It's #FridayReads, and I'm featuring the latest release from Amanda Barratt, The White Rose Resists. Stop by to read an excerpt and enter to win a print copy of the book (US ONLY).
Showing posts with label #KregelPublications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #KregelPublications. Show all posts
Friday, June 19, 2020
Saturday, February 29, 2020
"Ishmael Covenant" by Terry Brennan ... and a GIVEAWAY!
I'm participating in the blog tour for Ishmael Covenant by Terry Brennan. Stop by my new website to learn about the book, read a Q&A with Terry and my review,and enter the tour-wide giveaway.
While you're there, sign up to follow me/my site to stay updated on my posts and giveaways.
Friday, December 27, 2019
First Line Friday
Happy Friday! It's time for First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books.
It's time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today on First Line Friday, I'm featuring a book from one of my many TBR piles, A Cup of Dust by Susie Finkbeiner. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a conference a few months ago. This book is about the Dust Bowl. I've only read one other book about this topic, so I'm looking forward to reading this book.
And the first line is ...
As soon as I was off the porch and out of Mama's sight, I pushed the scuffed-up, hole-in-the-soles Mary Janes off my feet.
About the book...
Ten-year-old Pearl doesn't understand a lot of things--why her sister's brain doesn't work right, why the preacher yells so much, why Jesus and the president seem to have forgotten all about Oklahoma. But she does know who she is: Pearl Spence, daughter of the esteemed town sheriff. Generous and always ready to help in a crisis, the Spences bring hope to this desolate town, and Pearl is proud of her family. She knows who she is, she knows she is loved, and even in unrelenting hardship, life feels secure. Not even the dust that sweeps incessantly across Red River can quench her hopes and dreams.
But someone else seems to know who she is, too, and he makes Pearl uneasy. From the moment the mysterious hobo steps off the train and stares at her with his cold blue eyes, Pearl's secure world begins to unravel. How does Eddie know her name? Why does he seem to hover everywhere she turns? And why does he act like he knows something about her family that she doesn't? Pearl is determined to avoid him, but Eddie is bent on forcing his way into her life and disrupting her family's shaky tranquility. The more he badgers Pearl, the greater her confusion, until the storm within her rivals the swirling of dust and dirt without.
Let me know the first line of the book closest to you and then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating.
Friday, December 6, 2019
"Misleading Miss Verity" by Carolyn Miller ... and a GIVEAWAY!
Carolyn's publicist has agreed to give away a complete set of the "Daughters of Aynsley" trilogy (all three books!) to one lucky blog reader (US ONLY). You can enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the end of the post. (Giveaway ends December 13, 2019. If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you.)
My review...
This is the final installment in the “Daughters of Aynsley”
series, but it could be read as a standalone (which is what I did).
The cover catches the reader’s eye, and the characters
quickly pull them in to this charming tale. It’s the first book I’ve read my Miller,
and I found it to be engaging and filled with vibrant descriptions. The book
has a little bit of something for just about everyone, including castles, horse
races, pirates, and foreign settings. Verity’s vulnerability made her easy to relate
to adore. In general, characters (including the secondary ones) and scenes were
well-developed, and things moved along at a realistic pace. There is a
spiritual element woven throughout the story, so it’s not overwhelming. Faith,
hope, and love are key themes. Fans of Regency novels (and those wanting to
check out the genre) should pick this one up!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn’t
required to leave a positive review.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Excerpt...
Chapter One
Bath, Somerset
January 1820
It was the sobbing that decided her.
The Honorable Verity Hatherleigh eased from her bed and stole
across the room to the disconsolate girl whose snuffling and muffled
weeping made sleep impossible. She touched her roommate on the
arm. “Lucy, dear. What is wrong?”
The shrouded figure shifted, lowering the heavy blankets whose
inability to stifle the sounds of sadness had perturbed Verity’s slumber. Clouded moonlight streamed pale from the window, framing a
plain, round face made less lovely by red eyes and blotched cheeks.
