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Preacher on the Run by Jayna Baas Review and Giveaway

September 13, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Preacher on the Run: The Truth Will Hold Its Own

Author: Jayna Baas

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: April 12, 2020

STANDING FOR TRUTH COULD COST HIM HIS FREEDOM. FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM COULD COST HIM HIS LIFE.

It’s 1771, and North Carolina is at war. On one side stands the power of the Crown. On the other side stands a dangerous freedom of conscience.

Former circuit rider Robert Boothe has spent the last four years leading the tyrant-hating Regulators against North Carolina’s corrupt British government. All he wants is a safe place for his little Baptist church to worship God.

But when Colonel Charles Drake arrives in town, Robert becomes a target. The Church of England wants him to shut up. The governor wants him dead.

Now Robert’s church and family are caught in the crossfire. And that safe place is farther and farther away.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jayna Baas, pronounced as in “baa, baa, black sheep,” is the author of Preacher on the Run and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. She lives in northern Michigan with a great family of real people and the family of pretend people who live in her head. (Yes, she does know her characters are not real. No, she does not want you to tell them she said so.) Although she enjoys multiple genres, her favorite story is this: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Learn more and sign up for a free short story at http://www.booksbyjayna.com.

More from Jayna

Freedom is risky. If people are free to make up their own minds, they might discover they’ve been lied to. They might discover the truth and then act on it, and they just might turn the world upside down.

That’s a story that’s been happening ever since Christ freed his first followers from the law of sin and death. They shared that freedom all over their world, and the hierarchy didn’t like it, from the Pharisees on up to Nero. It’s a story that happens over and over again. And it happened in eighteenth-century North Carolina.

Almost all of the Thirteen Colonies had an official state-sanctioned church that could banish, imprison, or even execute those who did not conform. The most common “state church” in the southern colonies was the Church of England, and that’s what we find in North Carolina at the time of Preacher on the Run.

Imagine you’re a dissenter preacher in this time and place. Up the street is the local vestry, which you’re taxed to support, while you’ve been threatened with jail for preaching without a license. One of your church members is about to be dispossessed for not paying taxes—taxes he can’t afford and has probably already paid once. No one dares go to court; everyone knows the courts are nests of extortion, and you could be charged with felony if you stay at a meeting after an official deems it seditious.

Now the governor’s new agent comes to town—a man who is hungry for power, a man who knows you’re a leader not only in your congregation but also in the grassroots resistance that is rising against the government’s corruption. To him, your belief that people can go to God directly through faith in Christ without the state church is blasphemous. And your belief that all men are on equal footing before God and the law is unthinkably dangerous.

What would you do?

This is a scenario that set my story-loving imagination on fire. This is the story of Preacher on the Run. It’s the story of a spark that ignited and spread throughout the colonies until it was a blaze of revolution—not the rejection of authority but the restoration of rightful authority. It’s the story of countless men and women who faced persecution on American soil for the sake of truth and freedom. Truth never needs to be forced on others, because it can never truly be defeated. And only where there is freedom can truth flourish and spread and turn the world upside down. Because, as Robert Boothe says in Preacher on the Run, the truth will hold its own.

This is his story, and ours.

My Impressions

“He says being brave isn’t always feeling brave. Sometimes it’s just doing brave things.” “He doesn’t always feel brave either, Susanna. But he still does brave things because he knows God is with him.” “Just like God is with us.”

It’s easy to forget that our country, while supposedly founded on the basis of religious freedom, also often followed in the footsteps of the continent that sent settlers here. Religious persecution and the marriage of church and state existed in many of the early colonies. With many thanks to Jayna Baas, who reminds us of this fact in her novel, Preacher on the Run.

Most of the story takes places in North Carolina, starting in 1767. We meet Pastor Robert Boothe, his family, and their church in the town of Ayen Ford. When Col. Drake, a new agent of Gov. Tryon arrives, persecution of Boothe, his church, and the Regulators(so called because they wanted to hold the government responsible for injustices) begins in earnest.

There are many compelling figures in this story. So many relationships that produce growth in each other, yet by painful rubbing. Three of these I especially appreciated were Rob Boothe and Alec, and Mitchell and Hank, and Mitchell and Rob. Underneath it all, though, was the willingness to surrender to God’s prompting, or the common denominator to fight against God’s leading.

The gospel is clearly shared and many beliefs are explained well and naturally due to the religious and political conflict present. There is a lot of suspenseful action. Topics like trusting God (completely), slavery, salvation, Holy Spirit, pride, and listening to God’s voice are discussed. I would have liked to have seen a more balanced look at the Native Americans. There were a few times I laughed out loud at a character’s antics.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotable:

“Just take things one day at a time.” “I don’t have time for only one day at a time.” “That’s the only way they come,” Mitchell said. “Let God give you a little grace, all right? He loves doing that more than we give Him credit for.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blog Stops

Alena Mentink, September 14

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 15

Texas Book-aholic, September 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 17

Connie’s History Classroom, September 18

The Book Club Network, September 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 21

Books I’ve Read, September 21

Cover Lover Book Review, September 22

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, September 23

Simple Harvest Reads, September 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, September 25

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, September 26

Holly’s Book Corner, September 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jayna is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed paperback copy of Preacher on the Run!!

