Thursday, February 2, 2023

“The Winnowing Fork” by Betty Ruth Weatherby

About the Book

Book: The Winnowing Fork

Author: Betty Ruth Weatherby

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: September, 2022

NEW CHRISTIAN NOVEL FILLED WITH ADVENTURE

ZACCHAEUS EXPERIENCES ROMAN OCCUPATION AND THE FAMILY SHAME OF LEPROSY AS HE SURVIVES IN THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF 2000 YEARS AGO.

Betty Ruth Weatherby travels the world and uses her experiences to create the Biblical Fiction of “The Winnowing Fork” to convey the message of God’s sustaining, eternal love.

The tax collector’s mother is banned with a skin disease when his father is conscripted by the occupying Roman army.

Follow Zacchaeus as he grows to love the sound and glitter of gold coins while his greed consumes him, overcoming even his love of family.

Zacchaeus in his lonely, self-isolation discovers that the real author of peace and serenity is in a man called Jesus whose father is God himself. Jesus passes through Jericho on his way to Passover in Jerusalem.

Zacchaeus tries to see through the crowd as the entourage passes:

“He yanked the leaves back again, and found the Rabbi looking at him,

His eyes fastened on Zacchaeus.”

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Betty Ruth Weatherby is a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus. She earned her teacher’s credential from Chapman University as well as a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate from Sacramento State University. Weatherby has sold her books across America. She is the author of the Lanover Adventure Series, Pepper’s children’s series and excels in Women’s Adventures. Women can travel the world as part of God’s Plan to enjoy life at its fullest and step out in faith.

Weatherby was born in the shipbuilding community of Sausalito, California and writes from a world of experience in fulfilling the Christian walk. Her most recent novel “The Girl on the Tombstone” is a nostalgic historical piece based in San Andreas, California where she grew up and attended Calaveras High School.

More from Betty Ruth

Zacchaeus was always a puzzle to me. How did he become a hated tax collector and only

One meeting with Jesus turned his life around. So, I imagined a story, gave him a family and neighbors to create a life around him as he accumulated his “taxes.”

Blog Stops

Lots of Helpers, February 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 2

Texas Book-aholic, February 3

deb’s Book Review, February 4

Christina’s Corner, February 5

Mary Hake, February 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 7

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 8

Connie’s History Classroom, February 9

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 10

Cover Lover Book Review, February 11

Books I’ve Read, February 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 12

For Him and My Family, February 13

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, February 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Betty 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/23d5b/the-winnowing-fork-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour

Monday, January 30, 2023

“Silver Bounty” by Victoria McCombs

About the Book

Book: Silver Bounty

Author: Victoria McCombs

Genre: YA Pirate Fantasy

Release date: January 10, 2023

Never Trust a Pirate

Emme is tasked with getting rid of the king, but kings are not an easy target, and this one is bent on purging his lands of pirates. As Emme’s job becomes increasingly dangerous, she learns to survive the pirate way—cunning and merciless—while consoling herself with one fact: she’s just doing what it takes to get home.

But when Emme mistakenly takes out the wrong man, not even the protective pirate captain can save her from the consequences. In a string of betrayals, one thing is certain. You can never trust a pirate.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Victoria McCombs is the author of The Storyteller’s Series, and The Royal Rose Chronicles, with hopefully many more to come. She survives on hazelnut coffee, 20-minute naps, and a healthy fear of her deadlines, all while raising three wildlings with her husband in Omaha, Nebraska.

More from Victoria

Pirates are more civilized than I gave them credit for. Did you know the captain didn’t have complete authority over the ship? While researching for the book, I discovered they used a voting system, and the captain followed what the crew wanted. Usually pirate stories depict a strong captain that makes all the decisions, so it was a fun twist to include more of the democracy style of the early pirates into my story. With that, came the fun power struggles as different crew members wanted different things, and they all try to sway the command of the ship. Smaller crew alliances form, friendships are tested, trust broken, and the future of the Royal Rose comes into question as, at times, the greatest threat to them lies within their own crew.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 30

Texas Book-aholic, January 31

Artistic Nobody, February 1 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, February 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 3

