Saturday, March 21, 2020

"Tatiana:" by Madeline Brock


 Book Description
Tatiana Bergman views life through a different lens than most. She says and does what she likes without regard for hurt feelings on the way. Living in the 1840s in rural Pennsylvania, her passionate, impulsive behavior confounds her sisters and appalls her peers.

Life only gets more complicated when Tatiana befriends Jonny Creek, a mischievous young man whose Native American blood puts him on the fringes of society. Jonny is trouble; Tatiana is intrigued. Together they spell out disaster. From being chased by wolves, to bashing around fancy gatherings, the unlikely pair get into one scrape after another.

When tragedy strikes the Bergman family, Tatiana is compelled to leave the security of her childhood home to live in the bustling city of Philadelphia. There, she is forced into adulthood as she deals with a mysterious young coworker and an unsavory employer.

Tatiana struggles to subdue her wild spirit and keep her heart pure while making the right choices and wrestling with her own woman she finds herself in a battle of her will between two young men and the God she serves.


Purchase Link
https://amzn.to/2RH8H39



Tweets
Meet @MadelineBrock01 and her debut #historicalfiction novel, Tatiana, Book One of the #UpwardWayChronicles series.

The #UpwardWayChronicles from author Madeline Brock are superb! Today I'm sharing my thoughts on #Tatiana, book one in the series.

Tatiana, a book provided by #RoswayPress. The Upward Way Chronicles series author Madeline Brock makes the reader feel part of history!  #christianfiction

Immerse yourself into life in the 1800's! Meet author @MadelineBrock01 and Tatiana, her debut release.

Madeline Brock's coming of age novel, #Tatiana, tackles tough choices with spirit and optimism. Don't miss this! #CR4U




I really enjoyed "Tatiana:" by Madeline Brock.  It is filled with  humor, tears, romance, and Christian elements without being preachy.  This is a book that I would read again.  I really am eager to read the other books in the series.  In fact, I just brought the other two books in this series. 

This is a book about what real love is and how Jesus can really change a person from the inside out if they allow Him to! 

This book really kept me reading and enjoying from the first page till the last page. 

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


















BIO

Madeline Brock's love of people, history, the Lord, and good storytelling flows over into her writing. She was born and raised in Northwest Ohio and came from a homeschooling family of seven. Madeline has loved reading and writing from a very young age.

In childhood, a favorite activity was taking family road trips across the country. Several unique part-time jobs filled her teen years. Among these were: music teacher, nanny, and a historic museum costumed guide. A chocolate factory and a produce stand were also memorable work experiences.

After graduation, Madeline spent two years on a Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. Her primary activity was teaching at a private school. Now California's beautiful Central Valley is her home. She resides with four cats, her carpenter husband, and their infant daughter.

Two of Madeline's favorite books are Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. She loves the timeless way the authors relate and portray their characters. Madeline strives to write with the nostalgia and emotion of her favorite authors.

SOCIAL MEDIA

https://www.amazon.com/Madeline-Brock/e/B00RZUN60E
https://www.instagram.com/madeline_c55
https://www.facebook.com/maddybrockbooks
https://twitter.com/MadelineBrock01















Friday, March 20, 2020

"Balaam’s Curse" by C.L. Smith Book Tour and GiveAway

Balaam's Curse FB Banner

About the Book

Book:  Balaam’s Curse
Author: C.L. Smith
Genre:  Biblical fiction
Release Date: 2016
Balaam's Curse front coverUnfathomable evil grips the ancient homeland of the Children of Israel. When Yahweh, Most High God, led his people out of slavery in Egypt to confront it, they failed miserably and spent the next forty years wandering homeless in the desert. Now they are ready to try again. But before they can cross the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land, the prophet Balaam is summoned from Babylon to stop them. Joining forces with supernatural powers, he unleashes a plot so twisted that the name of Balaam is used as a synonym for seductive evil a thousand years later in the Book of Revelation.
Aided by the ruthlessly ambitious Princess Cozbi, the prophet gathers a coalition of five Midianite kings who will stop at nothing to defeat Israel and prevent a crossing that will change the world. Balaam’s Curse, Book One of The Stones of Gilgal, is an epic telling of the resulting deception, revolt, plague, and war. Familiar biblical characters—Moses, Caleb and Joshua—stride through this tale of mayhem and miracles. But this is the coming-of-age story of the next generation, young people nurtured in a simple wilderness life who suddenly find themselves caught in a vortex of violence and upheaval beyond anything they could have imagined.

Click here to get your copy.

"Balaam’s Curse" by C.L. Smith is Biblical fiction that I would recommend to anyone that likes this genre and I did. I am amazed at the actuality of this book and I am glad that the author gives a list of Biblical verses in the back of the book.

