The Number of Love Review & Giveaway

About the Book

The Toughest Puzzle She’ll Have to Solve

Might be the Wishes of Her Own Heart

Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, she discovers for the first time in her life that numbers aren’t enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy who just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the intelligent Margot, but soon the dangers of the war draw ever closer. Margot and Drake will have to work together to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Guest Post from Mindy Houng

“He’d chosen his words carefully, so that he’d remember his own intentions. He wasn’t waiting for her. He was waiting on her. That kind of waiting wasn’t impatient, didn’t sit there tapping its foot. That kind of waiting was service. Selfless. Unflagging.”

Roseanna White has yet again outdone herself. I don’t know how she does it, but her writing becomes more intense, more gripping, and more lyrical with each new book and series. I thoroughly enjoyed the Shadows Over England series and love that some of the beloved characters from that series have roles in this story between Margot and Drake. Of course, we met Margot in A Song Unheard (book 2 in Shadows Over England) as the quirky younger sister of the world-renowned violinist Lukas De Wilde but this book can be read as a stand-alone, without having read the previous series (but I highly recommend that you do read the series if you haven’t yet).

So knowing what a fantastic storyteller the author is, the wait for this book was agonizing….but so worth it. The deliciously fast-paced suspense, mystery, and secrecy of espionage in this book far surpass what I remember from the previous books. The fascinating and clever dialogue that is the author’s trademark is taken up a notch. Roseanna White has a way of creating unforgettable characters and she has indeed gone above and beyond in introducing Margot and Drake to the world. Margot thinks in numbers and relies on methodical calculations and logic to face the world of loss as WWI destroys everything she holds dear. She’s a very different kind of heroine with a unique voice that comes so clearly across the pages. Drake is an injured espionage agent who has survived on instinct and fearlessly takes on Margot’s intelligence to show her that emotions and feelings are not enemies but something to treasure. His devotion, maturity, and selflessness make him quite swoon-worthy. And there is a villain with a voice that sends chills up my spine whenever I think about him! And, of course, there is that gentle spiritual reminder in this book that “faith isn’t just feeling. We have to know He’s still there, unchanged, even when we can’t feel Him. When the grief’s too loud to let us hear His voice.”

Now I am in my agonizing waiting period again for the next book to be released so I can revel in Phillip and Arabelle’s story!

I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

More from Roseanna

When I told my best friend and critique partner what book I was pitching next to my publisher, her response was something along the lines of, “That sounds awesome. Also, you’re crazy, and I do not envy you writing that one.”

I laughed…and knew exactly what she meant. Because I was setting out to write a heroine who was a mathematician—which I am definitely not. A heroine who was utterly indifferent to love and marriage—which makes for a difficult story when one writes romance. A character who had an unshakeable faith—which has to be shaken at least a bit in order to make for growth throughout the story. And more, a character who has “issues,” let’s call it, that those familiar with such things will recognize…and which those who aren’t will probably think are quirks.

I was setting out to write a story that would be challenging for me, every step of the way. And the result is a book I’m incredibly in love with and so happy to share with the world.

The Number of Love is all about Margot, who thinks and even prays in numbers. Born and raised in Belgium, she and her family fled to England in 1914 when the Germans invaded her homeland. Thanks to her remarkable abilities with numbers and patterns, she’s now employed at Room 40, the Admiralty’s secret codebreaking branch. But as I was contemplating what sort of man could ever win Margot’s heart, I knew he had to be very different… someone active where she’s still. Someone outgoing where she turns inward. Someone who sees in her what she never can, and who believes she can grasp the dreams that society tells her are unbefitting a woman. This is how Drake was born—a field agent employed by Room 40.

I can honestly say this is the only book I’ve ever written that required me to borrow my daughter’s algebra book while I was writing it, LOL. And though every single scene was a challenge, it was one I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you’ll join me on the journey that Margot and Drake are on, which answer the question my husband cheekily asked more than once as I was writing it: what is the number of love?

