Tuesday, July 6, 2021

"Blood Sisters" by Jim O’Shea Book Tour and GiveAway

Blood Sisters

About the Book

Book: Blood Sisters

Author: Jim O’Shea

Genre: Christian Suspense/Thriller

Release date: June 16, 2020

BloodSisters_h12794_750 Libby Meeker is seeing things.

The young Salt Lake City architect is experiencing visions of her twin sister, despite the fact that Melissa died mysteriously almost one year ago.

If that’s not bad enough, a serial killer surfaces in northern Utah, and a series of bizarre clues lead Detective Troy Hunter to Libby…and unspeakable possibilities that begin to shatter her fragile world.

Click here to get your copy!

"Blood Sisters by Jim O’Shea" is definitely a thriller and has violence and bloodshed.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. Now I want to read the other books he has written.

This novel was proof that you can't judge a book by it cover, because when I looked at the cover, I was thinking, No way is this going to be a good story but I was wrong.

I am glad that I received a contemporary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

About the Author

head shot The author of two previous highly-rated thrillers (The Linen God and The Reluctant Disciple), Jim O’Shea spends his time crafting novels of suspense that frequently tackle the dynamic between faith and science. Jim believes God continues to reveal his creation masterpiece through scientific discovery, and that Christian fiction is a great tool to expose those emerging truths.

His third novel, “Blood Sisters”, is also very highly rated on Amazon but takes a more traditional approach to mystery/thrillers with a mind-bending whodunitin the tradition of Agatha Christie. His fourth novel, “The Beacon”, will return to his faith/science roots and feature a compelling blend of espionage, leading-edge science, and salvation.

More from Jim

I’m fascinated by science in general, but more specifically by discoveries over the past hundred years that point directly to a Creator and His creation. The new findings fly in the face of mainstream physics which suggests matter and energy make up everything in our universe and that all things, including our consciousness or soul, are direct results of their interactions.

Fortunately, humankind’s advancements in physics, cosmology, quantum mechanics, biology, etc. point directly to the fact that the universe had an actual beginning as claimed in the Bible and our existence can notbe explained by natural processes such as evolution. This should be a great comfort to every Christian, and my writing often tries to take these emerging truths and wrap them up into page-turning stories that provide the reader not with just a thrill ride, but also a glimpse into God’s glory!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 3

Beauty in the Binding, July 4 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 6

Mary Hake, July 6

Inklings and notions, July 7

For Him and My Family, July 8

deb’s Book Review, July 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 10

Blogging With Carol, July 11

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 12

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 13

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, July 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 15

SodbusterLiving, July 16

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Jim 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10e73/blood-sisters-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, July 5, 2021

"Shattered Guilt" by Kathleen J. Robison Book Tour and GiveAway

Shattered Guilt

About the Book

Book: Shattered Guilt

Author: Kathleen J. Robison

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: June 15, 2021

When they told her about Southern hospitality, no one mentioned human trafficking.

The move to Bay Town, Mississippi was supposed to be a fresh start for single-mom Melanie and her daughter, Lacy. The quiet Southern town offers a nice relief after the frenetic-paced life of Los Angeles, but something sinister lurks beneath the surface.

Her bridal business struggles to take off, and instead of turning to the Lord, Melanie makes a desperate plea for help–from her ex-husband. Lacey is attacked, and while she is hospitalized, her friend goes missing—a victim of human trafficking out of New Orleans.

With her ex-husband showing true signs of repentance, the pastor she’d begun to fall for is taking a step back, and her daughter’s friend lost to the animals who stole her, Melanie goes on a desperate, dangerous mission to rescue the girl and get their lives back.

And she’ll do it with or without the Lord’s help.

How can Melanie find the girls and rescue them without getting caught herself? Why can’t she trust the Lord to keep them all safe, and which man in her life is the right one–if either?

Read this heart-gripping, pulse-racing novel and see how the Lord’s hand is on us, even when He seems so very far away.

Click here to get your copy!

"Shattered Guilt" by Kathleen J. Robison is a novel about human trafficking and about the characters forgiving themselves for their past sins. This novel has twists and danger and romance. The characters were "Real Life" .

Human trafficking is real and this novel explores this topic in a clean read.

This is the first novel in the series and has me eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

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

About the Author

Kathleen J. Robison is an Okinawan-American. Born in Okinawa, raised in California, Florida, Mississippi, and Singapore. Her travels are the inspirational settings for her stories. She and her Pastor husband have eight adult children. Seven are married, blessing them with fourteen grandchildren and counting. The diversity of their 31 family members provide the inspiration for more lively characters than can be imagined. Her husband grew up in the streets of Los Angeles raised by a single working mom, and that life provides fodder for many of the conflicts of her characters.