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/27de4/preacher-on-the-run-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

Reclaiming the Spy by Lorri Dudley Review and Giveaway

September 5, 2023September 5, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Reclaiming the Spy

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 29, 2023

How can he protect her from himself when she keeps winding up in his arms?

She never gave up hope. After ten years of prayers for her husband, presumed dead in the Peninsula Wars, Abigail Emerson is shocked to discover him alive. Yet what should be the happily ever after of fairy tales becomes a nightmare when he coldly instructs her to forget she’d ever seen him. Abigail refuses to let her beloved slip through her fingers again, and she’s willing to battle for his love, despite the walls he’s created to barricade his heart.

Nicholas Emerson’s time as a spy for the War Office has left physical and mental battle wounds. He can never be the charming, carefree man he once was—the man his wife deserves—but when a threat to Abby’s life returns him to their small Midland village, keeping her safe proves more challenging than expected. If only Abby would forget him and remarry, then he wouldn’t have to face the torment of all the tender, buried feelings she evokes. The consequence of his life as a spy means he can never have her again…

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lorri Dudleyhas been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household. Find her online at www.lorridudley.com.

More from Lorri

When writing stories, I delve into research to provide the best experience for my readers, hoping to transport them to another time and setting, in this case, the lush green rolling hills of England’s Cotswolds at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. However, God had an alternative plan for me during my research and writing of Reclaiming the Spy. To prepare for the beginning scene with Mama Em, I read Glimpses of Heaven by Trudy Harris, RN. Trudy Harris was a hospice nurse and wrote about her clients in their final days. I’ve never sobbed through every book chapter quite like I had this one. At the same time, I was encouraged to hear how many of her patients heard glorious music, observed beautiful scenes, had visions of past friends or family members, witnessed angels, or even saw their Savior, Jesus Christ.

I didn’t realize that God was preparing me through my research for my dad to go into hospice care. In his final stages, my dad spoke of seeing his parents in vivid dreams, and thanks to reading about similar situations in Glimpses of Heaven, I know they were waiting to welcome him into heaven. I’m so grateful for how God readied my heart, and I was able to draw comfort in seeing how He blurs the lines of this realm and the next to make for an easier transition. God is good all the time, and I felt his presence beside me the entire way.

I’d initially titled my manuscript Love Never Fails because Abby and Nicholas struggle to learn the qualities of love from 1 Corinthians 13, “Love is patient, love is kind… love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Nicholas’s debilitating spells and nightmares after serving as a spy in the Napoleonic Wars cause him to fear Bedlam and that he may hurt Abby. Post-traumatic stress disorder wasn’t a mental health diagnosis of the early 1800s, but it did exist. Mental hospitals (or madhouses) were frightening places where inmates were often treated like zoo animals. Spectators would come for enjoyment to stare and laugh at the men and women housed there.

While my parents didn’t have a wartime story like Abby and Nicholas, they shared a love that endured through good and bad times and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past year. The last few days my dad was alive, he sang Amazing Grace and to my mom a Doris Day song, I Love You a Bushel and a Peck. They shared a love that never failed, and that is the love I hoped to convey through Abby and Nicholas’s story.

My Impressions

“I didn’t want the world. I just wanted you.”

Set in the broader scope of Regency England, Lorri Dudley’s Reclaiming the Spy is a great novel to read on so many levels. You could read it for the romance. Will Abby and Nick ever get their conflicting, see-sawing emotions and actions on one plain?

On the marriage front, several thoughts emerge. When is enough, enough? How long do you keep hoping and praying for change? Can you assume you know how your partner will respond to your trial?

Who are the true friends? Who are the enemies? You may be surprised!

I loved that Mama Em’s words of faith often come back to Abby, even after Mama Em has passed. Our words of faith can have such power! “Now, it was Mama Em’s words that kept Abby from teetering over the edge into hopelessness. ‘Bring your questions to God. He can handle them.’”

And, our intercession for others can makes all the difference, in Heaven’s economy. “There were times when Abby hadn’t been able to pray. It had been too painful, but Mama and Katherine had prayed in her stead.” Hopefully, you have prayer-warrior friend like that!

And a thank you to Ms. Dudley. We are dealing with a ongoing, painful, family crisis. I laughed my way through the last part of the book and felt healing for my soul!!

A must-read!! I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought a copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“It’s like I told you, even when He’s silent, He’s working.”

“God hasn’t deserted you.” Her voice pleaded for understanding. “It says in His word that He will never leave you or forsake you. I used to think God had forgotten me, but I grew to realize that He was by my side pulling me though. He’s with you too.”

