Monday, July 31, 2023

Love Like No Other by Tabitha Bouldin

About the Book

Book: Love Like No Other

Author: Tabitha Bouldin

Genre: Christian Contemporary Suspense

Release Date: June 27, 2023

Trying to overcome a past like hers might just help him overcome his.

Alicia Gray wants one thing: to prove her capabilities as a doctor. Maybe then she can escape the feeling that her mother’s abandonment was deserved. She’s never felt worthy and grew up in foster home after foster home, always being told that if she did better, if she was more amenable, she’d find her place. When she came to Suamalie, the last thing she expected to find was a man whose grumpy personality conflicted so piercingly with her sunshine demeanor.

Colin Tremblay was dishonorably discharged from his army medic position and sent home in disgrace after his twin brother stole from his clinic. Back on the islands, he’s bounced from job to job, never finding anything that satisfies him. To make matters worse, his twin niece and nephew convince him to spend his summer overseeing their camp activities while working alongside Little Miss Sunshine herself.

This grumpy versus sunshine romance is sure to send them both scrambling when Colin confronts Alicia’s need to please while she reminds Colin that not every bad day is a reason to run for the hills.

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

My review

This is a short read. It is a clean romance. It clearly points out that God is there even when everything goes wrong. This story does have a lot of heartache written as part of the background. Both Alicia and Colin realized they have changes to make.

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

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldinhas a bachelor’s degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and started writing in 2015. When she’s not homeschooling her two boys, you’ll find her curled up with a book.

More from Tabitha

When it came time to write my Suamalie Island book, I knew it was time for me to head back to the place I love best. It was time to bring back the cowboys. Colin might not be a cowboy in his own mind, after all, he left the ranch and worked for years as an Army medic and wants nothing more than to help people as a way to make up for not being able to save his brother when he needed it most. Alicia, the island’s resident mobile doctor, feels the same way. You would think that these two would manage to get along since they both want the same thing. Not so. They disagreed on almost everything. From a personality perspective, they couldn’t be more different. Alicia is sunshine and rainbows to Colin’s storm clouds. The one thing they can agree on is helping others, and when things get tough, Colin is the one person who Alicia finds she can trust to follow through and not back down from the hard aspects like throws their way. And threaded through it all is Colin’s cowboy past and the heart that carried him across the battlefield and back to the islands he’s always called home.

Blog Stops

The Book Club Network, July 28

Life, love, writing, July 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 29

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 30

Simple Harvest Reads, July 30 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 31

lakesidelivingsite, August 1

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 1

Texas Book-aholic, August 2

She Lives To Read, August 3

By the Book, August 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 5

Karen Baney Reviews, August 5

Babbling Becky L, August 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 7

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 8 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 8

Aryn the Libraryan, August 9

For Him and My Family, August 10

Batya’s Bits, August 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tabitha is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 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/26d5a/love-like-no-other-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Rebecca by Shannon McNear

About the Book

Book: Rebecca

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Romance

Release Date: July, 2023

A Native Princess Follows Her Heart

Immerse yourself in the “what if” questions related to the Lost Colony of Roanoke when a native princess meets an English widower.

Born the daughter of a Powhatan chieftain and a woman of unknown origins, Matoaka enjoys a carefree life. When strange men from across the eastern waters appear near her home, she regards them at first as a mere curiosity. Soon, though, she finds herself torn between friendship with one of their leaders and the opinions and politics of her elders. Drawn to a young Englishman, John Rolfe, who has lost a wife and baby daughter, she shares his griefs. . .and perhaps something more. Could she have a future among the English of Jamestown, accepting their ways and even changing her name? Could her fate be a part of the lasting legacy of the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

Author Shannon McNear portrays history with vivid authenticity.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

This is a Historical Fiction story about Pocahontas. This story shows the difference between Indians and white men. The Gospel is shared between the pages. The author suggests that you read all three stories in the order that they were written. My heart really felt remorse for what Pocahontas went through when she was kidnapped. I really liked reading the author’s notes on the real story at the end of the book. You could tell the author really did her research for this series.

