Sunday, July 31, 2022

“ The Heart of the Mountains” by Pepper Basham Booktour and Giveawayi

About the Book

Book: The Heart of the Mountains

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance

Release date: July 1, 2022

Can their hearts overcome the darkness of the mountains?

To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains…or in the person of Jeb McAdams.

Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrived. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her modern ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her.

Bound by their shared war history, the pair develop an unlikely friendship, which unexpectedly hints to something more. But when Cora’s desire to help the women of the mountains crosses an unspoken line, will Jeb be able to protect this feisty flatlander from the wrath of the mountain men or will he end up losing much more than his heart?

Click here to get your copy!

I really didn’t like this book at first. I found it hard to get into. But I am glad I finish it. The middle and the ending was so much more a joy to read. If you like history with romance than this book is for you. I really like that the Gospel message is shared within the pages of this book. This book deals with alcohol abuse and prostitution. But those issues are not a big part of the story and is done with a lot of details.

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

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gapseries, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

You can learn more about Pepper at her website http://www.pepperdbasham.com or connect with her on FB, IG, or Twitter.

More from Pepper

It’s so interesting how one idea can influence an entire series, or…how one person’s story can.

The idea for The Heart of the Mountains started in Laurel’s Dreamwith a hint of a family history story about a girl named Kizzie. (Someday, I hope to bring Kizzie’s story to the pages of a book). From there, the idea began to grow out of a love for my Appalachian culture into a series of books which highlighted (and fictionalized) stories from my family history.

The main story in The Heart of the Mountains is about Jeb and Cora, two different people with similar servant hearts, but the secondary story that touched me so much was the one based on my great grandfather’s life. I write about it in the Author’s Note at the end of the novel, so I won’t go into detail about it. However, what I loved getting to do is bring the truth of God’s redemption in my great grandfather’s life…to life again.

I never knew “Papa Rat”. I only knew the stories handed down to me by my granny and my mama, but in writing this story, I feel as though I had a tiny opportunity to “meet” him in these pages. He was a gruff mountain man with a broken past which led him to make a whole lot of broken choices, but his story is incredibly encouraging, because it points to the God of broken people. My great grandpa wasn’t left in his brokenness, but, after years of running away from God, he would later recount that God pursued him. The beauty of Sam McAdams’ journey in The Heart of the Mountains is only a little glimpse into what I imagine my great grandpa’s redemption story looked like.

Because my great grandpa was forever changed when Jesus saved him (as any of us should be).

I think that’s what my granny and her siblings (and even “Papa Rat” himself) would want most -that his story would point to Jesus. I hope that’s what you see when you read about Sam McAdams in The Heart of the Mountains.

Have you ever read a book based on family history? One of my favorites is Catherine Marshall’s Christy.

Blog Stops

Bizwings Blog, July 28

Rachael’s Inkwell, July 28

Bigreadersite, July 28

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 29

Texas Book-aholic, July 29

Inklings and notions, July 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 30

Boondock Ramblings, July 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 31

Reading With Emily, July 31

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, July 31 (Author Interview)

lakesidelivingsite, August 1

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, August 1

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 1

Daysong Reflections, August 2

deb’s Book Review, August 2

Live. Love. Read., August 2

Betti Mace, August 3

Book Looks by Lisa, August 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 3

Remembrancy, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 4

Blossoms and Blessings, August 4

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, August 5

By the Book, August 5

Wishful Endings, August 5

For the Love of Literature, August 6

Books, Books and More Books, August 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 6

Connie’s History Classroom, August 7

SodbusterLiving, August 7

Splashes of Joy, August 7

Where Faith and Books Meet, August 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 8

Back Porch Reads, August 9

Through the Fire Blogs, August 9

Pause for Tales, August 9

Labor Not in Vain, August 10

Miriam Jacob, August 10

To Everything There Is A Season, August 10

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/20389/the-heart-of-the-mountains-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour

Saturday, July 30, 2022

"Raising Kids Who Care" by Susy Lee Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Raising Kids Who Care

Author: Susy Lee

Genre: Non-fiction: Parenting and Family

Release date: June, 2022

Imagine knowing what your kids care about, having them listen to what you care about, then doing something about it, together!

