Thursday, October 27, 2016

"Buying Love" By Toni Shiloh Book Tour and Give Away


 
Click here to purchase your copy here.

About the Book

Will money ruin everything?


Nina Warrenton is ready for the next step in her life plan—marriage, but no one has proposed. Taking matters into her hand, she places an ad in the newspaper hoping to entice a willing stranger. But when she begins to fall for the small-town chef, she realizes how much she wants him to love her and not her money.

Dwight Williams needs fast cash to save the family restaurant. When he sees Nina’s monetary offer for a husband, he goes for it. He’s determined to save the legacy his dad left him, but can he let it go to prove his love for her?

Can Nina and Dwight find true love, once money has entered the equation?




 My Review:
"Buying Love" by Toni Shiloh is a great story. I really loved reading this book. I was encouraged to believe in love from the first paragraph. Yes, I admit that the way love is introduced is a little old fashioned ( like a mail order bride) as it started out in an newspaper ad.

Nina had goals and one was to have a family by age thirty-five and time was running out and no boyfriend, so she was desperate and thought she should help God answer her prayer.

Dwight is a chef who needs to save his family's home and resturant.

Can these two form a marriage to meet both needs?

The story is easy to follow and the characters could be your next-door neighbors and someone that readers could be friends with. Yes, the characters are true to life.

This book shows that even if we grew up as an orphan or even if just grew up feeling lonely, we can belong to God if we just chose to.  I especially loved the preacher's message when Nina is at church.

Dwight's mother, at first, seemed to be a really bitter and mean person and I was thinking I am glad that she isn't my mom but then as the story progressed I could see why she was this way but cannot say because it is a spoiler alert, you just need to read for yourself.

If you want a different type of story that makes you remember why you read clean Christian romances, read " Buying Love" by Toni Shiloh and fall in love with reading again.

There is also a minor characters that also learns that love is available for her also.

I am giving "Buying Love" five stars.

I was given a complementary copy of "Buying Love" by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.


About the Author

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys. When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, making jewelry, and spending time with her family. Toni is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) as well as the ACFW Virginia Chapter.

Guest Post From Toni Shiloh

Hi, Reader Friends!! I’m so excited to be here at Celebrate Lit for the kick off of my new release, Buying Love. I wrote this book last year for National November Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). In one month, I managed to write a little over 50,000 words. However, that’s not why this book holds a special place in my heart. No, it’s the message in the story.

Nina Warrenton has struggled with being alone in life. Thus, she decides to take matters into her own hand and places an ad for a husband, complete with a monetary offer. What seemed like an intelligent and simplistic way to get a husband, soon proves to have a multitude of complications. Not only that, but Nina has to discover who God is in her life and the body of Christ fits into that.

Y’all have you ever felt alone in a room full of people? Or felt isolated? Or maybe you’re an orphan…whatever your background, I hope that this book shows you that God loves you. He loves you so much, He’s adopted you into the body of Christ. So if you’re a believer, we’re family. As a person who always wanted a friend and lots of family, that’s music to my soul. It’s what I wanted Nina to discover and what I hope the readers discover.

Ephesians 1:4-6, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved” (KJV).

Blog Stops

October 27: Bibliophile Reviews
October 29: Moments Dipped in Ink
October 30: Artistic Nobody
November 1: blogging it out
November 3: autism mom
November 3: Simple Harvest Reads (Spotlight)
November 5: inklings and notions
November 6: just the write escape
November 7: Carpe Diem
November 8: Quiet Quilter
November 9: Bukwurmzzz
November 9: The Power of Words


Giveaway


In honor of her tour, Toni is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! Click the link below to enter; be sure to comment on this post to claim your nine bonus entries for this giveaway! https://promosimple.com/ps/a650
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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

"After September" by Stephanie Smith Book Tour and GiveAway


 
To purchase your copy, click here

About the Book


From the outside, Rose Davis had the perfect life: a long marriage to a successful politician, two grown children away at college, and respect within her community. When she suddenly finds herself divorced, she turns her back on God.

In an effort to reclaim her life and pride, she spends the summer in the Caribbean. Her plan does not include meeting Patrick, the charismatic local doctor with a tragic past who ignites a passion both unexpected and thrilling.                                         
As she begins to open up to love, doubt and fear creep in. Once again she finds herself broken hearted, left on her own to pick up the pieces. It’s only when she experiences the unmistakable love and grace from the very One she turned away from that Rose realizes what she needed most was there waiting for her all along.