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 4

Blogging With Carol, February 5

A Reader’s Brain, February 6 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 7

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 7

Through the Fire Blogs, February 8

For Him and My Family, February 9

Holly’s Book Corner, February 10

Simple Harvest Reads, February 11 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Victoria is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a hardcover 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/23ccd/silver-bounty-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour

Sunday, January 29, 2023

“What I Would Tell You by Liz Tolsma

About the Book

Book:What I Would Tell You

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release date: January 1, 2023

DNA Test Unlocks a Family Mystery

Sephardic Jew Mathilda Nissim watches in horror as the Germans invade her beloved city of Salonika, Greece. What angers her most is the lack of resistance her people put up to their captors. In secret and at great risk to her life, she continues to publish her newspaper, calling her people to action. She doesn’t trust God to help them. When she and her husband find out they are expecting a child, Mathilda may have to resort to desperate measures to ensure her daughter’s survival.

Three generations later, college student Riley Payson and her cousin take a popular DNA test only to discover they don’t share any common ancestors. In fact, the test shows Riley is a Sephardic Jew from Greece. This revelation shakes Riley’s tenuous faith and sends her on a journey to discover what happened to her great-grandmother and how all this relates to her faith and her life today.

Click here to get your copy!

What I Would Tell You by Liz Tolsma is an exceptional book about mothers and their struggles to do protect their daughters at all costs. This is a heart breaking novel about the evil done to the Jews. The Gospel is shared without being preachy. I really like that a lot of the story used real facts. This is a duel time story. And the romance is clean.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an

editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. Please visit her website at www.liztolsma.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@LizTolsma), Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. She is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast.

More from Liz

Take a Trip to Greece with Me

I was privileged to travel to Greece last year to research my upcoming WWII novel, What I Would Tell You. God orchestrated it so beautifully. Because of Covid, we weren’t sure my daughter would be able to travel there for the summer internship she had applied for. Eight weeks before her scheduled departure, Greece reopened to foreign visitors. Around that same time, I sold What I Would Tell You, which is set in Thessaloniki, Greece, to Barbour Publishing. I had to go and visit!

Greece is a beautiful country. The pictures you see don’t do it justice. And to someone like me, the history is one of the best parts. My daughter and I explored the old city wall, built in the 1400s, many churches that predated the Ottoman Empire, and many excavated Roman ruins that have been dug up in the city’s process of putting in a subway system.

Because this is a WWII book, we also spent a great deal of time learning about the history of the Jews in the city. The Kapani Market, just down the street from our apartment, was a vibrant mix of colorful fruits, fragrant spices, and a cacophony of languages. I could well imagine what this old Jewish market was like prior to the war with people hawking olives, fish, and oregano.

We wasted no time in visiting the Jewish museum. I was shocked by the heavy security presence with armed guards outside of the building. Once inside, we had to show our IDs and were required to turn in our phones. Antisemitism is alive and well in Greece. But what a place. There were displays after displays tracing the history of the Jewish people in Thessaloniki from 1492 until WWII. The most breathtaking was the room with stone-covered walls, the names of all 48,000 Salonikan Jews killed in the Holocaust carved into the marble. There’s an entire scene in the book that deals with this room.

What saddened me most was what we saw when we visited the trainyard where the Jews were herded into cattle cars and shipped to Auschwitz. Before we got to where the station once stood, there was a wall on which someone had pained a mural covered with black-and-white figures in their striped uniforms, their eyes and mouths wide in horror. As if that weren’t difficult enough to view, what sickened me was the blue swastikas someone had painted over them.

We also trekked to the other side of the city to visit what had once been the Jewish cemetery, now the grounds of Aristotle University. All that remains to testify that half a million people were once buried here is a small, ill-kept memorial. There were two dead Christmas wreaths placed there. We visited in August.

