Category: Celebrate Lit Tour

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Tides of Healing by Sandra Merville Hart Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Tides of Healing

Author: Sandra Merville Hart

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: February 11, 2025

A Southern belle fights to reclaim her home, but will her spying destroy the Union officer she never meant to love? 

Savannah Adair has endured the unimaginable, hiding in a cave while her beloved Vicksburg was under siege. With the city now occupied by Union soldiers, Savannah cannot stand by and do nothing. So when one of the gaunt, half-starved Confederate prisoners asks her to spy for the South, she can’t refuse the chance to take back her home.

First Lieutenant Travis Lawson takes pride in the Union army’s hard-fought victory, but he quickly realizes that the challenges of rebuilding and reconciliation are just beginning . . . and not everyone is appreciative of changes he’s making. Namely, the fiery and alluring Savannah Adair. Despite their differing loyalties and the societal divide between them, Travis cannot deny the growing feelings he has for her. When he is tasked with finding Southern spies in Vicksburg and he captures a female spy, Travis is forced to consider that the woman he’s beginning to love may be the enemy.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known yet fascinating facts from American history to include in her stories. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. She is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.

More from Sandra

As I typed away on this final book in my Spies of the Civil War Series, it felt as if I’d written the entire series to tell this story.

Previously, I had felt a similar importance of an as yet unpublished two-book contemporary series, but the sense that the whole series climaxed with the final book was as surprising as it was welcome.

Because it seemed as if everything that happened in all the earlier books culminated in Book 6 for me as an author. Its significance reverberated in my soul while still researching the events…and weeks before I sat to pen the first page, the first paragraph, the first sentence.

That sense of importance made this book difficult to begin. The early chapters took far longer to write than normal.

I believe that those who only read Tides of Healing will have a satisfying, complete story. Those who read the entire series in order—or at least Books 4-6 set in Vicksburg—will experience a deeper impact as the characters’ stories build on one another.

There is a song in Tides of Healing. As an author, the impact of the lyrics within the story preceded it, meaning that I knew a certain song would play a significant role while still in the research phase.

Let me explain.

When I’m researching a story, I read a variety of nonfiction resources including diaries, journals, and newspaper accounts. My research for Vicksburg during the Civil War led me to song lyrics written by the enslaved.

African American Spirituals, also called Negro Spirituals, were sung before and after the Civil War. These Christian songs served a variety of purposes beyond bolstering hope and faith during dark days. They told stories about Biblical characters like Moses. Some comforted the sorrowful and some rejoiced with the joyful. They were sung in churches, in camp meetings, and in the fields.

They often contained secret messages. “Home” in a song can refer to Heaven, but the secret meaning was a free country. Author Frederick Douglas had been a former slave. He wrote that the lyrics to “O Canaan, Sweet Canaan” signified more than a hope of Heaven. Repeated singing of the lyrics “I am bound for the land of Canaan” announced an intention to go North, their Canaan.

The Underground Railroad is a theme in Tides of Healing. In 1828, Reverend John Rankin built his home on a hill overlooking the Ohio River in Ripley, Ohio. As a station on the Underground Railroad, this home was easily seen from the opposite side of the river in the slave state of Kentucky. Runaways waited for a boat to take them across the river.

It surprised me to learn that the lyrics of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” are about this station. “I looked over Jordan and what did I see?” refers to the Ohio River. The band of angels are people who rowed them across the wide river to the free state of Ohio.

Neither of these songs is referenced in Tides of Healing. The tune that is in my story was a popular spiritual leading up to the war. I listened to it many times. The message took root in my heart long before it affected my characters.

My research trip to Vicksburg’s battlefield and museums inspired the writing of Streams of Courage, Book 4, River of Peril, Book 5, and Tides of Healing, Book 6.

Avenue of Betrayal, Book 1, is set in the Union capital of Washington City (Washington DC) in 1861, where a surprising number of Confederate sympathizers and spies lived. Boulevard of Confusion and Byway to Danger are set in Richmond, the Confederate capital in 1862. Actual historical spies touch the lives of our fictional family. The heroines in Books 1 – 3 are two sisters and their cousins. Another set of characters begin with Book 4, and three friends are the heroines in Books 4 -6.

Through both real and fictional characters, this series highlights activities spies were involved in and some of the motives behind their decisions.

I invite you to read the whole Spies of the Civil War Series!

My Impressions

“Anger at the Yankee who’d brought this calamity boiled up inside Savannah. Papa wasn’t here to fight for them. The South’s soldiers might have surrendered—she would not.”

Tides of Healing: Spies of the Civil War Bk 6 by Sandra Merville Hart, is the needed conclusion to this series. As one who has been reading this series from its inception, I especially wanted to see each couple in this circle of friends in books 4-6 find their happy ending. Hart finally circles back to Savannah Adair, whose boyfriend Willie has died shortly after mustering into the Southern army. With her father often away on business and her mother’s only skills involving entertaining, Savannah discovers it is she who must work for her family’s survival in defeated Vicksburg. 

Savannah wishes for a return to life as it was before the siege and defeat of the city. She first meets Union officer First Lt. Travis Lawson as he joyfully tells any Black person he sees that they are now free. Watching her own slaves immediately leave, Savannah begins to look for ways to protest the occupation of her city and win it back for the South. Little does she foresee that the many interactions she and her mother will have with a certain compassionate lieutenant will cause her to lose her heart. But the real question will be- will she prove loyal to her city and the South or to the handsome and kind-to-a-fault Northern lieutenant? 

I loved the great amount of history that Hart imparts in her novel. Characters are very relatable. I loved seeing the growth in the characters, although the title says it well- Tides of Healing.  Like waves of the sea, emotions tumble back and forth, bitter one moment, thankful the next. Angry, then interested in the opposite sex, resentful, then resilient. How I loved seeing the different relationships grow and change. Obviously, we see Travis and Savannah foremost, but I liked seeing both Savannah’s parents soften. We also see a couple of sworn enemies and those who have every right to be enemies decide to let God’s love overcome incredible mountains of hurt. 

Childhood traumatic memories have shaped both Savannah and Travis. Savannah refuses to ask her Heavenly Father for anything big. Travis tells her,

“One day, you’ll need to pray a big prayer. Please don’t be afraid to ask. He’ll decide whether to say ‘no’ or ‘yes’ or ‘wait a while.’ Pray and leave it up to God.”

Travis believes himself responsible for an event he had no control over. This not only shapes his political leanings, but causes him years of anguish. 

My fave secondary characters are Ellen and Michael. Ellen because she loves with a love that covers over a multitude of wrongs. Michael…well, you’ll have to read to see why he’s special! I definitely have some questions about that man!😊

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

Notable Quotables:

“Your Heavenly Father loves you so much. He hears every prayer, even the ones only our hearts whisper.”

“She didn’t pray now. The outcome was too important.”

“Hunger couldn’t afford pride.”

“I long for the days before the world went mad…”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Hart touches the heartstrings and you will find yourself heartsick over many incidents, saddened how war can be so divisive.