Communication and connection are the key, and this is exactly what this book allows you to do. It guides you through 40 conversations to have with your kids, ones that really matter.

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, educator or just care about kids and the world they’re growing up in, this book will provide you with rich resources and surprising insights to create that genuine connection.

In our complex world, we need to be aware of looming pitfalls and be intentional in helping kids navigate their way to compassion and wonder, driven by values and purpose. This path of conversations leads to amazing hope.

We all want kids to have happy, loving lives. As a society, we need kids who are also capable of thinking and acting beyond themselves to help others have happy, loving lives too. This book gives you what you’ll need to achieve both.

Inside, you’ll discover:

Stories and research to inform your conversations
Relationship skills to build empathy (like listening and conflict resolution)
How to combat the worrying influences of our culture (like consumerism and technology)
How to grow resilience, self-confidence, character, and strength
How our kids can solve problems, rather than being brought down by them
Thoughts and tips from other parents
Advice from caring young adults about what worked for them!

Click here to get your copy!

"Raising Kids Who Care" by Susy Lee is a book that at first, I was thinking, oh Great a book that will be hard to read and follow and than I was thinking I don't have any kids to raise anymore. But I am gonna say " you really can't judge a book until you get into the pages. This book was really easy to read and easily followed. The author has great ideas and the information she shared was really insightful. I really recommend this book to all parents.

The subjects talked about are love languages and technology and how to be a friend, listening and consuming goods and forgiveness and faith and religion. She also give ideals on how to put these ideals into practice. I liked reading the answers that others ( young preteens) gave to some of her questions.

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

About the Author

Susy Lee helps families build a strong culture of communication and contribution. Her book ‘Raising Kids Who Care’ is the winner of international prizes from the Best Indie, Royal Dragonfly and Feathered Quill Book Awards.

Majors in psychology and theology, and a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, helped Susy consider how parenting and wealth equity play roles in social cohesion. Her career twirls around the twin themes of social justice and children, including state and national education and consultancy roles with children and families, international aid and development, and advocacy.

Susy is also an engaging presenter who has taught in schools and churches, lectured at universities, and run conference workshops for parents and families.

She lives a bike ride from the beach in Sydney, Australia, dances whenever music plays, and has raised two caring sons with her husband Brian. Susy has created generational change in her family.

More from Susy

I didn’t grow up in a Christian family, but I loved watching my children grow up in our church community. They had relationships of all ages and many opportunities to practise caring – things I’d missed.My boys grew to be young men who are kind and faithful, with careers that will contribute to God’s world.

In my book I’ve brought together some useful stuff I’ve researched (because I didn’t trust my own broken upbringing), and that I’ve learnt in my ministry with caring Christian organizations. And I’ve made it a resource for families to talk together – kids are amazing when we make time to really listen to them.

This book is not just for Christians though. I wrote it for parents who care about growing compassion and generosity in their kids. I wrote for parents who want to protect their kids from the strong cultural forces in our world that would lead kids astray. And I wrote it for parents who want to raise kids who believe they can do something about the problems in the world, not be overwhelmed by them.

I also wrote it for grandparents to give to their kids who are now parents – maybe even those who no longer go to church. I wrote it for parents who want to be intentional – maybe because their parents were not. And I wrote it to help churches reach out to parents who need support and encouragement.

Just quietly: I want to change the world, one family at a time! I love the vision of the Kingdom of God, and I think that families who know how to communicate well, about all the issues that surround them, will be better equipped to help bring the Kingdom to earth, as it is in heaven.