“Just remember…if God opens a door, no one can shut it.”

“…marriage isn’t an emotional thing. People don’t merely fall in and out of love. You make a decision to love, for better or worse. Sometimes you have to make that decision daily—sometimes it’s hourly.”

‘The success of one’s turnaround depends upon the depths of one’s desperation.’

“You aren’t responsible for your injuries, but you can be accountable for your own healing.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent!! I really loved the dependence Abby learns on the Lord and the way Abby fights for her marriage! What an example to married women!

Blog Stops

Alena Mentink, August 30

lalkesidelivingsite, August 30

Melissa’s Bookshelf, August 31

Connie’s History Classroom, August 31

Betti Mace, September 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 2

She Lives To Read, September 3

Texas Book-aholic, September 4

Sylvan Musings, September 4

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 6

The Book Club Network, September 7

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, September 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 8

Books You Can Feel Good About, September 8

For Him and My Family, September 9

Lily’s Book Reviews, September 10

Christina’s Corner, September 10

Book Looks by Lisa, September 11

Cover Lover Book Review, September 11

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, September 12 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, September 12

Holly’s Book Corner, September 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/278c0/reclaiming-the-spy-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, New-to-Me Author

Death in High Places by Sara Davison Review and Giveaway

September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Death in High Places

Author: Sara L. Jameson

Genre: Mystery /Suspense/Romance

Release Date: February 28, 2023

An Interpol agent with a deadline he can’t miss.

Urgent intel warns of terrorist cells planning coordinated attacks throughout Europe. Special Agent Jacob Coulter of Brussels Interpol is assigned to find the terrorist financiers supporting these groups and shut down their funding operations.

An opera singer’s life and career hang in the balance.

The Queen of the Night’s vocal pyrotechnics have launched many a soprano’s international career. But Riley Williams, Jacob’s fiancée, is terrified of heights, and her Antwerp Opera debut as the evil queen requires her to sing from a hydraulic lift forty feet above the orchestra pit. When newspapers cite Riley’s recent unmasking of an international terrorist plot and the lift malfunctions, Jacob suspects terrorist sabotage.

He encourages Riley to accept her BFF’s invitation to stay the Savoy Hotel in London where she’ll be out of danger. Or so he thinks …

A series of murders connected to a notorious terrorist financier known as the Priest leads Jacob across Europe. When the victims’ deaths point to London, his Interpol partner convinces him London is a haven for terrorist financiers.

But the clock is ticking, and what Jacob uncovers is more devastating than anything he could have imagined.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sara L. Jameson won Scrivenings Press’s grand prize publishing contract in 2020. They released her debut romantic suspense novel, Cruise to Death, in June 2021. Death in High Places, (Book 2 in the Troubled Waters series), releases February 28, 2023, to be followed by Vengeance in Vienna, December 17, 2023.

Sara is the pseudonym of a multi-published former university professor who writes non-fiction under her real name. She also writes WWII historical novels. When not writing, she enjoys reading, swimming, cooking, and dog-sitting.

More from Sara

God never wastes our life experiences. I never suspected my love of travel and years as a professional classical singer in Europe would lead to a romantic-suspense series. Schlepping a suitcase of opera and art-song scores on cross-country trains kept me trimmer than a gym. A few encounters with they-shall-remain-unnamed international security agencies created fodder for the Troubled Waters series. And a lead character who’s far gutsier than I.

My personal experiences often generate story events. Sigh. Even some of the embarrassing moments soprano Riley Williams endures in Cruise to Death and Death in High Places. Sadly, the blue-eyed hunk, Special Agent Jacob Coulter of Brussels Interpol, is pure fiction. Whenever possible, I visit or have lived in my novels’ locales.

Cruise to Death launches Riley’s attempts as a musical theater singer, a romance she never saw coming, and tracking terrorists. In 2019, I revisited each stop of the riverboat cruise that inspired the book.

Trips to London and stays with a friend in Sussex inspired the unsettling events in Death in High

Places, which released February 28, 2023. I’m indebted to my friend for help verifying details in key scenes. When I travel, I don’t necessarily expect a day sightseeing to morph into a life-and-death moment in a book someday. Well, not until now. Naturally, Antwerp and Burie’s Chocolatier, my favorite Belgian chocolate shop, had to feature in this story too.

I’m excited to announce Vengeance in Vienna releases December 19, 2023. The book draws on my years in Austria and a disturbing criminal element now active there, which I was made aware of in 2019.

And ideas are already flowing for book 4!

My Impressions

“Why did everyone want him to put Riles in more danger? All they cared about was the outcome. Not whom they used.”

What a hard book for me to read this week! Riley Williams, the main female protagonist of Sara Jameson’s Death in High Places, has a very scary incident involving heights and frenzied movement causing dizziness. Physical dizziness is no fun!

Neither is emotional dizziness, and it seems Riley, desperate for an opera house role, and her fiancé, Jacob Coulter, are tossed back and forth quickly as they (and Jacob’s Interpol team) attempt to determine who the terrorist financier is. How many people will die before they have answers? Before they forfeit their own lives?