Blog Stops

Bizwings Book Blog, February 26

Holly’s Book Corner, February 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 1

Pause for Tales, March 2

Texas Book-aholic, March 2

Devoted To Hope, March 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 4

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 5

Betti Mace, March 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, March 6

Cover Lover Book Review, March 7

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 8

Connie’s History Classroom, March 9

For HIm and My Family, March 10

Stories By Gina, March 11 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, March 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sandra is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54163

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

Sabotage at Cedar Creek by Janice Thompson Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Sabotage at Cedar Creek (The Little Red Truck Mysteries Book Two)

Author: Janice Thompson

Genre: Mystery/Christian Fiction

Release date: February, 2025

Who Would Sabotage the New B&B?

Breathe in the nostalgia of everything old red truck in book two of a new cozy mystery series.

It’s summertime in Mabank, Texas, and the Hadley family’s new antique business is open and running well with Tilly, the red antique truck, as its mascot. Raelynn Hadley enjoys driving Grandpa’s truck around as she seeks out antiques for her family’s store.

Raelynn is excited that her best friend, Tasha, will soon open a new vacation rental to accommodate the area’s growing tourism, but an unexpected act of sabotage threatens to spoil all that Tasha has worked for.

Raelynn immediately gets to work sleuthing out who could be behind the crime. Could it be the bitter neighbor, intent on spoiling Tasha’s plans? Perhaps it’s a nearby resort owner, worried about the potential loss of revenue. Maybe it’s the former owner’s daughter who was left out of the will and believes the home should be hers. Or maybe it’s the squatter who had taken up residence in the home before renovations. Raelynn is determined to solve the mystery for her friend in time for opening day. 

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Janice Thompson hails from south Texas. She is a Christian author and mother of four grown daughters. Janice has written over forty books.

More from Janice

Travel with me to East Texas to celebrate the 4th of July. Let’s meet at Cedar Creek Lake, a vast expanse of water tucked in and around some of the sweetest little Texas towns you’ve ever seen: Gun Barrel City, Mabank, Payne Springs, Eustace, and Seven Points, just to name a few.

Along the edge of the lake you’ll find 320 miles of idyllic shoreline, dotted with homes, campsites, and cabins for rent. And right there, on the prettiest patch of land imaginable, you’ll discover a newly renovated vacation home, recently purchased by a local gal named Tasha. Her quaint fixer-upper is just about ready for its first guests and she’s giddy with excitement.

Also thrilled is Tasha’s BFF, RaeLyn Hadley! RaeLyn has grown up near the lake and loves this place. She can hardly wait to see her bestie’s dream come true.

Of course, not everyone in the Cedar Creek area is happy to see Tasha’s new vacation rental open for business. Behind the scenes, evil lurks. Nefarious plans are already in motion, though RaeLyn and Tasha can’t yet see them.

Days before the house is listed, the beautiful home is vandalized! Clearly, someone wants to stop Tasha in her tracks. But, who would sabotage the inn. . .and why? RaeLyn won’t quit until she’s got answers, but she needs your help.

What role will you play in this tale? Visit the inn. Get to know the gals. Help them figure out the whodunit. Spend time in town with the locals, celebrating the 4th of July. I promise, you’ll have a blast. There are quilt shows, cupcake walks, and more Texas BBQ than you can eat in one visit.

Your belly will never be empty as you set out to help RaeLyn and Tasha solve this crime. Just don’t let all of those handsome Texas fellas distract you from the task at hand. They have a tendency to do that.

Hang on for the ride, folks, because an East Texas tale is one that’s always filled with twists and turns! So, what are you waiting for? Jump into that little red truck and let’s hit the road, headed to Cedar Creek Lake!

My Impressions

“God places the lonely in families.”

The perfect cozy to read on a cold, blustery day, Sabotage at Silver Creek by Janice Thompson takes place in the idyllic, but hot, Texas countryside. Peach cobblers, pies, cookies, and all other sorts of delicious edibles parade through the pages of this second Little Red Truck  who dunnit. And don’t forget the Texas Blue Bell ice cream!

Successfully avoiding eating ( but just barely!) while reading this twisty tale, I was happy to see RaeLyn Hadley and her tight-knit family, plus her bestie, Tasha Dempsey. It seems Tasha is ready to open her AirBnb, but sudden glitches start to arise. Poor Tasha worries about the new mortgage payments she has taken on, as RaeLyn, her boyfriend Mason, her brother Dallas, and her aunt, Bessie Mae, all rally to help Tasha. 

To enjoy this book best, you need to read book one, Tracking Tilly first. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a lot of spoilers. Clayton is just as despicable as he is when we first met him, although we view some around him a little differently. Mason is an incredibly patient man, willing to see the best in everybody and give anybody a second chance. (“Sometimes people just need to be given a chance.”) He is very loyal and encouraging. One of those people who could “…foster open communication and cooperation. He also seemed to know how to address concerns and dispel problems.” Also great at unifying people. 

I was a bit disappointed in the “girls,” as they were quick to lay suspicion and slow to look as carefully for multiple suspects as I wanted them to. Conner amazes me. With a less than stellar background, he could choose to become what everyone thinks he is…and that certainly would be the much easier choice. Bessie Mae is one of those aunts that few families have, but wow, she adds so much to the life of the Hadley family! 

Spending time with RaeLyn and her family and friends, you will get that warm, fuzzy feeling like you have been included among family as people gather for celebrations, to plan events, or to catch culprits. 

I was surprised by the reveal of the guilty. I am pleased to note there is a third book in the offing. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“Oh, I’m happy. I’m very happy.” “You might want to tell your face.” 

“God designed us to live in community.”

“Loneliness and bitterness can turn even the kindest heart hard.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! A fun cozy with some convicting truths!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 27

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 28

Texas Book-aholic, March 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 3

Pause for Tales, March 3

She Lives To Read, March 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 5

Blogging With Carol, March 6

Labor Not in Vain, March 6

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 7

Stories By Gina, March 8 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 8

For Him and My Family, March 9

Lily’s Corner, March 10

Holly’s Book Corner, March 11

Lights in a Dark World, March 12

Leslie’s Library Escape, March 12

Giveaway

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54164

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle

Miss Blaire in Blackwell’s Island by Grace Hitchcock Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Miss Blaire in Blackwell’s Island (Heiresses of Adventure Book One)

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance True Crime

Release date: July 31, 2024

Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late?

On Blackwell’s Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving.

With her late parents’ fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Blaire does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. And Edyth fears she will never be found.

At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple his­torical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, Best Laid Plans, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives on the Northshore of New Orleans, with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a cottage that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, or chasing babies, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.­­­­

More from Grace

I am thrilled to share with you my FIRST novel in the HEIRESSES OF ADVENTURE series, MISS BLAIRE IN BLACKWELL’S ISLAND, which is set in New York City in 1887. I loved writing about Edyth Blaire, our cat-rescuing, spunky heroine who spends her days painting, fencing with her dreamy instructor, and avoiding society at all costs, which as you can imagine, comes back to haunt her before the end. I’ve never written about a character who despised reading, so that was a new one for me. Edyth just doesn’t like to sit still long enough to finish a book, but you’ll find out why later.