I’m delighted that God has already blessed my work – the book has won several prizes including First Place in The 2022 Christian Indie Awards in the Relationships and Family Category. Many churches have already used the book to run events for families. You can learn more about me and the book on my website: https://www.raisingkidswhocare.info/

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, July 29

Lights in a Dark World, July 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 30

Texas Book-aholic, July 31

For Him and My Family, August 1

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 3

deb’s Book Review, August 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 6

Spoken from the Heart, August 7 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 9

Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 10

The Christian Fiction Girl, August 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susy is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2038b/raising-kids-who-care-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, July 29, 2022

"Vanished Without a Trace" by Sarah Hamaker Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Vanished Without a Trace

Author: Sarah Hamaker

Genre: Romantic Suspence

Release date: June 28, 2022

A missing person case. A new clue. And a fight for survival.

After nine years searching for his missing sister, attorney Henderson Parker uncovers a clue that leads him to Twin Oaks, Virginia—and podcaster Elle Updike investigating the case. Partnering with the journalist is the last thing Henderson wants, until mysterious thugs make multiple attacks on both their lives. Now they’ll have to trust each other…before the suspected kidnappers make them disappear for good.

Click here to get you copy!

“Vanished without A Trace” by Sarah Hamaker is a great book to read on a hot summer day or a rainy and dreary day. I say this because the book is so filled with twists that makes the reader ready involved into the tale. This is a story of how people used others for their own purpose. There is violence and drug use but the book isn’t really all that graphic. My heart was actually saddened for the main male character in this book as he was searching for his sister and filled with quilt because he hadn’t found her yet. The ending really surprised me.

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

About the Author

Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s written romantic suspense novels and nonfiction books, as well as stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul volumes. As a writers coach, her heart is encouraging writers. She’s a member of ACFW; ACFW Virginia Chapter; and Faith, Hope and Love, as well as the president of Capital Christian Writers Fellowship. Her podcast, “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” can be found wherever you listen to podcasts. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four teenagers, a preschool foster child and three cats. Visit her online at sarahhamakerfiction.com.

More from Sarah

As a podcaster myself, I’ve listened to many true crime podcasts, such as “Up and Vanished” and “Accused,” so when I was thinking about the plot for Vanished Without a Trace, I decided to have my heroine be a true crime podcaster investigating cold missing persons cases. I also am fascinated by unsolved mysteries, probably because I love history, and have a strong sense of justice—I want those who commit crimes to be caught. Of course, as a Christian, I do rest in the assurance of God as the ultimate and only truly righteous Judge, but I do find myself rooting for cold cases to be solved and criminals brought to justice. Thus the book combines my two of my interests—cold cases and true crime.

Personally, I can’t imagine anything more difficult than to have a loved one go missing and never be found or heard from again. The uncertainty of their fate must weigh very heavily on the family members left behind. I wanted to capture some of that with Henderson’s strong desire to find his missing sister, Helena, and reunite her with their mother. He’s seen how much Helena’s absence has taken a toll on their mother’s health and mental well-being, and when he has a chance to chase down the first real lead in years, he jumps at it.

Elle’s motives are no less personal than Henderson’s—her own heart aches for these grieving families. Having distant parents, she wants to help families heal by discovering what happened to a loved one if possible. But Henderson doesn’t trust her motives and the two clash more often than not over her podcast.

I hope you enjoy seeing how Elle and Henderson learn to work together to find Helena…and perhaps, their own happy ending.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 25

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, July 25

Bizwings Blog, July 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 27

Through the Fire Blogs, July 27

Betti Mace, July 28

For the Love of Literature, July 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 29

Pause for Tales, July 29

Texas Book-aholic, July 30

Inklings and notions, July 31

Genesis 5020, August 1

Bigreadersite, August 1

For Him and My Family, August 2

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, August 2

deb’s Book Review, August 3

Livin’ Lit, August 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 5

Paula’s Persuasion, August 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 6

Blogging With Carol, August 7

Mary Hake, August 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sarah is giving away the grand prize package of a Vanished Without a Trace branded tote bag, Vanished Without a Trace pin, a print copy of the book, plus a $75 Amazon gift card!!

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/1ffe1/vanished-without-a-trace-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, July 28, 2022

"Restored Grace" By Kathleen J. Robison Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Restored Grace

Author: Kathleen J. Robison

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: June 21, 2022

They promised Jesus would be with her through everything, but is that enough?

