Sunday, November 17, 2024

About the Book

Book: Lethal Kings (The Fae Dynasty Book Two)

Author: Victoria McCombs

Genre: YA Fae Fantasy

Release date: November 12, 2024

You’ve been warned many times, you cannot trust the kings . . . The old queen is dead, a new queen is in play, and the realm has descended into darkness. For the first time in history, a queen has rejected the game. Eliza will start her reign with no alliances while Althea must fight to save her tenuous bond with the king who cannot love. Her relationship threatens to break, but Althea’s attention becomes divided after receiving a few harrowing clues connecting her past and the game at hand.

Before she can find answers, a mysterious fae appears promising the power of the seventh king to whoever can solve a series of riddles, leaving the fae realm in shambles as they race to come out on top. Althea has one year left. New alliances are forged. Old stories come to life. She must make her move, or the fate of the queens will consume her.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Victoria McCombs is the author of The Storyteller Series, The Royal Rose Chronicles, and The Fae Dynasty duology, with hopefully many more to come. She survives on hazelnut coffee, 20-minute naps, and a healthy fear of her deadlines, all while raising four wildlings with her husband in Omaha, Nebraska.

More from Victoria

This book came differently to me than my other ones.

It was less plot and structure, and more—what kind of book do I want to write?

I wanted riddles for them to solve, which created the Gamemaster character. I wanted a healthy family aspect, which began the process of repairing the relationships I’d burned in book one. And I wanted a character who knew exactly what she wanted and never waivered from that. Other scenes came from these wishes, like the chess game where the players are the chess pieces, and the War of Hearts played in the labyrinth.

Together, I think it blended nicely, and I can’t wait for readers to get ahold of it!

MY REVIEW

The opening pages drew me in with darkness surrounding the kingdom that Althea and Eliza have come to. Will they accept Eliza as their new queen? Tensions are felt as they enter the kingdom with uncertainty. Eliza wants to go home but Althea must ask her to wait. Power is the upmost thing to have and without it they are doomed.

The author takes on an incredible journey with vivid descriptions and action that seems to be nonstop. Emotions are high as twists change things in an instant. I enjoyed the story and would highly recommend reading the others in this series in order. The characters are fun to follow and I liked how one particular character showed how strong they are emotionally. With a quest that needs to happen this story gives readers a great fantasy story.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Inspired by Fiction, November 16

The Lofty Pages, November 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 17

Texas Book-aholic, November 18

Inklingsandnotions , November 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 20

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 21

Book Looks by Lisa, November 21

Wishful Endings, November 22

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 23

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, November 24

Blogging With Carol, November 25

Simple Harvest Reads, November 26 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, November 27

Fiction Book Lover, November 28 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, November 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Victoria is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a hardback 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/00adcf5499

Saturday, November 16, 2024

About the Book

Book: Pure Joy: 90 Devotions on the Book of James

Author: Anita Higman

Genre: Christian Devotional Book

Release date: February 27, 2024

Pure Joy is a profound 90-day devotional that delves into finding joy through suffering amidst life’s challenges. In the Book of James, we’re challenged to embrace our trials with “pure joy,” understanding that they lead us to a point of lacking nothing. But how can we truly embody this spirit of joy in the midst of adversity? This daily devotional takes you on a transformative journey through James’ enigmatic teachings, encouraging you to discover the profound change that occurs when we accept Christ’s power in our anguish, confusion, discontent, and hardship.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Anita Higman—an award-winning and bestselling author from Texas—has authored or coauthored fifty-plus books, and she has a BA in the combined fields of speech communication, psychology, and art. A few of Anita’s favorite things are fairytale castles, antiquing, exotic teas, gardening, and laughing with her family and friends! Her latest book, Pure Joy, is a collection of devotions inspired from the Book of James in the Bible.

More from Anita

Life is broken. We keep trying and trying—and trying—to make something worthwhile out of life, but no matter what we do on our own, it’s still a hopelessly shattered mess. When we allow Christ to love His way into our lives, we discover this miraculous thing called grace. He can take what is fractured by sin and refashion it into a magnificent work of art. And He gives us a new lightness of heart and a livelier step. Best of all, paradise has been regained! Yes, that is us—when we journey humbly with Him.

It has been said that some of James’ inspired writings have similarities to the Book of Proverbs. So, I am hopeful you will also enjoy—Pausing for Proverbs—the little inset devotions, which are enfolded into this work.