While writing this book, I am pretty certain the librarians at my local branch were wondering what in the world my hobbies are, judging from the stacks of fencing books for beginners, histories of New York crime in the 19th century, and Nellie Bly’s Ten Days in a Mad-House, and more.

The inspiration for this book came from Nellie Bly’s scandalous exposé for Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, The World. In reading Nellie’s articles, I was shocked at the grounds by which the asylum would commit women and that’s when I discovered a tiny mention about an heiress with family members who had her tucked away so they could have her fortune. . . and Edyth Blaire was born.

I hope you will enjoy reading about our eccentric leading lady and her fencing master hero, Raoul “Bane” Banebridge in this friends-to-lovers romance. If you are interested in seeing pictures of the asylum and to see what I pictured the characters looking like, check out my Pinterest board here.

Are you part of a book club? I have discussion questions here!

My Impressions

“… you are no longer an heiress. As far as the world is concerned, Edyth Blaire is dead.”

[Formerly released as The Gray Chamber : True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime, published by Barbour Books in Jan of 2020]

Grace Hitchcock’s The Gray Chamber would probably win one of my “Sleeper of the Year” awards. “Heiress” sounds fun. Historical fiction sounds interesting. Nellie Bly story, ok, up for that. The first time I read this book, I did *not* bargain for a love in danger of being lost nor a trip to Blackwell’s Island, infamous in its time for housing *insane* women. If not for someone brave like the very real Nellie Bly, the atrocious treatment of insane and supposedly mentally ill people would have continued much longer in our country!The author’s notes at the end are a must!

When I read the novel this time, I found myself digging deeper. I still have to laugh at a lady with Edyth’s favorite pastime! ( En garde, n’importe qui?!)I was still amazed at the inhumane treatment on Blackwell’s Island. And the tension as we see what both money and love bring out of the inner hearts of people. More than a close friends to lovers/romantic suspense/chiller story, Hitchcock girds her main characters hearts with a faith that they cling to by recalling very appropriate Bible verses, encouraging each other, and ultimately, showing that their love is a reflection of the greater love of the True Great Shepherd. The ultimate love that conquers hate. 

At first, we are immersed in an enjoyable turn-of-the-century account of Edyth and fencing master Raoul Banebridge. Edyth is dying to have her best friend Raoul “Bane” notice her as a woman, but her eccentricities seem to block his view. When finally he begins to see Edyth for the woman she is, her eccentricities have enabled other shocking developments, the  stuff my nightmares are made of. It all makes perfect sense, and I could visualize it all happening. The evil mankind can perpetrate on another, made in the image of the same God!! Don’t miss this amazing, eye-opening story about a very true part of American history retold in a fictional, very memorable way!!

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

Notable Quotables:

“I fear that this is a rabbit hole we shall never escape from, don’t you?”– Nellie Brown/Bly

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

“I will wait, Lord. I will trust You.”

“This place has stripped away the layers of thick skin, and I am raw, for I have had no one and nothing to lean on here but the Lord.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Even better the second time around!!

Blog Stops

Pens Pages & Pulses, February 21

Allyson Jamison, February 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 22

Devoted To Hope, February 22

Texas Book-aholic, February 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 23

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 25

Maureen’s Musings, February 25

Melissa’s Bookshelf, February 26

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 27

Vicky Sluiter, February 27

Betti Mace, February 28

Cover Lover Book Review, February 28

Blogging With Carol, March 1

Connie’s History Classroom, March 1

lakesidelivingsite, March 2

For Him and My Family, March 3

Mary Hake, March 3

Labor Not in Vain, March 4

Holly’s Book Corner, March 4

Leslie’s Library Escape, March 5

Inspired by Fiction, March 5

Pause for Tales, March 6

Lights in a Dark World, March 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away the grand prize of a $20 gift card with FREE SHIPPING to Grace’s Autographed Bookshop!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54161

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Misty M Beller Books, Purchase

Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret by Misty M. Beller Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: January 28, 2025

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune. 

Miles is the youngest of six brothers, and he’s spent most of his life helping guard the family’s secret: a sapphire mine hidden deep within the Montana mountains. With threats from a past enemy looming, a survey team’s arrival stirs suspicion—until he meets Clara Pendleton, whose presence captivates him.

Clara Pendleton joins her uncle on a survey team tasked with mapping the coming railroad’s path, only to find herself entangled with the enigmatic Coulter family. When her uncle’s accident leads them to find refuge in the Coulter home, Clara is irresistibly drawn to Miles Coulter and his quiet strength. This feels like the haven she craves…until a series of mysterious attacks endanger everyone on the ranch.

As Christmas approaches, a sleigh ride through a snowy wonderland fans the growing spark between Clara and Miles into a flame, but a broken runner leads Clara to discover the family’s secret. Now she’s faced with an impossible choice: betray the man she’s coming to love or risk the lives of his entire family—and her own uncle.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure, forced proximity, a Christmas surprise, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Belleris a USA Todaybestselling author with over 1 million books old. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Surveying the Wild West: How Surveyors Mapped the Frontier in the 1870s

One of the things I love about writing historical romance is the detail I get to research for each book. So much of my research doesn’t make it into the story, but I still love to learn it!

In Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret, our heroine and her uncle are working with a group of surveyors to map out potential routes for the coming railroad.

Surveying back then was no walk in the park. These brave folks had to trek through some seriously rough terrain, lugging around heavy equipment like compasses, levels, and surveyor’s chains. The chains were a whopping 66 feet long, with 100 links! Surveyors would stretch them out to measure distances, and let me tell you, it was no easy feat.

One of the surveyor’s secret weapons was triangulation. By measuring angles between distant points and doing some fancy math, they could figure out exactly where landmarks were and create a grid of reference points across the land. This technique was a game-changer, allowing for more accurate maps that covered bigger areas.

In my story, the surveying was done for the railroad. But history tells us that later in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey stepped onto the scene with a larger mission: to create detailed maps of the entire country, including the wild, wild West. Surveyors working for this agency had their work cut out for them. They battled through dense forests, climbed steep mountains, and crossed dangerous rivers, all to gather the data needed for these maps.

So the next time you look at a map of the American West, give a nod to those early surveyors. These hardworking folks played a huge role in shaping the frontier, giving settlers the information they needed to build new lives and communities. Without their dedication and skill, the West might have remained a mystery forever!

I pray you enjoy Miles and Clara’s story in Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret!

Blessings!

Misty

My Impressions

If you are a fan of the American Western frontier, horses, or historical romance, Misty M. Beller’s series, Brothers of Sapphire Ranch is a recommendation I would give you. We have worked our way with Beller down to the youngest brother, Miles, who feels the need to prove his worth to his brothers. His story is volume seven of the series, with one brother yet to have his story. I definitely think you need to read these books in order, though there is a basic recap of the group at the beginning. 

I thought this couple might have been a little young, but people did (and still do) get married early back then. I enjoyed their romance that was helped along by forced proximity as Clara and her injured  Uncle Hiram are forced to stay with the clan while Hiram’s injury heals. This is a love-at-first-sight novel, or as I’d prefer to think of it, interest aroused at first sight. 

