Tag Archives: Heidi Chiavaroli

If You Liked . . . A Place to Land

31 Oct

Lauren K. Denton never disappoints. Her books always spark great conversation at book club. This month’s selection, A Place to Land, felt different somehow from her other novels. There were magical elements that, in my opinion, raised the literary bar. I highly recommend this book! If you liked it too, here are some more reading recommendations for books that highlight the bonds of sisters.

The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt

Three grown Southern sisters have ten marriages between them—and more loom on the horizon—when Ginger, the eldest, wonders if she’s the only one who hasn’t inherited what their family calls “the Grandma Gene”: the tendency to like the casualness of courtship better than the intimacy of marriage. Could it be that her two sisters are fated to serially marry, just like their seven-times wed grandmother, Mrs. Lillian Irene Harper Winslow Goldstein Carey James Bobrinski Gordon George? It takes a “girls only” weekend, closing up Grandma’s treasured beach house for the last time, for the sisters to really unpack their family baggage, examine their relationship DNA, and discover the true legacy their much-marrying grandmother left behind…

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

Massachusetts, 1993

After making a grievous mistake that will change her life forever, Emily Robertson is sent away to live with her grandmother on Cape Cod. When Emily finds a timeworn photograph buried in a drawer, she realizes her grandmother has concealed a secret even bigger than her own. Will convincing Gram to reveal their family history help Emily make the most important decision of her life or will it prove her parents right—that family scandal is better off buried and forgotten?

Massachusetts, 1916

Atta Schaeffer plans to marry the man of her dreams and whisk her little sister away from their abusive father. But when she is diagnosed with a dreaded malady, Atta is forced into a life of exile, leaving her sister in harm’s way.

On Penikese Island, Atta’s best hope lies with Harry Mayhew, a doctor who seeks a cure for his patients at any cost. But when experiments fail, Atta runs from Harry—and from God. Can she return to her sister before it’s too late? Or will her illness consume both her body and soul?

A testament to faith and love, Hope Beyond the Waves is the raw account of the journey of two generations of women running from desperate situations toward irresistible hope.

Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Two Sisters. One Single Event. A Family Changed Forever.

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly–and innocently–draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see–or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily’s missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters–including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie’s life.

Bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse weaves a complex and suspenseful tale dripping with intrigue, romance, and Southern charm.

Spotlight on Women’s Fiction — The Way Back

19 Jun

The Way Back JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Way Back by Heidi Chiavaroli hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

The Way Back

Title: The Way Back
Series: Lights of Acadia #1
Author: Heidi Chiavaroli
Publisher: Hope Creek Publishers
Release Date: June 18, 2024
Genre: Dual Timeline Women’s Fiction

Young love means everything . . . until it leaves you with nothing.

The summer before her senior year of high school, Laney Jacobs and her best friend jump from a six-story beachside cliff in an attempt to impress their boyfriends. Laney rose from the water. Her friend did not.

Six years later, when Laney’s troubled mother’s memoir hits the bestseller list airing the family’s destructive secrets, Laney is forced to relive the trauma, this time in the public eye. To escape the scrutiny, she seeks shelter at her estranged grandmother’s seaside inn. But she can’t reconcile the loving woman with the heartless parent in her mother’s book. As she seeks answers, the boyfriend who once cost her a promising future reappears, stirring up both pain and hope.

When her mother’s vindictive fans threaten her grandmother’s livelihood and the lighthouse Laney has come to love, she turns to the century-old words of a young lighthouse keeper to help her find the courage to move forward. But once truths from the past come to light and old love finds new beginnings, will Laney discover that forgiveness is the only way toward true healing?

 

Excerpt

“Laney?”

The baritone voice sounds so familiar. Not one of the other servers, though. 

“Laney.” It comes again, this time louder. The deepness of it probes and picks at the scarred places I’ve been trying to bury for the last six years. My blood turns to ice.

It can’t be. 