This is a great retelling of how Baal and five Midianite kings uses wealth, sex, alcohol, to stop the Children of Israel crossing into the Promised Land.

This book is the first of the three in the series and I will be reading the other two as soon as I can.

The author makes these Biblical characters, Moses, Caleb and Joshua, come to life and the reader feels like they are more than just Biblical people but real people with feelings and actions like the rest of us.

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

About the Author
cl smithC.L. Smith, retired junior high school English and history teacher, former missionary, and lifetime student of the Bible, has been captivating audiences around the world for years with the timeless thrill of biblical tales. More than twenty years ago while reading the books of Joshua and Judges, Othniel caught her attention and then his future wife, Acsah. They are only mentioned in a few short verses, but there were a lot of possibilities embedded there. They lived through an exciting era peppered with some other fascinating minor characters of the Bible. The more she thought about them, the more it seemed they were begging her to tell their story. Well, Acsah was. Othniel didn’t say much. He’s pretty quiet. But they convinced her that their impressive and important story had been buried too long among the spectacular events of the time of Joshua. It was about time someone told it. The idea for a biblical novel quickly grew into The Stones of Gilgal series. Balaam’s Curse was published in 2016, A River to Cross in 2017, and Trouble in the Ruins in September, 2019.

More from C.L. Smith

The light of God’s love dispels the darkness obscuring the era of Joshua and the violent conquest of Canaan. Be inspired by this epic series of biblical novels illuminating the murky mists of ancient time with truth applicable to modern life.

Balaam’s Curse 
The first book of the series plunges the reader into a nightmarish tale of terror instigated by an evil prophet from Babylonia. If you think you remember the story of Balaam and his talking donkey from Sunday School, think again. When God puts words of blessing in the prophet’s mouth, thwarting his attempt to curse Israel, Balaam joins forces with supernatural powers in a scheme so twisted that his name is used as a synonym for seductive evil a thousand years later in the Book of Revelation.

Forming a coalition with five Midianite kings and the ruthlessly ambitious Princess Cozbi, the evil prophet unleashes a deadly plot against the twelve tribes of Israel. He will stop at nothing to prevent them from crossing into the Promised land to claim their inheritance. This is a gripping tale of the seduction, revolt, plague, and war that traps the Children of Israel in the Valley of Acacias east of the Jordan for months. Well-known Biblical heroes—Moses, Caleb and Joshua—stride through its pages, but the story unfolds primarily through the eyes of the next generation, young people born and nurtured in the simple wilderness life of the forty-year Wanderings. Suddenly, on the brink of their new life in the Promised Land, they find themselves in a life or death struggle that tests their strength and batters their faith before they’ve even crossed the river.

The Story Behind the Story
This series of biblical novels began with a new interest in Othniel, the first of the biblical hero-judges. His love story with Acsah and his heroic adventures are summarized in only a few words of scripture, but I saw a lot of possibilities embedded in those brief verses. Digging deeper, I realized that Othniel and Acsah came of age during the turbulent era of Joshua along with a handful of other fascinating minor biblical characters. The more I thought about Othniel, Acsah, and friends, the more I was convinced that their impressive and important story had been buried too long among the spectacular events of the time of Joshua and it was about time someone told it. The result is the six-part Stones of Gilgal saga showing how the obstacles overcome in their youth shape each character for their ultimate roles in the story of the settlement of Canaan. The series ends with Othniel rising to save Israel from an oppressive enemy as the first and most noble of the hero-judges.

The Dark Side
The Stones of Gilgal saga includes several “tales of terror,” dark episodes standing in juxtaposition to some of the Bible’s most dazzling miracles. I see these stories as dark and light puzzle pieces, making sense only when viewed within the framework of the Great Cosmic War. Whether read as ancient history or truth-teaching myth, these incidents are chapters in the epic story of the entire Bible, a good God working to save humanity from the forces of evil.

The Characters 
Six of my characters are minor but real characters found in scripture who lived during the era of Joshua, experiencing the transition from the Wilderness Wanderings to the Promised Land. They all crossed the Jordan, witnessed the fall of Jericho and the sun standing still at a word from Joshua—life-changing events that prepared them for leadership roles in the book of Judges.

