Book Review: Windswept Way

13 Apr

I loved my return visit to Hope Harbor, Oregon in the newest book in the series, Windswept Way. I don’t know how Irene Hannon does it, but each book in the series just gets better and better. You will fall in love with these characters as they navigate a way back from isolation. Recommended.

Buying a haunted house was never in Ashley Scott’s plans, but when an intriguing opportunity drops into her lap after a major setback, she finds herself trekking cross-country to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast to launch a new life.

Wounded warrior Jonathan Gray isn’t sure what to make of the attractive woman on his reclusive older neighbor’s isolated property, but her presence is none of his business–until she enlists his help with an ambitious project. When Jonathan finds his interest in the new arrival becoming more personal than professional, however, his defenses go up. There’s no room in his life–or his heart–for romance.

Yet, as these three hurting people join forces to restore life, laughter, and love to a historic estate that has known too much sadness, they may also find healing, hope, and happiness for themselves.

Bestselling author Irene Hannon invites you back to Hope Harbor, where hearts heal and love blooms.

Irene Hannon is the best-selling author of more than 35 novels. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine and the Daphne du Maurier Award for mystery/suspense. Irene and her husband make their home in Missouri, USA. Irene invites you to visit her at her website, http://www.irenehannon.com.

My Impressions:

Traveling to Hope Harbor is always a treat! The latest installment in the contemporary romance series, Windswept Way, is another outstanding book by Irene Hannon. The setting of the novel is again the Oregon coast with its lovely views of sea stacks, circling seagulls, and the welcoming town. Windswept Way introduces two residents and a newcomer to the reader. Octogenarian Rose has had a lot of knocks in her life. Her family home is more than retreat, it is a safe haven from prying eyes and media attention. Jon has been wounded physically, but also emotionally, as he battled back from sever injuries suffered as a soldier. He too hides from the world. Both are vulnerable in similar ways. Enter Ashley, a vivacious and optimistic woman who befriends both. Her empathy and caring spirit are hard to resist. She’s been wounded in a lesser way than Rose and Jon, but she seeks to understand and help their healing. As always, Hannon inserts favorite characters into the narrative — they add a great deal of color to the book, but also wise words. While there is romance in the air, it develops slowly and naturally. This is a stranger to friend to more story that builds throughout the book. While most readers will not have undergone the physical and emotional trauma that the main characters experienced, they will find connections to the themes of betrayal and resulting vulnerability. All the characters are Christians, with some firm in their faith, while others feel God is a long way off. I liked the how the community of believers supports each other.

Windswept Way is the ninth book in the series! I think it is the best so far. It can easily be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting from the beginning. Nine wonderful novels to read — how great is that?!

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Top 10 Tuesday — Birds!

11 Apr

Happy Tuesday! As I was researching this week’s TTT topic — animals in a title or on a cover — I was surprised to find so many books with a bird in the title. So I decided to go with it! Seven of the books even have a bird image on the covers! There are lots of different genres represented in my list, so you’re sure to find a book to love.

For more TTT fun, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books With A Bird In The Title

Belinda Blake And The Birds of A Feather by Heather Day Gilbert

Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

Murder at The Flamingo by Rachel McMillan

The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner

Pelican Point by Irene Hannon

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

Sandpiper Cove by Irene Hannon

The Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale

Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof

Wings Like A Dove by Camille Eide

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Spotlight On Contemporary Romance — The Broken Hearts Bakery

10 Apr

Happy release day to Carla Laureano. The first novel in her new Haven Ridge series, The Broken Hearts Bakery is now available. This series promises all things you love about a Carla Laureano book. Find all about it below.

Fifteen years ago, the town of Haven Ridge failed its most important mandate—to be a sanctuary for heartbroken citizens in need. Now it’s getting a second chance to set things right …

When Gemma left her hometown of Haven Ridge, Colorado, years ago in a cloud of controversy, she swore she would never return. And she’s kept that promise, instead building her reputation as one of LA’s preeminent family law attorneys. But when her lifelong best friend begs her to come stay with her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, while she’s on a business trip, Gemma doesn’t have the heart to refuse. She’ll simply keep a low profile, do her honorary aunt duties, and be gone before anyone knows the difference.