My Review:  
"After September" by Stephanie Smith is a novel that pulls at your heartstrings! It makes you cry and then you rejoice and then you cry tears of joy!  I  kept turning the pages eagerly because I knew what I wanted to happened and had to see if it ended the way I wanted it to. 
This story is truly a “Joy Comes In The Morning” kind of story.  Yes, there are moments in the story that makes the reader think this is a sad story but then the “Joy” comes.
I wanted to step inside the book and hug David, a child in the orphanage.  Maybe because I love children and I think most children that does the bad behavior that David shows a couple of times in the story just needs love.

I recommend reading this book to see how a summer vacation can change lives, yes many lives are changed because one woman decided she needed a change after becoming bitter at God because of her divorce.

I like that Stephanie Smith made Rose and Patrick real characters, but I must warn you there were a couple of times that I thought the book was going to be a little much with bedroom scenes but it wasn’t,  no scenes like that at all, Stephanie wrote the book to make the characters real and temptation comes to us all. I hope this doesn’t make you not read the book because it really is a clean read!.  

Both Rose and Patrick and the other characters in the book had to overcome sorrows in their lives.  But they learned to give them to God and He gave them joy.

I am giving "After September" by Stephanie Smith five stars.  
I was given a complementary copy of “After September “ by the author and Celebrate Lit.  These opinions are my own.

About the Author

Stephanie’s love of the written word began long before she could read. As a child she would hold a newspaper in hand and move her fingers along the page, pretending to read along.


By the time she was a teenager, she dreamed of writing stories that would touch people’s lives, much like hers had been by so many authors.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest and enjoys listening to Christian rock music while she writes, spending time with her family, watching British television, or reading YA fantasy novels.
 


Post from Stephanie Smith

I’m so excited to work with Sandra and Celebrate Lit to launch my debut novel AFTER SEPTEMBER which I’ve come to see as a labor of love and trust in the Lord.

You see, becoming a published author has always been my dream, but every time I’d try to write a novel, the inner critic would kick in and stop me in my tracks. I’d write a few paragraphs before giving up, unhappy with all my written imperfections. So, I continued my day job and the idea of writing a novel, let alone publishing it, became less and less realistic. For some reason I never lost that kernel of hope that it might happen one day. God was speaking to me then, I just didn’t realize it.

In 2010 I was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After six months of intensive chemotherapy, I was in remission and had the strongest desire to write a novel. At first, the idea was to write a fictional story based on my experience. As I started to write, it just didn’t feel right. I then switched to writing a memoir, but that too fell flat. Frustrated, I gave up on writing once again.

Fast forward to 2013 and the idea of AFTER SEPTEMBER came to me. The premise was about a woman who goes through a divorce, spends a summer in the Caribbean and has a summer fling. The idea was so strong I began to write. I couldn’t help but write. As the story spoke to me, I kept this mantra in my head: “Just write. Just write.” I was finally able to quell my inner critic and nine months later, completed the first draft. Boy did I feel accomplished! Well, the feeling didn’t last very long. After getting feedback from a few beta readers, I re-wrote the entire story in a different point of view.

When I finished I realized I had to put this story in a box. A genre box. Was it women’s fiction? A romance? Christian or secular? After reading more about these genres I realized I’d made a big mistake. I hadn’t identified my brand from the get-go and the story didn’t really fit in any genre. Too secular for the Christian market; too Christian for the secular. It makes sense to me now why the first round of agent queries were declined.

 I began to pray in earnest, seeking God’s will for this story. I felt He’d led me to write Rose’s story and realized my agenda had gotten in the way. Why would God have me write a story with pre-marital sex? The answer is He wouldn’t. Once my heart was satisfied I knew the direction He wanted me to go, I was back to the drawing board. Once again, I re-wrote AFTER SEPTEMBER. This time I kept my Christian viewpoint in mind and after the third re-write the final version was born.

Well, life has a funny way of stopping you in your tracks. I’d begun querying agents for the second version, and in June 2014 my cancer came back.  

You’ve got to be kidding me! Okay, Lord. I trust you. I put my faith in You.

Another six months of intensive chemo put me back in remission. PRAISE GOD! I resumed my agent query and again met with rejection after rejection. This didn’t stop me. By this point I was bound and determined AFTER SEPTEMBER would be released. My hopes were raised when a small publisher I’d have given anything to work with wanted to read the entire manuscript. With baited breath I waited. When the disappointed rejection came, I nearly gave up. But God had other plans. See, when I placed my trust in Him, I had to accept His will, not mine. His time, not mine.

