Leslie L. McKee - Reviews by Leslie

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

The Mosaic Collection Blitz - Stacy Monson Spotlight (JustRead Tours) ... and a GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to the Blog Blitz for The Mosaic Collection, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

For His glory...

The Mosaic Collection is an international community of women authors who use faith-based fiction to touch hearts with the good news that Christ's finished work on the cross has made us one family, and to nurture affection for the people God has placed within our circles of influence, so that the grace and glory of God may become visible and personal to everyone we meet.

...and our good

We are sisters, a beautiful mosaic united by the love of God through the blood of Christ. We have experienced the redemptive, restorative power of God's grace in our marriages and families, and we believe our God is able to heal, restore and redeem our brokenness. His love fills us with the courage to persevere, and to offer others a Christ-like compassion that is full of His wisdom and grace.

Visit the Mosaic Collection Website to stay posted on each new release & follow the collection blog for meaningful posts from the authors!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stacy Monson is the award-winning author of The Chain of Lakes series, including Shattered Image, Dance of Grace, and The Color of Truth, as well as her newest release, Open Circle. Her stories reveal an extraordinary God at work in ordinary life. Residing in the Twin Cities, she is the wife of a juggling, unicycling physical education teacher, a proud mom, and doting grandma.

CONNECT WITH STACY: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Cornerstone message from the collection: Our identity is found first and foremost in God. Made in His image, we bear His DNA. We are fully, unconditionally loved by our Creator. While society tells us we don’t measure up, we aren’t good enough, we need to conform, God tells us we are loved exactly where we are being who we are. He invites us daily to walk with Him, look to Him for whatever needs we have, and to trust Him no matter what happens to or around us because He is always there for and with us. Despite the negative messages that rain over us, His message shines through – you are loved.

FUN FACTS

Favorite place to read: outside on the deck in warm weather; in the bathtub in the evening; snuggled near the fireplace in cold weather

Favorite book character from childhood: Trixie Belden – she was spunky, brave, and fun (which I wasn’t)

Favorite movie: Price & Prejudice (Keira Knightley) and The Greatest Showman

Favorite quote or Bible verse: Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Favorite splurge/treat: Dairy Queen Butterfinger Blizzard

Favorite character you’ve created: Vanessa Jordan (Dance of Grace) and Grandma Em (Open Circle)

Last 3 great books you read: A Sudden Glory (Sharon Jaynes), Seven Trilogy (Sara Davison)

Dream vacation: European river cruise; my favorite vacation spot is Lake Tahoe

Hidden talent/little-known fact: Uh...

Plotter or pantser: Started as a total pantser, but am now probably 50/50

In no particular order, ten of your favorite things (i.e. hot cocoa, a warm breeze, the sound of my kids’ laughter, etc.) : a long soak in a hot bath with a good book, hot cocoa, napping on the beach with the sound of laughing children in the background (not children I’m supposed to be watching!), golden retrievers, hanging out with my extended family, traveling (pretty much anywhere), writers retreats, our annual girls’ weekend away, laughing with my husband, laughing with anyone, and chocolate (that’s actually 11!).

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card & an ebook prize pack*!

Winner will receive an ebook of:

Where She Belongs
Pieces of Granite
Lifelines
Christmas on a Mission
Vigilant
Other Side of the River
The Third Grace
Carolina Grace
The Benefit Package (a devotional)
Dance of Grace
When Love Calls

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 10, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on July 24, 2019. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Open internationally, but international winner will receive a gift card only *(may be substituted for a Book Depository gift card if winner cannot accept from US Amazon)

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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See tour landing page for a complete list of authors & book release dates.

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

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Tuesday Tip

If your WIP (work in progress) contains Christian content, you may want to consult the Christian Writer's Manual of Style, 4th ed., by Robert Hudson. It's considered the industry-standard guide for Christian content for publishers in the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA).