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, June 17

Moments, June 17

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 17

Girls Living For God’s Glory, June 17

Back Porch Reads, June 18

The Avid Reader, June 18

Stories By Gina, June 18

janicesbookreviews, June 18

Reflections From My Bookshelves, June 19

Inspired by Fiction, June 19

Worthy2Read, June 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 19

As He Leads is Joy, June 20

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, June 20

Blossoms and Blessings, June 20

Real World Bible Study, June 21

Multifarious, June 21

Emily Yager, June 21

A Reader’s Brain, June 21

Bigreadersite, June 22

For the Love of Literature, June 22

Simple Harvest Reads, June 22 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

She Lives to Read, June 23

The Christian Fiction Girl, June 23

Just the Write Escape, June 23

Genesis 5020, June 24

For Him and My Family, June 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 24

Inklings and notions, June 24

Life of Literature, June 25

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, June 25

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, June 25

Texas Book-aholic, June 25

Just Your Average reviews, June 26

Blogging With Carol, June 26

The Becca Files, June 26

Splashes of Joy, June 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Roseanna is giving away a grand prize of winner’s choice of TWO signed books, Fruit and Floral Flavors Sugar Shapes, and some Roseanna M. White swag!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de86/the-number-of-love-celebration-tour-giveaway

This Healing Journey Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: This Healing Journey

Author: Misty M Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: July 18, 2019

This Healing Journey Cover The mountain wilderness of her family’s home in the Canadian Rockies is all Hannah Grant has ever known. Now at the age of twenty-four, she’s on a journey to help her father to find the son he gave up for adoption three decades before. This is Hannah’s chance to discover the life she’s missed out on so far—and hopefully find a husband along the way. But she certainly doesn’t plan to fall for the first man she meets.

Years in the Calvary provided Nathaniel Peak with more than his share of violence and adventure. That life behind him, he wants nothing more than to settle down in the beautiful Montana mountains and raise his own stock—in peace. The last thing he expects is the savagely wounded child who shows up in his barn. Nor the woman he comes to rely on for the girl’s care.

Hannah can’t help but fall in love with the brave Indian child who so desperately needs her, but no matter what, she can’t let herself fall for the man whose past choices go against everything she believes in. As the situation grows worse, Hannah and Nathaniel are forced to make a heart-rending decision to save the girl’s life. Little do they imagine, the choice they make could spell disaster for them all.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Guest Review from Mindy Houng

“But what if’s don’t matter at the end of the day. You made the choice you felt was right, and God worked good from it.”

The title of the book says it all. This final installment of the Heart of the Mountains series indeed is a healing journey. After having met and fallen in love with many of Simeon’s extended family in this series, we now circle back to Simeon from the very first book as he sets out to search for his infant son Reuben whom he left behind in another couple’s care thirty years ago. With her beautiful descriptions of the wilderness and fluid writing style, Misty Beller will once again set you right in the heart of Montana Territory in 1880 as she lets you see, hear, taste, smell, touch, and feel with the characters. Since this story involves Simeon and his past, it would be best to read This Treacherous Journey (book 1) first if you haven’t yet to understand Simeon and his relationship with Emma and her daughter Hannah. The whole series is quite delightful and I recommend reading all the books in order.

Reuben, now a man with a wife, spends his days happily ranching his deceased father’s land and taking care of his ill mother without having a clue as to his past. He is completely taken aback when Simeon, his wife Emma, and their daughter Hannah come looking for him and share their reason for finding him. Simeon and Reuben’s reunion is emotional, heart-rending, and beautiful. But there is more to this story than a long lost father and son bonding! Simeon and Emma’s daughter Hannah meets Reuben’s neighbor Nathaniel as he starts out a new life after leaving his years in cavalry. Hannah is a capable frontierswoman and well-versed in wilderness life, looking for a husband outside of their secluded location in Canada. Their attraction is immediate but their friendship/relationship is fraught with uncertainty and doubt, enhanced by their shared care of an injured Indian child, and threatened by those bent on revenge and harm.

