Monday, May 31, 2021

"Written Off " by Barbara Cornthwaite Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Written Off

Author: Barbara Cornthwaite

Genre: Christian Cozy Mystery

Release date: May 2021

”Break a leg?” They’ll be lucky if they don’t all break their necks!

After years of waiting, Katrina finally has her happily ever after. All is right with her world . . . until hate crimes begin happening in the charming college town of Wilkester. Even more disturbing is the fact that the perpetrator seems to be connected with the writing class Katrina teaches. How can she prevent her rosy visions of the future from turning into broken dreams?

Find out in this third book of the Wilkester Mysteries.

Click here to get your copy!

I really enjoyed this series!"Written Off " by Barbara Cornthwaite is the third in the series! I reread the other two books in the series, but I think I would have enjoyed this book even if I haven't read the other two. I am glad I read the whole series because each book is a mystery and I know the whole background of the main characters. I would like to read more stories involving Todd and Katrina.

I know this review is about "Written Off " but I just want to say each book had this reader trying to figure out the guilty person and when it was revealed it was a shock! It was a completely surprise at who had done the crime.

I recommend this book, it does deal with a topic that is a real issue in today's world, Racism, but it is done in a way that is pleasant and it a clean read. I like that the characters are Christians and their actions portrayed that in the book.

I really like these two quotes from the book so I am sharing them " I could only see the awful things. It was actually my sister that reminder me that God isn't stingy with blessings.There are lots of big things to be happy about-like family and friends and food and health-and then there are also the little crumbs of joy sprinkled throughout the day."

This is my favorite quote from the book " Your story doesn't begin when you're born and end when you die, you know. It begins when you're born and then when you die, it's just the end of the first chapter. You go to heaven for the rest of it."

I like that this series revolves a teacher who teaches about books, you see I am a true bookaholic so when a story involves writers and books, I am in to all the way.

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

About the Author

Barbara Cornthwaite lives in the middle of Ireland with her husband and children. She taught college English before “retiring” to do something she loves far more; her days are now filled with homeschooling her six children, trying to keep the house tidy (a losing battle), and trying to stay warm in the damp Irish climate (also a losing battle). She is surrounded by medieval castles, picturesque flocks of sheep, and ancient stone monuments. These things are unappreciated by her children, who are more impressed by traffic jams, skyscrapers, and hot weather.

More from Barbara

What Kind of Lessons Could a Mystery Possibly Teach Me?

It’s been a couple decades since I taught a college English class, and writing the Wilkester Mysteries with Professor Katrina Peters as the main character brought back happy memories of teaching. Not enough to want to go back to it—homeschooling my own kids is much more rewarding—but enough that I had to stop myself from writing much longer lectures into the stories! These are my first contemporary novels, and it was nice to write a story without the hours and hours of historical research I usually have to do. But whatever time period stories are set in, people feel the same emotions and have to learn the same spiritual lessons.

Katrina loves literature and can’t help seeing her own life as a story. The only problem is that she keeps thinking she knows what the Author is doing, and she has definite ideas about what the plot should be. She is not unlike myself: over and over I’ve thought I knew what God was doing in my life. And if He was short on ideas, I had quite a few that He was free to use! But He has rarely been doing what I thought He was, and for some reason He never seems to use my ideas about what could happen in my story. Both Katrina and I need to learn the lesson that God’s wisdom is beyond ours, His storytelling is much deeper and richer than ours, and His plots are never predictable!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 1

April Hayman, Author, June 1

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 2

Losing the Busyness, June 2

Texas Book-aholic, June 3

CarpeDiem, June 3

Remembrancy, June 4

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

She Lives To Read, June 5

For Him and My Family, June 5

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 7

Inklings and notions, June 7

Labor Not in Vain, June 8

Genesis 5020, June 8

Aryn The Libraryan 📚, June 9

Blogging With Carol, June 9

For the Love of Literature, June 10

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 11

Joanne Markey, June 11

Through the Fire blogs, June 12

Mary Hake, June 12

deb’s Book Review, June 13

Daysong Reflections, June 13

Giveaway

[Insert Giveaway Picture Here]

To celebrate her tour, Barbara is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