In addition to a moving and thought-provoking story, I hope to also introduce you to the amazing city of Thessaloniki and give you a peek into the people and the culture of this amazing place. If you ever find yourself in Greece, plan some time in Thessaloniki. Many Americans miss this gem, but it’s packed with charm and history.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 28

Texas Book-aholic, January 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 29

Blogging With Carol, January 29

Genesis 5020, January 30

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 30

Where Faith and Books Meet, January 30

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 31

For Him and My Family, January 31

Cover Lover Book Review, February 1

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 1

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 2

deb’s Book Review, February 2

Betti Mace, February 3

Connie’s History Classroom, February 3

Paula’s Pad of Inspriation, February 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 5

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 6

Holly’s Book Corner, February 6

Bigreadersite, February 7

Blossoms and Blessings, February 7

Mary Hake, February 7

Labor Not in Vain, February 8

Pause for Tales, February 9

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, February 9

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, February 10

Southern Gal Loves to Read, February 10

Lights in a Dark World, February 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and 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/23ccb/what-i-would-tell-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, January 28, 2023

“Barking up The Wrong Tree” by Janice Thompson

About the Book

Book: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Author: Janice Thompson

Genre:Christian Fiction / Mystery / Romance

Release date: January 1, 2023

Inquisitive, detail-oriented, Veterinarian Kristin Keller prides herself on winning over any dog. But has this self-proclaimed dog whisperer finally met her match in a Sheltie named Remington who has just won the Texas state agility course competition? The champion pooch is acting out of sorts—almost as if he is not the same dog. Has he, by chance, been switched out with another dog just before the next big competition? Kristin and the other Lone Star employees will do anything to help the Atkinson family figure out this mystery surrounding their beloved Remington.

Click here to get your copy!

This was a fun read! I really kept guessing on who steal Remi and every time I thought I had it fingered out, I was wrong. The ending really surprised me. I recommend all three books in this series if you like clean mysteries and especially if you like dogs and let’s not forget the cat. The romance was fun to read as well.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

Janice Thompson, who lives in the Houston area, writes romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, nonfiction devotionals, and musical comedies for the stage. She is the mother of four daughters and nine feisty grandchildren. When she’s not writing books or taking care of foster dogs you’ll find her in the kitchen, baking up specialty cakes and cookies.

More from Janice

Barking up the Tree is book three in the Gone to the Dog series. Kathleen Y’Barbo and I are writing six books, in total, and we’re very excited about this series. I happen to be in the dog rescue business. I’ve worked with multiple Houston-based dog rescues over the past five years and have been blessed to care for over fifty dogs in nearly every shape, size, and breed. I am always interested in dog-themed stories.

As a Texan I wanted to place this series in my neck of the woods. Kathleen and I settled on Brenham, Texas, a town not far from where we both live. It’s the home of Blue Bell ice cream (yum!) a favorite here in the Lone Star state. We created a large fictional cast of characters and placed them in a town we know and love.

Along with writing books I’m also a baker and run a baking blog (www.outoftheboxbaking.com). With that in mind I would love to share a recipe from the book. Enjoy!

Nanny’s Coconut Pecan Cake (aka Italian Cream Cake)

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

1 white cake mix
1 yellow cake mix
6 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick butter
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened coconut (flakes)
2 tsp vanilla
1 small box instant vanilla pudding (powder)

FOR THE FILLING/TOPPING:

Toasted coconut
Toasted chopped pecans

FOR THE FROSTING:

1 cup (two sticks) salted butter (softened)
1 block cream cheese (softened)
1 rectangle Crisco (can omit if you prefer traditional cream cheese frosting)
1 bag (7-8 cups) powdered sugar
Clear vanilla extract

Instructions

MAKING THE CAKE:

Combine all ingredients except nuts and coconut. Mix well.
Work in the nuts and coconut.
Grease and flour three 9” pans.
Divide batter between the three pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (approximately) until cake springs back to the touch.

MAKING THE ICING:

Bring ingredients to room temperature.
Mix butter and cream cheese until soft and creamy.
Add Crisco and continue to beat until incorporated. (You can leave out the Crisco if you prefer traditional cream cheese frosting.)
Add extract and then lower the speed of your mixer to add powdered sugar (more or less to desired consistency).