The last on my list to query before going the self-pub route was Desert Breeze Publishing. I submitted my story with the expectation of another rejection. Around January 1st of 2016 I received THE e-mail I’d dreamed about: an offer for a contract. I was in shock. THANK YOU LORD!! Nine months later, AFTER SEPTEMBER has been published. I want to pinch myself. I feel it’s all a dream and I’ll wake up.

A dream that began in my early teens took until my mid-forties to come to fruition. What I’ve realized is writing isn’t a dream but a calling. God knew this and remained patient with me as I finally figured that out. A calling to give women hope while reading a romance novel. Such became my tagline: “stories of life…love..hope”

What I’ve learned from this is to never give up on your dreams. Never stop believing God has something in store for your life, even when it seems like you are living one struggle after another. He is faithful to His promises!

Blog Stops

October 14: Simple Harvest Reads
October 15: Back Yard Reads
October 16: Bibliophile Reviews 
October 17: Daysong Reflections
October 18: A Greater Yes
October 19: Pause for Tales
October 20: Quiet Quilter
October 21: For the Love of Books
October 22: Bigreadersite
October 23: Carpe Diem
October 25: Christian Bookaholic

                                             October 26: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations


Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Stephanie is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card!Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/a611
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Tuesday, October 25, 2016

"The Debutante Queen" by Angela Breidenbach

Book Info
The Debutante Queen, by Angela Breidenbach 
1889 (Helena, MT): Calista Blythe enters the first Miss Snowflake Pageant celebrating Montana statehood to expose the plight of street urchins. But hiding an indentured orphan could unravel Calista’s reputation, and her budding romance with pageant organizer, Albert Shanahan, if her secret is revealed. Will love or law prevail?

This book is the first in the Montana Beginnings series. The sequel is Eleven Pipers Piping. Each book can be read as a single story, but if you love historicals and series set in the same locale then Helena, MT is your place to live in a story world among the pages of the Montana Beginnings series by Angela Breidenbach.

Author Info:

Angela Breidenbach is a bestselling author and the host of Grace Under Pressure Radio. She's written novels, novellas, and non-fiction. New out are The Bucket List Dare, Blue Ribbon Brides, and Gems of Wisdom: The Treasure of Experience. Check out Bridal Whispers in The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection (Barbour Publishing), The Montana Beginnings series (all on Audible as well) including The Debutante Queen (book 1), Eleven Pipers Piping (book 2), Taking the Plunge (book 3), Bitterroot Bride (book 4). Her contemporary, A Healing Heart (also on Audible), from the Abingdon Press Quilts of Love series will soon have a sequel called Climb Every Mountain.

Non-fiction includes a soon to be rereleased and updated, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life (women's Bible study and small group book coming soon to Kindle), and countless articles, devotions, and compilations. A-Muse-ings (Muse & Writer humor in the works based off the quirky fe-lion humor of the online amusing antics of Angela's Somali rescue cat, er, fe-lion); and more...

She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition/fitness coach. Angela volunteers as the (CAN) Christian Author Network's president. Currently her studies are in genealogy. She's working toward her credentials in English/Scottish/Irish/Swedish Records as well as becoming a professional genealogy lecturer.

Angela is owned by #Muse, the fe-lion personal assistant, whose antics and articles can be found on his blog, A-Muse-ings on AngelaBreidenbach.com. #Muse also knows social media and visits facebook, twitter, and Pinterest sharing his wit and wisdom and only waxing Shakespearean when annoyed!

Angela's Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram accounts are (@angbreidenbach) but, sometimes without telling, Muse takes over her social media accounts sharing his conversations between Writer and #Muse! Don't miss the Grace Under Pressure Radio show!
AngelaBreidenbach.com 
GraceUnderPressureRadio.com
My Review: 
"The Debutante Queen" by Angela Breidenbach is a Christmas story as well as a love story. This book is the first in the (Montana Beginnings series). I really enjoyed this story about the first Miss Snowflake Pageant. The heroine of this story enters this pageant under false pretenses and when she is found out the town understands.

This story shows what love can do. If you want to make your heart feel good I encourage you to read this book. 

There is one character that isn't so nice at first but when she is shown how love acts she has a change of heart.

This story will also make your heart hurt for the children in the story. 

I am giving "The Debutante Queen" by Angela Breidenbach five stars.
I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. 

https://www.amazon.com/Debutante-Queen-Montana-Beginnings-Book-ebook/dp/B017WLXMB8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
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Monday, October 24, 2016

"The Devoted" by Suzanne Woods Fisher Book Tour and GiveAway


 
To purchase your copy, click here.