If you enjoy historical romance set in the wilderness of the west, you will absolutely love this book and the entire series. I can’t wait to read Misty Beller’s next series!

I received a copy of the book via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Misty Misty M. Beller writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

More from Misty

Occasionally I hear readers debate about whether they prefer to read a series of books from an author, or only standalone novels. Personally, I love series—both reading and writing them. There’s something about seeing characters I know and love from past books that makes me warm and happy inside. Can you relate?

One of the first series I wrote, the Mountain Dreams Series, included five books that told the stories of several families intertwined through marriage and God’s connections. Those characters are still so dear to my heart! When book 5 ended, I had so many readers ask for more in the series, I began dreaming of a spin-off series with a very special connection to the hero in book 5. Enter: the Heart of the Mountains Series.

I’ve LOVED every story in this 7-book collection, taking each journey with the characters as I laughed and cried and uncovered their secrets. For the final 7^th book, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m reuniting many of the characters from BOTH series! Simeon Grant (from Heart of the Mountains, book 1) goes on a journey to find the son he gave up for adoption as an infant (the hero in Mountain Dreams, book 5).

This Healing Journey has its own leading lady, Hannah Grant (the baby born at the end of This Treacherous Journey, all grown up and as tough as any lady raised in the Canadian mountain wilderness). And a new character, Nathaniel Peak, who stars as the hero (and who I fell in love with IMMEDIATELY!).

Even if you’ve never read any of my stories, I think you’ll enjoy this one. Especially if you love adventurous mountain stories as much as I do!

Blog Stops

Inspiration clothesline, June 18

Reading Is My SuperPower, June 18

Among the Reads, June 19

Connect in Fiction, June 19

Simple Harvest Reads, June 20

Wishful Endings, June 20

Blessed & Bookish, June 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 21

Blossoms and Blessings, June 22

Jeanette’s Thoughts, June 22

janicesbookreviews, June 22

CarpeDiem, June 23

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, June 23

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 24

Through the Fire Blogs, June 24

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 25

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, June 25

Bigreadersite, June 26

Spoken from the Heart, June 26

A Reader’s Brain, June 26

A Baker’s Perspective, June 27

Splashes of Joy, June 27

For Him and My Family, June 28

Mary Hake, June 28

Real World Bible Study, June 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 29

Inklings and notions, June 29

Pause for Tales, June 30

For the Love of Books, June 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 1

Texas Book-aholic, July 1

Giveaway

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

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e50e/this-healing-journey-celebration-tour-giveaway

Summer by the Tides Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Summer by The Tides

Author: Denise Hunter

Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 21, 2019

From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes a heartfelt story of family secrets, forgiveness, and unexpected romance.

Following a painful betrayal, Maddy Monroe’s love life is a wreck, and her restaurant career is in shambles. When her grandmother goes missing, she and her estranged sisters converge at the family beach house in Sea Haven, North Carolina. Being with uptight Nora and free-spirited Emma at the place where their family broke apart is a struggle, and undercurrents of jealousy and resentment threaten to pull the sisters under. In the midst of the storm, sparks begin to fly between Maddy and Gram’s maddening neighbor, Connor Murphy.

As the sisters pack up the family belongings, memories of idyllic, slow-paced summers are resurrected. But long-buried secrets also come to light as Maddy discovers that all was not as it appeared that last summer in Sea Haven—nor today in the seemingly perfect lives of her sisters.

As family tensions rise and Connor causes tumult in Maddy’s heart, the sisters must find a way to accept each other for the women they’ve become before the bitterness of the past destroys their hope for a future.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Guest Review from Mindy Houng

“It’s not the how, Maddy. It’s the Who.”