“It’s Papa. He . . . he’s—” Lady Lucinda Wainbridge gulped, her chin
quivering, a sure sign more waterworks were in the offing.
“Now, Lucy, stop, take a deep breath”—Verity waited as the older
girl complied—“and tell me what has happened.”
After another shaky breath, Lucinda exhaled noisily, then blew
her nose with a honk reminiscent of a startled goose.
“If you don’t want Miss Pelling to check in here, you might want
to do that more quietly.”
Lucy’s eyes flashed accusingly. “You weren’t here when I was telling the others.”
“No, because I was in Helena’s room, helping her with her French
for tomorrow’s examination, as you well know.” Verity dashed back
10
Misleading Miss Verity
to her bed and pulled on her padded dressing gown. These rooms, for
all the exorbitant fees paid, were never heated properly. She returned,
wrapping a woolen blanket around her shoulders. “Now, what happened to your father?” Had the Earl of Retford sickened? Her heart
quickened. Had he died? Poor Lucinda . . .
Lucinda shook her head. “Nothing has happened to Papa. It’s
what he will do.”
“Which is?”
“Remove me from Haverstock’s!”
This was a bad thing? “Why are you so certain he will?”
Lucinda wiped her eyes. “He’s bound to as soon as Haverstock
sends him the letter she found from William.”
“She found it? I thought you had it well secured. Didn’t you place
it under the floorboard as I suggested?”
“I was going to . . .”
Lucinda’s shoulders slumped, and she looked so miserable, Verity didn’t have the heart to scold her roommate’s folly. Dear foolish
Lucy, with her silly infatuation for a squire’s son of whom her fastidious parents would never approve. Many had been the confidences
Lucinda had whispered, ever since Verity had been forced to leave the
room she had previously shared with Helena. Many a dull evening
spent listening to Lucy prattle on about William’s inestimable qualities, whilst Verity strained to hear the telltale creaks in the hall that
told of vigilant staff, waiting until the creaks had quite faded away
before stealing across to the room which had fostered a friendship
more dear than that of her family’s.
Helena Chisholm was the most loyal and encouraging person Verity had ever met, filled with a zest for life and mischief that rivaled
Verity’s own. When Miss Haverstock had been informed about one
of Verity’s previous secret visits to the headmistress’s study by the
not-so-honorable Prudence Gaspard, Verity’s separation from Helena had been swift, painful, and irrevocable. Her punishment was to
be bored by Lucinda’s ill-advised romance for the remaining weeks
until their schooling was considered complete.
Not that Verity was against romantic attachments as such; more
Carolyn Miller
11
that with such opposites involved, this particular attachment seemed
a complete and utter waste of emotions, when anyone could see it
was an attachment doomed to futility and failure. Her lips twitched.
Although, judging from Lucinda’s descriptions of her beau, he
seemed as dull as she, so perhaps they were well-matched.
“This is not funny, Verity. What am I going to do? When Papa
sees what we have been writing to one another, he’ll have a fit, and
threaten to marry me off to old Lord Winchester. I’d rather die than
marry him!” Lucinda sniffed, as another tear tracked down her face.
“What did William write that is so concerning?” Normally Lucinda
shared every phrase over and over until Verity could mouth along
too, but lately she had been too busy helping some of the younger
girls prepare for their upcoming examinations. “Surely it cannot be
so bad.”
The moonlight revealed a faint blush on Lucinda’s cheeks. “It was
most poetic. William was describing me, you see. He said I am beautiful.” She smiled a wobbly smile.