  • Othniel, who becomes the first hero-Judge of Israel
  • Acsah, only daughter of the heroic Caleb
  • Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, future high priest
  • Jonathan, grandson of Moses whose story appears in Judges 17-18
  • Salmon, prince of the tribe of Judah, who appears only in genealogies as the husband of Rahab
  • Rahab, the courageous Canaanite harlot not only saved by faith but honored with a place in the lineage of King David and Jesus Christ.
  • Plus Abihail, fictionalized daughter-in-law of the biblical Achan

Blog Stops

Betti Mace, March 26
Mary Hake, March 27
Rebecca Tews, March 29
Bigreadersite, March 31
Emily Yager, April 1
Batya’s Bits, April 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, C.L. is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

"Escape to Vindor" by Emily Golus Book Tour and Give Away

Escape to Vindor FB Banner

About the Book

Book:  Escape to Vindor
Author: Emily Golus
Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: December 1, 2017
Vindor - High Res coverFor as long as she can remember, Megan Bradshaw has imagined herself as the heroine of Vindor, her own secret world populated with mermaids, centaurs, samurai, and more. When school pressures and an upcoming move make life unbearable, Megan wishes she could escape to Vindor for real. 


Click here for your copy.
"Escape to Vindor" by Emily Golus is a fantasy that I really liked reading Maybe because I could actually see it in my mind as I was reading. I was thinking the whole time I was reading my grandson, ( aged 10) and granddaughter ( aged 17) would like this book.

This book has mermaids, pixies, centaurs, goblins and other mythical creatures. This book is like "Parent Trap" except it is a fantasy.

This book is a clean read as well as entertaining. 

I have already downloaded the second book in this series from Kindle Unlimited because the ending just made want to read more.

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

About the Author
Emily GolusEmily Golus has been dreaming up fantasy worlds since before she could write her name. A New England transplant now living in the Deep South, she is fascinated by culture and the way it shapes how individuals see the world. Golus aims to create stories that engage, inspire, and reassure readers that the small choices of everyday life matter.
Her first novel, Escape to Vindor, debuted in 2017 and won the Selah Award for young adult fiction. Its sequel, Mists of Paracosmia, released in April 2019.
Golus lives in Upstate South Carolina with her woodworking husband, an awkward cat, and the world’s most talkative baby.

More from Emily

In Escape to Vindor, teen Megan Bradshaw spends nearly every quiet moment she has in a world of her own imagination. Writing this part of Megan’s story came naturally to me, because that was the way I spent my adolescence, too.
While other girls were thinking about—I don’t know what they were thinking about, actually. Boys, maybe?—I was creating epic melodramas about rival mermaid queens or magical rainforest civilizations. The world of my imagination filled my quiet life with vivid technicolor.
My stories also helped me survive. Worldbuilding was a welcome escape from my ever-growing list of fears.
See, I was the extra-good girl, the one who followed every rule to a T, always giving a hundred and ten percent. Few people suspected I did all of this not because I had a lot of drive and confidence, but because I thought I had to be extra-perfect in order to be loved—by people, and by God. I had a deep-seated terror of making one little mistake, losing my way, and being abandoned forever.
The world of Vindor started out as a private daydream, a way for me to work through my anxieties. But as I grew, I discovered something amazing—and the story took an unexpected turn.
I wrote Escape to Vindor for the dreamers, the bookworms, and anyone who enjoys dazzling new worlds. More importantly, I wrote it for the quiet ones who struggle without anyone knowing, who need to hear: You are seen, you are known, and you are loved.

Blog Stops

Wishful Endings, March 22 (Author Interview)
Through the Fire Blogs, March 26 (Author Interview)
Emily Yager, March 28
Vicky Sluiter, March 29 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, April 1

Giveaway

Escape to Vindor Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Emily is giving away the grand prize package of signed copies of both Escape to Vindor and Mists of Paracosmia, an amethyst pendant, and a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

"The Ministry of Healing" by AJ Gordon Book Tour and Give Away

The Ministry of Heaing FB Banner

About the Book

Book:  The Ministry of Healing
Author: AJ Gordon
Genre:  Christian non-fiction, spiritual growth
Release Date: January 17, 2020
Ministry of Healing CoverClassic Christian author A. J. Gordon expresses curiosity about whether the healing miracles from the Middle Ages up to his day can be verified as a continuation of Christ’s Spirit in the church. Through deep study and inquiry of the established history, Gordon concludes that the power to heal followers remains with the church—there was no special era of miracle working. God and His powers remain the same in the modern era as they have right through human history. For Gordon, God’s intervention in the suffering and sickness of His followers is frequent; the will of the Lord however is variable—but He will not prolong the pain of someone whose illness is too great. Throughout this text, A. J. Gordon makes his argument from a biblical perspective, citing passages in both the Old and New Testament that support the continuation of spiritual gifts. Quoting testimonies of believers across the ages, he offers a convincing argument that the church ministry is, to this day, one of healing.

Click here to get your copy!