Tackling difficult life’s trials with God’s strength are the central theme of Kathleen’s stories. She hopes to inspire her readers to trust God and with His strength, weather through and rise above trials and tragedies. If you like suspenseful stories with a thread of romance, you will enjoy Kathleen’s Bay Town Series!

More from Kathleen

Guilt comes from within. Shame comes from without ~ Voddie Bouchman

I homeschooled my eight children, and they all attended a conservative Christian university. My husband is a pastor. So, when I started writing Shattered Guilt, the running joke in the family was, “Mom wrote a book, and it has no bad language, no sex, and no graphic violence, but it’s about human trafficking.” And they were right, but God gave me the words to depict a passionate stance against sin, a pure romance, and horrific tragedy…hopefully, all without offending my readers.

The story begins with Melanie. A delightful single mom and her teenage daughter living in a charming little town on the gulf coast of Mississippi. I love their relationship and their faith, but Melanie’s past mistakes linger in the back of her mind, and she somehow thinks herself not worthy. The theme of guilt runs throughout this book in both the lives of those trafficked and those not. When young girls are targeted for human trafficking, Melanie lays aside the self-imposed shame of her past and fights to save those who will suffer far worse feelings of guilt and shame, for which they had no control.

My heart breaks for those whose lives are paralyzed by their pasts. While writing Shattered Guilt, I didn’t realize the connection between Melanie’s shame and the victims of trafficking. The latter suffer guilt and shame through no fault of their own. Yet, all of us carry baggage; if it’s something that needs forgiveness and confession, and we’ve done that, it’s a done deal. We shouldn’t let the past paralyze us from living a life of fullness in Christ. Melanie and even Pastor Desmond come to realize this in their lives. We need to be the best that God desires for us to be, and to be effective in His work, we must experience his love and forgiveness.

Years ago, when I was first writing the rough draft of this novel, human trafficking was finally getting recognition in the world, and the horrors of who was being trafficked were shocking. That’s what gripped my heart, and I was embarrassed that I didn’t have a clue about the scope of this morally reprehensible practice. Enslavement of human beings by another has been on this earth forever, and that’s why awareness and action are so important today. In addition, there are so many facets as to how one becomes a victim in this tragedy. I now try never to assume how someone’s life takes the path it does, but I only care that they find a way to hear God’s voice calling them. Every Christian story is about God’s love.

Although I love writing a suspense story, I love creating my characters too. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know the people of Bay Town as much as I enjoyed writing about them. I look forward to sharing more about these endearing characters and the trials they face. Please come back and visit the charming community of Bay Town in the continuing series.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 2

Texas Book-aholic, July 3

Blogging With Carol, July 3

Simple Harvest Reads, July 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 5

Inklings and notions, July 6

For Him and My Family, July 7

deb’s Book Review, July 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 9

Stories By Gina, July 10 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 10

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 11

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 12

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, July 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 14

Cats in the Cradle Blog, July 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathleen 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/10e74/shattered-guilt-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, July 3, 2021

"Beneath the Forsaken City" by Carla Laureano Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Beneath the Forsaken City

Author: Carla Laureano

Genre: Fantasy

Release date: June 8, 2021

With a storm on the horizon, who will stand against the darkness?

Conor and Aine have barely escaped Seare with their lives. Conor knows he must return to find the harp that could end the Red Druid’s reign of terror, but he must first see Aine safely to her family home on the isle of Amanta. When an unnatural storm tears them apart, they find themselves in even more danger than that which they fled.

Because magic is not the only thing to fear in Aine’s homeland, where the Sofarende invaders harry the coasts and shifting clan alliances make it impossible to know who to trust. Conor and Aine must cling to the whispers of Comdiu’s plans for them and their enduring love for one another, even when the future looks darkest.

But with betrayal at every turn, will they give into fear? Or will they learn to depend on Comdiu completely … before all hope is lost?

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Forsaken-City-Song-Seare-ebook/dp/B08WYR9T78?dchild=1&keywords=beneath+the+forsaken+city&qid=1620270515&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl1&tag=celelit-20&linkId=8d3edd37cd4ec4f772b3db5d4ddba457&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

"Beneath the Forsaken City" by Carla Laureano is the second novel in the (The Song of Seare) series. I liked this novel better than the first one. I recommend reading them order, because "Beneath the Forsaken City" picks up where" Oath of the Brotherhood" leaves off. This is a story of love, trust and standing up for what you truly believe in. This book has more emotion and more issues of struggling for faith and hope for the future, and the characters face more danger than in the first book. This story is an allegory of the Christian faith, and has lots of battle scenes which isn't my cup of tea but I can't say that I disliked this book because there was plenty that I did like. If you are a fan of fantasy and like stories that keep you guessing till you what is going to happen next, then these books needs to be your next read. I can wait to see what happens in the next book that is coming January of 2022. I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

About the Author

Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy.A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales andmarketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind towrite fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

More from Carla

Fictional Magic… and Why It Matters to Us

The first book in the Song of Seare series introduced the culture, religion, and characters of my fictional universe, but it’s this second book, Beneath the Forsaken City, that really delves into the magic of the world, both light and dark.