Free-spirited vintage thrift shop owner, Carol Scape, wallowed in grief after her boyfriend’s murder. However, with newfound faith, she’s finding out what it means to die-to-self and put others first. Even if it could cost her life.

Carol is on a mission to save a runaway teen and an at-risk girl from Will Boudreaux, the man just released from jail for running a prostitution ring. The same man who previously terrorized Bay Town residents. Can’t the town get a break? Can’t she?

She’s up for the challenge, but when sparks ignite between her and the town mayor, it muddles things. Having sworn off men, he’s getting in the way of what she feels she must do. Or is he?

Restored Grace is the second book of the Bay Town Series, continuing one year after Shattered Guilt. It’s a stand-alone, amped-up, romantic suspense. Buckle your seat belt. You’re in for a ride.

Click here to get your copy!

I have read Shattered Guilt by Kathleen J Robison and I was looking forward to reading "Restored Grace" by Kathleen J. Robison. I wasn't disappointed. I really felt drawn to the characters and if they were real people I would love to be friends with them, ( all but a few) but isn't that like real life. This book and the previous book deals with trafficking, but the book is a clean read. I was just a little disappointed in the ending, what I wanted to happen between two of the characters didn't but maybe that means another book in this series is coming. If so I would definitely read it. This is a story of grace just as the title hints at.

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

About the Author

Kathleen J. Robison is an Okinawan-American, born in Okinawa, and raised in California, Florida, Mississippi, and Singapore. Her travels and her family are the sources of her inspiration for her books. Kathleen and her Pastor husband have eight adult children. Seven are married, blessing them with eighteen grandchildren and counting. Her ethnically diverse background extends to her family of currently thirty-five personalities which provide many opportunities to share God’s amazing love amidst the challenges of real life.

More from Kathleen

I love writing inspirational romantic suspense featuring heroic women. In Restored Grace, Carol Scape embodies my efforts. She’s impulsive, she’s wild, she’s crazy…and she’s back. With a newfound faith in Christ, she tackles the bad guy with a style all her own.

The main character in Restored Grace is a favorite of mine. In fact, I brought her back from Book One because my Library Critique Group loved her so much. When I read a chapter from Shattered Guilt, where Carol plays a minor role, the Branch Manager Librarian laughed and quipped, “I know women just like her, and you nailed her perfectly!”

Perhaps in some ways, I secretly (I guess it’s not a secret now) wish I was her. Impulsive, the life of the party, indifferent to what people think about her, and confident in her skin. Carol is 50ish, pleasantly curvy, a boho-chic hippie with long wavy, graying, red hair that constantly tangles in her arms, and others because she moves so quickly. She wears lots of loud, jingly jewelry, and always puts on her prettiest face (with light makeup but tempted to use a heavy hand). And I love her fashion style. Colorful swirling, tiered skirts, cowboy boots, peasant tops, and fringed shawls. If I was taller, I’d love to carry that off, so I let my alter ego, Carol Scape do it for me.

Yet, in some ways, women like her used to drive me crazy. They walk into a room, and in minutes their larger-than-life personalities can’t help but draw attention. But I’m so thankful the Lord has humbled me, and if someone drives me crazy … I look at myself and see what I need to work on. Still, call it envy, expectations, or too much energy, but people like her exist, don’t they? And we must admit, they’re a lot of fun. Are you a Carol, or do you know a Carol? Either way, we’re called to love everyone. And the most important thing is caring about all people enough to be concerned for their eternity. I don’t mean judging, but sharing, encouraging, and pointing them to Jesus, whoever they may be and wherever they are in their walk.

Three particular things that I hope you’ll identify in the new Carol are her struggle with God’s grace, her selfless desire to help others, and her discovered confidence in Christ. The beauty of writing inspirational romantic suspense is bringing to life how real people, with real problems, struggle with their faith just like us, as we trust that the victory belongs to the Lord.

I hope you enjoy reading Restored Grace, and I hope you’re encouraged and inspired to receive and extend the precious grace of our Savior, Jesus, to all those whom God puts in your path…much like Carol.