Some of the information you can find in this style manual include:

Do you capitalize deity pronouns?
Do you capitalize Heaven and hell?
How should Scripture references be cited?

Monday, July 8, 2019

"By Hook or by Rook" by Rebecca Connolly ... and a GIVEAWAY! (SLB Tours)

About the Book

Series: The London League
Genre: Adult, Historical, Regency, Romance
Publisher: Phase Publishing
Publication date: July 1, 2019

The most dangerous journeys... Jeremy Pratt is a spy for the Crown, and one of the best. He has been in more dangerous situations than he can admit, and has always come out unscathed. But escorting his colleague’s cousin home to her family, even in disguise, just might be beyond his skills, and the temptation beyond his ability to withstand. ...May be ones of the heart... Helen Dalton is convinced there is more to this man escorting her than meets the eye, and something familiar about him, as well. There is only one man in the world who looks at her so intensely, banters with her so easily, and makes her blush so furiously. And when he manages a daring and heroic rescue, she wonders if she ever knew him at all.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author

Rebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in the Midwest, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict.

Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a By Hook or by Rook Prize Pack (US mailing addresses only). Prize pack includes the following: Winner's choice of print or ebook copy fo By Hook or by Rook Chocolate London League Bookmarks Book Themed Luggage Tags

Enter the giveaway HERE. Giveaway ends July 17 at 11:59pm MT.

Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

Blog Stops

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

Friday, July 5, 2019

"The String" by Caleb Breakey ... and a GIVEAWAY!

Caleb's publisher has agreed to give away one print copy of this book (US ONLY). You can enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the end of the post. (Giveaway ends July 12, 2019. If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you.)

Q & A with Caleb...

Q: The String is a spine-tingling novel that plunges readers into a sociopath's deadly game. How did you come up with the idea for it?

A: The first books I ever wrote were epic fantasies with big worlds and timelines. Then I asked myself, "What kind of story might take place within a small footprint and forty-eight-hour timeframe?" The next thing I knew, I was feverishly writing notes while riding shotgun in a 4Runner belonging to a university police officer, and a man who called himself the conductor began speaking to me about The Sting.

Q: Why did you choose a university campus for your setting?

A: The story came to me while doing a ride along with an officer at University campus. The details I jotted down that day made the fictional university town of Trenton come to life in my mind.

Q: What type of research was required to accurately write about the sociopath's tendencies?

A: The book The Psychopath Whisper: The Science of Those without Conscience by Kent A. Kiehl as helpful as I tried to navigate the mind of the conductor. You can imagine the looks I received while reading this book in coffee shops.

Q: I bet! Although you have written other books, this is your debut novel. Why did you decide to write a fiction book?

A: Fiction writing has been my blood since the start. My wife and I spent our wedding money on fifty-two books about writing fiction. Then, for years, I spent my days off penning fiction for sixteen hours straight. I just love story, as great stories shed light on the truth of who we are as humans. They teach of us without a lecture, inspire us without a speech, and entertain us without any problems. Show me a writer who can resist such a noble undertaking!

Q: You have been compared to Steven James and Ted Dekker. How do you feel your writing is similar to or different from these authors?

A: Writing styles are like vehicles: a different make, model, and year, but they're all designed to take you on an adventure. Where I hope readers find similarity is in abandonment to story. These incredible writers have a way of making you feel in step with their characters, exploring as they explore, experience as they experience, and transforming as they transform. What an honor it is aspiring to such a legacy of masterful fiction.

Thanks so much, Caleb. I'm sure my readers will enjoy getting to know a bit more about you and The String.

My review...

A sociopath called The Conductor is orchestrating a social experiment on a college campus. University cop Markus Haas is unwilling looped in, and he has to decide how far he’ll go to protect those he loves.

It’s hard to believe that this outstanding story is Breakey’s debut novel! It grabs the reader from the first page and pulls them along for a thrilling ride. Short chapters fuel the fast pace. It’s interesting to watch all the pieces connect as the story unfolds. The characters are smart and focused on the ultimate goal: strangle the conductor with his own string. I was telling myself, “Just one more chapter,” as I was anxious to discover who was behind everything. Unexpected twists will have the reader on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. (I know I am!)