I’m imagining things. No one from California is all the way out here except me. And even if one person from my old life happened to show up in Bar Harbor, of all people it wouldn’t be him, the person I tried so hard to escape.

The bartender slides one glass of wine toward me, and I clutch the stem of the glass with enough force to shatter it. I turn from the bar as if my feet are weighed down with wet cement. 

A small intake of breath passes my lips at the sight of him. 

I’m caught unawares by how good he looks in his khakis and polo shirt, the slight shadow of stubble across his chiseled chin. I try not to think of all he’s likely accomplished in the six years since high school, of all I haven’t—the too-old college drop-out.

My face burns and I attempt to swallow down my emotion. “Jason.”

“I can’t believe you’re actually here.” He places his hand on my arm, and I’m shocked by the instant heat that burns my skin. A foreign longing rushes through me, and I attempt to tamp it down. 

I pull away from the fingers that scorch the skin beneath my blouse. “What—what are you doing here?”



PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop


About The Author

Heidi Chiavaroli

Heidi Chiavaroli (pronounced shev-uh-roli…sort of like Chevrolet and ravioli mushed together!) wrote her first story in third grade, titled I’d Cross the Desert for Milk. It wasn’t until years later that she revisited writing, using her two small boys’ nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn’t stopped writing since! Heidi writes women’s fiction, combining her love of history and literature to write both split time stories and contemporary fiction. 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, two sons, and Wyatt, her standard poodle.

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


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of The Way Back, themed canvas tote bag, bath salts, 3 specialty teas, ocean-inspired candle, magnet, gel pen, notebook, and $25 Amazon gift card!

The Way Back JustRead Giveaway

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 19, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on June 26, 2024. 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 the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Top 10 Tuesday — Books That Made Me Google!

5 Mar

I confess that I use “the Google” when reading. Mostly it occurs when I read historical novels, but it can strike at any time if there is something I just have to know or see. In the past few months I have looked up recipes for food that was mentioned in a book, dresses by a a famous dress designer, buildings/landmarks that books are set in and around, and characters that lived in real life. Sometimes I can stray down rabbit trails, but I eventually return to the book until another Google-fancy hits me. This week I am featuring the last 10 books that caused me to Google. I hope one piques your interest.

For more Google-inspired lists, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

These Books Made Me Google!

By Her Own Design by Piper Hugely (Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown)

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli (treatment of leprosy)

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham (sites in Venice, Italy)

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels And Misadventure by Angela Bell (food specialities of Amsterdam and Prague)

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb (Grasse, France)

Queen of Exiles by Vanessa Riley (Marie-Louise Christophe)

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen (people who survived scalping)

A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay (American’s who spied for the USSR)

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt (pictures from the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII)

Whiskers, Wreaths, And Murder by Kathy Manos Penn (sites in the Cotswolds, UK)

Top 10 Tuesday — Reading Rambles

27 Feb

Happy Tuesday! I live in Georgia, a state with many natural delights. Beaches, mountains, swamps, even a little grand canyon! — lots of places to explore nature. Today’s TTT topic is nature found in book titles or on covers. I chose two rambles — the woods of north Georgia and the beaches of the Golden Isles. The titles of the books I chose feature things that can be seen on nature walks in both locations. Some of the covers do double duty for today’s topic too! I hope you find a book to excite your imagination!

For more nature musings, check out The Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books in Reading Rambles

A walk through the woods of north Georgia.

Mountain Laurel by Lori Benton

The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

A walk in the Golden Isles.

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

The Inn at Ocean’s Edge by Colleen Coble

Pelican Point by Irene Hannon

A Vast And Gracious Tide by Lisa Carter

Top 10 Tuesday — Reading Superpower!

20 Feb

While I probably need a few reading superpowers — being able to stay awake later to get in just one more chapter or reading without becoming distracted — I drew a blank this week. So true to form I am going off topic. Reading itself is a tremendous superpower — it transports you to other eras and worlds, it can make you smarter, and it can make you more empathetic. So let’s celebrate that we read — we have an indispensable superpower!