But Haven Ridge seems to have a mind of its own, dragging Gemma unwillingly back into the community she’s tried so hard to leave behind, and she soon finds herself caught up with new friends and old rivalries. When Taylor is the object of an ugly bit of teen bullying that brings back far too many unwelcome memories, Gemma does the only thing she knows how to do: ply her honorary niece with baked goods and words of affirmation. Soon, her temporary digs are ground zero for teenage girls seeking sugar and consolation for shockingly adult problems—which the girls soon dub The Broken Hearts Bakery.

Complicating matters is an unexpected reunion with Gemma’s high school sweetheart, Stephen, who is determined to change her mind about him, the town, and the nature of love itself. Because as it turns out, her niece isn’t the only one nursing a broken heart…

To purchase, click HERE.

Carla Laureano could never decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, so she decided to become a novelist–and she must be kinda okay at it because she’s won two RWA RITA® Awards. When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking and trying to read through her TBR shelf, which she estimates will be finished in 2054. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two teen sons, and an opinionated cat named Willow.

Connect with Carla online at her website (http://www.carlalaureano.com) or on any of these social media platforms:

Facebook.com/CarlaLaureanoAuthor

Instagram.com/carlalaureanoauthor

Pinterest.com/laureano_carla

Bookbub.com/authors/carla-laureano

Goodreads.com/author/show/7075143.Carla_Laureano

Q&A with Carla Laureano

What is the Haven Ridge series about?

The Haven Ridge series is a small-town romance series with a magical realism twist: the town has gotten away from its founding mission to provide a haven for people who needed a fresh start and a community, and as such, it’s slowly dwindling away. The prequel novella, The Brick House Cafe, goes into the history of the town and its goal to rebuild itself by drawing back the people it needs and who in turn need it. Each full length shows how the town draws people together and how the people in it contribute to the new life of the town!

What is The Broken Hearts Bakery about?

When Gemma left her hometown of Haven Ridge, Colorado, years ago in a cloud of controversy, she swore she would never return. And she’s kept that promise, instead building her reputation as one of LA’s preeminent family law attorneys. But when her lifelong best friend begs her to come stay with her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, while she’s on a business trip, Gemma doesn’t have the heart to refuse. She’ll simply keep a low profile, do her honorary aunt duties, and be gone before anyone knows the difference.

But Haven Ridge seems to have a mind of its own, dragging Gemma unwillingly back into the community she’s tried so hard to leave behind, and she soon finds herself caught up with new friends and old rivalries. When Taylor is the object of an ugly bit of teen bullying that brings back far too many unwelcome memories, Gemma does the only thing she knows how to do: ply her honorary niece with baked goods and words of affirmation. Soon, her temporary digs are ground zero for teenage girls seeking sugar and consolation for shockingly adult problems—which the girls soon dub The Broken Hearts Bakery.

Complicating matters is an unexpected reunion with Gemma’s high school sweetheart, Stephen, who is determined to change her mind about him, the town, and the nature of love itself. Because as it turns out, her niece isn’t the only one nursing a broken heart…

The Broken Hearts Bakery deals some heavy subjects. Why did you choose those to write about?

I’ve witnessed several friends extricate themselves from abusive marriages over the last couple of years and I’ve seen how difficult it was for them to find attorneys who believed them and would take their cases—which is in part how the character of Gemma came about. Likewise, I’m the moms to two teens and hearing the kinds of issues they and their friends are dealing with can be heartbreaking. Over the course of writing, those two things wove together into one of the central messages: that everyone has the right to feel safe and to make their own choices without threat or coercion.

Did anything surprise you as you were writing the book?

I started out with a couple of different subplots for different side characters, and I wasn’t really sure how I was going to make them all work together, so I was surprised that they actually did dovetail together under a single message/theme by the time I was done.

Where did you get the idea for this book?

The title came first, and I thought it up several years ago. I had absolutely no intention to write any more food-related books, but the phrase just kind of popped into my head and wouldn’t let me go. There have actually been a couple of different iterations of this book with different plots and Gemma and Stephen underwent a major transformation over time—it took me a while to find the right story to tell.