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

Amazon purchase link

About Caleb...

Caleb Breakey is the CEO of Sermon To Book and Speak It To Book, the premier ghostwriting agencies for faith-filled influencers and thought leaders. He is an ECPA Award finalist and a winner of the prestigious Genesis Contest for fiction writers. Caleb was exploring truth through story and writes in the beautiful Pacific Northwest along with his wife, Brittney, enjoying visits from a mischievous mini husky and a smiley Shibu Inu.

Where you can find him online...

www.GetTheString.com

https://www.facebook.com/CalebJenningsBreakey/

https://www.instagram.com/calebbreakey/

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Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Writing Prompt Wednesday

If you're feeling stuck in your WIP (work in progress) or just want to shake things up a bit, here's something different to try today, in honor of the Fourth of July tomorrow:

How are you thankful for your freedom?

Happy writing!

Monday, July 1, 2019

Monday Motivation

"Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed--there's so little competition."

— Elbert Hubbard

Have a wonderful week!

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.

Amazon link for My Dearest Dietrich: https://amzn.to/2UINshB

Website: www.amandabarratt.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandabarrattauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/amandambarratt

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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

"A Cuppa Trouble" by Angela Ruth Strong ... and a GIVEAWAY! (JustRead Tours)

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for A Cuppa Trouble by Angela Ruth Strong, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: A Cuppa Trouble

Series: The CafFUNated Mysteries #2

Author: Angela Ruth Strong

Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink

Release Date: July 1, 2019

Genre: Inspirational Cozy Mystery

Can a couple of baristas chase down a car thief without spilling a drop of their favorite drinks?

Plans for a Valentine's Day grand opening of a small town coffee shop go awry when the first customer is killed. Evidence points toward the victim being mixed up in a car theft ring, but shop owners Tandy and Marissa have reason to believe he was framed.

An assortment of suspects--from a pink-haired heir to Tandy's charming ex--all seem to know a little too much about grand theft auto.

Without approval from either their boyfriends or the gum-chewing FBI agent in charge, the shop owners go on stakeouts, plan stings, and pursue justice in a high-speed car chase. If they don't find the killer soon, it might be more than their love lives in trouble.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

EXCERPT

“You kidnapped my business partner.”

Vic crossed his arms. “You do business with car thieves?”

“What? No. She sells tea. As bad as that may be, it’s hardly criminal.”

Metal smashed, glass cracked, and a taillight burst from the corner of Vic's vehicle. An ugly brown boot took its place.

“Tandy?” The muffled voice sounded like Marissa’s, but that couldn’t be her foot in the ugly brown boot.

“Oh fantastic.” Vic pointed the direction of the mess. “I caught her trying to steal a Jeep, and I made a citizen’s arrest to help the police. I didn’t realize she’d damage my car.”

What had Vic expected? He certainly couldn’t expect Tandy to believe his excuse. “She owns a Jeep. Maybe she got locked out and had to break in.” Tandy raised her voice so Marissa could hear. “Marissa, did you lock your keys in the Jeep again?”

The boot disappeared, and part of Marissa’s face filled the hole. “No!” Her response came with enough force that Tandy was a little scared of releasing her from the trunk.

Tandy shook her head at Vic. “There has to be a logical explanation for why she was breaking into a Jeep. You should have at least asked her what was going on rather than resort to kidnapping. That’s not how you make a citizen’s arrest.”

“Police lock criminals in the back of their cars. I was doing the same.” Vic lifted a shoulder, as if no responsibility rested there. “As soon as I let her out, you’ll see that she wasn’t using a coat hanger to get into her own vehicle. She has what’s known as a Relay Attack Unit designed to unlock cars without a key. Only a car thief would own such a thing.”