[Insert Giveaway Link Here]

Friday, May 28, 2021

"The Silver Shadow" by Liz Tolsma Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: The Silver Shadow

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Historical/Suspense

Release date: May 2021

A Shadowy Figure Is Intent on Harming Denver’s Women

Book 11 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History

Denver of 1900 is still a dangerous place to be following the silver crash of 1893. And of out of the dark comes a shadow intent on harming women. Ambitious young Denver newspaper reporter Polly Blythe is searching for the big story that’s going to launch her career. On Friday evening, August 24, 1900, she gets her break when two women are cracked over the head within a two-minute walk of each other. But policeman Edwin Timmer thwarts Polly’s ideas of a serial criminal. . .until the shadowy figure strikes again. Will the reporter and the policeman team up to find the culprit before he strikes too close for comfort?

https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Shadow-True-Colors-Book-ebook/dp/B08NFSTVVG?dchild=1&keywords=the+silver+shadow&qid=1617827849&s=digital-text&sr=1-3&linkCode=sl1&tag=celelit-20&linkId=aa7ed18e23c60c7e480b642a67b5086e&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

"The Silver Shadow" by Liz Tolsma isn't my favorite of the series. This is the 11th in the series. This story as well as the others are all based on true crimes, it is also a romance. This book had a nice ending but it was disappointing in a way but maybe that is because real life and crimes are that way at times. The author does state that she used liberties within the story. I felt like a lot of information was missing and then some of it was repeated.

I don't know if this a spoiler alert or not, but maybe the story feels incomplete is because the crime has never been solved in real life thus the reason for the disappointing feeling at the end.

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

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

One of the most popular questions I’ve gotten from many readers of the True Colors Crime series is how do I come up with the ideas for the books? For the first two, Becky Germany, acquisitions editor at Barbour Publishing, had the ideas. That made my life easy. I just had to fictionalize it, and I had a book. But when I was putting together the proposals for The Gold Digger and The Silver Shadow, it was up to me to find the true crimes I wanted to use.

I went online and scoured historical crime blogs and books for ideas. I wanted crimes that I could work easily with, that made for compelling stories. As I was doing this, my husband and two daughters and I were driving home from Georgia. We were somewhere in Indiana. Don’t ask me why I remember this when I can’t remember what I had for dinner last night, but I do.

And then on Google Books, I discovered a book about crimes the world had forgotten. The first one in there sounded so good. Not too grisly, something that no one would be able to guess the culprit very easily. It was perfect. Imagine my excitement when Becky told me they would be publishing The Silver Shadow.

Then I sat down to research it more. And I could hardly find anything! What? Where was all the information on this? There had to be more. That chapter in the one book couldn’t be all there was. He had to get his information from somewhere.

Eventually I did come across some articles from various Colorado newspapers with a few details. Not many at all. None from any of the Denver papers, even though that’s where the crimes were committed.

In the end, that’s all the information I discovered. In a way, it was freeing. I could write whatever I wanted, and no one would be the wiser. Even if they did some research and some digging, there wasn’t much to find. I was able to take the facts that I did have, combine that with what I found out about Denver in 1900, and put it together in a story. I tried to use historical details wherever I could, but of my four True Colors Crimes books, this is the most fictional of them all.

Blog Stops

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 25

lakesidelivingsite, May 25

Reviewingbooksplusmore, May 25

For the Love of Literature, May 26

Bigreadersite, May 26

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 26

Texas Book-aholic, May 27

Genesis 5020, May 27

Christian Bookaholic, May 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 28

Vicky Sluiter, May 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 28

The Write Escape, May 29

Betti Mace, May 29

Inklings and notions, May 29

Southern Gal Loves to Read, May 30

For Him and My Family, May 30

Rebecca Tews, May 30

Older & Smarter?, May 31

deb’s Book Review, May 31

Blogging With Carol, May 31

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 1

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 1

Remembrancy, June 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 2

Pick a Good Book, June 2

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, June 2

Connie’s History Classroom, June 3

Godly Book Reviews, June 3

Mary Hake, June 3

Through the Fire Blogs, June 4

Melissa Wardwells Back Porch Reads, June 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 4

KarenSueHadley, June 5

Amanda Tero, Blog, June 5

Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 6

Grace-Filled Writer, June 6

Pause for Tales, June 6

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, June 7

Blossoms and Blessings, June 7

Daysong Reflections, June 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and copy of The Silver Shadow!!