I liked that Jameson shows the struggle it can be for someone in a service or protection job to make quality time for family. Would the story have been different if Jacob especially didn’t wrestle with this dilemma?

I liked the bits of humor Jameson intersperses within the romantic suspense element. “‘Try to stay calm. Help is on the way.’ Calm? She was a loose-cannon American, not a well-brought-up Brit. Next thing she knew, the woman would suggest she pour a cuppa.”

I loved the way Riley cares for her friend, Frénie. Unfortunately, Frénie doesn’t like Riley’s form of caring and the friendship flags. Which leads me to muse… just how tenacious should we be about somebody else’s choices, once we’ve shared our thoughts? Is there a time to butt out of others’ affairs?

Watching Riley consume chocolate at every opportunity almost had me gaining weight. Finally, Riley has an epiphany. “With every crisis, she’d made Jacob and chocolate her crutch. Instead of running open-armed to her heavenly Father. She pressed her fingers between her eyes, but the tears welled anyway. Dear God, please forgive me. I’ve made everything except You my God. No more. The next crisis, I’m turning to You first.”

If you enjoy mystery, suspense, romance, and relationships, you might enjoy Death in High Places.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Dealing with her was like crossing Niagara Falls blindfolded on a tightrope.”

“Tiny fingers clutched Jacob’s pinky and sucked every inch of his heart into its grasp.”

“Scary what greed and bitterness could do to a person.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! Some very pertinent topics well-handled.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 22

Book Looks by Lisa, August 22

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 23 (Author Interview)

Melissa’s Bookshelf, August 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 24

Holly’s Book Corner, August 24

Betti Mace, August 25

Texas Book-aholic, August 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 27

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 28

Exploring the Written Word, August 28

Cover Lover Book Review, August 29

The Book Club Network, August 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 31

Pause for Tales, August 31

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 2

Blogging With Carol, September 3

Lights in a Dark World, September 3

For Him and My Family, September 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sara is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon Gift card and a copy of Death in High Places in paperback!!

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/27734/death-in-high-places-celebration-tour-giveaway

Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase

The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel

August 28, 2023August 28, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Starlet Spy

Authors: Rachel Scott McDaniel

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: August, 2023

Hollywood Star Turns Spy

In 1943, movie producer Henrik Zoltan approaches Amelie Blake under the guise of offering the Hollywood star a leading part in his upcoming film, but he has a more meaningful role in mind. Amelie’s homeland of Sweden declared neutrality in the war, but Stockholm has become the “Casablanca of the North.” When top-secret atomic research goes missing in Sweden, the Allied forces scramble to recover the files before they fall into Nazi hands.

The United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) needs someone who’s subtle enough to spy on the Swedish elite without triggering suspicion. Who better than the “all beauty, no brains” Scandinavian starlet? Fluent in three languages and possessing a brilliant memory, Amelie loathes being labeled witless but uses the misconception as her disguise. She’s tasked with searching for the crucial files, but Fynn Ristaffason keeps getting in her way. Is the charming shipping magnate after the missing research? Or does he have other reasons for showing up at her every turn?

With the Gestapo on her heels, Amelie must rely on her smarts in addition to her acting skills to survive a world of deadly spies and counterspies.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. Rachel can be found online at http://www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms. Her work is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency. Rachel resides in Ohio with her husband and two children.

More from Rachel

Setting The Starlet Spy in Sweden

Hej! If you’ve ever been to Ikea, then you know that’s the Swedish greeting for Hello! Prior to writing The Starlet Spy, my knowledge of the Swedish culture was limited. It seemed I wasn’t alone. Early last year, I held a poll on my social media asking if anyone had ever read a book set in Sweden. A sweeping majority said no.

Since all of my previous books are set in the United States, this is my first novel with an international setting. So I immersed myself into research. I read books about the country, watched videos, followed Swedish Instagrammers to learn more about the language. And let me tell you, I totally fell in love with this Scandinavian world. It is now on my bucket list to visit because it’s just that gorgeous. I wrote The Starlet Spy with a romantic adventure vibe. I wanted to take the reader on a tour of this amazing country, from the classically beautiful Stockholm, to the quaint fishermen city of Malmo, to the ancient streets of Sigtuna—one of Sweden’s oldest villages—to the brilliant Northern Lights in the Lapland region.

Not only did I want to paint the scene of these various places, but I also wanted to introduce the Swedish culture. Tucked within the pages of The Starlet Spy, the reader will find traces of Scandinavian folklore and legends, which was super fun to explore. But to be honest, my favorite inclusion of Swedish culture was incorporating a traditional dance—the Hambo! It’s such an interesting and unique dance, and I may have been trying to coax my husband into trying it with me for an Instagram Reel, but so far, no such luck! Though I have no problem getting him to enjoy Fika with me. Fika, my friends, is a coffee break, or simply coffee. Just as the British favor their tea, the Swedes are adamant about their fika. So I can most definitely relate.