I found this book a bit more challenging to read than I did the other two but I am glad I keep reading. The language was hard to understand but there is a glossary at the end of the book that made it easier to understand.

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

About the Author

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in Charleston, South Carolina, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s a military wife, mom of eight, mother-in-law of three, grammie of two, and a member of ACFW and RWA. Her first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® finalist. When she’s not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies. Connect with her at www.shannonmcnear.com, or on Facebook and Goodreads.

More from Shannon

Daughters of the Lost Colony—how are we at book 3 already? I’m both excited and nervous about this one, which features Pocahontas and the original Jamestown. Why did I choose her, and this place, when the overall series is about the Lost Colony?

Among their various other aims, the Jamestown colonists were charged with finding the Roanoke Colony. John Smith’s own reports reference this, and one can sense his discouragement and frustration over their inability to find answers on the fate of those who came to the New World before them. William Strachey, early secretary to the colony, stated that Powhatan (that is, the paramount chieftain often called by the same name as his people group) had slain the last known survivors of the Roanoke Colony. But nowhere is that claim substantiated.

There were no solid historical connections between the Lost Colony and Pocahontas—so I created a plausible fictional one in the form of Emme Merrimoth, a historically documented member of the Roanoke Colony who in book 1, Elinor, experienced the fictional adventure of being carried captive to the Powhatan nation. Where Strachey lists the names of the paramount chieftain’s favored wives, I put Emme in the place of the real-life Winganuske.

I knew the research would be challenging on this one. What I didn’t expect was to find Emme’s aspect of this story so compelling—or to fall in love with Wahunsenecawh, the great Powhatan himself. The name alone is intimidating, but you can find sound clips of how to pronounce it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q_10PYf_0U and here: https://www.nameslook.com/wahunsenacawh/ (ignore the weird stuff and click on the little red arrows for different voices). There are at least five or six documented ways to spell it, and the one I picked is probably the most obscure. I had a year to get used to saying it, but repeat after me, slowly: wah-HUN-senacoh. Or wah-HOON-senacah, depending upon which rule you use for the U in Algonquian pronunciation, and how you interpret that “wh” at the end.

Names overall were an issue with this story. A few reviewers have already mentioned this difficulty. The thing is, in Native culture, especially what we know of the Eastern Algonquian-speaking peoples, a name wasn’t simply a casual identifier—it defined a person’s entire identity. We don’t know what most of the names recorded from that time meant, but we can be sure they weren’t chosen lightly, and they were valued by those who held them. Indeed, a change of name often accompanied a change of purpose. It has even been suggested that if the English had been paying attention, they’d have realized when Opechancanough changed his name shortly before the great attack of 1622, it signaled a critical shift in his attitude toward them.

So when you read this story, you may find it helpful to keep a finger in the cast list—or to place a bookmark on that page if you’re reading the Kindle version. Thank you so much, again, for taking this journey with me!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 27

Texas Book-aholic, July 28

Cover Lover Book Review, July 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 31

Alena Mentink, July 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 1

Connie’s History Classroom , August 2

For Him and My Family, August 3

Mary Hake, August 3

Holly’s Book Corner, August 4

Sylvan Musings, August 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 5

Pause for Tales, August 6

Betti Mace, August 7

Books Less Travelled, August 7

To Everything There Is A Season, August 8

Lights in a Dark World, August 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-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/26d59/rebecca-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tour

Saturday, July 29, 2023

The Laws of Attraction by Mary Connelly

About the Book

Book: The Laws of Attraction

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: June 20, 2023

Can they risk giving in to the attraction between them while their lives are on the line?

If widowed seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might just quit the business altogether! So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower struggling to raise three girls on his own, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls properly, and Nell finally has a chance to create beautiful outfits while also teaching the girls to sew.