May these ninety devotions and your journey with James flood your life with hope, ripen your faith, and transform you into a woman who knows how to dance in God’s light and His wonderful ways of joy…

MY REVIEW

Beautifully crafted and easy to read, this devotional was a pleasure to read. Each chapter is a different topic with scripture and personal stories or those from the Bible. I liked the chapter on joy because it clearly defined the term with a scripture. We all go through trials but of course we aren’t thrilled with it. We grow stronger from those trials and it gives us a way to share with others. When we talk with someone about their struggles we can relate to them if we have overcome what they are facing now.

Based on the book of James each chapter gives us hope, joy and encouragement. In between some of the chapters we find “Pausing for Proverbs.” This was refreshing to read and reminds us “be among the wise, and acknowledge flow from us like spring water.” This would make a wonderful gift for someone. Grab an extra copy to bless someone with this nice devotional to help them find joy.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Godly Book Reviews, November 8

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 8

Inspired by Fiction, November 9

Because I said so – adventures in parenting, November 9

Sylvan Reads, November 10

Faith, Fiction, & Fairytales, November 11

Labor Not in Vain, November 11

She Lives To Read, November 12

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 12

Girls in White Dresses, November 13

Its Mama Safe, November 14

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 15

Older & Smarter?, November 16

Texas Book-aholic, November 17

Mary Hake, November 17

Lights in a Dark World, November 18

Leslie’s Library Escape, November 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 19

All-of-a-kind Mom, November 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 20

Lots of Helpers, November 20

Cover Lover Book Review, November 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Anita is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and two copies 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/00adcf5490

Thursday, November 14, 2024

About the Book

Book: Francine’s Foibles

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: September 12, 2023

She’s given up hope. He never had any. Will they find it together?

World War II is finally over, and America is extra grateful as the country approaches this year’s Thanksgiving. But for Francine life hasn’t changed. Despite working at Fort Meade processing the paperwork for the thousands of men who have returned home, she’s still lonely and very single. Is she destined for spinsterhood?

Grateful that his parents anglicized the family surname after emigrating to the United States after the Great War, first-generation German-American Ray Fisher has done all he can to hide his heritage. He managed to make it through this second “war to end all wars,” but what American woman would want to marry into a German family? Must he leave the country to find wedded bliss?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

Francine O’Malley is a secondary character in Estelle’s Endeavor, and I decided she deserved her own book. The idea for Francine’s Foibles sprang from the stories my mom told me about her time working at Fort Meade processing discharge paperwork for returning servicemen. Because my grandparents lived in a small town near the base, I’d driven past countless times, but it was fun to research what it was like during World War 2 and the years immediately following. The Laurel Historical Society was a wonderful resource with lots of information and photos from “back in the day.”

Initially opened in 1917 and called Camp Annapolis Junction, the base is located in Maryland about twenty miles southwest of Baltimore and twenty miles east of Laurel. The name quickly changed to Camp Meade but in 1928 was redesignated Fort Leonard Wood. According to www.home.army.mil, Pennsylvania congressmen were so angered at the removal of the name of their native son they held up appropriations until the army agreed to name the new permanent installation Fort George G. Meade, in honor of the Union general.

During World War 2, the base was used as a recruit training post and more than 3.5 million men past through its gates. A small portion of the facility was also used as a POW camp for Japanese, German, and Italian prisoners.

Mom was still single during her time at Fort Meade, and I loved imagining her as a wide-eyed young woman doing her part for the war effort and greeting handsome soldiers as they set foot back on American soil.

This one’s for you, Mom!

Linda Shenton Matchett

MY REVIEW

I have noticed that this time period has one thing that I have always been curious about. It seemed to be very important for young women to be married at a young age. If they were not, they were called a spinster and some looked at them in pity. There is also true for the 1800s as well. How times have changed. Today if you are not married at a certain age, no one looks at you differently. In some instances most wait till later in life to marry and have children. I find this to be very unique that the emphasis during some time periods were about women marrying young to be a status symbol for young women. Now let’s move on to the review.

I adored Francine and how dedicated she was in helping servicemen returning home. She wants to make their transition to be as easy as possible. She is good at her job but I think I would have been a little bored doing it everyday. Francine has this quality that makes others feel at ease even during difficult moments. She is not worried about being single but she does at times want a relationship like her friends have. When she meets Ray things begin to change in her life. Has she found that special someone?

Ray has returned home after being in the service to begin a new chapter in his life. I loved the encounter he had with Francine as he begins his transition. He seems to find comfort in her easy going attitude. One thing that they don’t share in common is faith. Ray is angry at God and can’t bring himself to feel anything but bitterness. As he and Francine start a friendship he realizes that faith is a huge part of her life. His harshness comes out at a moment where Francine ends up getting hurt. Can he repair the damage he has done?