If all this intrigues you, I welcome you to read The Starlet Spy. It’s set in 1943, which was a pivotal time for Sweden during World War II. If you’ve read my previous stories, you know how much I love to weave as much true history into the chapters. This book has by far the most!

My Impressions

“Everything around me whispered lies.”

Rachel Scott McDaniel hooked me on The Starlet Spy with her very first sentence! We, the readers, find ourselves accompanying Amelie Blake, who provides first-person POV, in Hollywood, then in Sweden as she plays the ditsy blonde to work a reconnaissance mission.

Having taught 6th grade science eons ago, I was thrilled to see physicist Niels Bohr as a major part of the story, though we never see him!

I loved the possible love triangle set-up, with Finn Ristaffason and Axel Eizenburg. Plus, the suspense is palpable as the tension builds over the constant uncertainty who might be a spy or a double-spy. Who is working for the Allies and who is working for the Axis powers? Everyone is suspect!

As always, well-placed humor relieves the great suspense a bit, enough that your heart can continue beating, rather than beating out of your chest, like it’s tempted to.

So many twists, so many surprises!! I loved The Starlet Spy!! If you love clean, Christian WWII fiction, stories of how women helped the Allied cause in WWII, Sweden, or Liz Tolsma, you will love this book.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought a copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I frowned.The more he spoke, the more all this sounded like a terrible B-movie plot…”

“I’d feel much more primed to save the world after a long nap.”

“‘Mormor once told me never to take the blame for someone else’s wrong actions.’I gave a soft smile. ‘She’d probably say that to you, too.’”

I’d been accustomed to being overlooked and invisible, but that day I’d wanted nothing more than to be seen. If I’d gained approval from a guy like Finn, I’d finally have worth. Now I could see how damaging that reasoning had been. Value was not a trophy to be won from other people’s acceptance.

“I look at you and remember God breathes light into our darkest moments. That’s what you are to me. My brightest light. My greatest joy.”

“There’s a war going on.…It’s a battle of information and misinformation.”

“But in a moment like this, it feels like the one true God is close, even more than we realize.” As if the Creator had painted the sky as a reminder of His majesty. If He could ignite the heavens, I could trust him to impart light into my darkness.”

“‘That’s the interesting thing about truth. It can be manipulated. Distorted.’ ‘No, information can be twisted.’I lifted my chin. ‘But truth? Truth will always rise from lies.’”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent!! Rachel Scott McDaniel packs a lot of WWII/Hollywood history into the book, while crafting an exciting story you won’t want to miss!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 29

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 29

lakesidelivingsite, August 29

Lily’s Book Reviews, August 30

Where Faith and Books Meet, August 30

Melissa’s Bookshelf, August 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 31

Back Porch Reads, September 1

annette_reads_daily, September 1

Texas Book-aholic, September 2

Cathe Swanson, September 2

Book Looks by Lisa, September 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 3

Christina’s Corner, September 3

Connie’s History Classroom, September 4

Kristina Hall, September 4

The Book Club Network, September 5

Pause for Tales, September 5

Happily Managing A Household of Boys, September 5

Cover Lover Book Review, September 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 6

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, September 7 (Author Interview)

The Book Nook, September 7

Betti Mace, September 8

Labor Not in Vain, September 8

Just Your Average reviews, September 8

Simple Harvest Reads, September 9 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, September 9

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, September 9

Blogging With Carol, September 10

For Him and My Family, September 10

Holly’s Book Corner, September 11

Lights in a Dark World, September 11

Books I’ve Read, September 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon eGift card and a print 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/278bf/the-starlet-spy-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Publishers, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Love Like No Other by Tabitha Bouldin

August 5, 2023 Babbling Becky L

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!

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldin has 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 life 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.

My Impressions

“Was it wrong to be so agreeable? …to be a people pleaser?”

“Alone again. By his own choice. That’s what he wanted, wasn’t it?”

Alicia Gray is a young doctor who has escaped her background, determinedly becoming the most reliable person around. And cheerful. Miss Sunshine. Surely nothing about such a sweet, young thing could be amiss.

Now mix in a meeting and close working proximity with Mr. Negative, Colin Tremblay. Angry at God over a past that has twisted his future into hopelessness, Colin refuses to get close to anyone, whether family, friends, or beautiful doctors like Alicia Gray.

“Sparks flew up and away, tiny pinpricks of flame drifting in the wind. He felt like one of those flickers. There and gone, completely unnoticed by most and disappearing without leaving a mark on the world.” Interesting that the same fire that spiraled Colin into a depressed state caused Alicia to worship God. “The infinite possibilities. The vastness and immeasurability. I get shivers just thinking about it.” Life is more about how we react to circumstances than the circumstances themselves. Colin has yet to learn this, and that He needs God’s perspective on his life.