The books in my list this week are those that made me think, made me feel, and took to me to other places and times. All fed my soul, taught me something, and engaged my emotions. Maybe the authors are really the ones with superpowers!

For more on-topic lists, visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books That Made Me Think, Feel, And Took Me To New Places

The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse

The Long March Home by Tosca Lee And Marcus Brotherton

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

Stories That Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

Up from The Dust by Heather Kaufman

The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy

Within These Walls of Sorrow by Amanda Barrett

Top 10 Tuesday — Best Books Read in 2023

2 Jan

Happy New Year! Today at TTT, bloggers are looking back at the best books read in 2023. I read fewer books in 2023 than in years past, but the ones I read were excellent. I am focusing on quality reading experiences as I balance the real world with the fictional world. 😉 I was surprised that almost all of the books on the list involve dual timelines, although the time periods vary. And all are steeped in history. It just goes to show that the past influences and illuminates the present. Lots of favorite authors too. I hope you find your next favorite book from one on my list.

For more Best of 2023, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Best Books Read in 2023

By Way of The Moonlight by Elizabeth Musser

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

The Long March Home by Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton

A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay

Songs That Could Have Been by Amanda Wen

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson

Within These Walls of Sorrow by Amanda Barratt

Mini-Book Review — Hope Beyond The Waves

8 Dec

Heidi Chiavaroli hit it out of the park with her dual timeline novel, Hope Beyond The Waves. With its intriguing subject matter, complex characters, and a hope-filled message, this novel was one of the highlights of my summer reading. The two main characters Emily (1993) and Atta (1916) are burdened by sin and guilt and wrestle with the concepts of penance and forgiveness. Both are abandoned by those closest to them. Emily, shipped off to her grandmother’s home because of her pregnancy, discovers the seemingly untold story of her great-aunt Atta who was sent to live on an island serving as Massachusetts’ leper colony. While Emily is an appealing and relatable character, it is Atta’s story that took hold of my imagination. Atta’s overwhelming fear of a diagnosis of Hansen’s disease is further aggravated by the isolation of her care. I really became invested in her life which seemed so hopeless. Little was known about Hansen’s at the time, and the treatment for it was pretty horrific. But . . . Hope Beyond The Waves is not a bleak book. Far from it. Strong spiritual messages spoke to the hearts of the suffering characters, as well as this reader. Atta finds God’s strength through her weakness.

Hope Beyond The Waves is an excellently written novel that left me thinking long after I closed its cover. It is definitely a highly recommended read.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased this novel from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Massachusetts, 1993

After making a grievous mistake that will change her life forever, Emily Robertson is sent away to live with her grandmother on Cape Cod. When Emily finds a timeworn photograph buried in a drawer, she realizes her grandmother has concealed a secret even bigger than her own. Will convincing Gram to reveal their family history help Emily make the most important decision of her life or will it prove her parents right—that family scandal is better off buried and forgotten?

Massachusetts, 1916

Atta Schaeffer plans to marry the man of her dreams and whisk her little sister away from their abusive father. But when she is diagnosed with a dreaded malady, Atta is forced into a life of exile, leaving her sister in harm’s way.

On Penikese Island, Atta’s best hope lies with Harry Mayhew, a doctor who seeks a cure for his patients at any cost. But when experiments fail, Atta runs from Harry—and from God. Can she return to her sister before it’s too late? Or will her illness consume both her body and soul?

A testament to faith and love, Hope Beyond the Waves is the raw account of the journey of two generations of women running from desperate situations toward irresistible hope.

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).

Top 10 Tuesday — Hospitals!

5 Dec

Today is a TTT Freebie, s0 I thought I would tackle the depressing setting of hospitals. LOL! My husband laughed and rolled his eyes at me when I announced the topic. Surely I could have found a cheerier setting for the first TTT of December 2023? Probably, but I am in a rebellious mood. 😉 The books I am featuring all revolve around a hospital of some sort and encompass various time periods and genres. They are great for whatever ails you. Ugh!