About the Book

Restless and adventurous, Ruthie Stoltzfus is right on the cusp of leaving her Amish home. Secretly, she’s earned her GED, saved her money—but she can’t quite set her journey into motion. Just as everything falls into place, along comes Patrick Kelly. Patrick is a young man on a journey of his own. He’s come to Stoney Ridge to convert to the Amish and has given himself thirty days to learn the language, drive a buggy, and adapt to “everything Plain.” Time is of the essence and every moment is to be cherished—especially the hours he spends with Ruthie, his Penn Dutch tutor. Ruthie’s next-door neighbor and cunning ex-boyfriend, Luke Schrock, is drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame. Rebellious, headstrong, defiant, Luke will do anything to win Ruthie back—and Patrick Kelly is in his way. Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Stoney Ridge for a story of dreams deferred—and the promise of hopes fulfilled.




My Review:
These words of Jesus spoke to David, the Bishop of Stoney Ridge on page 250 of the book "The Devoted" by Suzanne Woods Fisher and really describes the members of Stoney Ridge, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."

"The Devoted"by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the third book in (The Bishop's Family) series and I liked it but I think I enjoyed the other two books in the series just a little more.  "The Devoted" has good life lessons we could all use, like quotes on what courage is.

I think anyone could read "The Devoted" and understand the book but I am glad I have read the other two books first because "The Devoted" has the same characters as the other two.
I love this quote from the book "When we feel frighted and guilty, our tendency is to avoid God completely. Do the opposite. Seek God out. Pursue Him. Get to know Him. He's the lifeboat in any crisis."

The book has one character who has a drinking problem and one mention of Amish teens sharing a marijuana joint. I only mention this because I feel that some readers want to know this in the books they read. I really like the fact that Suzanne Woods Fisher doesn't try to portray the Amish as perfect people. 

This series is really lessons in living and are love stories and Amish fiction at it's best.

I like the ending explanation of Exodus 23 verse 30 and how it tells the reader that it is for us Believers today and that it is for lifetime obedience to the Lord.

"The Devoted"by Suzanne Woods Fisher is definitely a five star novel.

 I was given a complementary copy of "The Devoted" by the author and Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed are my own. 
About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author whose most recent novels include Anna’s Crossing and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.



Blog Stops

October 18: cherylbbookblog
October 18: Blogging With Carol
October 18: Mary Hake
October 19: Simple Harvest Reads
October 20: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
October 21: Daysong Reflections
October 22: Back Porch Reads
October 23: Lighthouse Academy
October 23: The Power of Words
October 24: Bigreadersite
October 25: Artistic Nobody
October 25: Donna’s BookShelf
October 26: Pause for Tales
October 26: Bukwurmzzz
October 27: Splashes of Joy
October 27: Bibliophile Reviews 
October 28: ASC Book Reviews
October 28: Vic’s Media Room
October 28: inklings and notions
October 29: Jeanette’s Thoughts
October 30: Book by Book
October 30: Quiet Quilter
October 31: Two Girls and a Book

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a copy of The Devoted and an iPad Mini 2 16GB! Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/a60b



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"Wrapped In God's Grace" by Barbara Bras Book Tour and Give Away


 
To purchase your copy, click here.

About the Book

The crushing pain of seven years of unanswered prayer for a child. A miraculous adoption story, followed by unforeseen challenges and heartbreak.


Barbara Bras begins her memoir by sharing God’s answer to her prayers and the difficult times that followed. Although God does not provide an easy fix, the intricacies of God’s plans reveal themselves to her, and she relives her life in a new light.

Bras then recounts the stories of her grandfather Arshag and her grandmother Gulle, survivors of the atrocities of Armenia in 1915. Arshag, sent to South America for his protection, returns as a soldier of the Armenian Legion to fight for his country. Gulle is the only member of her family to survive the death march into the desert. Through God’s grace they find each other, marry and move to America in 1921. Bras is their first grandchild.

The final section of the memoir follows Bras as she marries and moves to Hawaii, only to return as a single mother to teach school in a small town. It is there she finally realizes that God has provided her with protection and direction. Bras discovers that once we truly surrender our will to God, His plan always produces blessings beyond our wildest dreams!