Poor Clara! She is placed in a predicament that no one would want to be in. How will she and those she has learned to truly care for escape unscathed? About a quarter way through the book, there are twists and turns that really cause the action to start igniting. 

“He felt like a true friend, the first she’d had in ages.” I loved the way Miles listened to Clara. Really listened. So much so, that a special treat at Christmastime is a result. I enjoyed reading about the horrible snowstorm while safe in my chair! 

One thing I have to say for the Coulters: their love for the Lord and for each other produces a very attractive atmosphere in their compound. “…the camaraderie, the laughter, the genuine care for one another—it was more than she’d known in a long while.”

Another element I liked seeing. Some Coulters whose stories we’ve already experienced, still have flaws and need tempered by others, whether a spouse, a brother, or a friend. 

One part I didn’t see was a true ending. And that is because just as I thought things were winding up for a solution, Beller throws in a monkey wrench and now we need the next and last book!! And we need it yesterday!

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

Notable Quotables:

“old grief hung in his words. She knew that sadness. It never left, just…changed.”

“Sometimes, our minds protect us from the things that hurt too much to remember. It doesn’t mean you loved them any less.”

“The man wore suspicion like a pair of trousers.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 23

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 23

Melissa’s Bookshelf, February 24

Madi’s Musings, February 25

Simple Harvest Reads, February 25 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 26

For Him and My Family, February 26

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 27

Betti Mace, February 27

Texas Book-aholic, February 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 1

Jeanette’s Thoughts , March 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 2

Cover Lover Book Review, March 3

Mary Hake, March 3

Devoted To Hope, March 4

An Author’s Take, March 5

Holly’s Book Corner, March 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 6

Blossoms and Blessings, March 6

lakesidelivingsite, March 7

Pause for Tales, March 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54159

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

Hidden Danger by Gail Pallotta Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Hidden Danger (Discipleship Series Book 1)

Author: Gail Pallotta

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: August 21, 2024

After Emily Hanover’s left standing at the altar in Blue Mountain, North Carolina, she goes to Sky High Campground to put her life back together. Because it’s February and few people come here this time of year, she’s alone on the premises. When noises in the middle of the night frighten her, she gathers her courage and peeks outside. A man carrying a body over his shoulder emerges from the dark shadows onto her front yard. Horrified, she collapses onto the floor.

The next morning, she visits ex-military. officer turned security guard, Nick Lancaster. He listens intently to Emily, but dismisses her claim of foul play as a hunter carrying a deer. Finally, after he sees a freshly dug hole in Emily’s yard and finds two more in the woods, he agrees—there’s suspicious activity. Then he and Emily embark on a mission exposing murder and a far-reaching sinister plot, neither suspecting danger can bring romance.

Click here to get your copy

About the Author

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner, a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Finalist and a Top Author pick. She’s published seven books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She enjoys connecting with readers.

More from Gail

The story behind Hidden Danger started with my love of mysteries and suspense, which began many years ago when I discovered Nancy Drew. Then I wanted to become a detective. That didn’t happen, but I turned my heroine, Emily Hanover, and the hero, Nick Lancaster, into amateur sleuths.

The granddaughter of a minister who planted churches in the far reaches of the Western North Carolina Mountains, I grew up at the foothills of them. As I pondered the setting for a good mystery, the area with lots of underbrush and caves offered opportunities for suspenseful scenes.

Emily works as a newspaper reporter, a job similar to one I had in a public relations department under a retired Associated Press guy. My husband was in the military. After all these years of marriage, I’m familiar with that type of personality, so Nick is an ex-military guy turned security guard.

Emily goes to the campground to find peace and comfort after she was left standing at the altar  on her wedding day. To say she has a chip on her shoulder over men is an understatement. The only true love Nick ever had died while he was overseas. Guilt because he couldn’t be by her side plagues him. He believes he’ll never love another.

Emily meets Nick because her first night at the campground, she sees a man carrying a dead body. Or, does she? Thus, a mystery in the Western North Carolina Mountains begins.

My Impressions

“She could trust Jesus no matter how confusing or turbulent her life grew. He remained the same and He still loved her.”

Emily Hanover certainly has had some turbulence in her life, and it’s about to ramp up! Gail Pallotta, author of Hidden Danger, has put Emily in the unenviable position of being jilted at the altar. To escape reminders of her ex-fiancé, Emily leaves her job as a crime reporter at a small paper for a vacation in the North Carolina mountains. Choosing a small, empty campground, instead of peace and quiet Emily finds disturbing things going on. But can she convince the security guard that what she saw is worth investigating?

Camp security guard Nick Lancaster, fresh out of the military, is barely holding his life together after his fiancée’s death. Yet something about Emily attracts him. And Emily seems to be good at attracting trouble! Will the two broken-hearted young people put aside their hurts and help each other as it appears there is murderous danger nearby?

I was most impressed by Emily’s ability to see beyond the outside of a person. “She focused on the man’s twisted half smile. What turned him into a criminal?…The more important question was—what had gone wrong with his heart? His mind?” At this point, I wouldn’t have cared about the person, I’d be getting myself far, far away fast! It is very interesting what Emily is willing to do as she uses her Father’s eyes to see the worth of a person. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“Love isn’t like tea in a pitcher. Love never runs out. There’s plenty of it to go around for everyone.”

“Sometimes I have this voice inside my brain that tells me to do something because it’s the right thing to do.”

“she’d been so lost in pain, she didn’t know she needed a friend.”

“Admitting her spirit was injured had freed a tiny piece of dirt from her heart as though the mountain breeze had blown it away.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great!

Blog Stops

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 8

Texas Book-aholic, February 9

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 14

Blogging With Carol, February 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 16

For him and My Family, February 19

Stories By Gina, February 18 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, February 18

Simple Harvest Reads, February 19 (Author Interview)

Betti Mace, February 20

Book Looks by Lisa, February 20

Lily’s Corner, February 21

Giveaway

To celebrate he tour, Gail is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54150

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

Protecting You by Robin Patchen Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Protecting You

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: February 4, 2025

In a high-stakes game of deception, two rivals must work together to bring down a ruthless terrorist.

After Alyssa’s dream of working in US intelligence is thwarted, she leaves her mundane profession to pursue a career as a cyber investigator. Though she aces every case she gets, securing enough customers to pay her rent proves challenging. When a lucrative commission comes along, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot. But this client isn’t the British entrepreneur he claims to be. And then her old nemesis interrupts their meeting with a startling move.

NSA agent Gideon Todd is floundering in his new role as a single father to a surprise daughter, but he still has a job to do. He follows a tip about a terrorist, only to be shocked when he finds his old college adversary dining with the notorious killer. Maybe there was a better way to step in than by posing as Alyssa’s fiancé, but it was the best excuse he could come up with to insert himself into their meeting.

Gideon once stole the job Alyssa coveted, and now the last thing she wants is his help. But when he explains who her client really is, she realizes she’s in way over her head. Dariush Ghazi knew exactly what he was doing when he targeted her. She’s trapped. She must go along with a dangerous scheme, pretending to help him while working with Gideon…or end up dead.

In their quest to dismantle Dariush’s network of evil, Gideon and Alyssa risk sacrificing each other—and everything they hold dear.