But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover who has a target trained on them before it’s too late.

https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Attraction-Wyoming-Sunrise/dp/0764241141?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1685577364&sr=1-4&linkCode=sl1&tag=celelit-20&linkId=d0a8d6149c82518093e10aa6d8ee648e&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

I really liked reading "The Laws of Attraction by Mary Connelly". It was a love story at it's best. There is heartache mentioned but it is a second chance at love for both characters. It is also a chance at 3 young girls growing into young ladies. There are outlaws and let me tell you, when they were revealed it was a surprise to me. Nell wanted to sew dresses but all she got was orders for chaps, which she hated. This was really a good feel kind of novel for me.

This is the second book in the series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone but I say read both.

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

About the Author

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books. She is the author of the popular series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

More from Mary

The Laws of Attraction, the idea of it, was what kicked off the whole Wyoming Sunrise series.

A woman justice of the peace.

Wyoming, oddly enough, was the first state in the union to give women the right to vote. And it wasn’t just voting, it was suffrage. That meant so much more than just voting. There were property rights involved, the right to serve on juries, and the right to run for office or be appointed to political offices.

Wyoming was the first state to have a woman justice of the peace. I read about Esther Hobart Morris and thought, hey, my heroine could be the second justice of the peace.

My heroine is a seamstress. Of the three heroines in the Wyoming Sunrise series, Nell, the heroine of book #2, is the one who is not in a traditionally masculine role. In book #1 Mariah is a blacksmith. In book #3 Becky is a lady rancher.

Nell just wants to sew pretty dresses and make beautiful bonnets. She likes to tat her own lace. She likes flowery fabric and lots of ruffles.

And then she moved to Wyoming. Nine thousand total residence and five men for every one woman. And the few women who are there all sew their own dresses.

To add to that, Nell, a widow, didn’t have a happy first marriage. She has no interest in marrying again. Staying single in a state like Wyoming isn’t easy, but she’s managed it. Her first husband was a lawman, and when a band of stagecoach robbers are plaguing the area, Nell finds she’s got skills to investigate these crimes that far exceed the local sheriff.

The sheriff is impressed, and when the town’s justice of the peace resigns, the sheriff appoints Nell.

I just had so much fun with this book. Nell is frustrated because she isn’t getting to make dresses. She does discover a talent for working with leather and making chaps. She hates it, but the orders just keep pouring in and she’s making a tidy living. Not having a lot of fun but definitely prospering.

And then a local homesteader with three half-grown daughters, all of whom desperately need a new dress, runs across Nell, and she wheels and deals him into letting her make them in exchange for his daughters working for her, making chaps.

Nell’s talent for investigating crimes soon puts her in danger. And Brandon Nolte, her best customer, finds himself, Nell, and his girls all surrounded by danger.

The Laws of Attraction—fun, fast-paced, and love is the most fundamental law of all.

Blog Stops

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 29

Texas Book-aholic, July 30

For Him and My Family, July 30

Connie’s History Classroom, July 31

Book Looks by Lisa, July 31

lakesidelivingsite, August 1

Lighthouse Academy Blog, August 1 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 2

Mary Hake, August 2

Betti Mace, August 3

Cover Lover Book Review, August 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 4

The Book Nook, August 4

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 5

She Lives To Read, August 6

Labor Not in Vain, August 6

Daysong Reflections, August 7

Holly’s Book Corner, August 7

Splashes of Joy, August 8

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, August 8

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 9

Pause for Tales, August 10

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 10

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 11

Wishful Endings, August 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away a $15 Amazon 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/26d5b/the-laws-of-attraction-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, July 28, 2023

Every Dog Has His Day by Janice Thompson

About the Book

Book: Every Dog Has His Day

Author: Janice Thompson

Genre: Christian Fiction / Cozy Mystery

Release Date: July, 2023

A Large Reward Is Offered for a Missing Dog

Kick back with your faithful companion and relax with a small-town mystery in book 5 of the Gone to the Dogs series.