“And if he loves you, then I suppose he should.” Verity nodded her
affirmation, while wondering at how men could be so blind. Lucinda,
beautiful? Even at her best she could only be described as somewhat
attractive. Verity knew herself to hold no pretensions to beauty—her
hair was too black, her eyes too pale, her eyebrows too slanted, her
chin too pointed, the whole effect considered to be odd-looking rather
than attractive, or so her mother said. But it had always surprised
her how men could see what they wanted to see, such as the men
who loved her elder sisters and openly admired their golden beauty,
most recently at last month’s Boxing Day Ball during which Cecy’s
betrothal had been announced. In Verity’s mind, Helena was more
attractive, her smile even brighter than the red curls that adorned her
head. “Titian-haired” their drawing master had once remarked.
Lucinda sighed, reclaiming Verity’s attention. “I suppose he did
get a little carried away.” She smiled coyly, clearly inviting Verity to
enquire further.
Verity stifled the yawn. “It’s very late—”
About Carolyn...
Caroloyn Miller lives in New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of Regency romance, Miller has won a number of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers awards. Her debut series, Regency Brides, is now available in German and Dutch translations and on audiobook. She's a memeber of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. See more at carolynmillerauthor.com.
Where you can find her online...
Friday, October 25, 2019
First Line Friday
Happy Friday! It's time for First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books.
It's time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today on First Line Friday, I'm featuring a line from A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff.
And the first line is ...
Millions of people would witness the murder of Christine Lewis, and not one of them could do anything to stop it.
About the book...
John Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God's calling. He's not the sort of man you'd expect to have a checkered past.
But the truth is, this shepherd was once a wolf--an assassin for the CIA. When John decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to do penance for all the lives he took, pledging never to kill again.
Now his deadly past has caught up to him as a vengeful terrorist swears to take him out for good. All John's secrets are laid bare, and he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow--even when his congregation and the brave woman he's learning to care for are caught in the cross fire?
In the end, John's life may be the only sacrifice he has left to offer...
Let me know the first line of the book closest to you and then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating.
If you're a blogger or just a social media-er, we'd love for you to join us, too!
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Takeover Thursday with Amanda Barratt ... and a GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the release of her latest book, Amanda has graciously offered to give away a print copy of this new release (US ONLY). You can enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the end of the post. (Giveaway ends July 4, 2019. If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you and pass on your information.)
Blurb...
A staggering love illuminating the dark corners of a Nazi prison...
Renowned German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is famous for his resistance to the Nazi regime and for his allegiance to God over government. But what few realize is that the last years of his life also held a love story that rivals any romance novel.
Maria von Wedemeyer knows the realities of war. Her beloved father and brother have both been killed on the battlefield. The last thing this spirited young woman needs is to fall for a man under constant surveillance by the Gestapo. How can she give another piece of her heart to a man so likely to share the same fate? Yet when Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an old family friend, comes to comfort the von Wedemeyers after their losses, she discovers that love isn't always logical.
Dietrich himself has determined to keep his distance from romantic attachments. There is too much work to be done for God, and his involvement in the conspiracy is far too important. But when he encounters a woman whose intelligence and conviction match his own, he's unprepared for how easy it is to give away his heart.
With their deep love comes risk--and neither Dietrich nor Maria is prepared for just how great that risk soon becomes.
Based on detailed historical research, this true love story is at once beautiful and heartrending. My Dearest Dietrich sheds new light on a world-famous theologian ... and the woman who changed his life.
Excerpt...
How well Dietrich remembered the day when Hans ad first revealed the existence of plans that would seem Hitler overthrown and a new government put in place.
It wasn't that Hans had ever kept any secrets. Quite the contrary. He had always been frank with his wife, Cristel, and brothers-in-law about the dirty linen that the Reich Justice Ministry, where he worked in the legal department, preferred to keep off the public washline.
But it wasn't until Hans showed him the dossier that Dietrich realized how painfully little he had known. That evening, those memories, would never leave him. The sky above had been a fathomless canvas of pitch. The Dohnanyi house, still and silent, children asleep, Christel down the hall. Hans had ushered him into his study, metal scraped against metal as he turned the key in the lock. He'd lit a lamp. Just one.