Prepare to dive into this gripping tale of enemies turned allies, a fake engagement, and a deadly conspiracy.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Robin Patchenis 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 Coventry Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. Working in marketing, 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 homeschooling 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.

More from Robin

Picture this:

You’re a cyber investigator, sitting across from a client in a Boston restaurant. It’s the first time you’ve ever met the man in person, but you’ve worked for him before. In person, he isn’t like you’d imagined he would be.

His arrogance doesn’t impress you, and he’s giving off a slightly creepy vibe, but he’s polite enough when he hires you to locate somebody for him.

It should be a simple job, right up your alley. He hands over a check, and you glance at the number. All those zeroes. This one job will keep your new business out of the red for months.

You slide the check into your purse and shake your client’s hand, still reveling in the knowledge that your business isn’t going under, not this month.

And then you hear a call from across the room. “Darling!”

You know the endearment can’t be directed at you. You’re nobody’s darling.

Still, you glance toward the too-loud patron and realize it’s Gideon, your fiercest rival.

You haven’t seen him in years, and even back when you were in college together, you’d barely been more than acquaintances.

When he was offered the CIA job you coveted, your thoughts turned altogether uncharitable toward the man who’d bested you one too many times.

Gideon must be mistaking you for someone else.

But he locks eyes with you. Wearing a wide smile, he reaches your table, leans close, and presses his lips to yours.

The kiss lights a fire that warms you to your toes. You ignore the reaction, though it takes considerable effort.

What in the world is he doing?

His whisper is so low that you barely hear him. “Trust me. Go with it.”

Trust him? 

How are you supposed to trust him when you have no idea what he’s doing? Or why?

Before you can come up with a suitable response—and really, what are you supposed to say?—he stands and thrusts out his hand to your client, introducing himself as…

Your fiancé.

And then things really get interesting.

This is the scene that presented itself to me before I knew anything about Protecting You. After I wrote the first chapter, and with the help of wonderful brainstorming partners, I fleshed out the idea, turning it into a full-length novel.

This story features a single father who’s trying to figure out how to fill that role, a beautiful cyber-investigator, and a familiar enemy working to exploit the heroine and her entire family.

I’m so excited about this one. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

(And don’t worry. It’s not written in second person. Wouldn’t that be annoying for 300 pages?)

My Impressions

“What can we do?” “Just keep praying. There’s nothing more important than that.”

This line may not sum up the whole of Protecting You, Book 5 of the Wright Heroes of Maine by Robin Patchen, but it is certainly my favorite line. Being a very intense romantic suspense, involving a terrorist, the CIA, and the FBI, this novel contains constant action and tension. Heart-in-your-throat tension. Yet, when the male main character, Callan aka Caleb, comes to his senses, he realizes as we all should, that prayer is not sitting idly by, twiddling our thumbs. It is storming the gates of Heaven for the answers we need and only God Himself, though He may use humans, can provide. 

To be fair, this story can be read by itself and enjoyed, but it is so much more beautiful read in the sequence of the series. We see characters we feel like we already know and love, and we quickly recall their backstories as the action ramps up in this one. I was pleased to have this book answer questions that had been previously raised about two of the Wright family members. I also noted that by involving cousins, Patchen is able to stretch out her series in a good way. I mean, how many siblings can there be in one family?! 

Patchen nearly had me calling my cardiac doctor as I was reading. The suspense was unbearable. I would not even pretend that I knew what was going to happen next. I was along for a very fast, very dangerous ride!!

I can’t relate to being a computer genius like Alyssa or an ex-FBI agent like Callan, but I can relate to loving a young child, wanting to see children protected, feeling like I need to be in control, or like I need to prove myself to someone. This novel really brings out strong emotions. I loved seeing Alyssa, Callan, and Gavin navigate handling their emotions while fighting for the safety of those they love. 

I also love seeing the Wrights as family “circle up the wagons” to protect one of their own. 

I highly recommend Protecting You as part of the Wright Heroes of Maine series by Robin Patchen. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“Go look in the mirror in there”—he waved toward the bathroom—“and tell the man looking back at you the truth. That you’re not in control, and you’re not supposed to be.”

”Trauma, like bacteria, thrived in darkness. It reproduced and spread, infecting everything it touched. The only cure for trauma was bringing it to the light.”

“But her God wasn’t a God of logic. Or more to the point, He transcended logic.”

“A million seemingly small decisions, many wrong decisions, had led her right here.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! I was on pins and needles throughout the whole book!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 5

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 5

Book Looks by Lisa, February 6

For Him and My Family, February 7

Pens Pages & Pulses, February 7

An Author’s Take, February 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 9

Texas Book-aholic, February 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 11

Holly’s Book Corner, February 11

Betti Mace, February 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 14

Pause for Tales, February 14

Blogging With Carol, February 15

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 16

Stories By Gina, February 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, February 17

Blossoms and Blessings, February 18

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize of a $100 Amazon gift card AND a box of goodies including a print copy of Running to You, a Welcome to Nutfield coffee mug, and a few surprise goodies!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54148

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

The Maestro’s Missing Melody by Amy Walsh Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book:The Maestro’s Missing Melody

Author: Amy Walsh

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release date: September 13, 2024

She was thrilled to apprentice with her fiddler hero—until she got to know him. He regretted his decision to play teacher to college kids—until he got to know her.

For aspiring musician and college student McKay Moonlight, winning a summer internship with Scottish master fiddler Huntley Milne was a dream come true. When a last-minute change moved the internship program from the Scottish Highlands of her ancestors to a village she’d never heard of along the River Deben, McKay was determined to make the best of it. However, she didn’t expect to make such a terrible first impression on her summer mentor.

Hosting a bunch of college students was the last thing Maestro Huntley Milne needed. He was already up to his ears in problems, with Aunt BeeBee being placed in a care home, resulting in him having emergency custody of his tween nephew and niece. Then he met McKay Moonlight, and the chaos really began.

The Maestro’s Missing Melody is a charming story featuring endearingly eccentric characters, a treasure hunt caper through the nooks and crannies of a mansion, and genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Sunshine and thunderclouds attract in this delightful age-gap Christian romantic comedy from Amy Walsh.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Amy Walsh is a 5th-grade teacher who loves teaching children about what she loves to do herself: reading and writing. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially hiking and camping. Amy also appreciates opportunities to share her faith through singing, teaching, and writing for her church family. Amy and her husband, Patrick, have three children: Bree, Spencer, Liz, and a son-in-law, Kyle. Amy and her family love to spend time together celebrating special occasions, listening to great music, swimming and kayaking, and having occasional ping pong tournaments.

More from Amy

The Maestro’s Missing Melody Cast of Characters

Maestro Huntley Milne regrets committing to host a group of college students, especially when Aunt BeeBee ends up in a care home, forcing him to move into the Milne Monstrosity on Sycamore Street which is about two hours northeast of London. Aunt BeeBee is nagging him to locate the missing Milne stave book, Dory and David are fretting about being put back into foster care, and even his aunt’s cats are high maintenance. Then he meets McKay Moonlight…

McKay Moonlight was thrilled when she won the musical apprenticeship at Maestro Huntley Milne’s Highlands Music Center.  After all, she had a little crush on him for years after seeing him play at the Rocky Mountain Fiddler Championships. When the apprenticeship is relocated to a tiny town near the Deben River, rather than the Highlands of her ancestors, she takes it in stride. Who would think her traveling mishaps would cause her to be late and forget something very important – ruining her chance to make a good first impression on her summer mentor.