I loved how Bouldin includes a kids’ summer camp, two eight-yr-old twins, first aid, and hiking in the novel. Plus plenty of horses! And enough hurts that only the true Healer can cure.

If you like the opposites attract trope, smiley vs. grumpy, emotionally hurting kids, a slow-burn romance, then Love Like No Other is a book for you to check out!

I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“He was good at that. Casting shadows. Everywhere he went, the darkness prevailed.”

“It’s part of who we are to love so deeply that we hope even when we know that all hope has left us.”

“God is the only one who’s never left me, who’s loved me unconditionally.”

“No human is flawless. We’re born broken and only one thing can save us.”

“God was the God of second chances.”

“To be needed might be the greatest gift of all.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! This novel resonated with me on several levels, which catapulted it into the “all the feels” category. People, finding their way, bumblingly, through life, finding Jesus to be the answer. Their life doesn’t get easier, but their attitudes change.

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

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

A Mountain Too Steep by Robin Patchen Review and Giveaway

August 1, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Mountain Too Steep

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Suspense

Release Date: July 18, 2023

A car accident that might not be an accident at all. A murderer bent on revenge. And a woman desperate to keep her family together.

She’s already lost her soul mate. She’ll do anything to protect her children.

For the sake of her kids, Camilla Wright managed to survive after her husband’s murder. When she’s awakened in the night with the news that her teenage son and nephew have been in a horrific car accident, she rushes to the hospital in a haze of shock and panic.

The boys were supposed to be skiing in the mountains east of Salt Lake City. What were they doing so far west? More alarming, the wreck might not have been an accident at all.

While Jeremy fights for his life, Camilla is running out of time to discover who lured her son and her nephew into the desert. With each new clue, the terrifying truth becomes clearer.

Her husband’s killers are closing in…

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Nutfield Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. After college, working in marketing and public relations, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while she homeschooled her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.

More from Robin

It was Monday, July 16, 2018, at about nine-thirty at night.

I was home with my husband and daughter, watching TV, when my sister called. Since my son was visiting her family in Utah, I rushed to pick up.

“Robin,” my sister said. “The boys have been in a terrible accident. They’re being life-flighted to Salt Lake City. They’re both alive. That’s all I know.”

My knees hit the floor. Then I was lying prone on my kitchen tile. Ninety-nine percent of me was thinking, Oh, God. Please, please…

Nine-tenths of one percent was thinking, Why am I on the floor?

And I’ll be honest. About one-tenth of a percent was thinking, When was the last time I mopped?

Such are the inner workings of a human mind in the midst of tragedy.

The next twelve hours were chaos. We needed to get from our Oklahoma home to Salt Lake as soon as possible. We found a flight that left at eight a.m. and booked it.

And then we waited.

While the minutes ticked past in slow motion, we got occasional updates on the boys’ condition. Joshua, my nephew, had a head injury and trauma to his gut.

Jacob, my son, had severe lung damage. Severe enough that, as soon as he arrived at the ER, they intubated him.

Both boys were transferred to the ICU and pronounced stable.

When my husband and I arrived the following morning, we saw Jacob. A tube down his throat. Tape across his face. Scrapes and cuts and bruises all over his upper body. One arm in a plaster cast from his biceps to his fingertips. Unconscious.

And then the hard part began.

The boys’ accident was such a unique and life-altering event in our lives. Watching a cherished child battle for his life, not knowing if he’ll win or lose, is like nothing you can imagine.

Or maybe you can. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar. People are in car accidents every single day. And motorcycle accidents. And other accidents.

And there are illness and addictions and mental health struggles. The list goes on and on.

If you’ve dealt with any of those, then your trauma was probably very different from ours. And yet, you and I could probably find a lot in common. The fear. The surreal moments. The pendulum swinging between hope and helplessness.

The constant litany of prayers.

We were fortunate. Our son and our nephew both survived and recovered. When we were on the other side, I knew I’d write about the experience someday.

And so…I did.

A Mountain Too Steep tells the story of two boys in a car accident in the middle of the Utah desert. The physical trauma the boys experienced is almost exactly what our boys endured.

The rest of the story is purely fictional, thank God. I like a little danger in my life—safe danger. Let’s leave the vengeful gang members in the realm of fiction, shall we?

I cried throughout the writing. And the editing. And the rereading. Even though five years have passed, the memories are still fresh.

Tears aside, I love this story. It’s about a woman whose husband was murdered, a widow who’s endured her own nightmare and who’ll do anything, anything, to protect her children.

I think you’re going to like it.

My Impressions

didn’t want goat feet. She didn’t want to scale mountains. She wanted a lush valley with tall grass and a pretty, meandering stream where she and her children would be safe. Was that too much to ask?”

What a soul-challenging book! A Mountain Too Steep by Robin Patchen is classified as Christian Women’s contemporary fiction with a side of mystery. Hmmm… How about romantic suspense, even though a marriage is involved?! From the opening paragraph, you know you’d better buckle your seat belt and hang on for dear life- because you’re in for the ride of your life!