Lone Star groomer, Isabel Fuentes, adopts a feisty rescued dachshund, and the two are inseparable. . .until Texans quarterback, Corey Wallis, announces a large reward for his missing female dachshund. Suddenly all of Houston are on the lookout for the MIA pooch that bares a strong resemblance to Isabel’s new pup. Isabel contacts Corey, but soon Ginger goes missing and Isabel is convinced Corey and his agent took her for a publicity stunt. Then there is a reporter who could be trying to manufacture a great story or a cameraman seeking the big reward. Can there be a happy ending for Ginger?

https://www.amazon.com/Every-Dog-Gone-Dogs-Book-ebook/dp/B0BZR21H91?keywords=every+dog+has+his+day&qid=1685572791&s=digital-text&sprefix=every+dog,digital-text,189&sr=1-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=celelit-20&linkId=233cfb84810acb25d21d535fb55afbb3&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

"Every Dog Has His Day" by Janice Thompson is my favorite of the series. This book has a dog that has been and then lost again. But then is the dog really lost or was she taken? It has romance and it is a clean read. It even has a cat named Hector and a country music star and a football star quarterback. It even has a surprise character that isn't who he claims to be. All these elements make this book a fun and easy to keep turning the pages read. This is a story of friendship and animal lovers as all the books are in this series. I recommend this series.

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

About the Author

Janice Thompson, who lives in the Houston area, writes romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, nonfiction devotionals, and musical comedies for the stage. She is the mother of four daughters and nine feisty grandchildren. When she’s not writing books or taking care of foster dogs you’ll find her in the kitchen, baking up specialty cakes and cookies.

More from Janice

The Story Behind the Story

For years now, I’ve been in the dog rescue business. I’ve fostered close to 50 dogs—some from the local shelter, some from an amazing dog rescue organization called My Chi and Me, and some directly from the streets of Houston.

About a year ago, (around the same time I set out to write Every Dog Has His Day) I was given a tiny red dachshund to foster. If you know anything about me at all, you know that I’m head-over-heels in love with dachshunds, especially red ones. I had a female red dachshund named Sasha who lived with me for 15 years. She passed away in 2017, just after my mom died.

When this tiny red doxie came to stay at my house last year, I was tempted to keep her. But I’ve already got three dogs of my own. So, she went to my grandchildren, who live about 30 minutes away.

Here’s the fun part: I got to name her. I gave her the name Ginger because of her color. (Interesting irony: I’m allergic to ginger. Can’t touch the stuff!)

Now that she’s been in the family a year or so, she’s become my favorite grand-dog. Ginger stays with me a lot—when the family is vacationing, when she needs to socialize with my dogs, and when I’m lonely for her.

I love this little girl. She’s an absolute doll. Okay, she’s naughty as can be, but she’s a doll.

So, when I got ready to write Every Dog Has His Day, I decided to include Ginger as part of the story. Trust me when I say the real Ginger is a runner, just like the fictionalized one! If I opened the front door, she would run right out. And, just like the dog in the book, she probably wouldn’t come back.

Our Ginger doesn’t have a white patch on her paw. (Most doxies, other than dapples, are solid color.) But I needed to give my fictional Ginger a distinguishing mark so that the two characters (her rescuer and her owner) could end up squabbling over her.

As is the case in most of my stories, my characters end up romantically involved. Hey, dogs aren’t just great companions; they’re wonderful matchmakers, too! As of yet, the real Ginger hasn’t brought a love interest into my life. (Here’s hoping!)

I hope you enjoy Every Dog Has His Day. As you read about that tiny mischievous doxie, just know that she’s a very real little dog—one who climbed up on my kitchen island just yesterday and got into some carefully-wrapped treats I’d made for the grandkids.

Sometimes life really is stranger than fiction!