What kind of research did you do to write this series?

The majority of my research involved the setting: Haven Ridge is set rather vaguely in a real area of southern Colorado, between Salida and Buena Vista. It has a colorful and interesting history, so coming up with a founding story that was plausible (as detailed in the prequel novella, The Brick House Café) and fit with the actual history of the area was my first priority. From there, it was getting the architectural and topographical details right. And then there’s the usual character-based stuff, like the handful of legal details that came into play in Gemma’s point-of-view! (By total coincidence, one of my beta readers is a law professor, which was super helpful.)

Most of your books are set in Colorado. Is Haven Ridge based on a real place, or is it made up?

Haven Ridge is completely made up, but it’s heavily based on Salida, Colorado, which is in the same area. Given the fact that they were founded about the same time and sit in the same general area, it made sense to model the architecture and hot springs on the real place.

What can we expect next from you?

I’m planning for the Haven Ridge series to run for at least four books, not including the prequel, so you can expect three more after this one! I’m hoping to finish up the series with a Christmas novel, which will be the first one I’ve ever written.

What can you tell us about the next book in the Haven Ridge series?

The next book in the series is The Beacon Street Bookshop, and it will be the story of Gemma’s best friend, Liv, who has been widowed young and is not in any way looking for love again. I’ve been wanting to write a second-chance-after-tragedy story and a bookshop story for ages, so I’m very excited to get to write this one!

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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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2525e/rose-celebration-tour-giveaway

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First Line Friday — Holding on to Hope

7 Apr

Happy Friday! Today’s first line comes from Janet W. Ferguson’s latest novel, Holding on to Hope. I visited the Grand Tetons in 2021 — so majestic — and am so excited to return in this book!

Here’s the first line:

Could loving someone physically hurt?

A fun road trip romance to the Grand Tetons!

Always the wedding planner, never the bride.

Hope Rodriguez loves planning weddings. There’s nothing more special than helping a bride become a princess for a day, but she’s not sure that’s her calling in life anymore.

If only she had her own special someone. Her only current prospect leaves her with more questions than answers about where she falls in his list of priorities.
Yet, when a lifelong friend asks her to plan a destination wedding across the country in only two weeks, she’ll have to figure out how to pull off the impossible…alone.

After being burned as a child and deserted by his family, Caleb Donnelly has an intimate relationship with pain. Despite all he’s endured, one ache refuses to leave him—the throbbing in his heart where Hope is concerned.

So when Hope needs help with their friend’s wedding, he can’t stop himself from volunteering to travel two thousand miles to Jackson, Wyoming.

As long as he keeps his feelings in check, he might not ruin their friendship. Because a beautiful woman like Hope could never love a scarred man like him. There’s no way their longtime friendship could ever become more.

When Hope and Caleb’s plans go up in flames, it’s their hearts that might never recover.

Grab your copy of Holding On to Hope…a Southern Contemporary Christian Romance novel from the Coastal Hearts Series.

Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist, Maggie Award and the FHL Readers Choice Award winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after.

Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space.

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Book Review: The Vanishing At Castle Moreau

5 Apr

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau is another shiver-y good read from Jaime Jo Wright. Her latest novel is now my very favorite. (I know I say that every time I read one of her books 😉 .) The characters are wonderfully complex and the storylines kept me turning the pages. And the very gothic castle placed in Wisconsin was a wonderful atmospheric element. Very highly recommended!

Title: The Vanishing at Castle Moreau 

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Genre: Historical Suspense, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 4, 2023)

Length: (384) pages

Format: Hardcover, trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook 

ISBN: 978-0764238345

Tour Dates: March 27 – April 10, 2023

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A haunting legend. An ominous curse. A search for a secret buried deep within the castle walls.

In 1870, orphaned Daisy François takes a position as housemaid at a Wisconsin castle to escape the horrors of her past life. There she finds a reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress who hides tales more harrowing than the ones in her novels. As women disappear from the area and the eerie circumstances seem to parallel a local legend, Daisy is thrust into a web that could ultimately steal her sanity, if not her life.

In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of an American aristocratic family to help his grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman’s stash of collectibles, a century-old mystery and the dust of the old castle’s curse threaten to rise again . . . this time to leave no one alive to tell the sordid tale.