The Milne Monstrosity was built by a wealthy plantation owner, who brought his family to England just prior to the American Civil War.  This mansion is a hodgepodge of turrets, towers, secret passages, and gables – – and does not fit in with the other homes on Sycamore Street AT ALL. Beatrice Milne has filled the mansion with many colorful and eccentric collections. Other unique features of the Milne property are a tiny guest house which is the exact replica of the Monstrosity, and a stone amphitheater decorated with musical gargoyles within view of the River Deben.

Dory and David are tween twins who went from foster home to foster home until they were finally adopted by Mama Bee. Dory enjoys riding her bike around her village, learning to play the flute, reading great books – – and finally having a family, even if her adopted mother is much older and let’s say “different” from other parents. David plays the guitar very well, but his real passion is for building gadgets. The twins were content living in the Milne Monstrosity in Eden Cove with Mama Bee encouraging them to explore their interests and grow their talents. But now, Mama Bee is in a care home and they are stuck with grumpy Uncle Huntley until Mama Bee comes home. That’s IF she ever comes home.

Beatrice Milne, aka Aunt Bee Bee or Mama Bee, always had her fingers in so many pies, and those pies were always so splendid, that she seems larger than life to the people of Eden Cove.  Now she is a patient of Balmy Bay Residences, the care home she helped refurbish as one of her projects.  What’s with her change in personality – and her obsession with Huntley needing to search for the missing Milne stave book?

Arabella and Gerard are Aunt Bee Bee’s ginormous cats who have a love/hate relationship with the Maestro.  Who knows, maybe they can help with the treasure hunt for the missing stave book…

My Impressions

“God never abandons His people –even when their faith has dwindled to nothing, and when they’ve lost all hope.”

The neat thing about this series of books, Our House on Sycamore Street, is that each book is by a different author, involving varying genres and time periods. All stories take place in the same little town, all on the same street on an English island. Amy Walsh’s contribution, The Maestro’s Missing Melody, bk 6, is a fun contemporary rom-com. McKay Moonlight is a star-struck intern who has won a spot as a summer student in a small group being mentored by Scottish maestro Huntley Milne. 

When family circumstances change the plans for the summer itinerary, Maestro Milne regrets his promise to hosts the college students and especially seems to dislike McKay. How God uses what the Maestro sees as major inconveniences in his life to bring about change and a reckoning about life’s meaning is a wonderful thing to see. 

However, God usually uses hard things to bring growth and the Maestro rails against God for past life events as well as current difficulties. Can McKay’s faith and optimism along with that of quirky Aunt BeeBee and twins David and Dory breathe life back into Huntley’s dead soul?

I really connected with the lost, lonely, and afraid characters in this novel. Such deep hurts and fears to carry around! And yet, so much of the suffering seems chosen or at least magnified beyond the original pain, if that is possible . But that is how it is when we either don’t seek God’s guidance in our plans or actively refuse His help. 

I would have liked to discuss this book with a book club. Some characters’ actions had me scratching my head. (“Can a person really do that?” I wondered, many times. )

I was pleased to find some final storyline tie-ups, but it involved an epilogue and an “after epilogue epilogue”, plus a bonus scene on the author’s website. I would prefer all action wrapped up within the book. Just my two cents’. 

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

Notable Quotable:

“That God cares and provides. That God listens and whispers. That when we are alone in the wilderness, it’s there that God teaches, strengthens, and emboldens us.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! It would be interesting to see what the twins are up to in 10 years!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 25

Stories By Gina, January 26 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, January 26

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 28

Texas Book-aholic, January 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 31

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 2

Blogging With Carol, February 3

For Him and My Family, February 4

Fiction Book Lover, February 5 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, February 5

Holly’s Book Corner, February 6

Pause for Tales, February 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Amy is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54141

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

When the Avalanche Roared by Lauralee Bliss Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: When the Avalanche Roared (A Day to Remember Book Five)

Author: Lauralee Bliss

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release date: January, 2025

The Day Hope Seemed Swept Away

Enjoy a series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.

Lillian Hartwick has been in the small railroad town of Wellington, Washington, caring for her cousin and assisting the postmaster when February snows bring all train traffic to a halt. Slow-witted but kind Griffin Jones, who works odd jobs for the railway while enduring taunts from other workers, has tried his best to gain Lillian’s interest, but she is engaged and waiting her fiancé’s arrival from California. Predawn thunderstorms on Tuesday, March 1, 1910, trigger a devasting avalanche, sweeping two trains down Stevens Pass. Lillian and Griffin work together to help survivors, including Griffin’s tormentors. In the midst of the catastrophe their feelings for each other grow. But is it enough when Lillian’s fiancé finally arrives in the spring, ready to claim her as his own?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lauralee Blisshas always liked to dream big dreams. Part of that dream was writing, and after several years of hard work, her dream of publishing was realized in 1997 with the publication of her first romance novel, Mountaintop, through Barbour Publishing. Since then, she’s had twenty books published, both historical and contemporary. Lauralee is also an avid hiker, completing the entire length of the Appalachian Trail both north and south. Lauralee makes her home in Virginia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family.

More from Lauralee

Pure Joy

Lauralee Bliss, Author of “When the Avalanche Roared”

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…  James 1:2 NIV

How does one equate a scripture like this with the death and destruction inherent in natural disasters? It seems an oxymoron to expect joy when faced with twisted metal and broken lives, such as in the deadliest avalanche in American history depicted in When the Avalanche Roared. Even now I think of the natural disaster of the hurricane that just recently destroyed mountain communities in western North Carolina, with homes and lives swept away in an avalanche of water and mud. So it was back in March, 1910 when a mile wide bank of snow detached from Windy Top in the northern Cascades of Washington State, slamming into three parked trains near Wellington, sending cars and sleeping passengers tumbling into the ravine. Over ninety lives were lost.

This could be considered a trial of supreme magnitude. Yet scripture commands we consider joy in the midst of it. The word joy evokes smiles and laughter, peace and satisfaction. It brings to mind Jesus resting in the boat in the midst of a raging storm, tossed about on high waves while the disciples huddle together in abject fear. After He calms the seas He asks them, “Where is your faith?” It demands the human mind look away from apparent destruction to something higher. To look beyond what one sees to the unseen. To trust God even when nothing appears trustworthy.

When the Avalanche Roared delves into the flames that spark, not from smoldering locomotives in a ravine, but within a small rail town that banded together in the wee hours of a frigid morning to rescue others. The destruction is evident. But the grit and determination of those who dug out people from heavy snow solidified by rain and cared for the suffering while their town remained isolated from the world speaks of a picture far greater than the picture of destruction. So it is today with communities swallowed by mud and trees and splintered fragments of homes as reminders of a destructive hurricane. Beyond the visual are the outpouring of help and compassion and holding the hands of those weakened by disaster in gestures of hope and resolve. And in this, a new birth of joy is realized.

