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Memorial Day Reading

29 May

Decoration Day began a few years after the American Civil War as a way to honor those who gave their lives in the name of freedom. Following WWI, Decoration Day became Memorial Day. As away to remember those who sacrificed so much, I have compiled a list of fiction (most with a woman’s perspective). I hope the list piques your interest.

The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

Hannah Sunderland felt content in her embrace of the Quaker faith…until her twin brother ran off and joined the army and ended up captured and in jail. Suddenly Hannah’s world turns on end. She longs to bring her brother some measure of comfort in the squalid, frigid prison where he remains. But the Quakers believe they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. Can she sit by and do nothing while he suffers?

Jeremiah Jones has an enormous task before him. Responsibility for a spy ring is now his, and he desperately needs access to the men in prison, whom they are seeking to free. A possible solution is to garner a pass for Hannah. But while she is fine to the eye, she holds only disdain for him–and agreeing would mean disobeying those she loves and abandoning a bedrock of her faith.

With skill and sensitivity, Mitchell tells a story of two unlikely heroes seeking God’s voice, finding the courage to act, and discovering the powerful embrace of love.

The Liberty Bride by Marylu Tyndall

War Forces a Choice Between Love and Country

A trip home from England to Maryland in 1812 finds Emeline Baratt a captive on a British warship and forced to declare her allegiance between the British and Americans. Remaining somewhat politically neutral on a ship where her nursing skills are desperately needed is fairly easy — until she starts to have feelings for the first lieutenant who becomes her protector. However, when the captain sends her and Lieutenant Owen Masters on land to spy, she must choose between her love for him and her love for her country.

The Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green

When a horrific battle rips through Gettysburg, the farm of Union widow Liberty Holloway is disfigured into a Confederate field hospital, bringing her face to face with unspeakable suffering–and a Rebel scout who awakens her long dormant heart.

While Liberty’s future crumbles as her home is destroyed, the past comes rushing back to Bella, a former slave and Liberty’s hired help, when she finds herself surrounded by Southern soldiers, one of whom knows the secret that would place Liberty in danger if revealed.

In the wake of shattered homes and bodies, Liberty and Bella struggle to pick up the pieces the battle has left behind. Will Liberty be defined by the tragedy in her life, or will she find a way to triumph over it?

Widow of Gettysburg is inspired by first-person accounts from women who lived in Gettysburg during the battle and its aftermath.

Turning Tide by Melody Carlson

As the Great War rages on, Sunset Cove continues to feel its impact. Running the small town newspaper, Anna McDowell can’t escape the grim reports from the other side of the world, but home-front challenges abound as well. Dr. Daniel is serving the wounded on the front lines. And Katy, expecting her first child, with her husband in the trenches, tries to support the war effort with her Red Cross club. Even as the war winds down the costs are high—and Sunset Cove is not spared.

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

Lt. Mellie Blake is a nurse serving in the 802nd Medical Squadron, Air Evacuation, Transport. As part of a morale building program, she reluctantly enters into an anonymous correspondence with Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer in the 908th Engineer Aviation Battalion in North Africa. As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other’s true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face to face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage to their past? And can they learn to trust God and embrace the gift of love he offers them?

Combining excellent research and attention to detail with a flair for romance, Sarah Sundin brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing, and true love.

Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Catherine West

She’s after the story that might get her the Pulitzer. He’s determined to keep his secrets to himself. 

Vietnam 1967.

Independent, career-driven journalist Kristin Taylor wants two things: to honor her father’s memory by becoming an award-winning overseas correspondent, and to keep tabs on her only brother, Teddy, who signed up for the war against their mother’s wishes.

Brilliant photographer Luke Maddox, silent and brooding, exudes mystery. Kristin is convinced he’s hiding something. Willing to risk it all for what they believe in, Kristin and Luke engage in their own tumultuous battle until, in an unexpected twist, they’re forced to work together. Ambushed by love, they must decide whether or not to set aside their own private agendas for the hope of tomorrow that has captured their hearts.

Flowers from Afghanistan by Suzy Parish

Weighed down by guilt following the death of his two-year-old son, Mac McCann accepts a year-long position training police officers in Afghanistan. Leaving his wife Sophie to grieve alone, he hopes the life-or-death distractions of his self-imposed exile will build a wall between him and his pain. 