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/10c96/the-silver-shadow-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

" 7 Divine Mysteries" by Joshua Mills Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: 7 Divine Mysteries

Author: Joshua Mills

Genre: RELIGION / Christianity/Pentecostal & Charismatic

Release date:April 20, 2021

God’s abundance is waiting for you. Are you ready to go deeper?

There comes a point in our spiritual journey when we must no longer sit and wait. Instead, we need to stand up and walk boldly in God’s purposes for us. We have to progress toward the blessings and provision He has shown us in the glory realms.

There isn’t a single area of your life for which God does not have a promise of victory. He has proclaimed breakthroughs, blessings, and, yes, miracles. In 7 Divine Mysteries: Supernatural Secrets to Unlimited Abundanceby Joshua Mills, you will find out how to connect to the manifest promises of God as you stretch your faith, work the Word, and allow the Spirit to lead you into overflowing abundance for spirit, soul, and body. The seven mysteries include the mystery of divine vision, the mystery of the seed, the mystery of working with angels, the mystery of gratitude, the mystery of divine connection, the mystery of divine placement and positioning, and the mystery of divine timing.

There is an entire realm of supernatural abundance just waiting for you to explore and put to work in your life. In these days, God is opening untapped abundance for restoration, healing, deliverance, relationships, finances, creative ideas, and more. Many people have been waiting for God to move in their lives, but He is waiting for us to move in faith toward His promises. We must activate what He has spoken to us about—or risk losing the opportunity. God is looking for men and women who will rise up and choose to receive every promise He has given.

As God’s children, we can confidently ask Him for miracles and provision in areas where we have experienced difficulty or lack in the past. We just need to give Him permission to upset the daily routine of our lives and let His glory flow from heaven to earth. Then, we need to take hold of our portion as it comes down from the throne.

Joshua Mills and his wife, Janet, have proven these seven scriptural principles in their own lives, and this book is filled with faith-building testimonies, practical keys, and activations for readers to apply directly to their own circumstances.

Click here to get your copy!

I am not sure I should be writing a review for this book, I only read 100 pages which isn't the 80% percentage of which we are to read but I am being honest. I found I disagreed with the things the author was stating. There are plenty of Scriptures both from the Old Testament and New Testament.

I Disagreed with the statement that just because you said it, you will be wealthy. I do believe that you are to give to God first and God will bless you but not that just because you do that and say I am going to be wealthy you will be.

I also don't believe that just saying something means it will happen. The author says it if you say it, then it happens. I believe our words do have power and speaking negatively or postively will change our circumstances and attitude but I don't believe if it isn't God's will, we can say whatever and it will happen. I say this because My sisters and I believed my mother wouldn't die of cancer, she did. I also said and believed from the beginning of the Covid pandemic, I wouldn't get it or be affected by it, and I did get it and still am having issues from it. This is just two of the many issues I really believed and spoke it but the opposite happened.

I have to be honest and say there are things, the author does state that I agreed with. I can't tell you not to get this book nor can I tell you to get the book. I just want to say this book does have many Scriptures that you can search and do a study on. I am just trying to be as honest as I can about my reaction of the book and my take of it. Yes, I plan on reading the rest of the book and might add more to this review at a later time.

I received a complimentary copy of the book and these are my own opinions.

About the Author

Joshua Mills is an internationally recognized ordained minister of the gospel, as well as a recording artist, keynote conference speaker, and author of more than twenty books and spiritual training manuals. His recent books include Power Portals, Moving in Glory Realms, Seeing Angels, and Encountering Your Angels. He is well known for his unique insights into the glory realm, prophetic sound, and the supernatural atmosphere that he carries. For more than twenty years, he has helped people discover the life-shifting truths of salvation, healing, and deliverance for spirit, soul, and body. Joshua and his wife, Janet, cofounded International Glory Ministries and have ministered on six continents in over seventy-five nations. They have also been featured in several film documentaries and print articles, and have ministered to millions around the world through radio, television, and online webcasts. Their ministry is located in both Palm Springs, California, and London, Ontario, Canada, where they live with their three children: Lincoln, Liberty, and Legacy.