For cheerier Freebie topics, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books Set In And Around Hospitals

Airborne by DiAnn Mills

Ghost Heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

Step by Step by Candace Calvert

Surgeon’s Choice by Richard Mabry

Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green

When I Close My Eyes by Elizabeth Musser

With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

Top 10 Tuesday — Patriotic Covers

4 Jul

Happy Tuesday! This week bloggers are tasked to create a list with book covers featuring the colors of our home nations. Red, white, a blue are the colors of the day since it is Independence Day here in the US. I chose not only to include covers with those colors, but books set in the early days of our nation — Revolutionary Period through the War of 1812. I had so much fun rediscovering these books! Hope you find one to love!

Top Patriotic Book Covers

Freedom’s Ring by Heidi Chiavoroli

A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz

The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz

The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck

The Magnolia Duchess by Beth White

The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavoroli

The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki

Spotlight on Contemporary Fiction — Where Promises Remain

18 May

Where Promises Remain JustRead Takeover Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for Where Promises Remain by Heidi Chiavaroli, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

Where Promises Remain

Title: Where Promises Remain
Series: The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast Series #7
Author: Heidi Chiavaroli
Publisher: Hope Creek Publishers
Release Date: May 16, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Hannah Martin thought she was about to have an empty nest . . . until the illegitimate daughter of her late husband shows up on her doorstep.

Five years after her husband’s death, Hannah Martin runs a successful inn and serves the needy in her community. Despite a house full of guests, she’s worried about the loneliness that will come with an empty nest. Now that no one needs her for anything other than serving her famous five-course breakfasts and retrieving fresh towels, she throws herself into winning Camden’s Hospitality Grant. With the help of the grant, the bed and breakfast will bring in even more customers and Hannah won’t have time to think about what she’s missing.

But when a handsome lumberjack named Kevin moves in next door, Hannah’s attraction to the widowed bachelor knocks her off-kilter. Just as she begins to think about dating again, a young woman arrives at the bed and breakfast claiming to be the illegitimate daughter of Hannah’s late husband.

When the Orchard House’s chances at the Hospitality grant is threatened, Hannah’s children oppose her “new” daughter moving in, and Kevin’s problems start to bleed over into her own, she must decide what matters most—before she loses the grant, the bed and breakfast’s reputation, and perhaps, her second chance at love.

This is Book 7 in The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast Series, a contemporary twist on the well-loved classic, Little Women. Readers will fall in love with the Martin family—Maggie, Josie, Lizzie, Bronson, Amie, and their mother Hannah—each trying to find their own way in the world and each discovering that love, home, and hope are closer than they appear.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Excerpt

Amos Martin is—was—my father.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard Josie and Maggie talking. Josie, upset. Of course, Josie was upset. My dear girl, despite her tough exterior, wore her heart on her sleeve.

Amos Martin is—was—my father.

I moved my tongue around in my mouth, searching for words. Searching for sense amid the horrifying knowing that built in my gut. In my muddled state, I grasped onto the solidity of numbers, doing the math in my head. Counting years, calculating possible ages against that of Amie.

When the numbers slid into place, a cold sweat broke out over my skin. 

I’d never thought my children would have to find out about Amos’s transgression, but then again, I never thought that one night had produced a child. 

A daughter.

“Excuse me.” Somehow, I found strength in my legs—enough to push myself out of the chair and propel my body into the house. I heard voices behind me, someone at my heels, but I ducked into Orchard House, its warm folds welcoming me like a mother hen does its chicks. Here, I was safe. Here, I’d built a life after my husband’s death. Here, my faith had deepened.

Hadn’t it?



More Books in This Series

Where Grace Appears Where Hope Begins Where Love Grows Where Memories Await Where Dreams Reside Where Faith Belongs


About The Author

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 by visiting heidichiavaroli.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive the complete Orchard House Bed and Breakfast Series (7 books) plus $25 gift card to winner’s choice bookstore!

Where Promises Remain JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 17, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 24, 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 the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


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

JustRead Publicity Tours