As camaraderie builds between Mac and the men on base—including a local barber and his precocious little boy—Mac’s heart becomes invested in stories beyond his own tragedy and he learns he is not the only one running from loss. But when the hour of attack arrives, will he be able to see past his guilt to believe there’s still something—and someone—worth living for? With touching details based on true events, Flowers from Afghanistan is a redemptive journey of healing, a chronicle of hope in crisis, and a testament to the faithfulness of God through it all. 

Book Spotlight And Author Interview — Rose

10 Apr

 About The Book

Book: Rose

Author: Rena Groot

Genre: Christian Historical Romantic Fiction

Release date: April 28, 2022

Strong, determined Rose finds more than she bargained for on a wagon train headed out West on the Oregon Trail. Will she be able to leave the comforts of high society behind to survive the rigors of the trail? Will she humbly admit her need for strength, hope and courage from God? What is God saying to her about Lachlan, her surprise chaperone? Why did God bring Lachlan into her life if their dreams collide? Rose has dreams of being a teacher in town. Lachlan’s dream is to be a rancher, far from any town. Must Rose abandon her dreams to embrace his…or will she let this gentle giant of a man leave to pursue his own dreams?

Click here to get your copy!

About The Author

Hi. My name is Rena Groot. I have a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Religious Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta. I have been a teacher in Canada and China, have published eight books, I have designed a digital course called Broken to Beautiful-Transformed By God’s Power, I have been a tour manager from the Rockies to the Pacific, have been a missionary to the ends of the Earth, a mom of four—and the most important part—I am a child of God.

Author Q & A

Many authors say that they have always been a writer — making up stories as a child. When did you first become a writer?

There is much more to the story…but my addiction to writing was born while sitting under a mosquito net in China. I didn’t stop writing until A Life Set Free was finished.

Was there a special someone, such as a teacher, parent, or other relative, who encouraged you to pursue writing?

Two high school teachers and a seminary professor gave me the impression they thought I was a gifted writer. There are so many amazing authors, I am not sure why God chose me to write. I am sure God must have smiled when I discovered this gift from Him. I hope I get to write in eternity.

Why did you choose to writein the historical, romantic, Christian genre?

My friend Caryl McAdoo seemed confident I could write a Prairie Rose Collection book…so upon her invitation I wrote Rose. I loved reading settler’s accounts of their travels.

What does a typical writing day look like? Are you structured or informal in your writing schedule? 

I am very scattered and informal. One night I had such a flow of ideas I wrote all night. Basically, I write when I can’t not write.

How long does it usually take to craft your books? (from outlines/first drafts to final edits) 

That has varied from twenty-five years, to three years, to a few months.

Can you tell us a little about what inspired your latest novel.

I wanted women to have a beautiful, wholesome, God-honoring, historical fiction, love story.

What do you want your readers to take away with them after finishing one of your novels?

A greater faith, hope, and trust in God.

Readers always want to know what is next for an author. Do you have any works in progress you can share about?

Abi. It is 1863. The civil war has brought chaos to Abigail’s family. She is haunted by a letter she is carrying from her father that could ruin her reputation. She is tempted to burn it, but her dream of a home in Oregon would also be ruined. Her fiancé is waiting for her in Oregon City…but there’s aproblem. William. Abi must keep so many secrets or her future hopes could be destroyed.

More from Rena

My middle name is Rose. I was named after my grandmother, Rose. As far as I know, I never met my father’s mother, Rose. Her life, and my dad’s, were an enigma to me. While writing this book I found out Rose had two other grandchildren I knew nothing about—my brother and sister I didn’t know existed. God is so amazing! (This is attached to the email)

One of my favorite recipes is fry bread. On days we stay in camp, I make enough for the week. It gets a bit hard towards the end of the week, but softens when it’s dipped in stew. Here’s the recipe: Four cups flour, one quarter cup shortening—I use bacon fat—four teaspoons baking powder, three-quarters cup of milk, one teaspoon salt, and oil or fat for frying. If the dough is too thick or thin, Willow said to play with it until it feels just right. It can also be made into a dessert if you put milk, cinnamon, and berries on top.

Johnnycake’s delicious with beans. It’s so easy to make. You need two eggs, two cups of sour milk, one half cup flour, two tablespoons molasses, one teaspoon salt, two cups cornmeal, one teaspoon baking powder, and two tablespoons butter. You mix all the ingredients then bake it in a Dutch oven over the fire until it’s cooked.