FILLING AND ICING THE CAKE

Level all three cakes.
Put one cake on your cake board and add a layer of cream cheese frosting.
Pipe a ring around the edge of the cake and add some toasted pecans and coconut.
Continue to stack and fill.
Turn the top cake upside down, so that it’s bottom up.
Ice the cake with a crumb coat and chill.
Once chilled, ice liberally with frosting.
Add chopped (toasted) pecans and coconut to the sides and top then pipe trim or rosettes to add further décor.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 26

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 27

Remembrancy, January 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 28

For Him and My Family, January 28

Texas Book-aholic, January 29

deb’s Book Review, January 30

Mary Hake, January 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 31

Cover Lover Book Review, February 1

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 3

Pause for Tales, February 4

The Book Club Network, February 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 5

Blogging With Carol, February 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 7

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, February 7

Labor Not in Vain, February 8

Divine Perspective, February 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janice is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 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/23cc8/barking-up-the-wrong-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour

Friday, January 27, 2023

“The Master’s Inn” by Deb Garman

About the Book

Book: The Master’s Inn

Author: Deb Gorman

Genre:Christian Fiction

Release date: October 15, 2022

A novel of human brokenness and God’s still-unfolding drama of redemption.

When two dysfunctional and wounded families wind up unexpectedly at the remote Master’s Inn during a December snowstorm, it’s up to owners Tom and Barb Masters to help—except they’re dealing with their own bitter issues. As the winter snowfall confines them, the three families find themselves coping with their crippled relationships and hard emotions . . . and sometimes tearing one another down in the process.

But when a secret is inadvertently revealed and a rebellious teenage girl takes off into the storm, chaos descends. Will they be tossed into more heartbreak, or will the crisis draw them together against a common enemy?

With a forest in Washington State as the backdrop, join the Masters’ at their B&B as they strive to show Christ’s love to all who cross their threshold . . . even when it threatens their own sanity and safety.

Click here to get your copy!

I reall really love this book. The characters are real life. Yes, there were moments talked about that made my heart sad. This is a story of forgiveness and new beginnings and healed marriages. I recommend this book to anyone who likes inspirational and books that share the gospel message.

I received a complementary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit these opinions are my own.

About the Author

Deb Gorman, owner of Debo Publishing, was born and reared in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She still lives in her hometown with her husband, Alan, and their very smart German Shepherd, Hoka.

Deb is a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, cleverly disguised as a wife, mom, grandmom, and author.

Her purpose is to connect with God’s most beautiful and clever creation, the human family, using the literary talent and imagination God gave her.

Her prayer is that as she journeys together with you, we will discover encouragement and redemption in our most important relationships.

Connect with Deb at https://debggorman.comwhere you will find her blog posts and information about her books, both published and forthcoming.

More from Deb

One Sunday morning in 2012, I listened to our pastor give one of his excellent sermons.

I don’t remember what he said to spark this idea, but I grabbed my church bulletin and began scribbling furiously. By the time the service ended I had a rough outline, character sketches, and the opening scene written. And the title—The Master’s Inn. Some details, of course, changed over the years, but the title stayed the same.

The Master’s Inn was first birthed as a ninety minute play, which my church produced over one weekend in December of 2013. I wrote the play and directed it. I had an excellent cast of characters, plenty of folks lending a hand from technical details to the dinner we hosted for our guests. It was truly a team effort.

The Master’s Inn play was the first serious effort I’d ever made at writing. After it’s success, I began thinking about writing a book. Now, ten years later, I’ve written three creative non-fiction, devotional-style books and contributed to a Chicken Soup for the Soul volume.

During the process of publishing those first three books, the characters from The Master’s Inn pestered me day and night to put them in a novel. Who was I to argue?

And so, those characters got what they wanted. They are no longer confined to ninety minutes and one weekend of publicity. They’re now out there for the whole world to see.

The Master’s Inn is a novel of human brokenness and God’s still-unfolding drama of redemption . . .

When two dysfunctional and wounded families wind up unexpectedly at the remote Master’s Inn during a December snowstorm, it’s up to owners Tom and Barb Masters to help—except they’re dealing with their bitter issues. As the winter snowfall confines them, the three families find themselves coping with their crippled relationships and hard emotions . . . and sometimes tearing one another down in the process.

With a forest in Washington State as the backdrop, join the Masters at their B&B as they strive to show Christ’s love to all who cross their threshold—even when it threatens their own sanity and safety.