Denise Hunter has an amazing ability to grab hold of your heart and imagination no matter what topic or setting she writes about. This newest release has three sisters converging on their grandmother’s seaside cottage in North Carolina while they search for their grandmother who has gone MIA, and all three are broken, hurting, and insecure. There is plenty of backstory to the tension that suffocates the sisters and, though this is not a suspense novel, the pieces of the backstory that slowly come together via flashbacks had me turning the pages with anticipation. The dialogue is fun and lively, the characters are deeply layered and multi-faceted and so lovable, and the writing is easy to read. If you are a fan of contemporary romance, you will love this book.

Maddy, our heroine who has been hurt by her ex-boyfriend, is jobless, direction-less, and hopeless as she tries to figure out what happened to her grandmother. She’s fun, creative, and motivated but wary of strangers and doesn’t trust easily. She’s also the peacemaker within the sisters and the strained relationship of her older two sisters makes things even worse as they all worry about their grandmother. Connor, the swoon-worthy neighbor next door, has also seen his share of pain and hurt and chooses to bury himself in work and helping those around him. He’s the one who calls the sisters together when he realizes that his elderly neighbor is missing and he and Maddy get off on the wrong foot from the beginning. But as they spend more time together, Connor’s overwhelming charm, honesty, loyalty, compassion, and steadfastness help Maddy re-evaluate her first impression. The encouraging theme of granting and accepting forgiveness as well as overcoming fear with love is prominent in the story.

Don’t miss this awesome summer read! I am hoping for a Hallmark movie from this book….

I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson and via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest. To learn more about Denise, visit her website DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: deniseahunter.

Read an Excerpt from Summer by the Tides

MADDY MONROE WAS COWERING behind a ficus tree near the hostess station when her cell phone rang. Her hands shook as she silenced the phone before it drew the attention of the staff.

She jabbed the elevator button for the third time. “Come on, come on.” A star could be born in interstellar space, a polar valley carved by a glacier in the time it took the elevator to reach this floor. Stairs were not an option, as she was on the twentieth floor of the Waterford building and sporting heels.

She sniffled. Drat. She seemed to be crying. She swiped a hand under her eyes, heedless of her makeup.

She heard voices, Nick’s boisterous laugh. Maddy shrank deeper into the ficus and finally, finally, the elevator dinged its arrival.

“Maddy?” Noelle’s concerned voice tunneled down the hall. “Maddy, wait.”

“Oh, come on,” she muttered, tapping her fingers against her leg until the gold doors crept open. As soon as she could fit, she squeezed inside and punched the ground-floor button.

She didn’t draw a breath until the doors sealed and the elevator began to drop. She placed a palm over a heart that was threatening to beat its way out of her chest. Her white blouse clung to her back, and her skin prickled beneath her arms.

She closed her eyes, the scene that had just transpired playing out in fast-forward in her mind. And then, as if that montage weren’t painful enough, the image of Nick’s face appeared. The look on his face just before he’d kissed her good-bye last night.

Nick. She clamped her teeth together until her jaw ached.

There had been signs. Many of them, really, she was realizing now. They ranged from whisper-subtle to neon-sign obvious. But like so many other walking clichés before her, she was only seeing them in retrospect.

Maddy opened her eyes to the buttery sunlight streaming through her blinds. She scrambled for her iPhone to check the time. But as she did so, the events of yesterday washed over her like a tsunami. She didn’t have to get up at all, because she didn’t have a job anymore.

Her cell buzzed with an incoming call, and she squinted bleary-eyed at the unfamiliar number on the screen before declining it.

She drooped against her pillow, only now aware of how fat and swollen her eyes felt. Of the persistent achy lump pushing at the back of her throat. Her heartbeat made the bed quake. Her eyes burned with tears. Yesterday’s anger had faded, and something worse had filled its spot.

Yesterday she’d come home, changed into yoga pants, and worked in her little garden until she was too exhausted to do anything but flop on the sofa. She hadn’t fallen asleep until after three o’clock in the morning.

She didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t even want to be awake today. She pulled the covers over her head and prayed for oblivion.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 4

The Power of Words, June 4

Back Porch Reads, June 4

The Morning Chapter, June 5

A Baker’s Perspective, June 5

Worthy2Read, June 5

Carla Loves To Read, June 6

Genesis 5020, June 6

Through the Fire Blogs, June 6

Among the Reads, June 7

Quiet Quilter, June 7

For Him and My Family, June 7

The Christian Fiction Girl, June 8

cultivating us, June 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 8

Girls Living For God’s Glory, June 9

Moments, June 9

Inklings and notions, June 9

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 10

Coast and anchor, June 10

amandainpa, June 10

Lighthouse Academy, June 11

EmpowerMoms, June 11

Pause for Tales, June 11

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, June 12

For The Love of Books, June 12

Just the Write Escape, June 12

All-of-a-kind Mom, June 13

Texas Book-aholic, June 13

Hallie Reads, June 13

2014 and Beyond, June 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 14

Simple Harvest Reads, June 14

Living Life Free In Christ, June 15

janicesbookreviews, June 15

Vicky Sluiter, June 15

Have A Wonderful Day, June 16

A Reader’s Brain, June 16

To Everything A Season, June 16

Lukewarm Tea, June 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 17

Daysong Reflections, June 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away a finished copy of Summer by the Tides!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e541/summer-by-the-tides-celebration-tour-giveaway

Murder in the City of Liberty Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Murder in the City of Liberty

Author: Rachel McMillan

Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical

Release Date: May 21, 2019

Hamish DeLuca and Regina “Reggie” Van Buren have a new case—and this one brings the war in Europe dangerously close to home.

Determined to make a life for herself, Regina “Reggie” Van Buren bid goodbye to fine china and the man her parents expected her to marry and escaped to Boston. What she never expected to discover was that an unknown talent for sleuthing would develop into a business partnership with the handsome, yet shy, Hamish DeLuca.

Their latest case arrives when Errol Parker, the leading base stealer in the Boston farm leagues, hires Hamish and Reggie to investigate what the Boston police shove off as a series of harmless pranks. Errol believes these are hate crimes linked to the outbreak of war in Europe, and he’s afraid for his life. Hamish and Reggie quickly find themselves in the midst of an escalating series of crimes that seem to link Boston to Hamish’s hometown of Toronto.

When an act of violence hits too close to home, Hamish is driven to a decision that may sever him from Reggie forever . . . even more than her engagement to wealthy architect Vaughan Vanderlaan.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Guest Review from Mindy Houng

“You can make yourself believe a great many things about the choices you make.”

The author Rachel McMillan has a way with words that is unique and thoroughly insightful. The characters are quirky and their witty and fun dialogue really makes the story shine. The murder mystery component is a bit reminiscent of Columbo or Murder She Wrote (or Moonlighting as another reviewer mentioned) but it’s the character study of Regina and Hamish and their relationship that take center stage in the book. I’ve followed Hamish’s parents’ story in Rachel McMillan’s previous Herringford and Watts series so I was already fond of Hamish as a baby. My mistake was not reading the first book, Murder at the Flamingo, prior to reading this one. Though the author gives us enough clues and details to piece together what happened in the first book, I felt like I missed out on much of the character development of Hamish, Regina, Nate (Hamish’s best friend), and Luca (Hamish’s cousin). So definitely read Murder at the Flamingo prior to reading this book.

There is a lot of emotional tug-of-war between Hamish and Regina, especially as Hamish becomes desperate for Regina’s affection and Regina entertains engagement to a childhood friend. Hamish is such an unlikely hero….yet he really is a hero – brave, protective, tender, and self-sacrificing even in the midst of anxiety attacks and demoralization. But this story is more than just two unlikely people working together and falling in love. It addresses the atmosphere in 1940 Boston where racial prejudice ran hot in the face of the Second World War, the wide gap between the haves and have-nots widened each day, and gangsters and businessmen alike battled each other for power and money. It addresses the debilitating disorder of anxiety and loyalty found in friendship and blood-kin. From how this book ends, there is more to come where Hamish and Regina are concerned. Perhaps Hamish’s cousin Luca as well.

