Friday, March 31, 2017

"Such A Tease" by Chautona Havig" Boor Tour and GiveAway



Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

Book: Such a Tease  

Author: Chautona Havig  

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical/Mystery  

Release Date: March 21, 2017

Madeline, with a little assistance, discovers her old adversary is gaining a following in Rockland! Can she expose him for the fraud she’s sure he is?

In book two of the Meddlin’ Madeline series, Madeline Brown has a new endeavor to occupy her time. But is it to keep her out of the way or a reward for her work in Sweet on You? With the help of her young friends, Madeline discovers her old adversary is gaining a following in Rockland! What’s a girl to do?  

But her new position also gives her opportunities to observe, and what she sees sets more than one new investigation in motion. What does her old suitor, Delbert Jackson, know? Why is Mr. Merton giving important papers to that scoundrel, Vernon Smythe, and whatever happened to poor Abigail Cooper?  

Add to these intriguing questions Henry Hardwick’s continued attentions, Edith’s newfound devotion to the temperance movement and Madeline’s determination to find her a more reliable suitor, and strange behavior from her Aunt Louisa and things heat up as summer fades from Rockland.

Her dear friend, Russell, busy with an important project at work, finds himself unable to help keep her out of trouble and away from danger. Is Madeline going too far? Will her meddling get her in serious trouble this time, will it destroy her reputation irreparably, or will she rid Rockland of a scoundrel once and for all?

My Review: 
"Such A Tease" by Chautona Havig is the second book in the ( Meddlin" Madeline Series).

Madeline uses her job as a bank teller to solve another mystery involving the scoundrel, Vernon Smythe.

This book has pretty much the same characters as the first book in the series. 

I really liked this statement from the book "You cannot satisfy everyone's expectations for you, but where you can, show those you love that you don't disregard their consideration." .
I really like the end conservation between Russell and Madeline on prayer. It is one that tells us that we can talk to our Heavenly Father like we do our earthly father. I shorten the conversation it is a little more involved in the book.

There are  two mysteries involved in this book . Who killed Abigail Cooper and would the town really be better off  with everyone having electricity. Yes, this story is about the time when people had gas lights and etc. 

This story describes the characters thoughts and actions and interactions between the characters really well.

I am eagerly awaiting to see if there are anymore books in this series. There is a romance developing and I want to see if it continues or if the two remain just friends.

I am giving "Such A Tease" by Chautona Havig three stars. I was given a complimentary copy.  These opinions  are my own.




About the Author


Author of the Amazon bestselling Aggie, Past Forward, and HearthLand series, Chautona considers herself blessed to live in California’s Mojave Desert with her husband and five of her nine children. When not writing, which she admits isn’t often, Chautona enjoys blogging, paper crafts, sewing, smocking, photo editing, and old (read: before her parents’ time) music.



Guest Blog Post from Chautona

Leon Czolgosz is my new nemesis. He’s dead, but he ruined my book. No, really. The guy totally destroyed the opening pages of Such a Tease.

Now, these days, not a whole lot of people remember the name of Leon Cozolgosz. I didn’t. But I’ll never forget him now (although I may never remember how to spell his name).

Who is he? Only the guy who shot President McKinley. Why am I annoyed with him over a hundred years later? The idiot did this thing on September 6, 1901. You know, four days after this book opened? Yeah. Couldn’t he have done it on say… January 6, 1901? Even January 6, 1902 would have served my purposes.

Look, I’m not as callous as I appear. Truly. But if President McKinley had to die, did his murderer have to do it when it would completely mess up my book?

How did it mess up my book you ask?

I’ll tell you. I left it out—the whole assassination thing. There I was, fixing a wedding date for one of the characters, when a thought occurred to me. She could be married on Flag Day—if Flag Day was a thing then. I didn’t think it was. I really thought Wilson was responsible for that—you know, creating holidays in between his notes to Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany or something like that. But I hoped. Somehow—just maybe. I mean we had Labor Day from Cleveland, why not Flag Day from McKinley. But noooooo. He didn’t. What did he do?

He got shot. Four days after my book opened. And there wasn’t a single word about it in the story.

Like I could ever get away with that. This was news! Big news. And nothing about it in the life of a daughter of a politician? I think not.

Not only did this Leon Czolgosz (no, really. It’s spelled correctly) shoot the president on September 6th, but he didn’t do a good job of it! Look, I think I’ve established that I didn’t want President McKinley killed. But if the guy with the unpronounceable last name had to do it, couldn’t he have done a good job of it? Couldn’t he have shot the president in the head? McKinley suffered for eight days before he died. Eight days! They thought he was getting better and then gangrene killed him.

It would have been a mercy had Leon just shot McKinley in the head or the heart. Why the abdomen? Cruel, if you ask me, even for an anarchist.

And it made adding the whole affair to my book even more problematic. No, really! Think about it. I couldn’t have the newspapers announce the death of President McKinley on September 7th and then have a few mentions of the bank being affected or something. No… no… now I had to have a headline event, give false hope, and then add the death on top of it all.