The light magic in the series comes directly from Comdiu (their version of the Christian God), given as gifts to his people to be used in His service. I approached the creation of this magic much as the real-world church views spiritual gifts: everyone might have a different gift, some people may have more than one, but all of them are meant to be used within the context of God’s commands and promises. They come from a purely good source, but when used for our own glory or for selfish ends or even just without full understanding, they have the potential to be twisted into something that’s harmful or ineffective. In Beneath the Forsaken City, Aine learns how carefully she must wield her powers in order not to sow discord in those around her; Conor must come to grips with the limits and the boundaries of his own abilities, battling the ever-present temptation of pride.

The dark magic, on the other hand, comes from the Adversary either in the form of sorcery or in the powers of the sidhe, the spirits who haunt the isle of Seare and beyond. For this, I delved both into the Celtic myths and fairie tales as well as neo-pagan rituals, particularly for details on scrying. I approached the topic thinking it was a somewhat harmless, if ineffective, practice and left with a deep sense of spiritual unease—this is the type of thing the Bible warns against when it forbids divination and witchcraft. Consequently, when Conor is approached with the opportunity to scry for an answer he desperately needs, he battles the temptation of his own desires against his very clear understanding that it’s dark, forbidden magic.

Some of this may seem academic to the modern Christian reader—most of us aren’t going to be tempted by dark magic or pagan rituals. But I meant it to reflect a warning and a lesson in our larger walk with Christ. Things that come from darkness can never be used for light, even when our intentions are good—God has forbidden them for a reason, because of their danger to ourselves, others, or the integrity of our own souls. Even the gifts and abilities that have been God-given for the use of His kingdom can be corrupted by sin if we’re not anchored to the heart and purpose of Christ.

That’s why my deepest wish is that readers of Beneath the Forsaken City will look beyond the fantasy elements of Seare to the real-world lessons beneath—and be both warned and encouraged in their own spiritual walks.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 26

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 27

Worthy2Read, June 27

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 28

Inklings and notions, June 29

Texas Book-aholic, June 30

For Him and My Family, July 1

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, July 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 3

deb’s Book Review, July 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 6

Blogging With Carol, July 7

Labor Not in Vain, July 8

Mia Reads, July 8

A Baker’s Perspective, July 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away the grand prize package of a limited-edition hardcover of Beneath the Forsaken City and a sterling silver Celtic pendant!!

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/10e08/beneath-the-forsaken-city-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, July 1, 2021

"Christmas on Breakers Point" by Chautona Havig and Christa DelSorbo AudioBook Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Christmas on Breakers Point

Author: Chautona Havig and Christa DelSorbo

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: September 1, 2020

One man’s last Christmas wish might change two lives forever.

Mallory Barrows has one last Christmas with her uncle. She’s determined to make it the best one he’s ever had.

She knows when she asks what he wants as his final gift, it won’t be a tie or a new mug. He won’t need those where he’s going, and he’s quite happy about that.

Mallory just didn’t think he wanted a miracle wrapped in paper and tied with a shiny red bow!

In a twist on a “last chance romance,” Christmas on Breakers Point introduces a new series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

Christmas on Breakers Point is the introductory book to the Independence Islands Series.

The Independence Island Series: Beach listens aren’t just for summer anymore.

Click here to get your copy!

I loved this story and am eagerly awaiting the rest in the series but I have to be honest and say for me it was a tear jerker. It might not be a tear jerker for all. It was for me because while reading my mind kept going back to to the last few months I had with mom and her struggle with cancer.

This book really clearly points out the fact that the main focus in life should be Jesus. This book is another book that I think belongs in a genre called "real life fiction. It has all the elements of real life such as struggling with faith and learning that we all struggle and life and dying and love. The plot might be different but I am sure this story has happen somewhere in the world at many times.

This book really kept me turning the pages and I don't want to stop when I reached the last page when I read the book in 2019. I enjoyed listening to the story instead of reading. The different tones the narrater used make the story more alive.

I am going to share something from the book that really explains why we have to deal with all the pain and evil in this world. " The world is a sick. hurting place,.....Jesus is the only for the hate, the disease, the selfishness, and the greed. But unless every person in it is cured, it'll go on affecting all of us-even those who have been promised eternal remission from the disease of sin."