I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.

Read the excerpt

Boston

April 19 40

There really never was a good time to drown. But this particular April had been unseasonably cold and promised spring long in coming. The slosh of the Charles River warmed by ribbons of June sun would have been preferable to the crusted sludge of leftover ice rimming the harbor, or so thought Reggie Van Buren as she bobbed up and down like a buoy.

A New Haven Van Buren ought to have perished an old, wealthy woman, tendrils of snow-white

hair falling around a satin pillow, comforted in the knowledge that she would be interred in

the family plot, her soul destined for paradise—not with water up to her nose, choking as it lapped in and out like a tide over her chattering teeth. But a New Haven Van Buren also might have had the propriety to insist upon the use of her given name and not the “Reggie” she so preferred. The Reggie she was just hearing now in a rather frantic yet familiar voice.

“Reggie!” Hamish DeLuca’s panicked voice reached into the hollow dome of her cement cave. “Reggie!”

“I was st-stupid. I s-slipped.”

She treaded poorly, her arms feeling like gelatin, her form rather lacking the swimming skills

she had learned informally alongside her family’s schooner on Regatta Day. Reggie strained to rise above the lapping water. She took turns treading and raising herself as high up on her toes as she could. Rotating and wondering why she failed to complete the ballet classes her parents enrolled her in as a child. Standing on tiptoe might have added inches to her height and allowed her to clear her mouth of the water. As it was, her calf muscles strained. She said something that came out in a series of bubbles before glugging, rising upward, and noticing for the first time how the fog from her icy breath rippled over the water. If she couldn’t understand herself,

how would he?

“S-slipped,” she said again, trying to make him out in shadow. “H-Hamish.” She tried again. Funny, usually he was the one with the stutter. Hamish DeLuca with the stutter and the bit of a handshake and that one pesky dimple and those big blue eyes. Her own eyes fluttered. Maybe she would never see him again. She would just slip under the water and rest her heavy eyelids. She blinked until a stream of torchlight buttered the dark walls, crystallizing the percolating water drips around her, and then the figure of her rescuer, whose blue eyes looked even more brilliant than usual in the eerie glow of the flashlight.

Hamish dropped to his knees. “Take my hand.”

“This didn’t turn out as I expected,” she chattered.

“Reggie, we don’t have much time.” His voice rippled as he looked frantically at her and then over to the grille she had stared at since she got into the mess, watching the water level rise and fall and rise and fall until it made her dizzy. She clung to his hand a moment.

“We should have gone with plan B.”

Hamish growled. “We didn’t even have a plan A.”

“You’re my hero, Hamish.” She patted his hand with her icy one. “It was so nice of you to come.”

“Reggie, just take my hand.”

“I’m stuck!”

“What?”

“M-my shoe.”

Hamish said something she was altogether certain she had imagined in her half-frozen and very soggy state. And then, of course, he recklessly jumped in to get her.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, June 11

Simple Harvest Reads, June 11

The Power of Words, June 12

amandainpa, June 12

As He Leads is Joy, June 13

Fiction Aficionado, June 13

Through the Fire Blogs, June 14

Carpe Diem, June 14

Mary Hake, June 15

Moments, June 15

The Christian Fiction Girl, June 16

Have A Wonderful Day, June 16

Cordially Barbara, June 17

Rebekah’s Quill, June 17

All-of-a-kind Mom, June 18

Hallie Reads, June 18

Bigreadersite, June 19

Connect in Fiction, June 19

Blogging With Carol, June 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 20

For Him and My Family, June 21

Remembrancy, June 21

Pause for Tales, June 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 22

Godly Book Reviews, June 23

Texas Book-aholic, June 23

janicesbookreviews, June 24

A Reader’s Brain, June 24

Inklings and notions, June 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize of both book in the series!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e513/murder-in-the-city-of-liberty-celebration-tour-giveaway

Restored Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Restored

Author: Tanya Eavenson

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release date: February 10, 2016

Restored Sometimes love arrives when you least expect it.