"The Ministry of Healing" by  AJ Gordon is a book that I really wanted to read. But, after reading it I have to say if really felt like I was reading a textbook. I believe that God still does miracles today and that is the point of this book. It is filled with examples of miracles, which is good but I wish the author would have included more examples from healings  and miracles today. the author gives many Scriptural verses to backup what he is staying.

After I wrote that first paragraph, I read About the author and seen that this book was first written in 1882 and so now I understand why no mention of recent miracles are written about.

This is a good book to prove that miracles did happen and that they they are still able to happen today.

The author does point out that we are given the power to heal by our faith and prayer. He also points out in one chapter, I don't remember which one, that we can haver the miracle of healing the sick but not raising the dead or multiply the loaves of bread and fishes, because he says those miracles were for Jesus alone.

I recommend this book to any Christian, but I say read the book as if it is a study and look up the Bible verses and Don't read it in one setting as if it is a book to just read but be prepare to learn from it.

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


About the Author
Adoniram_Judson_GordonAdoniram Judson (A. J.) Gordon (1836–1895) came to prominence in the United States as the evangelical pastor of Clarendon Street Baptist Church in Boston for more than twenty-five years. During his tenure there, he saw the church completely transformed into one of the most spiritual and aggressive churches in America, with an unsurpassed effort in missions. A missionary training school and publishing house were associated with the church, and Gordon preached at many of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Conferences, along with other notable preachers such as A. B. Simpson, A. T. Pierson, and R. A. Torrey. His training school eventually became Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He also founded Gordon College, in Wenham, Massachusetts. He wrote his most famous book, The Ministry of Healing, in 1882, but he also wrote at least fifteen hymns, including “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” as well as other books of Christian instruction.

More from Whitaker House

This classic Christian work has previously only been self published. Gordon is renowned as founder of Gordon-Conwell Seminary and Gordon College. His writings became foundational work for what later became the spirit-filled movement.

Blog Stops

Blossoms and Blessings, March 19 (Spotlight)
Artistic Nobody, March 21 (Spotlight)
Lukewarm Tea, March 23 (Spotlight)
Andrea Christenson, March 25 (Spotlight)
For the Love of Literature, March 27 (Spotlight)
Simple Harvest Reads, March 29 (Spotlight)
CarpeDiem, March 30

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Whitaker House is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Starbucks Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

"Turning Tide" by Author: Melody Carlson Book tour and GiveAway

Turning Tide FB Banner

About the Book

Book:  Turning Tide
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Release Date: Feb 15, 2020
Turning TideAs the Great War rages on, Sunset Cove continues to feel its impact. Running the small town newspaper, Anna McDowell can’t escape the grim reports from the other side of the world, but home-front challenges abound as well. Dr. Daniel is serving the wounded on the front lines. And Katy, expecting her first child, with her husband in the trenches, tries to support the war effort with her Red Cross club. Even as the war winds down the costs are high—and Sunset Cove is not spared.

Click here for your copy!
"Turning Tide" by Melody Carlson is the fourth and final book in the "The Legacy of Sunset Cove ". I recommend reading the books in order because each book builds on each other. This book deals with WW1. It described great battles and ships that are sunk and the flu and death and the end of the war and PST. I think this in my favorite of the fourth but it is also the saddest of the four.  The author does a good job of drawing readers into the story that we think of these characters as real people. 
This is a story about a real time in history and real problems that was faced by real people.  I strongly recommend this series.  I found myself waiting to jump into the pages and yelling at some of the characters and others I wanted to hug and then some like Baby Larry, I wanted to coddle. 
I was given a contemporary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are mine own. 

About the Author
author photo Melody Carlson (1)Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

More from Melody

Writing about the WW1 era has definitely been a good history lesson for me. Prohibition laws in Oregon (and rum-runners breaking them) combined with a massive war that changed the world and a global epidemic is worth paying attention to. Especially since history sometimes repeats itself. The early 20th century had a lot going on—much that seems nearly forgotten. I’m glad to see the movie 1917 is doing well—and we plan to see it this week. Although I’m not a fan of gruesome war movies, this era continues to intrigue me. Even as I wrapped up my Sunset Cove series with Turning Tide I was left wondering . . . what’s next? But isn’t that the beauty of story?

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, March 16
By The Book, March 19
Wishful Endings, March 19
Betti Mace, March 21
Remembrancy, March 21
Mary Hake, March 22
Artistic Nobody, March 25 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Older & Smarter?, March 26
SPLASHES of Joy, March 28
Vicky Sluiter, March 28
Pause for Tales, March 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Melody is giving away the grand prize package of a complete set of The Legacy of Sunset Cove series!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.