More from Joshua

There is an entire realm of supernatural abundance just waiting for you to explore and put to work in your life. In 7 Divine Mysteries: Supernatural Secrets to Unlimited Abundanceby Joshua Mills, you will find out how to connect to the manifest promises of God as you stretch your faith, work the Word, and allow the Spirit to lead you into discovering overflowing abundance for spirit, soul, and body. The seven mysteries include the mystery of divine vision, the mystery of the seed, the mystery of working with angels, the mystery of gratitude, the mystery of divine connection, the mystery of divine placement and positioning, and the mystery of divine timing.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 27

Artistic Nobody, May 28 (Spotlight)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 28

Texas Book-aholic, May 29

Inklings and notions, May 30

Simple Harvest Reads, May 31 (Spotlight)

For Him and My Family, June 1

deb’s Book Review, June 2

Fiction Book Lover, June 3 (Spotlight)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 3

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 5

Booksy, June 6 (Spotlight)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 7

Spoken from the Heart, June 8 (Spotlight)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 9

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Joshua is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card, a copy of the book, and an additional surprise 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/10ca1/7-divine-mysteries-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, May 24, 2021

"Chain-ged" by Casey Cassady Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Chain-ged

Author: Casey Cassady

Genre: Non-fiction/Christian Living/Transformation

Release date: May 4, 2021

Casey Cassady is a young woman who, through Christ, overcame a lifestyle of partying, alcohol, promiscuity, toxic relationships, rejection, shame, guilt, regret, and probably anything else you can think of. Now free, Casey is using her new life, new future, and new passions to help other women and girls find their way out of the brokenness and bondage they were never meant for. Determined to live freely from her past, she uses poetry, prayer, and the word of God to draw us deeper into the healing process.

Chain-ged: Finding Freedom in Christ through Poetry, Principles, and Prayer is an artistic, soulful, and authentic work that teaches who God is, His character, and why He can be trusted with our fractured souls. Casey shows that as you grow spiritually and surrender to God, He will help you find your way to live a deeper revelation of who you are and the beautiful future ahead of you. Each chapter presents a poem, principle, practice, and prayer designed to help you work through your thoughts, emotions, new knowledge, and how you might respond.

The process of healing and growing into who God intentionally created you to be is not an easy journey. But the more you are able to surrender to God and allow Him to transform your mind, your heart, and, ultimately, your life, every step forward with Him, the good and the not-so-good, will be worth it in the end.

https://amzn.to/2RDhCGy

"Chain-ged" by Casey Cassady is a book filled with Scriptures that shows we are not worthless and that our Heavenly Father loves us. The poems that starts each chapter are written by the author herself and are about her own personal life but they are written to help women understand and trust God.

Each chapter has a prayer for woman reading this book and also has questions at the end for the reader to answer.

The book was written for women, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that I think that we could even say some of the prayers for men as they need to know the Father's love also.

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

About the Author

Casey Cassady is a born-again believer in Christ, author, and poet who is passionate about helping others to find hope, healing, and wholeness through her poetical testimony, wisdom, and gift of exhortation. Chain-ged is the first book of what she hopes to be many in her Finding Freedom in Christ book and poetry series. Some of the poetry in this book has been brought alive into spoken word format on her YouTube channel so viewers can connect with her through the shared experiences that we all, unfortunately, go through. Casey is currently pursuing a master’s degree of Christian Ministry with Oral Roberts University and resides in Fresno, CA.

More from Casey

“Chain-ged: Finding Freedom in Christ through Poetry, Principles, and Prayer” is a women-focused, Christ-centered book that will take you on a poetic, authentic, and practical journey of spiritual growth and healing. Each chapter’s testimonial poem, biblical teaching, prophetic prayer, and practice section are themed to focus on various roles that God has in our lives: God is Father, God is Son, God is Spirit, God is Creator, God is Savior, God is King, God is Healer, and God is Lover.