God created us to find joy in struggle, to develop perseverance to achieve a goal despite what is thrown our way, to realize that when we do, we truly lack nothing. And therein we find lasting peace even in the midst of catastrophe.

Strangers unite to help the hurting.

A friend flew from Florida to North Carolina and arranged with this store owner for a free truckload of water for communities devastated by the hurricane.

My Impressions

“While tragedy appeared to tear lives apart, it also had a way of knitting people together for God’s great purpose.”

What an amazing series Barbour has produced with this series, A Day to Remember!  Each book recounts a little-known tragedy in North American history. Though related by theme, each novel  is a standalone. Lauralee Bliss pens the latest, exciting release, When the Avalanche Roared. 

I am pleased to say I didn’t cry as I read this book. But I’m pretty sure my heart did. My heart broke for the “gentle giant” of a man, Griffin Jones, a Wellington, WA   rail worker in 1910. Unable to read, possibly mentally slow (I couldn’t decide on this one), his fellow workers play pranks and denigrate him at every opportunity. Life in the Cascade Mountains is brutal, but Griffin’s coworkers make it nearly unbearable! Yet, Griffin, because of his faith, is kind, seeking to help others whenever he can, and resists retaliation against his enemies. What if it could be said of all of us Christians as it is to Griffin: “You showed me a God who wasn’t some steeple or pages in a book but a living Person who cared.”

Lillian Hartwick travels to the small railroad town of Wellington to help her cousin Elizabeth, who is expecting. When Lillian becomes depressed by the difference between her home city and this hamlet, Griffin takes it upon himself to suggest Lillian help in the mailroom. Lillian learns to love the Wellington people, but how will her rich fiancé (who has been away) feel about the town and her growing friendship with Griffin? Will he understand the town’s desperate needs following the tragedy?

Besides Griffin, I loved the characters of Sarah Covington and Mrs. Bailets. Sarah Covington does not give in to the peer pressure of those around her and succumb to panic, but rather quotes and truly believes verses like Isaiah 40:31-“They that wait on the Lord renew their strength and will mount up with wings like eagles.” Mrs. Bailets seems to be present wherever and whenever there is a need. 

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

Notable Quotables: 

‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ When you got Him leading you, you don’t need nothing else.”– Griffin’s mom 

“His understanding is a picture much bigger than ours. And we can leave our hurting questions with Him.”

“You can’t pretend before the Lord. He knows your heart, everything about you.”

“Give this to God… He can carry it.”

“He couldn’t give her hope, though with God there was always hope.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! The emotions evoked by this story are sure to make it memorable for quite a time to come!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 30

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 30

Stories By Gina, January 31 (Author Interview)

Pens Pages & Pulses, January 31

Texas Book-aholic, February 1

Blossoms and Blessings, February 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 2

Simple Harvest Reads, February 3 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 4

Connie’s history classroom, February 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 5

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 6

Betti Mace, February 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 8

Cover Lover Book Review, February 9

Holly’s Book Corner, February 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 10

For Him and My Family, February 11

Pause for Tales, February 12

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lauralee is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon eGift Card and a print copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54145

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Maggie’s Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Maggie’s Journey

Author: Lena Nelson Dooley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: January 7, 2025

A secret adoption, a quest for identity, and a love that could change her life forever.

Margaret Lenora Caine has never fit the mold her mother set for her. When Maggie discovers proof she was adopted, the rift between them only tears deeper. Feeling the sting of betrayal, Maggie requests permission to visit her grandmother in Little Rock, Arkansas. There she’ll set her sights on her dream of becoming a successful dress designer and maybe find her true identity in the process. Her father’s one condition is that she must be travel with her young aunt and her father’s handsome business partner, Charles Stanton—the man who once held her affections.

Charles Stanton, a thriving businessman, has taken a calculated risk by joining forces with Maggie’s father in a joint venture. When asked to chaperone his new partner’s sister-in-law and daughter on a cross-country trip, Charles sees it as an opportunity to strengthen their business ties. Though he initially sets his sights on Maggie’s charming and composed aunt as a potential wife, Charles soon finds himself increasingly captivated by Maggie’s resilience and charm.

With each passing mile, the bond between Maggie and Charles deepens, challenging both Maggie’s plans and her heart. Will the love growing between them help her embrace her identity—or complicate her search for what truly matters in life?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Multi-published, award-winning author Lena Nelson Dooley has had more than 1,000,000 copies of her 50+ books sold. Her books have appeared on the CBA, Publisher’s Weekly, and ECPA bestseller lists, as well as Amazon bestseller lists. She is a member of American Christian Fiction and the local chapter, ACFW – DFW. She’s a member of Christian Authors’ Network. She likes to create characters and stories that grip her readers hearts.

Book Excerpt

“Mrs. Caine.” Angus McKenna came to an abrupt stop and cleared his throat before starting again. “I’ve come to ask you something that . . . I never dreamed I’d . . . ever ask anyone.” His voice rasped, and he stopped to take a gulp of air, staring off into the distance.

She couldn’t take her eyes from him, even when the baby in her arms squirmed. “How can we help you?”

New tears followed the trails down his cheeks and disappeared into his beard. He grabbed a bandanna from his back pocket and blew his nose with one hand. “I’ve just lost the most important thing in my life.” He paused and stared at the ground. “I don’t know how I can go on without her.” His voice cracked on the last word. Once again he paused, but much longer this time. His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed several times. “I’ve been crying out to God, but I don’t think He’s listening to me right now. If He were . . . ”

What a thing for a man to admit to them. Florence knew he must be near a breakdown. He did need help, but what could they do?

“I’ve decided . . . it would be best to find another family to raise one of my girls.” He stood straighter. “I’ve watched you with Margaret Lenora . . . ”

“Is that what you’ve named her?” Florence gazed at the sleeping baby, and her heart ached for the child. To grow up without a mother.

“Yes.” Angus looked straight at Joshua, and her husband gave a slow nod.

“Your husband has told me . . . how much you’ve wanted a child.”

For a moment, anger flared in her chest. Joshua shouldn’t share her secret with anyone. She took a deep breath to keep from saying something she’d regret. Even though she didn’t even look at her husband, she could feel his gaze deep inside. She was grateful he couldn’t see the ugly jealousy and covetousness that resided there.

My Impressions

“Part of her was missing, but she didn’t know what part it was.”

Do you skip prologues? In some cases, they are very much an essential part of the book, not just an excerpt taken from deeper on in the book. If you skip the prologue to Maggie’s Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley, you’ve just missed some vital information, plus a glimpse of life on the Oregon Trail. 

When we meet Maggie Caine, she is turning eighteen, and very much frustrated with her life. Maggie has great clothing designing abilities and hopes to follow in the steps of her maternal grandmother, who is a famous designer in Arkansas. However, Maggie’s social- climbing and uptight mother wants Maggie to have nothing to do with working a common job when she could be a socialite. When the friction between the two reaches a climax, it is decided Maggie will visit her grandmother accompanied by her youngish aunt and her childhood friend, Charles Stanton. 