Cheese is easy to make. It’s a good way to use the two gallons of milk we get from our cow and the goat each day. We are getting so much we have been sharing. Willow showed me how to gently heat the milk in a pail on the fire until it’s blood warm. Rennet is needed to make cheese, so I use a flask made from a cow’s stomach because it has rennet in it. I had no idea. I pour the hot milk into the stomach flask and wait. After it’s been left a few hours, I pour it out, break up the curds, and mix them with salt. I wrap the curds in a cloth and put them in a round wooden frame called “the follower.” (Thankfully, Lachlan had the good sense to buy one of those also). The curds are pressed in the follower. The cheese is usually aged for at least two months before it can be eaten.

Blog Stops

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rena is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 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.

Spotlight on Contemporary Romance — Good Gifts

3 Apr

Good Gifts JustRead Blog + Review Tour
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Good Gifts by Kyle Hunter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

Good Gifts

Title: Good Gifts
Series: Brenner Falls #1
Author: Kyle Hunter
Publisher: Monceau Publishing
Release Date: December 28, 2022
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Nathan Chisholm’s high-pressure job in the big city is interrupted by an inheritance he doesn’t want, a struggling dinner theater. He returns to his hometown of Brenner Falls, Pennsylvania, so he can sell it fast and return to his normal life.

Leah Albright’s plans for her life went up in smoke and she’s forgotten how to dream. Instead, she spends her days at a dull job in Brenner Falls and her evenings with musical instruments and her cat. As holidays approach, she fakes cheer to stave off her disappointments.

Nathan and Leah rekindle the friendship they had in high school and attraction brews. But Nathan’s leaving town once he sells the theater. And the residents of Brenner Falls, including Leah, don’t want their beloved historic theater sold. And certainly not to the developer who’s been lurking around.

Nathan finds himself trapped by well-meaning decisions and growing feelings for Leah. He may have gone too far to turn back from the risks to his future and his heart.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

Excerpt

From the corner of Davis Avenue, Leah could see Johnson’s Grocery Store, whose fluorescent lights spilled on to the sidewalk. Should she stop for groceries, or could she eke out the stale bread and bottled pasta sauce in her fridge for a day or two more? The seductive call of her warm slippers, or the rebuke of her empty fridge? Yesterday and the day before that, she’d opted for making do. Her stomach grumbled, so with a sigh, she changed her path and headed toward the store. This shouldn’t take long.

Gathering the items on her short list was as quick as she’d predicted, but the line at the cash register was not. She smiled at a few people she knew. Her neighbor, Cathy. Mr. Robertson from church. While she waited, she pulled her phone from her bag to see what she’d missed during the final pressured hours of work.

Leah frowned. Four missed calls from Garrett, her only brother, three years her senior. The one who never called. Ever. But he’d called four times that day.



Also Available

Prodigals in Provence A Promise in Provence


About The Author

Kyle Hunter

Kyle Hunter is the author of nine novels of inspirational romance and women’s fiction. Her relatable characters will become like close friends you’ll cheer for and learn from as you join them on their journeys. Story settings range from Europe to small town America. As characters face challenges, the insights they gain will always be relevant. Kyle spent thirteen years in France, and she’s intrigued by faraway places. Currently, she lives in North Carolina where she writes fiction, non-fiction (under the pen name K. B. Oliver) and the travel blog OliversFrance.com and teaches French to adults.

Connect with Kyle by visiting Kyle-Hunter.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will receive an ebook of Good Gifts, ebook of Prodigals in Provence, and $15 Amazon gift card!

Good Gifts JustRead Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 3, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 10, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


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JustRead Publicity Tours

Spotlight on Historical Romance — When Tomorrow Came

30 Mar

QUICK FACTS

  • Title: When Tomorrow Came: A Novel 
  • Author: Hannah Linder
  • Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Suspense, Regency Romance, Inspirational Fiction
  • Publisher: Barbour Books (April 1, 2023)
  • Length: (320) pages
  • Format: Trade Paperback, eBook, & audiobook 
  • ISBN: 978-1636094403
  • Tour Dates: March 27 – April 10, 2023

They Waited Their Whole Lives for Their Papa to Return

Nan and Heath Duncan, siblings abandoned by their papa and abused by their guardian, have no choice but to survive on the London streets. When a kind gentleman rescues Nan from such a life, the siblings are separated and raised in two vastly different social worlds. Just when both are beginning to flourish and years have healed some of their wounds, their long-awaited papa returns and reunites them–bringing demands with him. Nan is expected to marry a rich suitor she’s never liked, and Heath is expected to forsake his gentle spirit and become the hardened man his father always was. 