I wrote “Chain-ged” to demonstrate a sense of relatability to readers; and to provide readers with the tools, knowledge, and wisdom needed to gain freedom in Christ. This freedom is found as identity in Christ is discovered. It is then that hope, healing, and wholeness comes, and purpose may be lived.

Readers will be able to benefit from both spiritual and practical aspects. For example, there is content that discusses the importance of having conversations with the Holy Spirit, and what that can look like. Other chapters focus on relationships (both romantic and familial), and others focus more on the importance of community, mentorship, accountability, and healthy decision-making processes.

I truly want readers to know the things that I wish I would have known sooner – most of which I had to “learn the hard way”. If I can be used by God to help redirect people onto the path they were created for, I will be confident that I am living in my calling.

”Wounded Warrior” Spoken Word Video: https://youtu.be/DSxoqbUZJ-A

”Expired” Spoken Word Video: https://youtu.be/Lu37qH-qyJ8

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 24

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 25

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 26

For Him and My Family, May 27

Texas Book-aholic, May 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 29

Rebecca Tews, May 30

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 31

deb’s Book Review, June 1

Inklings and notions, June 2

Artistic Nobody, June 3 (Author Interview)

Cats in the Cradle Blog, June 3

For the Love of Literature, June 4 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 5

Susan K. Beatty, Author, June 6 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Casey is giving away a gift basket containing a hardback copy of the book, $50 Amazon gift card, and a copy of “Prayer C.H.A.T. Journal” Prayer Journal by Jessica A. Brown!!

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/10c94/chain-ged-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, May 23, 2021

"Lainey of the Door Islands" by Judy Ducharme Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Lainey of the Door Islands

Author: Judy Ducharme

Genre: Historical Fiction and Young Adult Fiction

Release date: July 24, 2020

Walk with Lainey into the world of Door County and its islands in the late 1800s, a time of shipwrecks, lighthouses, and strong individuals who never gave up. Lainey becomes one of those rugged individuals as she faces tragedy and hardship. Her aunt and uncle, the lighthouse keepers on tiny Pilot Island, demonstrate the toughness needed to survive, but Lainey takes it a step further with her spunk and grace and becomes a shining light to all those around her. With humor, faith, close friendships and the young man who interferes with her ability to function, Lainey of the Door Islands will capture your heart, and she’ll inspire you to know that no matter what happens, God has a plan to prosper and not to harm.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lainey+of+the+door+islands&i=digital-text&ref=nb_sb_noss

"Lainey of the Door Islands" by Judy Ducharme is an enjoyable read and I wanted to keep reading it because I wanted to learn all I could of Lainey and the life of the lighthouse keeper. This novel is a story of loss and joy.

I really like that the prayers that the characters prayed where ones that shows that God answers simple prayers and that we don't have to pray real fancy prayers in order for God to hear us.

I really loved the ending and I would so love to read a sequel if the author wrote one.

I recommend this novel to all readers who like a little history and "real life" in their stories.

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

About the Author

Judy DuCharme grew up with Lake Huron next to her back yard and has always loved the water. She, her husband, daughter, and son moved to Door County in 1984. After teaching 5th Grade at Gibraltar School for 22 years, Judy followed the calling that tugged at her all her life to write. Lainey of the Door Islands is her 7th published book and she is the recipient of numerous awards. She also writes for Guideposts Magazine. If you visit Door County, you may find her hiking in the woods, jet skiing on the bay, worshipping at her church, teaching a Bible study, cheering for the Green Bay Packers, playing with her amazing grandson, or sitting outside enjoying the beauty around her.

More from Judy

Door County, where I live, is the destination of 3 million people in the summer and fall. Lainey of the Door Islands, my seventh published book, is the culmination of my desire to write a book about this wonderful area where I live. Tourists and residents alike love all things Door County, past and present. One day as I traveled on the ferry between Washington Island and the mainland of Door County and gazed out at tiny Pilot Island, I said again to myself, ‘I need to write a book about Door County’. I don’t recall if it was that day, the next, or two days later, but the story dropped into my spirit. I sat down at my computer and wrote well into the second chapter in one sitting. I said to my husband, “I’m writing and I can’t stop.”