, it reached 196 feet tall.
THE FIRST WEST COAST LIGHTHOUSE was built on Alcatraz Island in 1854.
DAYMARKS are the painted colors and patterns (diamonds, spirals and stripes) on lighthouse towers to distinguish them from each other.
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPING was one of the first U.S. government jobs available to women, as far back as the 19th century. Most obtained their position when their husband died or became incapacitated.
THE RANGE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE LIGHT produces a light seen 25 miles at sea.
ABOUT 700 LIGHTHOUSES are still in active use in the United States.
As I wrote the third book in the ‘Three Sisters island’ series, I just had to give that little charred lighthouse its day in the sun. It had patiently played a role in the first two books, waiting for its turn on center stage. Not only did its setting provide a very unexpected “WHAT? How did that happen?” conclusion to the series, it even stole the headline! The undisputed title: At Lighthouse Point.
Do you have a favorite lighthouse? If so, please add your picture in the comments below. Don’t forget to include its location.
Thanks for reading! Stay well, stay home, and read.
Title: Aftermath Author:Terri Blackstock Publisher: Thomas Nelson Release Date: May 11, 2021 Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense/Thriller
This gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Terri Blackstock will leave you on the edge of your seat.
A devastating explosion.
Three best friends are at the venue just to hear their favorite band . . . but only one of them makes it out alive.
A trunk full of planted evidence.
When police stop Dustin with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows it’s just a mistake. He’s former military and owns a security firm. But he’s horrified when they find explosives, and he can’t fathom how they got there.
An attorney who will risk it all for a friend.
Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin’s best friend growing up. They haven’t spoken since he left for basic training, but she’s the first one he thinks of when he’s arrested. Jamie knows she’s putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she’d never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence . . . but why?
Taylor Reid’s phone flashed as she snapped the selfie with her two friends, their heads touching and their backs to the stage. The shot from the third row, with the lead singer in the background and the three of them in the foreground, was perfect. No one would believe their seats were so close.
They turned around to face the band, dancing to the beat of the song they’d been listening to in the car on the way to Trudeau Hall.
Taylor quickly posted the pic, typing, “Ed Loran targets nonpoliticals for his rally with band Blue Fire. Worked on us!”
She put her phone on videotape and zoomed onto the stage.
“I don’t want it to end!” Desiree said in her ear.
“Me either!” Taylor yelled over the music.
“Maybe they’ll play again after his speech,” Mara shouted.
The song came to an end, and the crowd went crazy, begging for one more song before the band left the stage.
But an amplified voice filled the auditorium, cutting off the adulation. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the next president of the United States, Ed Loran!”
The crowd sounded less enthusiastic as the band left the stage and Ed Loran, the Libertarian celebrity magnet, made his entrance. Taylor kept cheering and clapping, letting her enthusiasm for the band segue to him.
It happened just as the candidate took the stage. The deafening sound, like some confusing combination of gunshot and lightning bolt, a blast that blacked out the lights and knocked her to the ground. Smoke mushroomed. Screams crescendoed—shrieks of terror, wailing pain, shocking anguish . . . then sudden, gentle silence, as if she were underwater. A loud ringing in her ears filled the void.
She peered under the seats, choking for breath as dimmer lights flickered through the smoke. Even from here, she could see the fallout of whatever had happened. Blood pooling on the ground, people hunkering down as she was, feet running . . . What was happening? An explosion? A crash? She looked around and couldn’t see her friends.
She clawed her way up and looked over the seat. Smoke and fire billowed from the stage into the crowd, and heat wafted over her like some living force invading the room. Muffled, muted sounds competed with the ringing.
Get out! Now! She dropped back down and crawled under two rows of seats until she came to someone limp on the floor. She felt herself scream but couldn’t hear her own voice. Scrambling to her feet, she went to her left to get to the aisle, but her foot slipped on something wet. She grabbed the seat next to her to steady herself, then launched into the frantic crowd in the aisle. The room seemed to spin, people whizzing by, people under her, people above her, people broken and ripped and still . . . She stepped and fell, crawled and ran, tripped and kicked her way to the bottlenecked doorway, then fought her way through it.