Dangers unfold, secret love develops, fights ensue, and murder upsets the worlds Heath and Nan have built for themselves. They’ve waited their whole lives for their papa to return, for tomorrow to come–but now that it has, will they be able to see through to the truth and end this whirlwind of a nightmare before it costs one of their lives?

PRAISE FOR WHEN TOMORROW CAME

  • “The plot is full of intrigue, and it’s anchored by complicated characters whose secrets are slowly, carefully revealed. Readers will be hooked.”— Publisher’s Weekly
  • “Filled with intrigue, heartache, love, and a cast of beloved characters…this unique story had me crying and cheering. I can’t wait to read her next book!”— Kimberley Woodhouse, bestselling author of the award-winning Secrets of the Canyon series
  • When Tomorrow Came captured my heart from the very beginning…All the characters were so endearing and the story line with mystery and suspense kept me up way too late.”— Dana Michael, Goodreads

EXCERPT

“Miss Duncan, please.” A hand circled her arm, tightened, started to tug. “Step aside and let the servants handle him.”

Handle him. As if Gilbert Stanhope were nothing more than a trinket to be moved to another shelf or a tapestry to be hung on a different wall or a—

“Nan.” The use of her forename jolted her, struck through some of the panic long enough to make her rise.

Lord Humphries drew her back. “Take him to one of the guest chambers on the east wing, men. Careful you do not jostle him.”

Jostle him. Her chest hammered. No, please do not jostle him.

Even when the manservants circled him, lifted him, he didn’t stir. His head dangled. Eyes remained shut. How long had they been like that?

“Let me go.” She pulled against the hold on her.

The servants passed through the doorway, disappeared.

“My lord, let me go—”

“Miss Duncan, do not take on hysterics.” Her ladyship, for the first time, finally

pushed from her chair. “You are forgetting yourself entirely. Sit down and calm down, if you please.”

“But I want to—”

“Nan, Mother is right.” Lord Humphries caught her shoulders, trapping her. “We have already sent for the apothecary, and there is very little you can do.”

“I want to be with him.”

“But it would only further upset you, my darling—”

“The only thing further upsetting me is your hands. Now will you please let me go?”

At the words, her ladyship inhaled a lungful of air, and Lord Humphries reddened by three shades. With an awkward apology, he walked away from her. “Of course, Miss Duncan. Forgive me. I was only attempting to calm you.”

With gathering tears, she fled through the same doorway the servants had exited. Big, empty, glittering halls. How thudding and severe fell her footfalls on marble so pristine. God, what is wrong?

She mounted mahogany stairs when a maid pointed her in the right direction. Up, up, up—but it took much longer than it ever should have.

Please, God.

She halted in a carpeted hall, approached the only door swung wide open. Three servants slipped out, no expression, finished with one duty and off to the next.

Then Nan entered.

He lay still upon a four-poster bed, an elderly maid already hovering close—but at the sight of Nan, she retreated to a corner chair and said nothing.

“Gil?”

His eyes adjusted on her, hazy, uncertain.

She pressed close to the bed and grasped his hand. “Gil, you are awake?”

“Yes.” Strange, how his voice could sound so normal when his face appearedso wan. “Yes, awake.”

“What is wrong?”

“Don’t. . .know.”

“Is there pain?”

“Burning.”

“Where?”

“Mouth. . .throat. Everything so . . . blurry and . . . and . . .”

“And what?”

Stared at her, stared hard.

“Gil?”

First, it was just a twitch, a faint jerk of his chest. Then his arms began to shake,his legs, everywhere.

“Gil!” Her scream summoned the maid to her side. They seized his arms.“Gil, please.”

Convulsing, half breathing, teeth jarring in a deathlike rhythm of pain. Just

as quickly, though, the writhing ceased. He lay limp as before. Didn’t move, hardly breathed.

Just looked at her.

“In the name of mercy, what is the matter with him?” She lifted his hand to

her chest, squeezed with the same devilish fear as when Heath would not wake up. “What is the matter?”

She hadn’t expected an answer, but a voice from close by whispered anyway. “I ’ave not seen this in a long time, miss.” The old maid reached out and mopped sweat from Gilbert’s brow. “An’ I had ’oped not to see it again.”

“What? Tell me, please. Why is he so ill?”

“Not ill, miss.” A disheartened sigh. “Poisoned.”