Camilla Wright and her two children have suffered the loss of her husband and their father four years ago after he testified in a gang-related killing. Then, Jeremy, the 17-yr-old son and his cousin, are in a life-threatening car accident in the desert. When they were supposed to be in the mountains. Rev up for non-stop emotions, plus plenty of action!

I loved the realism. Many times Camilla realizes that this horrible new reality she’s been catapulted into, is too much for her. She’d like to curl up and give up, but then realizes that is not the choice she will make. She will continue the hard, tortuous journey, step by step, with God strengthening her as she goes. “Lord, help me go from strength to strength until I reach the end of this battle.”

Indeed, she finds hope in the fact that one day she will look out and see that she has crested the mountain. She knows where her power has to come from. “Scriptures she’d memorized over the years came back to her. She recited them silently, hanging onto God’s Word, the only solid thing in her life.”

I really couldn’t envision as I read how this terrifying mystery-light romance would end. Kudos for the way Patchen ties it together.

I also loved the way we learn about Daniel, the absent husband. Bit by bit we read his letters penned to his wife just before his death.

I also loved that though the viewpoint originally seems to place the failure of the marriage squarely on Daniel, slowly

Camilla surmises she contributed greatly to her marriage’s decline.

The ultimate underlying theme is doing the right thing, then trusting God with the results. So hard! We don’t always get the results we want.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Anybody who tells you sin isn’t fun is lying. It is. At least at first.”

“In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength.”

“You, Miss Camilla, are a strong woman, not because you wield your own strength but because you know the One who strengthens you.”

“I was valued at work. I made a difference there. You didn’t need me. You managed our home with ease.”

“Jesus had carried her sins to the cross. She was meant to leave them there.”

“Justice matters. When we choose selfishness over justice, we’re lost as a community, as a society. Ultimately, I know my God is a God of justice. To deny justice is to deny Him.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I just pre-ordered the next two Wright brothers novels, The Wright Heroes of Maine, books 1& 2, ( If they’re this powerful, I can’t afford to miss them!!)

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 25

Betti Mace, July 26

Texas Book-aholic, July 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 29

Blossoms and Blessings, July 29

The Book Club Network, July 30

Christina’s Corner, July 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 31

The Lit Lady, August 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 2

Lily’s Book Reviews, August 3

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 5

Books Less Travelled, August 5

Holly’s Book Corner, August 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of Vengeance in the Mist and 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/26d50/a-mountain-too-steep-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

Rebecca by Shannon McNear Review and Giveaway

July 26, 2023 Babbling Becky L

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!

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!

My Impressions

Rebecca, by Shannon McNear, is a very intellectual and scholarly novel of Pocahuntas, daughter of the highest Powhatan chief. McNear ties Rebecca to Roanoke and her Daughters of the Lost Colony by a rather surprising, seemingly unlikely, but possible connection. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I am glad to have read Elinor and Mary first.

I found reading this novel challenging, but I was glad I persevered! The overall thought and story arc are beautiful! I must admit, McNear includes so many Native American names that are difficult to pronounce. The John Smith segment especially felt like reading a textbook rather than a novel. However, like assigned high school Shakespeare, one feels enlightened and much better informed afterwards. I was eager to find out the resolution to Pocahuntas’s decisions and the how relationship between the colony and the Natives would evolve.

I did appreciate how McNear alternates between the English POV and the Native POV. She does a great job making the reader feel sympathetic and understanding towards one way of thinking, than showing the reasonableness of the other view. Neither nation appeared totally good or bad, but rather as two opposing people grappling to find their way as they are suddenly in the same land.

The author notes before and after are extremely important to the understanding of this novel. Please don’t skip them!

The story of Jesus and His sacrifice is told very clearly and slowly as part of Pocahuntas’s religious education at Bermuda Hundred. It flowed very naturally as part of the story. I love Pocahuntas’s ( Rebecca’s) proclamation: “I have seen the spirits, but I have also seen your Christ, presenting Himself as the greatest of the spirits.”

Indeed, Rebecca realizes this is more than just a history of two nations sorting out ownership of a land. “Of a certainty, as she had suspected, this was more than one people sailing across yapám and making towns upon Tsenacomoco. It was one god supplanting another in a land where all had been settled for time out of mind.”

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own paperback copy for the keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Her real name—she had shared her real name with him. He knew the significance of such a thing.”

“It is my wish—my hope—to bring word of your Christ to my people, so they may also know. And perhaps it was for that very thing I was born and chosen.

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great!! It took quite a while to get into, but McNear has given me a much better understanding of the people of this time.

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

ARC, Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase

Every Dog Has His Day by Janice Thompson Review and Giveaway

July 25, 2023 Babbling Becky L

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?

Click here to get your copy!

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!

My Impressions

“Dogs were like that. They kidnapped pieces of our heart and kept them forever.”