Award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright seamlessly weaves a dual-time tale of two women who must do all they can to seek the light amid the darkness shrouding Castle Moreau.

PRAISE FOR THE VANISHING AT CASTLE MOREAU

  • “Wright (The Souls of Lost Lake) captivates with a thrilling tale of two women who get caught up in the secrets of a Wisconsin castle…The twisting, fast-moving plot is loaded with secrets, and the characters remain morally ambiguous until the end. Readers won’t want to put this down.”— Publisher’s Weekly
  • “Wright (The Premonition at Withers Farm) pens another delightfully creepy tale where nothing is quite as it seems and characters seek freedom from nightmares both real and imagined.”— Library Journal
  • “Jaime Jo Wright never disappoints, and The Vanishing at Castle Moreau is no exception. With real, flawed characters who grapple with real-life struggles, this gripping suspense novel will draw readers in from the very first page. Good luck putting it down. I couldn’t.”— Lynette Eason, bestselling author of the Extreme Measures series

PURCHASE LINKS

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

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of eight novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap’n Hook; and their two mini-adults, Peter Pan and CoCo.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

My Impressions:

Jaime Jo Wright is known for her gothically-good split time novels in which nothing is really as it seems. She has exceeded my expectations with The Vanishing at Castle Moreau. A crumbling castle in rural Wisconsin is the setting for two storylines featuring the famous or infamous Moreau-Tremblay family. Women have gone missing for over a century and the inhabitants of the castle as well as the castle itself is blamed. The unfolding of the mystery takes place in both the historical and modern-day narratives. The two main characters, Daisy and Cleo, have shadowy pasts of their own, and I loved how Wright mixed their own personal horrors with those of the castle. It really is a twisty tale that kept me guessing and turning the pages as fast as I could. I usually favor one storyline over another in a split time novel, but in The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, I was equally engaged. I was cheering both heroines on in their quest to discover the truth and to find healing from the injustices done to them. While somewhat of a ghastly ghost story, this novel is filled with beauty and hope. The only negative I have with the book is its lack of epilogue. I really, really, really wanted to know the rest of the story for Cleo and Deacon. The novel is not a romance, but I wanted it to be. 😉 It’s probably best for me to imagine my rest of the story. There are some deep themes and issues addressed in the novel making it a perfect choice for a book club selection. So grab some friends and start the discussion.

Very Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Top 10 Tuesday — Indie/Self-Published Authors

4 Apr

Happy Tuesday! I am so excited about today’s TTT topic — Indie/Self-Published Authors. The trend is growing! Even authors who have been very successful with large publishing houses have stepped out into this new arena. My list includes some incredible authors. I hope you find one to love.

For more indie/self-published gems, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Indie/Self-Published Authors

Heidi Chiavaroli

Heidi Chiavaroli is a hope-inspired storyteller writing from the deep curiosity of her own heart. Her debut novel, Freedom’s Ring, was a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist, a Romantic Times Top Pick, and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Her second Carol Award-winning novel, The Orchard House, is inspired by the lesser-known events in Louisa May Alcott’s life and led her to write The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series, a contemporary twist on Little Women. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Heidi online at her website (heidichiavaroli.com) or on either of these social media platforms:

Facebook.com/HeidiChiavaroliAuthor

Janet W. Ferguson

Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist, Maggie Award and the FHL Readers Choice Award winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after.

Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space.

Heather Day Gilbert

Award-winning novelist Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing mysteries and Viking historicals. She brings authentic family relationships to the page, and she particularly delights in heroines who take a stand to protect those they love. Avid readers say Heather’s realistic characters–no matter what century–feel like best friends. When she’s not plotting stories, this native West Virginian can often be found hanging out with her husband and four children, playing video games, or reading Agatha Christie novels.

Find all her books and her newsletter signup at heatherdaygilbert.com.

Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano could never decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, so she decided to become a novelist–and she must be kinda okay at it because she’s won two RWA RITA® Awards. When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking and trying to read through her TBR shelf, which she estimates will be finished in 2054. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two teen sons, and an opinionated cat named Willow.