Chapter 15, pages 155-156

From When Tomorrow Came © 2023, Hannah Linder, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels. She is a double 2021 Selah Award winner, a 2022 Selah Award finalist, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Hannah is a Graphic Design associate degree graduate who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a local photographer and a self-portrait photographer. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments–piano, guitar, and ukulele–songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse. 

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

Spotlight On Romantic Suspense — Fraser

22 Feb

Fraser JustRead Blog + Review Tour
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Fraser by Susan May Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

Fraser

Title: Fraser
Series: The Minnesota Marshalls #1
Author: Susan May Warren
Publisher: SDG Publishing
Release Date: February 14, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Fraser Marshall is pretty sure his career as a Spec Ops fighter is over. Yes, he’s gone into private security, working for Jones, Inc, but his last gig ended with him wounded and taken captive. And those wounds just won’t heal. The last thing he wants to do is stick around his family’s winery pressing grapes. But what choices does he have?

The answer comes via a panicked phone call from his kid brother, Creed.

Help, Fraser. I’m in over my head…

Yeah he is, because he’s run away with a princess, with her bodyguard hot on the trail. And said bodyguard, Pippa Butler is going to hunt them down, no matter the cost.

Even if she has to join forces with a bossy, arrogant former American SEAL. But Pippa has her own set of lethal skills, and if Fraser gets in the way, she’ll leave him on the side of the road. Still, maybe he’s not a terrible side-kick. He is handsome, and he makes her laugh…

No, no, bad Pippa! She has no room for a man—an American—in her life. And Fraser hasn’t ever considered slowing down. Even if Pippa has him wondering if there is a different future ahead.

But there’s more to the story than a Romeo-and-Juliet runaway romance. Princess Imani has seen a murder, and the perpetrator isn’t going to let her get away. Will Fraser and Pippa find the couple first?

And if they do, can they work together to keep them safe?

It’ll be tough if their hearts get in the way…

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | IndieBound | BookBub

EXCERPT

He might be the luckiest guy on the planet. 

Creed Marshall stood at the entrance of Gelato Artigianale, the sounds of the wharf in his ears—the listing of sailboats at anchor, music from a nearby club, electronic hip-hop pulsing into the night. Under the star-strewn sky, the lights of Geneva rippled along the water of the massive lake in colors of red, orange, and purple, adding a techno mystique to the evening. 

Yeah, he wasn’t in Kansas anymore, as the saying went. Or, more accurately, Minnesota. 

He checked his watch, a graduation gift three years ago from his adopted father, Garrett Marshall. 

Where was she? 

They should have stayed at the club, like he’d suggested. Had a good mind to return there, but frankly, the dance floor writhed with bodies. And she’d said she wanted gelato, just a couple blocks away at this place by the lake. 

He saw romance, and he’d gobbled up the idea like…

Like he might be a lucky guy. The kind of guy who’d saved⁠—sorta saved, because they hadn’t been in any real danger⁠—a pretty girl on a wind-roughened gondola.

Her name was Imani. Cool name. Cool girl. Hazel eyes, dark hair, tanned. American. And judging by the giggle and the way she’d held onto him today, even in fear—yeah, she liked him too. 

Or he’d thought so. 

And what was it that his brother Fraser always said—you make your own luck? 

Also Available

Knox Tate Ford Wyatt Ruby Jane


About The Author

Susan May Warren

With nearly 2 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA, and Carol award-winning author of over ninety novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill, and Summerside Press. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic-suspense, thrillers, rom-com, and Christmas novellas. With books translated into eight languages, many of her novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. She’s a three-time RITA finalist and an eight-time Christy finalist.

Connect with Susan by visiting susanmaywarren.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Fraser and $10 Susan May Warren Store gift card!

Fraser JustRead Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 21, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 28, 2023. 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.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Spotlight On Romantic Suspense — With Me In The Storm

20 Feb

With Me in the Storm JustRead Blog Tour
Welcome to the Blog Tour for With Me in the Storm by Karen E. Ingle, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

With Me in the Storm

Title: With Me in The Storm
Author: Karen E. Ingle
Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
Release Date: September 19, 2022
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

If she escapes her past, can she survive the storm to come?

Maddie’s California dream-turned-nightmare is a perfect storm of abuse, trafficking, and unwanted pregnancy. She sees only one way out, until a network of strangers offers a solution that could save her life and her baby’s.