Every Dog Has its Day by Janice Thompson may not be true-to-life, but it is a lot of fun and has all the elements that make me love it. Like its predecessors, Every Dog Has Its Day is clean, faith-based, set in a vet- combination rescue setting, and is hilarious. Plus, the book and series focus heavily on dogs and the people who love them. I’m in cozy heaven!

Isabel(Izzy) Fuentes narrates this book in first person POV. She is the clinic’s groomer, who fosters a lost dachshund. Trouble begins when the new pro quarterback in town , Corey Wallace, shows up to claim the dog, who isn’t microchipped and doesn’t like the man.

As the clinic-rescue gains notoriety for not releasing the pup to its alleged owner, can Isabel and Corey reach a compromise without harming the clinic’s reputation or clientele? As Corey and Isabel get to know each other, an attraction develops, but will their different social statuses stand in the way? Or an unforeseen crime?

I loved being back in Brenham, Texas with the Lone Star Clinic crew. One of the neat things about this series is that, while it focuses on one couple’s story, other couples from previous books are highlighted and their stories move forward nicely.

And Grandma Peach and Hector, her terror of a cat, are a hilarious big part of this novel, too. So much fun!

One of the neat elements of this book is the relationship between generations, related or not. I could feel the love oozing out from Carmela, every time she cooked and turned on the football game.

If you love hilarious animal-based cozies, don’t miss this book!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I knew this side of him, the happy, healthy side. But I also knew the other side. . .and it scared me to death.”

“When you loved someone, you did everything you could to bless them.”

“It’s easy to be believable when you’re telling the truth.”

“Grief was a fickle friend. It left its mark. But it also bonded you with others who were walking through it as well.”

“That’s what you heard with your ears,” I said. “But it’s what you hear with your heart that matters.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Dogs, a rescue, a vet clinic, a humorous cozy with faith, I’d be hard-pressed not to like this one!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 25

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 25

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 26

Bigreadersite, July 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 28

Texas Book-aholic, July 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 30

Blogging With Carol, July 30

Cover Lover Book Review, July 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 2

Mary Hake, August 2

She Lives To Read, August 3

Lily’s Book Reviews, August 4

The Book Nook, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 5

Holly’s Book Corner, August 5

Splashes of Joy, August 6

Pause for Tales, August 7

Labor Not in Vain, August 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janice 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/26d51/every-dog-has-his-day-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

A Summer at Thousand Island House by Susan G Mathis Review and Giveaway

July 19, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Summer at Thousand Island House

Author: Susan G. Mathis

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 25, 2023

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to use her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

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About the Author

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has eleven in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

More from Susan

BEHIND THE SCENES AT A SUMMER AT THOUSAND ISLAND HOUSE

I’ve been writing about the Gilded Age for several years now. A Summer at Thousand Island House is my eleventh published story, and I had so much fun creating it. The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding.

It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands. I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles.

It was an era of economic growth and wages were higher than Europe, so massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores. Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working class suffered.

Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them.

All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. There really was an entertainment pavilion on Staple’s Island where the patrons of Thousand Island House enjoyed all kinds of amenities, including a daycare. And US Presidents, including President Grant and President Chester Arthur (whom you meet), vacationed at Thousand Island House.

Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge. Addison Bell cares for children. Liam Donovan manages the pavilion and Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector and single father, comes and goes.

And all of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. A Summer at Thousand Island House also focuses on healing broken hearts and embracing God’s redemption.

Mathis’s attention to detail and rich history is classic Mathis, and no one does it better.—Margaret Brownley, N.Y. Times bestselling author

My Impressions

“Please, Lord, may this summer change my life.”

Be careful if you pray that prayer! You don’t always know what you’re asking for! Addison Belle certainly did not! But she was hopeful for something bigger and better than her life so far.

Susan K Mathis takes us back in time to the Thousand Islands of New York during the Gilded Age. Addi Belle is the female protagonist of A Summer at Thousand Island House. She comes from a rural background to be a daytime recreation teacher for young children, 4-8 yrs old, of the hotel’s clientele.

Addi does a marvelous job of teaching and training the six young children she has each day. While she takes her responsibility to educate, recreate, and train about God very seriously, most consider her a glorified babysitter.

“As far as your duties, you are required only to keep the children safe and quiet.”

This is her boss, Liam Donovan’s job description for her. He is quite delighted to see her teacher qualities of compassion and redirection in play. Others, like Miss Gert, hold a grudge against Addie and do everything they can to cause trouble. Still another character causes considerable trouble by his own selfishness and inability to consider the needs of others.

I enjoyed the attraction for each other that Attie and Liam fight. However, knowing the strict rules against male/female fraternization among staff or among staff and guests, I have to wonder about whether an attraction could really develop into something more.

I also wondered, as a former elementary teacher, about whether 4-8 year olds could truly guess at the meaning of the daily quotes Addie uses.

All in all, though, a fun story. I received a copy of the book via Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.