Dietrich had sat in the cracked leather chair —the Dohnanyis always believed in frugality — and watched as Hans fumbled with the file drawer of his desk. A thatch of his usually slicked back light brown hair fell over his high forehead as he placed four black files atop his empty desk. He brushed a hand over one, features tight.
"Take a look. It's all here."
More danger could lurk within a single lethal paper than the deadliest Luger. As Dietrich turned to the files, reality embodied that statement. In explicit detail, the documents told stories, each more horrifying than last. The corruption and thievery practiced by Nazi officials … the orders given to burn synagogues with the Jewish population of a village locked inside … mass murders in Poland where thousands upon thousands were gunned down, their lifeless bodies danced upon by their so-called victors … concentration camps…
Pictures accompanied the files. Naked men standing in front of a ditch, guns trained on their bodies. The same men lying in the ditch after being mercilessly shot, bodies woven together in a macabre braid of bullet-riddled humanity. Charred corpses … the emaciated body of a child …
Perspiration broke out on Dietrich's forehead. He closed the folder and met his brother-in-law's gaze.
"The information you have here …"
"Could get me killed," Hans stated, features grim in the swath of lamplight.
The story behind the story…
I owe my discovery of Dietrich Bonhoeffer to two people I highly esteem—Eric Metaxas and my mom. I'm from a very literary family, and our dinner conversations often revolve around the books were reading. After my mom read Eric Metaxas's Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness, she shared the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer with us. Hearing about a pastor who worked as a double agent for the German resistance and whose brother-in-law was deeply involved in plots to assassinate Hitler intrigued me.
But I wasn't inspired to write about Bonheoffer until I came across a quote from Love Letters from Cell 92, which is a compilation of letters he exchanged with his fiancée during their engagement. When I read the quote, the dots connected in my mind. "Wait. Dietrich Bonheoffer had a fiancé?" The minute I began reading about Maria von Wedemeyer, I knew theirs was a story begging to be told.
That summer, I began the research process, which was a huge undertaking, but one that never ceased to fascinate and inspire me. It took eighteen months from the time my agent sent a proposal to the time I signed the contract, and there were seasons when I wondered if this story would ever be read by anyone besides my sister, who read the chapters as I wrote the first draft. I feel so blessed to be able to share this novel with readers and give all glory to God for making it possible!
About Amanda...
ECPA best-selling author Amanda Barratt fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story, a spin-off of Jane Eyre. Now, Amanda writes romantic, historical fiction, penning stories of beauty and brokenness set against the backdrop of bygone eras not so very different from our own. Her novel My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Lost Love released from Kregel Publications in June 2019.
She’s also the author of My Heart Belongs in Niagara Falls, New York: Adele’s Journey, as well as seven novellas with Barbour Publishing. Two of her novellas have been finalists in the FHL Reader’s Choice Awards.
Amanda lives in the woods of Michigan
with her fabulous family, where she can be found reading way too many books,
plotting her next novel, and jotting down imaginary travel itineraries for her
dream vacation to Europe.
Connect with her on Facebook and visit
her online at amandabarratt.net.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, November 9, 2018
"Swimming in the Deep End" by Christina Suzann Nelson Blitz Tour (with JustRead Tours)
Welcome to the Blog Blitz & Giveaway for Swimming In The Deep End by Christina Suzann Nelson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Swimming In The Deep End
Author: Christina Suzann Nelson
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: September 25, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
A moving novel entwining the many faces of motherly love
Jillian Connors has the perfect daughter: loving and smart, she's an Olympic hopeful with a bright future. But when Gabby becomes pregnant, Jillian fears that future is lost. Worse, she must confront her own secret past and hope the decisions she's made don't drown their whole family.
Gabby can't believe God let this happen to her. She knew the risks, but who thinks about that when they're in love? Now she has to face the consequences--and the disappointed stares from everyone who thought she was the perfect Christian girl. At least she has the baby's father, Travis. Nothing can tear them apart, right?