Boy, could I ever identify with Maggie’s wish to be her own person! Discovering a well-kept family secret, Maggie begins doubting her parents’ love and care. And she is afraid her inner lack will make her appear lacking to the world. “Something deep inside her was missing, a piece of her heart, maybe a piece of her soul…could she ever find it again? Maybe if she could, she’d feel whole, a complete human being. Accepted for who she really was, with no one trying to change her into something else.”

Maggie’s mother struggles with feelings and thoughts from her past that influence who she has become. When she takes an honest look at herself, even she is repulsed. I love Joshua’s response:

“My love for you isn’t conditional, Flory. You don’t have to earn my love. It’s a gift. Just as God’s love doesn’t come with strings attached.”

A few parts of the story were not as obvious to me as I believe they are meant to be. This could be just my interpretation. 

I certainly did like how loyal and or loving Maggie’s father is to all the people in his life. He reminded me of my own father! The character of Charles took a little longer to grow on me. 

Family secrets, tensions, the Old West (steam engine time), and romance, plus themes of adoption, old friends-to-more, and reconciliation, all combine to make this a good read. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“You are who God created you to be. The Bible says He knew each of us when we were in our mother’s wombs. He knit us together there. You were special to Him when He created you, and you’re special to Him right now.”

“I want to be me, not someone you’re creating.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great! I am anxious to read the sequels!

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, January 23

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 24

Artistic Nobody, January 25 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 25

Texas Book-aholic, January 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 28

Devoted To Hope, January 29

Guild Master, January 30 (Author Interview)

Sylvan Musings, January 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 31

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 1

Simple Harvest Reads, February 2 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, February 3

Holly’s Book Corner, February 4

Pause for Tales, February 5

Giveaway

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54139

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Tracy by Jennifer Lynn Cary Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Tracy: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Masterpiece (Book 6 of the Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series. It can be read as a stand-alone.)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet, Wholesome Romance (Retro)

Release date: October, 2024

Her heart can’t take more breakage…

…He’s been wounded enough 

Yet they’re becoming best friends without ever having met.

Tracy Callahan has learned that relationships aren’t for her. The struggling glass artist puts up barriers to keep romantic entanglements from causing more pain. However, her feelings are growing for her roommate’s brother, despite having never seen him in person.

How can just his voice on the phone hold that much attraction?

Danny Mitchell left a large part of himself in Viet Nam and is learning how to navigate life back here in the states. It’s better to just avoid the public. As long as he doesn’t have to see anyone in person, he can pretend he’s his old self, and the caller on the other end of the phone won’t know the difference.

But Tracy is breaking through, resurrecting feelings he thought were dead and gone.

They might find a way to make a telephone relationship work. Unless meddling loved ones get involved.

When that happens, can Tracy and Danny’s friendship survive meeting face-to-face?

Or could there be something more than friendship in store for them? Maybe a God-designed masterpiece built from their broken parts?

Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana where the legend of the cardinal in the sycamore can still prove true love.

You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of hidden worth, because sometimes what we need is right in front of us.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girlstrilogy as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

More from Jennifer

Have you ever met characters in a story that stayed with you, even when they weren’t the main characters? That’s what happened to me after I wrote Runaround Sue. Sue’s brother and her roommate seemed to hit it off so well, and I loved those characters.

It only made sense to give Tracy and Danny their own story.

However, I will confess that I had planned to make a character named Tracy because of the song, “Tracy” by the Cufflinks. It’s such a happy, bouncy tune and I thought that fit Sue’s roommate.

I do need to add that I relied on a childhood friend for some Danny’s antics. At one point I was told that something he did wasn’t possible. The problem was, I knew it was because my friend, Maureen McKay did that very thing. Maureen had a personality like Tracy’s and determination like Danny’s.

A few years ago I was back in Kokomo for a special wedding anniversary party. I noticed a guy sitting at a table and went to talk with him. At that time, I was combing faces for someone I’d known back when I went to school there. He had that look, but as we talked, it was obvious we didn’t know each other.

A little later I told my cousin about that, and she said that he was ahead of us in school, but he had a younger sister who would’ve been about my age. I knew immediately why he’d looked familiar. He was Maureen’s big brother.

I searched him and his mother out quickly and let them know I remembered Maureen. I mentioned a few of our escapades. Then I told them that my husband and I had lost a son, and that the kindest thing anyone could say was that they remembered our Ian. So, for that reason, I wanted them to know I remember Maureen.

And that’s why Tracy is dedicated to the memory of my friend Maureen McKay.

My Impressions

“I know if I keep looking back, all I’ll see is regret for the loss. But if I focus on what’s ahead, I’ll find purpose.”

I must admit, I read Tracy by Jennifer Lynn Cary for all the references I hoped to find to the 70s, but it is the fear, the love, and the faith lessons of the novel that will stick with me.

I did have a swell time as I found each 70s allusion, whether a reference to the cost of a long-distance phone call, a transistor radio, the Carpenters on the radio, and the shag rug that would need raking!! How fun to revisit the past!

Well, some of it. I was not old enough to have friends being drafted, but the dread of the draft and war themselves, the metal POW bracelets even girls my age wore, the memories of hearing of war protestors in the cities… all come back clearly with Cary’s book.  Once again, I recall the adult talk and growing into adulthood to witness the abominable treatment of our young men we sent over to serve to keep us free, then the rejection when they returned maimed in body or mind, or turned to drugs or alcohol to deal with the terrors caused by Nam. 

It’s this world that Danny inhabits. Having returned injured from the war, he feels less than complete. He does understand and believe God has him still here for a purpose. “And I realized something. If I was still here, my mission wasn’t complete. I’m here for a purpose. And until I finish it, God’s going to keep me here.” So he starts a group for other vets. And he’s not afraid to enter a relationship with Tracy by phone, because she can’t see how his disability makes him inferior ( in his eyes). But a physical meeting is out of the question!

Tracy, a glass artist, has always come up second-best in life. So, no more relationships for her. When her roommate and her fiancé force a meeting between Tracy and Danny, Tracy and Danny are furious and on edge. Can they get past their fears and insecurities to trust God and each other? There are some real bumps along the way! 

I highly recommend Tracy both for a trip to the past and a lesson for the future in how we treat our servicemen and how we can trust God to overcome our fears. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“How I feel and what is true can be two different things.”“So what, or Who are you gonna believe, dude? Feelings that lie to you, or the One who gave his life for you?”

“Between honesty and hope, there seemed to be an ever-widening gap.”

“Since when are you worthless? Look, dude, you are the same person on the inside. You’re just missing some outside parts. That has impact, yes, on who you are, but how it affects is totally up to you.”

“There are different terrors. The only thing that’s the same is how inhuman a human can become. The methods are always changing while evil tries to improve on itself.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 21

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 22

Texas Book-aholic, January 23

Vicky Sluiter, January 24 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, January 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 25

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 26 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 27

Simple Harvest Reads, January 28 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 29

For the Love of Literature, January 30 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 31

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 1 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, February 2

Blossoms and Blessings, February 3 (Author Interview)

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54137