My Review: 
"Wrapped In God's Grace" by Barbara Bras is a short 150 page autobiography. The reason I say it is short is because it is easy to read and follow.  Barbara Bras has written this book in a way that is easy to follow.  The reader can feel her pain and her sorrow as she "Wrapped In God's Grace" by Barbara Bras is a short 150 page autobiography. The reason I say it is short is because it is easy to read and follow.  Barbara Bras has written this book in a way that is easy to follow.  The reader can feel her pain and her sorrow as she described her seven year journey to adopt a child and her finally giving up her will to God’s and His will and then to all the unforeseen challenges  she has had to deal with since she adopted her son.

After the adoption story, the author shares the story of her grandparents and their surviving of the atrocities of Armenia in 1915.  

Then Barbara Bras shares the struggles of her first and second marriage.

Yes this book is filled with heart aches but that isn’t all, the authors shares how she turned everything over to God and finally was able to found peace among her trials.

I find this book to be helpful and a testimony to the Great Love and Faithness of God. We just need to remember to turn our struggles and fears and joys over to Him. 

I am so thankful that authors like Barbara Bras are honest and truthful enough to share their trials and struggles with us and not just the victories so we the readers can know there is victory for us also.

I encourage you to read this book and found that God is there in the trials as well as the joy if we only let Him lead us.

I appreciated the fact that the author ended the chapter with her son saying that she doesn’t know how all that will end up but she is willing to leave it all in God’s hand!

Thanks Barbara Bras for sharing your life with readers honestly and beautifully and giving us hope.

I was given a complementary copy of "Wrapped In God's Grace" by Barbara Bras by the author and Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed are mine own. 

About the Author

In 2015, Barbara Bras left her career to pursue her dream of serving God. She believed that her first step would be to share the amazing ways God had blessed her. As she wrote of her son’s miraculous adoption and the challenging years that followed, it led to the rediscovery of her entire life, including the history of her grandparents’ remarkable survival in Armenia and her search for purpose and love. Her memoir led to her first novel, which she hopes readers will find engaging and memorable.   


Guest Post from Barbara Bras

An Unanswered Prayer

I struggled for many years with one unanswered prayer. It was my “go to” request every time I came before the Lord.

Convinced that with God nothing is impossible, I also knew that the Lord may say “Not now” many times, even before he says no. I acknowledged that the Lord probably had a much bigger and better plan in mind for me, but none of that offered any comfort. As I struggled year after year with my unanswered prayer I found more questions than answers.

Was I fooling myself and ignoring God’s “No”? Could my lack of faith be the reason I couldn’t hear the Lord? And if not now, then when dear Lord?

Then I discovered that the Lord said “Not now.” because he had a miracle waiting for me, more amazing than I could have ever imagined. Like Hannah, God finally answered my prayer for a child. And through that miracle I learned that surrendering my will to God allows Him to bless me beyond my human understanding.

To my further surprise, I discovered that the miracle didn’t mean the end of the story. Experiencing a miraculous adoption didn’t come with a guarantee or a promise that the rest of my life would be free of heartache.

After all of those years of unanswered prayer, I found myself back on my knees with a new daily prayer request. The Lord had something else to teach me through this new struggle, a lesson that took me another fifteen years to learn.

Not only did those fifteen years lead me right back to where I started, surrendering my human will to His and trusting in His greater plan, but it convinced me that the Lord wanted me to share my story.  

Wrapped in God’s Grace, a Life Rediscovered begins with my unanswered prayer for a child, but as I wrote it, God’s plan for me became clear. The second section of the book recreates the events surrounding the survival of my grandparents through the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Their immigration to America in 1921 led to my existence. The book closes with the Lord blessing me with a loving husband in spite of the many missteps I made directing my own life. A reviewer found this nonlinear sequence of events unusual, and I am fine with that, since that’s how the book unfolded before me.

Captured by St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, I now view my writing as a tribute first to the God who comforts and strengthens all of us in hardships and trials, and second as my mission to encourage others.


A photo gallery for Wrapped in God’s Grace, a Life Rediscovered can be found on my website AuthorB.Bras.com. Click here to view the Photo Gallery
 

Blog Stops

October 11: Bibliophile Reviews 
October 13: Eat, Read Teach, Blog
October 14: Book Love
October 15: A Greater Yes
October 16: Carpe Diem
October 18: Pause for Tales
October 19: A Reader’s Brain
October 20: Bigreadersite
October 22: Mary Hake
October 22: Simple Harvest Reads (Spotlight)
October 23: Christian Bookaholic


Giveaway

                                                                                                
To celebrate her tour, Barbara is giving away a $100 Amazon gift card! Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/a561
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