The ringing in her ears faded as she tumbled downstairs, almost falling into the lobby below. The sound of crying, coughing, wretching, and the roaring sound of pounding feet turned up as if some divine finger had fiddled with the volume.
She set her sights on the glass doors to the outside and pushed forward, moving through people and past the security stations they’d stopped at on the way in. She made it to the door and burst out into the sunlight.
Fresh, cool air hit her like freedom, but at first her lungs rejected it like some poison meant to stop her. At the bottom of the steps, on the sidewalk, she bent over and coughed until she could breathe.
After a moment, the crowd pushed her along toward the parking garage until she remembered that her car wasn’t there. She had parked on the street, blocks away. She forced her way out of the flow of people and ran a block south. Where was it?
She turned the corner. Her car was here, on this block. Near the Atlanta Trust Bank. Wasn’t it? Or was it the next block?
Sweat slicked her skin until she found her silver Accord. There!
She ran to it and pulled her keys out of her pocket, wishing she hadn’t lost the key fob. Her hands trembled as she stuck the key into the passenger side lock and got the door open. She slipped inside on the driver’s side, locked it behind her. Instinctively, she slid down, her head hidden as if someone were coming after her.
What just happened?
One minute they’d been taking selfies and videotaping the band, and the next they were on the floor . . .
Where were Mara and Desiree? She hadn’t even looked for them! Should she go back for them?
No, that would be insane. She could smell the smoke and fire from here. They would know to come to the car when they got out.
Call the police!
She tried to steady her hands as she swiped her phone on.
“911, what is your—”
“An explosion!” she cut in, her voice hoarse. “At the Ed Loran rally at Trudeau Hall!”
“Where are you now?” the woman asked in a voice that was robotically calm.
“I got out. There’s fire . . . People are still in there. Please send ambulances!”
“Ma’am, did you see what exploded?”
“No . . . the stage area, I think. I don’t know where my friends are. Please . . . hurry!”
“We’ve already dispatched the fire department and police, ma’am.”
She heard sirens from a few blocks away and cut off the call. She raised up, looking over the dashboard for the flashing lights. She couldn’t see any, but the sirens grew louder.
She knelt on the floorboard, her knees on her floormat and her elbows on her seat, and texted Desiree.
I’m at the car. Where are you?
No answer. She switched to a recent thread with Mara and texted again.
Got out. At car waiting. Where are you?
Nothing.
She dictated a group text to both of them.
Are you all right?
They were probably running or deaf, fighting their way out like she had. She tried calling them, but Mara’s phone rang to voicemail. When Desiree’s phone did the same, she yelled, “Call me! I’m waiting at the car and I’m scared. Where are you?” She was sobbing when she ended the call.
My Impressions:
Many times a reviewer says that a book starts out with a bang. In the case of Aftermath, Terri Blackstock’s latest suspense novel, that is literally the case! I was hooked from the beginning, furiously turning the pages to find out whodunit. The book focuses on the results of a bombing at a political rally — the suspect and his attorney and one of the victims. It is filled with twists and turns and never-saw-it-coming moments. I loved the main characters, Jamie and Dustin who were childhood friends now thrown together again by the circumstances of Dustin’s arrest. Their quest to uncover the truth was great. But I have to say that the perspective of Taylor, a survivor of the bombing, was fascinating. Taylor has some issues that are exacerbated in the aftermath. She has a small but pivotal role in the investigation and outcome of the book that I thought was a wonderful addition to what could have been just another romantic suspense novel. All three characters, plus some supporting characters were believable. The faith element is strong and natural with Dustin, especially struggling with maintaining his trust in God. I really, really liked this book. I think it is one of my favorites from Blackstock, and that is saying a lot!
For past-paced suspense, a twisting plot, and characters to cheer for, Aftermath cannot be beat.
Highly recommended.
Audience: adults
(Thanks to JustRead and the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. She’s the author of If I Run, If I’m Found, and If I Live, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, Moonlighters, and the Restoration series. Visit her website at www.terriblackstock.com.
(3) winners will receive a print copy of Aftermath by Terri Blackstock!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 11, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 18, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
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Title: Hooked On You
Title: Aftermath
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