The Fenneys are a sweet older couple that fills the pages with hope and faith. When Francine and Ray find themselves both helping the couple at their house, they both realize that time is short. As Ray explains to Francine, “ you can’t put things off. You might never get another chance.” It is time for them to express their true feelings. This part of the story fills my heart with joy. Being open with one another will hopefully open their hearts to forgiveness.

Francine starts to see that maybe she feels the same way as Ray, but moving forward can’t happen until “he gets right with the Lord.” Oh my do things turn bad when Ray once again lets his pride get the best of him. I see that what is really going on is he is running from God.

The story is a much needed reminder that we need to forgive others and not be bitter about things we have no control over. We also need to trust God with everything. Our main couple learn to let down the barrier’s they have put up to protect them but they also needed to let go of hurt. The ending is very sweet and I loved how the author shares faith in a beautiful story where two people find that God forgives and happiness can happen.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, November 14 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 15

Artistic Nobody, November 16 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 17

Guild Master, November 18 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 19

Fiction Book Lover, November 20 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 21

Back Porch Reads, November 22 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 23

Stories By Gina, November 24 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 24

Holly’s Book Corner, November 25

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 26 (Author Interview)

Leslie’s Library Escape, November 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Visa 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/00adcf5497

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

About the Book

Book: Suddenly Umemployed – 52 Personal Stories of Hope & Encouragement through Financial Crisis

Author: Rebecca Krusee

Genre: Christian Living – Non-Fiction

Release date: July 12, 2024

Losing your job, home, financial stability, dreams and possibly more can be heartbreaking, lonely and difficult. Immediately, you’re scrambling for answers to questions like “Why me? Where will we live? What’s next?”

Rebecca understands firsthand what it’s like to be stripped of her 15 year management career in Silicon Valley manufacturing when her company outsourced her four departments overseas and, as a result, lost her beloved home among other necessities.

Suddenly Unemployed shares her family of four’s true-to-life personal stories and biblical passages to encourage you through whatever storm you’re facing.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Rebecca Krusee‘s stories appear in Love is a Verb by Gary Chapman, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guideposts as well as other publishing. Rebecca lives in the majestic Santa Cruz Mountains of California where she enjoys spending quality time with her family, taking a leisurely drive along the Pacific Ocean and exploring her community.

More from Rebecca

I felt lead to write Suddenly Unemployed – 52 Personal Stories of Hope & Encourgagement through Financial Crisis describing our family’s experience with job loss and financial crisis. I know firsthand not having the concentration needed to read a novel while enduring a crisis. My focus was on the basics necessities of shelter, food and clothing. Hence, I wrote fifty two bite size stories that can be read one per week for a year and split the sixteen year jouney into three distinct sections of entering, navigating and exiting the crisis.

Although this time period was painful, my trust and faith in God along with personal character grew. These qualities helped navigate me through further trials such as a COVID world, California wildland fire, loss of parents, empty nest syndrome and more.

Some people hide their struggles from others. I chose to openly share our story with the hope it will encourage the readers as they read about God’s goodness woven throughout our book. Perhaps they will say to themselves, “If God carried the Krusees through the toughest storme of their lives, maybe He will carry me and my family too.”

MY REVIEW

This is a timely book that everyone should read. With rising cost of food, gas and essentials many feel the impact of how to survive. The author shares personal accounts of how her family went through job loss and found hope. God sees the battles we face and is there to help us. I enjoyed the stories and scripture at the end of each chapter.

The book is encouraging and illustrates how we should never give up. I like how the author and her husband were united in their faith and prayed as they faced difficulties. The stories share honest and vulnerable times where the situations seemed hopeless. I found that the book reminded me that we should pray for each other and reach out when we see a need.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, November 7 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 8

For the Love of Literature, November 9 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 9

An Author’s Take, November 10

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 11 (Author Interview)

Batya’s Bits, November 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

Blossoms and Blessings, November 13 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 14

Artistic Nobody, November 15 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 16

Stories By Gina, November 17 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 19

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 20 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rebecca is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and the winner’s choice of an eBook or 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/00adcf5489

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

About the Book

Book: Unfit to Serve

Author: Sandra Bretting

Genre: Inspirational Historical

Release date: August 16, 2024

When the United States military adopts a newfangled test from France called the “intelligence quotient test” during the first world war, no one expects the turmoil that follows. Thousands of immigrants fail it and are forced to return to homelands devastated by war, disease, and famine.