Look, I do an obscene amount of research for my books. No, really. Keen was slang in 1901. Woohoo! Look up “peachy keen”? Yeah. Can’t use it. 1950s. The telephone? Can Madeline expect to use one in a burgeoning city in 1901? Considering there were over 850,000 telephones in use, yes. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that a photographer who works for a local paper might have a telephone in order to receive calls requesting him to come photograph some big event—like the Mayor’s speech on the death of President McKinley, perchance?

Yep. Somehow, I almost missed one of the biggest events in US history. Research saved the book—and ruined my timeline. All at the same time. Gotta love history. Or not.

And Leon Czolgosz? Yeah. Thanks for nothing.

Blog Stops

March 23: A Greater Yes
March 24: Carpe Diem
March 26: Back Porch Reads 
March 27: Splashesofjoy 
March 29: Lots of Helpers
March 29: The Scribbler 
March 30: Bigreadersite
April 1: Pause for Tales


Giveaway


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To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a Reader’s Teaser Package that includes: 
A paperback copy of both Sweet on You and Such a Tease 
A “Tea-for-One” teapot 
A Tin of loose-leaf tea of your choice (six options available from our local tearoom) 
A pound of assorted See’s chocolates 
A set of six handmade antique-inspired note cards 
A $25 Amazon Gift Card 
And, for the teaser… the winner will also receive the exclusive short story (usually reserved for pre-orders) The Fate of Abigail Cooper!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! March 21: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses
March 23: A Greater Yes
March 24: Carpe Diem
March 26: Back Porch Reads 
March 27: Splashesofjoy 
March 29: Lots of Helpers
March 29: The Scribbler 
March 30: Bigreadersite
April 1: Pause for Tales




March 23: A Greater Yes
March 24: Carpe Diem
March 26: Back Porch Reads 
March 27: Splashesofjoy 
March 29: Lots of Helpers
March 29: The Scribbler 
March 30: Bigreadersite
April 1: Pause for Tales

Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a Reader’s Teaser Package
that includes:
A paperback copy of both Sweet on You and Such a Tease
A “Tea-for-One” teapot
A Tin of loose-leaf tea of your choice (six options available from our local tearoom)
A pound of assorted See’s chocolates
A set of six handmade antique-inspired note cards
A $25 Amazon Gift Card
And, for the teaser… the winner will also receive the exclusive short story (usually reserved for pre-orders) The Fate of Abigail Cooper!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b2b8











Tuesday, March 28, 2017

"21 Days Of Grace" by Kathy Ide Book Tour and Give Away


 
Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book



Book: 21 Days of Grace  

Author: Compiled by Kathy Ide
  
Genre: Devotional  

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Love fiction? Looking for a devotional? Check out 21 DAYS OF GRACE, book one in the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series (published by BroadStreet Publishing Group). Fictional stories followed by brief life applications written by best-selling Christian novelists and debut authors, including Angela Hunt, Cindy Woodsmall, and Deborah Raney. Great for individual or group study.


My Review:  

"21 Days Of Grace"is a book of 21 stories about God's grace. The stories are also about forgiveness received from others and from God and to others and forgiving ourselves.  

The stories are all less than 10 pages each. I read each story in one day but I think it would probably be better to read each one for 21 days and think about the lessons learned that day, and then start rereading. 

The story are really heart filled and touch many subjects such as abortion, spousal abuse, depression and suicide, anger issues and acceptance, adultery. and fear.

I found something in each story that I can adept ( not that I have been involved in each issue personally) into my life in learning and accepting God's grace and love. 

I really want to get the other three books in the "A Fiction Lover’s Devotional"  series. 

At the end of each story there is a little section called Life Application. That is where the authors talk more about the lessons the characters learned in the stories. 

I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed are my own. 



About the Author

Kathy Ide is the author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors and the editor/compiler of the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. She’s a full-time freelance editor and writing mentor, working with Christian authors of all genres at all levels. She teaches at writers’ conferences across the country and is the director of the SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference and the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. She’s a co-owner of the Christian Editor Network LLC and founder of the four divisions that comprise the CEN: Christian Editor ConnectionThe Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors NetworkPENCON, and The PEN Institute. To find out more about Kathy, visit www.KathyIde.com


 

Guest Post from Kathy Ide

I’ve always loved Christian fiction, and I’ve seen the power of fiction to touch hearts and change lives, both firsthand and hearing about the experiences of others. But you know, in my quiet times with the Lord, reading a chapter from a novel just doesn’t seem quite appropriate. So a devotional with short fiction stories seemed like a great solution. And you can take these purse-sized devotionals wherever you go, to read when you have a few minutes of down time. It’s a great way to get “inspiration on the go.” And they make fantastic gifts for friends and loved ones.