Dr. Steven Moore is known nationally for saving lives. If only he could save his own. Unable to deal with his prognosis, he retreats to a happier time in his past—to the woman who once stole his heart.

Four years after the death of her beloved husband, bookstore owner Elizabeth Roberts still struggles to sustain her faith and joy in the Lord as she raises her two sons. She strives to find a way through her family’s grief, never suspecting a man from her past might offer hope for her future.

But how can there be a future when he’s only come to kiss her and say good-bye?

Click here to purchase your copy.

Guest Review from Mindy Houng

This is book 2 in Elizabeth’s chronicle of sorrows, hopes, and dreams. If you’ve read book 1 (Unconditional), I’m sure you fell in love with Chris and Elizabeth as they recommitted their lives to God and to each other. They both went through a tremendous amount of pain to arrive at a place of peace, love, and hope…and Chris became an incredibly swoon-worthy hero….and as this second book opens, he dies in the prologue without even getting a scene in the book. HE DIES!!! No, this is not a spoiler. The book blurb already told me Elizabeth is widowed and I knew this before delving into the story…but my heart still hasn’t recovered. Unconditional should be read before Restored. The heart-squeezing angst, sorrow, and love that Elizabeth and Steven feel in this story can best be understood by reading the first book to walk through Elizabeth and Chris’ lives some 12 or so years before this story.

Despite how much I felt rattled that Chris died, Steven is an equally likable and noble hero in this story (as he was in the first story) with his intelligence, self-sacrificing and compassionate and tender heart, undying devotion to Elizabeth and her two boys, and fierce loyalty. Elizabeth, even after several terrible tragedies, is stronger than ever in her faith and will to survive and love. This book explores more deeply such themes as grief from loss of family, hopelessness of dreams lost, human desire to be known and loved, despair in facing death, and sacrificial and unconditional love, which were all touched upon in the first book. The reunion of Elizabeth and Steven is sweet and sigh-worthy…for Steven has waited a long time to love her fully.

This book is a contemporary romance that will bring tears of sorrow and joy with the pages – don’t forget your box of tissues while reading it. I received a copy of the book via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Tanya Eavenson is an international bestselling and award-winning inspirational romance author. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating chocolate, and reading a good book. You can find her at her website http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/ on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google, or on Amazon.

More from Tanya

RESTORED is the second book in the Unending Love series. It’s a story I wanted to write, one I knew I could write, but still, it took six years to write. Not that it was difficult, but something was missing.

A friend and I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and during the conference, we discussed RESTORED. We came up with different plots, but nothing felt right.

I decided then to take a hiatus from contemporary romance and to begin writing another genre I’ve always loved, historical romance. While doing research and working on my historical romance novel, doctors discovered I had cancer.

There are many times in a person’s life where he or she may reach an obstacle. It may be an illness, an accident, a difficult decision that must be made, or any number of other things. I’d reached that point in my life. It was a defining moment, not only dealing with my cancer prognosis, but asking the Lord if He truly called me to write as I thought, or was I mistaken. I stuffed my historical romance novel away and almost gave up on God’s call to write.

But through the fears and searching for God’s direction, I learned He did indeed place this desire to write on my heart and no matter what I was facing in my life, it didn’t diminish His call. I’m inspired by the Lord to write inspirational Christian fiction so people may know the love of Christ. To know the depth He will go to have a relationship with us. And though we struggle, He uses us—ordinary people like me—to do out of the ordinary things. Unexpected things—like writing. This propelled me to write RESTORED.