For Josephine Pembrooke, the shy schoolmarm at Camp Travis in Texas, the problem quickly becomes apparent. How can soldiers pass a test they can’t even read? So, Jo labors in secret to create a better test. Knowing all along it can’t save the one soldier she’d hoped to help.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sandra Bretting is the author of a bestselling cozy mystery series that ran for five years with Kensington Publishing, as well as three standalone mysteries and an inspirational memoir. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, she began her career writing for the Los Angeles Times, Orange Coast Magazine, and others. From 2006 until 2016, she wrote feature stories for the award-winning business section of the Houston Chronicle.

The second book in her mystery series earned the rank of Amazon Bestseller. Since making the switch to historical fiction, Bretting has garnered accolades for her first title, Unfit to Serve, which released in August 2024. The novel explores how the U.S. military brought the IQ test to America at the start of World War 1.

More from Sandra

Most people don’t know this, but the IQ test we’ve all heard about came to America during World War 1. French schoolteachers originally created it for their students more than a hundred years ago. Then the U.S. military found out about it, and the top brass thought they could use it to test recruits for their battle-readiness. There was only one problem: thousands of men failed it because they’d immigrated from overseas and couldn’t read the questions. They were loyal to the U.S., smart as whips, and physically capable, but they couldn’t pass a test they couldn’t read. In real life, it took the military a whole year to see the problem and come up with a better version for foreign recruits.

A whole year!

I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to those men who failed it, and how it affected their families. The recruits had come from countries devasted by famine, disease, and war, and they couldn’t go back. From there, the story evolved. I brought in a brave schoolteacher who sees the problem and struggles to fix it. Of course, being the early 1900s, women are supposed to be seen and not heard (like children) so she’s stonewalled at every turn. But she doesn’t stop. Josephine (Jo) knows that God cares about justice too, and she looks to Him for help when everything falls apart.

On a different level, I loved exploring the relationship between Jo and her stiff-lipped husband, Albigence. I purposefully moved this urban couple from a sophisticated university setting to a hot, dusty military base in San Antonio. There, they’re forced to rely on each other for the first time and fight for their marriage. It’s an unconventional love story, but a love story nonetheless.

In all my books, I strive to show how people can change for the better—or worse—depending on the situation, and that the best path forward is to trust God and His timing. He’s always perfect, even when we’re not. Thank goodness we can rely on Him!

MY REVIEW

I was very intrigued by this test that was called “intelligence quotient test.” It was started during World War I and brought to America. I have never heard about this test so I quickly set to read this story.

Josephine is introduced to army life by being at a women’s meeting where some silly presentation about embroidery knots is the agenda . I giggled as I saw her utter confusion of why this is what the women’s group found important. The Red Cross is in need of socks for the men overseas so why aren’t the women doing this project? Already you can see that Josephine is causing a little snafu in their plans. After all shouldn’t the focus be on helping the servicemen? I couldn’t wait to see how Josephine will fit in. Her husband will be in for a surprise when he returns to find his sweet wife has ruffled a few feathers.

Albigence is having his own issues with bullying going on. Even when he was younger he was made fun of. You would think grown men wouldn’t act this way. He takes his responsibility serious and wants to be well informed of the material he needs to know. Being put on the spot the instructor call Albigence to the front as a guinea pig. He must now take the test he will give to the soldiers when he returns to base. Underlining of this test is to weed out those who can’t pass or as some called, use”reverse psychology” on the hopeful soldiers.

The story takes a look at immigrants and how they were treated. Some thought a certain group were lazy while other were thought to be untidy. Josephine explains to her students that just because someone from a different background is different doesn’t mean the whole group is different. I liked how she explained that many came to America from boats where they didn’t have any way to bathe. But not everyone from that culture were dirty. A hard lesson for the children to grasp when their parents have said unkind things about immigrants in front of their own children.

What transpires next is a hope that those who come to America can receive help by giving them lessons on how to speak English. People are set up for failure if they don’t understand what is being said to them. Prejudice is running rampant and the test the men have to take are difficult if they do not understand English. I began to wonder how many men were turned away with nowhere to go. Did they lose hope?

Josephine tries to change how the test is given so immigrants have a fair chance of passing. I loved her heart that wanted everyone to be treated with dignity. She has this strength that could only come from God. As she is fighting for the rights of others her husband is fighting for the men who have fought in the war. Their battle scars can’t be seen yet they are deep. We know this illness as PTSD but during this time period it was called battle fatigue or shell-shock. It was hard to read about the treatments the men were given until Albigence comes to give them hope.

There is so much depth to this story and I could feel emotions spilling across the pages. This story will be something I will never forget. It is a realistic look at what men and women faced everyday as they served our country. I don’t want to ever forget the sacrifice that was made for our freedom.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.