But escaping back to Minnesota hinges on Chris, the fiancé she rejected for the drug dealer who now owns her. After all she’s done, is it too much to hope Chris will perform this generous act of love?

And what if love isn’t enough to protect Maddie when a deadlier storm closes in?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

EXCERPT

Maddie shivered and tried to hug her knees tighter against her bulging tummy. Horror stories crept from the back corners of her mind—Zach’s stories about “taking care” of his previous girls’ pregnancies.

Zach bent and gripped her chin. He hissed in her face, “So, your mistake, your fix. I’m going to make you take care of it. Don’t move.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as he stomped to the back of the house. The closet door opened, there was a pause, then the door closed. She shuddered. For months she had bottled up this fear, ever since she first suspected she might be pregnant. Uncertainty let her keep hoping she was wrong. Finally, she’d secretly asked Tanisha to get her a pregnancy test. Now she wished she hadn’t.


About The Author

Karen E. Ingle

Karen Ingle admires women’s resilience and courage that emerge when faced with a pregnancy that rocks their world. As a freelance writer, she has interviewed such women, met them, and served them. She’s also rubbed elbows with the gutsy people who care deeply enough to support women in their journeys out of dark despair into bright hope. Now Karen is weaving those true stories into the compelling novel, With Me in the Storm, and others still to come in her Rumors of Light series.

Connect with Karen by visiting kareningleauthor.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed paperback copy of With Me in the Storm, $10 Amazon gift card, notecard, sticker, handmade bookmark, and a packet of “Maddie’s favorite hot cocoa mix”!

With Me in the Storm JustRead Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 20, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 27, 2023. 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.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Audiobooks Vs. Book-Books

15 Feb

I read physical books, ebooks, and listen to audiobooks — I love books in all forms. I choose audiobooks mainly for travel and exercise/chores. The last two books I listened to brought home for me the debate over whether audiobooks or book-books are best. I generally say the more the merrier. If you can get in more reading by listening then all power to you. However, the experiences I just had made me reconsider. My problem wasn’t a bad narrator or technical difficulties. It revolved around content, of which the book-books and audiobooks share.

I’m not going to share the titles of the audiobooks — one was general market and one was Christian fiction — because I disliked them both! The general market had adult situations and language I could do without, while the CF also had some adult language and had some pretty graphic violence. Basically I couldn’t unhear any of those things.

When reading a physical copy or ebook, you can skim. When faced with a scene that should have remained behind a closed door or one that inspires nightmares, I can skip ahead. And when a particularly nasty word is presented I don’t have to sound it out in my head. Listening often feels like a slap in the face.

General market offerings often have things I don’t like, so I usually do more research before choosing a book to read or listen to. On the other hand, I am more trusting of Christian fiction, especially when published by the traditional houses, and often don’t do a thorough vetting process.

I still listen to audiobooks. In fact, I am currently listening to Heirlooms by Sandra Byrd, my book club’s March selection. It is excellent, by the way (see blurb below). No offensive language or cringe-inducing scenes, just wonderful storytelling. But I am going to be more discerning going ahead. Even if a book is CF, if I don’t know anything about it or the author (which I didn’t) I’ll look at reviews, especially of trusted book friends. I have a list of wonderful reviewers on the sidebar to turn to.

So what do you think?

Audiobooks or book-books?

Answering a woman’s desperate call for help, young Navy widow Helen Devries opens her Whidbey Island home as a refuge to Choi Eunhee. As they bond over common losses and a delicate, potentially devastating secret, their friendship spans the remainder of their lives.

After losing her mother, Cassidy Quinn spent her childhood summers with her gran, Helen, at her farmhouse. Nourished by her grandmother’s love and encouragement, Cassidy discovers a passion that she hopes will bloom into a career. But after Helen passes, Cassidy learns that her home and garden have fallen into serious disrepair. Worse, a looming tax debt threatens her inheritance. Facing the loss of her legacy and in need of allies and ideas, Cassidy reaches out to Nick, her former love, despite the complicated emotions brought by having him back in her life.

Cassidy inherits not only the family home but a task, spoken with her grandmother’s final breaths: ask Grace Kim—Eunhee’s granddaughter—to help sort through the contents of the locked hope chest in the attic. As she and Grace dig into the past, they unearth their grandmothers’ long-held secret and more. Each startling revelation reshapes their understanding of their grandmothers and ultimately inspires the courage to take risks and make changes to own their lives.