Connect with Carla online at her website (http://www.carlalaureano.com) or on any of these social media platforms:

Facebook.com/CarlaLaureanoAuthor

Instagram.com/carlalaureanoauthor

Pinterest.com/laureano_carla

Bookbub.com/authors/carla-laureano

Goodreads.com/author/show/7075143.Carla_Laureano

Sarah Monzon

Winner of the Holt Medallion and Selah Award, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.

Toni Shiloh

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, In Search of a Prince, won the first ever, Christy Amplify award. Her novels, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist, Risking Love a 2020 Selah Award finalist, The Truth About Fame a 2021 Holt Medallion finalist, and The Price of Dreams a 2021 Maggie Award finalist.

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to help readers find authors. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at http://tonishiloh.com.

Becky Wade

Becky Wade is a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas with their three children and one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She loves writing sweet contemporary romances laced with sizzling chemistry, mystery, faith, banter, and humor. Her eleven novels and five novellas have been recognized with a Carol Award, INSPY awards, and a spot in the Christy Award Hall of Fame.

C. C. Warrens

Jesus and laughter have brought C.C. Warrens through some very difficult times in life, and she weaves both into every story she writes, creating a world of breath-stealing intensity, laugh-out-loud humor, and a sparkle of hope. Writing has been a slowly blossoming dream inside her for most of her life until one day it spilled out onto the pages that would become her first published book.

If she’s not writing, she’s attempting to bake something—however catastrophic that might be—or she’s enjoying the beauty of the outdoors with her husband. One of the many things she’s learned since she started this journey is that the best way to write a book is to go on a long stroll with her husband. That is when the characters—from their backgrounds to the moments that make them laugh or bubble over with anger—come to life.

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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.

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April Book Club Selection — Finding Me

1 Apr

This month’s book club selection might be a surprise, but there’s no trick or prank involved. 😉 We are reading/discussing Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman. It’s been on my TBR shelf for quite a while, and I’m excited to finally read it! Find out all about it below.

What would you do if you learned your life was a lie? All her life, Kelli Huddleston has been told the story of a fire–a fire that killed her mother and two siblings when she was an infant. After her father’s death though, she uncovers evidence of a different story, including clippings about a boat accident that killed a young father and his infant daughter. And Kelli quietly realizes the story of her life has been a fiction.

How far would you go to discover the truth? Armed with only a few pictures of what she thinks might be her family, Kelli crosses the country to Tennessee, determined to uncover the truth about what happened over twenty years ago in a small southern town. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are jeopardized, Kelli is faced with an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. She is the acclaimed author of ten novels. Kathryn and her family make their home in Santa Barbara, California.

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Happy Release Day — Holding on to Hope

1 Apr

Happy release day to Janet W. Ferguson! Her newest contemporary romance, book 6 in the Coastal Hearts series, Holding on to Hope is now available. I’m looking forward to revisiting Wyoming with Hope and Caleb!

A fun road trip romance to the Grand Tetons!

Always the wedding planner, never the bride.

Hope Rodriguez loves planning weddings. There’s nothing more special than helping a bride become a princess for a day, but she’s not sure that’s her calling in life anymore.

If only she had her own special someone. Her only current prospect leaves her with more questions than answers about where she falls in his list of priorities.
Yet, when a lifelong friend asks her to plan a destination wedding across the country in only two weeks, she’ll have to figure out how to pull off the impossible…alone.

After being burned as a child and deserted by his family, Caleb Donnelly has an intimate relationship with pain. Despite all he’s endured, one ache refuses to leave him—the throbbing in his heart where Hope is concerned.

So when Hope needs help with their friend’s wedding, he can’t stop himself from volunteering to travel two thousand miles to Jackson, Wyoming.

As long as he keeps his feelings in check, he might not ruin their friendship. Because a beautiful woman like Hope could never love a scarred man like him. There’s no way their longtime friendship could ever become more.

When Hope and Caleb’s plans go up in flames, it’s their hearts that might never recover.

Grab your copy of Holding On to Hope…a Southern Contemporary Christian Romance novel from the Coastal Hearts Series.

Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist, Maggie Award and the FHL Readers Choice Award winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after.

Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space.

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