Blog Stops

March 23: A Reader’s Brain
March 24: ASC Book Reviews
March 24: autism mom
March 26: The Power of Words
March 27: Lighthouse Academy
March 28: A Greater Yes
March 29: Southern Chelle 
March 30: Pause for Tales
March 30: The Scribbler
March 31: Carpe Diem
April 1: Splashesofjoy 
April 2: Karen Sue Hadley
April 3: Lane Hill House
April 5: God is Love

                                                        April 5: Simple Harvest Reads


Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away:

1st – 4th place winners: A set of all four devotionals in the series. 
5th & 6th place winners: An autographed copy of 21 Days of Grace with a novel written by one of the contributing authors!!


Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b2cd

Sunday, March 26, 2017

"Murder For The Time Being" by Joanie Bruce Book Tour and Give Away


 
Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book                 Book:Murder for the Time Being 




Author: Joanie Bruce

Genre: Christian Suspense/Romance

Release Date: November 29, 2016

“You’ll pay for this. I’ll get you both.”

Computer expert Lexi Wynn is frightened. Someone is after her, but she doesn’t know why. Is it because of her past or because she was thrust into a deadly bank robbery and might identify the ones responsible? Escaping a failed kidnapping attempt and not sure who to trust, she hopes her specialized skills with computers might flush out the name of the killer. When a tall, dark, and handsome stranger rams into her truck with the hearse he’s driving and puts his life in danger to save hers, can she ignore the attraction she feels for him to concentrate on the killers? Or is God the only one who can save her now?

Drew Sheffield is irritated when a cute lady stops abruptly in front of him and he plows into the back of her pickup. After their initial confrontation, flashbacks of honeysuckle and sassy green eyes linger in his thoughts. When Lexi is threatened, he steps in to help the feisty young woman, in spite of agonizing over a past relationship.

Can Lexi and Drew forget the tragedies of the past and embrace the feelings between them or will ghostly memories snub out the promise of a future together?

About the Author



Joanie has a strong passion for reading, and her love for books with nail-biting suspense, inspires her to write contemporary suspense books. Thankful that God has given her the ability to write from her home in the country, she strives to use that opportunity to honor Him in all of her writing. Joanie and her husband, Ben, live in a country home near Madison, Georgia, right in the middle of a pasture full of beef cows. There they raised and homeschooled their three children. She enjoys cooking, taking long walks, painting oil portraits, and caring for their home in the country.
 




My Review:
Wow, is the first word that comes to mind after reading "Murder For The Time Being" by Joanie Bruce.  I thought her first two books were great but this book is fantastic. 

"Murder For The Time Being" is a book that I literally didn't want to stop reading until I had reached the end because I was afraid I would miss something. Every page had a twist and a turn I didn't see coming.  Even the very ending was a surprise.

Some books you want to look at the end and read ahead just because you think you know how the ending ends, ( I don't but to be honest, the thought is there sometimes) but this book didn't make me want to skip ahead or miss anything. 

Yes, this book made me think how could you let that character be killed and sometimes I was thinking, come on Joanie, ( no I don't know the author personally to call her Joanie but since she is the author, I did say Joanie), "How could you let that be happening to ......., but I am really happy to say that Joanie Bruce knew what she was writing and how it would all turn out.  So in the end, No  complaints from me. 

This book really brings home the saying that "Things Aren't What They Seem To Be". 

I am giving "Murder For The Time Being" by Joanie Bruce five stars.

I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own. 



Guest Post from Joanie Bruce

Have you ever been devastated by a certain event in your life, and later it turned out to the best thing that ever happened to you? That’s what happened to Lexi Wyn in this book, “Murder for the Time Being.” Something unthinkable happened to her family, but in the end, it changes Lexi’s life forever and introduces her to the love of her life.


In this story, both Lexi and Drew have things in their past that discourage them from seeking a lasting relationship. However, God has a plan for them both, and through His Divine engineering, they are thrown together in circumstances that nurture a growing appreciation and affection for each other.

This book was fun to write because I anchored the story in my sweet little town of Madison, Georgia. I wasn’t raised in Madison, but I’ve called it home for much longer than any other place I’ve ever lived. While growing up in the big city of Memphis, Tennessee, I had definite plans for my future. All I ever wanted was to “marry a country boy and live in the country.” The Lord heard the desires of my heart and gave me what I wanted … a country boy, born and raised here in Morgan County on a dairy farm.

After we married, I adopted Madison as my home, and I love it so much that I wanted to feature some of the fun spots in Madison as the backdrops for the scenes in my books. I hope when you read through the pages of my book, you will get an idea of what a sweet little town Madison is and enjoy reading about Lexi and Drew and how they let God guide them in discovering that murder CAN be “for the Time Being.”

Blog Stops

March 15: autism mom
March 16: A Reader’s Brain
March 17: A Greater Yes
March 18: Radiant Light 
March 20: Karen Sue Hadley
March 24: Pause for Tales
March 24: 2014 and Beyond!
March 26: Carpe Diem

Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Joanie is giving away a Kindle Fire!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!https://promosimple.com/ps/b291