I think this series is going to become one of my many favorites. I really recommend this book to anyone that likes "real life fiction". Yes, this book is sad but it offers hope also.

This book is my favorite Christmas read so far this year! In fact, it is my favorite of Chautona Havig books!

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

About the Author

Chautona Havig

Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

Christa DelSorbo

“The voice of a friend.”

Christa has a great sense of humor and extensive experience with accents, particularly those of the Southern United States and Great Britain. Her most recent credits include: local live musical theatre actress and choreographer, regional radio commercial voice actress, and speaker for national business events.

More from Christa

https://youtu.be/TqDpzZeXuX4

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 2

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 3

Cats in the Cradle Blog, July 4

Inklings and notions, July 5

For Him and My Family, July 6

deb’s Book Review, July 7

Remembrancy, July 8

Texas Book-aholic, July 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, July 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 10

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 11

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 12

Splashes of Joy, July 13

Mary Hake, July 13

Blogging With Carol, July 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Christa is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book in the winner’s preferred style (Audio/Paperback/eBook)!!

*Only U.S. residents may receive a paperback copy. If the winner lives outside the U.S., then the winner is limited to an audiobook or eBook.

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/10e72/christmas-on-breakers-point-audiobook-celebration-tour-giveaway

"Going South" by Marsha Moston Book Tour and GiveAway

About the Book

Book: Going South

Author: Marsha Moston

Genre: Christian nonfiction—humorous, inspirational, Christian-living memoir

Release date: January 2021

When Bob and Marcia Moston told their friends they were moving south, they meant it as a geographical move. They didn’t expect their plans to go south too.

Trusting his wife’s previously sound judgment, Bob agrees to have Marcia go ahead of him and pick out a house—an efficient, low-maintenance one. It was a good plan. If only Marcia had stuck to it.

But when she veers from the plan, the couple find themselves overwhelmed with the consequences of a seemingly bad decision. Marcia looks for encouragement in the story of Jacob—the patriarchal bad boy, remembered more for the predicaments he got himself into than for his commendable deeds—and the God who is not deterred by our plots, plans, stratagems, and side trips.

Written with heart, humor, and biblical insight, Going South—with the God of Jacob’s and My Mistakes offers hope and encouragement to those who find their lives upturned by a geographical move, a chaotic economy, a backfired dream, or just a plain bad choice.

 https://www.amazon.com/Going-South-God-Jacobs-Mistakes-ebook/dp/B08S5JPYJ5?dchild=1&keywords=going+south&qid=1620275144&sr=8-4&linkCode=sl1&tag=celelit-20&linkId=26dd5d6ae8fb133642bb125c72b9c4f0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

"Going South" by Marsha Moston is a collection of stories and memories centering around buying, remodeling and selling houses, along with a few other stories. I like the one where God uses a seagull to save the disciples to show He is still the same God today as He was then. There is also a story on not judging people by appearances. This was a short read.

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

About the Author

Marcia Moston, the award-winning author of Call of a Coward—the God of Moses and the Middle-Class Housewife, has contributed to several magazines, anthologies, and newspaper columns. She loves to write about the possibilities of life in the hands of a very real God. Marcia teaches workshops in narrative nonfiction and makes home in South Carolina with her Bob.

More from Marcia

We were no superstar, sledgehammer-wielding, Fixer Upper Chip and Joanna Gaines. But I was confident my husband and I could handle the repairs that the house I had bought needed. After all, we were handy—solid do-it-yourselfers, excited about starting a new phase of life in a part of the country we’d never lived.

Armed with enthusiasm, experience, and degrees, we didn’t anticipate any problems finding jobs or making friends. And I certainly didn’t anticipate I’d be hanging telephone directories on doorknobs or stuffing vending machines to make ends meet. But our ravenous little fixer-upper had a bigger appetite than we expected and was devouring our funds in record time.

Before long we began to realize we’d left life as we knew it somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon Line. I wondered if, instead of running strong to the finish line of our lives, we would be crawling across it, covered in sheetrock dust and regrets.

It’s one thing to suffer for a noble cause, but quite another when you find yourself in messes and muddles of your own making time and time again. Like Jacob, some of us have to wrestle an angel of the Lord all night before we get to the end of ourselves and trust that the Lord can and will orchestrate all he’s appointed for us.

I wrote about our southern saga foibles in Going South with the God of Jacob’s and My Mistakes as an entertaining reminder for all of us trying to find our way home, that even when we make bad decisions and big mistakes, the Carpenter of Nazareth can fashion something beautiful from the dust and debris we trail behind.