Margaret Owens had determined dreams for her son. She's furious that Gabby's pregnancy jeopardizes his college baseball scholarship and terrified that Travis will be trapped in a life of struggle and poverty--the life she's tried so hard to save him from. She'll do anything to protect him--even if it means forcing him to leave Gabby.
Stacey Meyers is aching for a child of her own. But the son she was meant to adopt was taken before she could hold him in her arms. It feels like she'll never stop mourning; even the move to this new town hasn't distracted her from the pain. How can she and her husband find peace? Is there any hope of a family in their future? And in the midst of all this . . . an unborn baby. Whose arms will hold him in the end?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Christian Book | Book Depository
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christina Suzann Nelson, inspirational speaker and award-winning author of If We Make It Home, is celebrating the release of Swimming in the Deep End, on September 25, 2018. She writes and speaks about hope after dysfunction. Christina is over the top about her passions, including the stories created somewhere in the twists and turns of her less-than-focused brain. When she’s not writing, she’s working with the Every Child initiative, chasing escaped steers, reading, breathing in the sweet smell of her horse, hiking with her dog, or enjoying her just-as-crazy family.
CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive (US only)
- a print copy of Swimming in the Deep End
- $10 Amazon gift card
- Swimming in the Deep End water bottle
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Friday, February 10, 2017
"Control Girl" by Shannon Popkin ... and a GIVEAWAY! (Litfuse blog tour)
Contest entry link...
My review...
Popkin’s latest provides an in-depth look at some of
the famous “Control Girls” of the Bible. With statements such as, “I worry that everything is
spinning out of control,” and “I just want to be sure of a happy ending,”
Popkin’s latest is likely to be identifiable for many women. While it is not
uncommon to do everything possible to get a desired outcome, more often than
not, this pursuit leads to increased anxiety. The outcome? Instead of feeling
in control, it generally results in anger or fear.
This book contains an in-depth look at seven women in
the Bible. Each struggled with control in
some way. The women included are:
Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, and Miriam. In addition to sharing
these biblical stories, Popkin shares her own, as she is a self-proclaimed
“control girl.”
The book contains Bible studies, as well as questions
for personal reflection and meditation. The tips and ideas are practical.
Numerous Scripture passages are included, which makes it easy to apply the
lessons to daily life.
Some of my favorite quotes include:
- “Thoughts are powerful. What we believe shapes the direction we take in life. To change direction, we must change our thought patterns.”
- “As we try to control things we can’t control, we tend to lose control of the one thing we can — ourselves.”
- “We don’t always get to see God’s purposes. He asks us to trust him and to have faith.”
- “If it’s hidden, it’s out of our control.”
- “Fear is often what keeps us from relinquishing control.”
Disclaimer: I received a
complimentary copy as part of the LitFuse blogger program. I wasn’t required to
provide a positive review.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Letitia Suk's "Getaway with God" travel bag giveaway (LitFuse Blog Tour)
My review...
Is it possible for one day to totally change your
life? Yes, if that day is spent alone with God, instead of God just being part
of your to-do list. Suk’s latest is designed to encourage the reader to take a
personal retreat to spend time with God. It is a step-by-step guide to help you
plan your trip, which could be from a few hours to a few weeks. It doesn’t have
to be long, but it should be a time away from the daily demands so that the
focus can be on strengthening a relationship with God.
Suk shares personal experiences to help the reader
determine the best way to plan their own retreat. While this book is titled in
a way to appeal to women, men could benefit from this, as well. The book does
not provide a one-size-fits-all approach. Relevant scripture is woven
throughout. Numerous resources are provided, including a sample schedule for a
retreat and feedback from other women. If you are looking for way to recharge,
this just might be the book for you.
While this book wasn’t quite what I was expecting,
it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. It is well-organized and detailed and
likely to be valuable for those looking for a spiritual retreat.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy as part of the LitFuse blog tour.
Landing page for blog tour...
Link for purchase...
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