Set in both modern-day and midcentury Whidbey Island, Washington, this dual-narrative story of four women—grandmothers and granddaughters—intertwines across generations to explore the secrets we keep, the love we pass down, and the heirlooms we inherit from a well-lived life.

Happy Release Day — Daughter of Eden

14 Feb

Happy release day to Jill Eileen Smith. Her latest Biblical fiction focusing on Eve, Daughter of Eden, is now available. I have already read and reviewed this book and loved it! It is a fascinating what-if of life before and after the garden. Read all about it below.

The first time she opens her eyes, Eve gazes on One whose beauty nearly blinds her, whose breath is in her lungs. Her Creator takes her hand and gives her to one like her and yet different. Together, she and Adam experience pure joy as they explore Eden. But her favorite moments are when the Creator comes to walk with them, day after day.

Until everything changes. With one act of disobedience, Eve finds that her world is no longer a friendly place. With remorse in her heart, she must face the unknown future–the births, the deaths, the sacrifices, the loss of the one home she has ever known. Perhaps worst of all is the loss of trust, not only with her Creator but with the man who shares her life. How will they ever survive out of Eden?

Bestselling biblical fiction author Jill Eileen Smith imagines the life of the first woman to ever live, unspooling a story of love, loss, and the promise of redemption.

To order, click HERE.

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, Wives of the PatriarchsDaughters of the Promised LandThe Heart of a KingStar of PersiaMiriam’s Song, and the nonfiction When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams, and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Contact Jill through email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith).

Happy Release Day — The Weight of Air

7 Feb

Happy release day to Kimberly Duffy! Her newest historical novel, The Weight of Air, releases today. It’s a circus book (how fun!) and so much more. It’s also a novel about mother/daughter relationships. You might want to consider doing a buddy read with your mom or daughter. See all the details below.

Two women–bound by blood, torn apart by circumstance–find together that true strength comes in many forms.

In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe’s strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. When he dies unexpectedly, she loses everything she’s ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham in hope of finding the mother she thought was dead.

Isabella Moreau, America’s most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. Then her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, and she is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

As Mabel and Isabella’s lives become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden, their resiliency and resolve are tested as they learn the truth of what it means to be strong.

Kimberly Duffy is a Long Island native currently living in Southwest Ohio. When she’s not homeschooling her four kids, she writes historical fiction that takes readers back in time and across oceans. Her books feature ahead-of-their-time heroines, evocative settings, and real-life faith. Kimberly loves trips that require a passport, recipe books, and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of 20 years. He doesn’t mind.

You can find Kimberly at:

http://www.kimberlyduffy.com

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberlyDuffy/

https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyduffyauthor/

Spotlight on Romance — Christmas Cakes And Kisses

25 Jan

Is it too late or too early for a Christmas-y romance? I say NO! Today’s spotlight on romance features Christmas Cakes And Kisses by Lara Van Hulzen. If you are still in a holiday mood check it out! If not, make sure to add it to you TBR wishlist. Is July too soon to read it? LOL!

Eva Endicott comes to Silver Bay to prove to her family that she can make it on her own. Working in the local bakery, she’s determined to save enough to open her own cake decorating business. Winning an upcoming Christmas cake competition is the key to her dream, so Eva has no time for distractions, especially not devastatingly handsome ones that maker her heart skip a beat.

Tyler Vance is the personal trainer for professional baseball pitcher, Drew MacIntyre. After following a retired Drew to Silver Bay, Tyler’s own future is uncertain. Things become more unsettled when a beautiful baker enters his world. Eva fascinates Tyler and as he gets to know her better, he considers planting his roots in Silver Bay. But when the location Tyler chooses for his training facility is the same one Eva wants for her bakery, something has to give..

With the contest deadline looming, Eva can barely think about Tyler. Until a blinding moment finally reveals her true feelings.

Is it too late? Or will a Christmas miracle give them both more than they ever dreamed?

To purchase, click HERE.

What Readers Are Saying 

“. . . a lovely story about family, friends, and fulfilling your dreams.” PAULA, GOODREADS

“This is a sweet, clean romance. The readers are reminded of the important of family. ” —YVONNE, BOOKBUB

“What a heartwarming story and a wonderful addition to this series.” —SHERRI BABB, GOODREADS

Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara Van Hulzen‘s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor series. An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has a BA in Journalism and a Masters of Divinity in Chaplaincy. Lara loves tea, baseball and living in Idaho with her husband and Great Dane.