I began pouring into RESTORED the knowledge I’d gained through my own experiences and that of my stepfather and father-in-law, who were both diagnosed with melanoma. I know now that if I had written this story any earlier in my career, I wouldn’t be on such a personal level with my characters nor could I have written it from the heart.

I love this story. I love my characters, Steven and Elizabeth. RESTORED is about lost love being given a second chance when you least expect it. A story of how nothing is impossible with God.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 6

Through the Fire Blogs, June 7

Simple Harvest Reads, June 8

Remembrancy, June 9

Godly Book Reviews, June 10

For Him and My Family, June 11

Spoken from the Heart, June 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 13

Texas Book-aholic, June 14

janicesbookreviews, June 15

A Reader’s Brain, June 16

Inklings and notions, June 17

Artistic Nobody, June 18 (Spotlight)

Just the Write Escape, June 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tanya is giving away a grand prize of a $5 Amazon gift card and a pillow cover from RedBubble!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e4f5/restored-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Famine of the Human Dream Spotlight & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: This Famine of the Human Dream

Author: Benjamin Mester

Genre: Christian Inspiration; Essays and Poems

Release date: May, 2015

faminine of the human dream cover An uplifting and thought provoking look at life from a poet’s perspective. The Famine of the Human Dream will challenge you to live with greater passion, to throw off those trifling ambitions that ever grope for our attention, and learn fight for things worth fighting for. The great theologian, CS Lewis, once said:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

The ultimate goal of life isn’t a search for happiness. The ultimate goal of life is learning how to fight for things worth fighting for. All of life is a battle. But the battle that defines each one of us isn’t primarily between right and wrong, as you would think. Rather, it’s something much more surprising. Find out what in the inspiring pages of The Famine of the Human Dream.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Benjamin Mester is an author and poet, with a passion for seeing people break away from small and shallow living and to step into the full measure of what the Lord has prepared for them. The destiny prepared for each one of us is to live a life of love and deep gladness. Benjamin Mester was born and raised in sunny San Diego, but can often be found wandering the woods of northern Minnesota, pen and paper in hand. His lifetime goal is to one day build a house in the woods, expanding it over time into a retreat center for authors, artists and others bursting with creativity. God is the most creative being in the entire universe, and as children made in His image, Mester hopes to inspire His people to explore the wonderful gift of creativity placed in each one of us.

More from Benjamin

The Famine of the Human dream was written as a response to something…a quote from a great theologian, CS Lewis.

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

When I read that, my heart began to burn. For though, as a younger man, I had often felt a passionate stirring to live my life to the full, though I didn’t quite know how and always felt myself slipping back into the mundane of mere survival. And so, I voraciously began to explore the many facets of life. I studied art, poetry, philosophy, beauty, and theology, prompted by Solomon’s declaration in the Proverbs, Whatever else you get, get understanding! I desperately wanted understanding of a very particular sort. I wanted to understand how to live my life to the full…this precious, brief slice of life we so often take for granted. I wanted true wisdom.

Contained within the pages of the Famine of the Human Dream are a poet’s reflections on life and the struggle to suck the marrow out of life, as Thoreau put it. This book is also an attempt to give the reader a passion for the study of poetry, which has dwindled much in modern society. The second portion of the book is a collection of my own poetry and poetry from other lovers of life that has touched me deeply. My biggest hope is that the reader will come away from this book with a renewed passion for life and an eager desire to dive deeper into poetry, beauty, and the heart of the Father.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 1

Mary Hake, June 2

A Baker’s Perspective, June 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 4

Carpe Diem, June 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 6

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 7

Simple Harvest Reads, June 8 (Spotlight)

Texas Book-aholic, June 9

janicesbookreviews, June 10

A Reader’s Brain, June 11

Power of Words, June 12 (Spotlight)

Inklings and notions, June 13

Just the Write Escape, June 14

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Ben is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e515/the-famine-of-the-human-dream-celebration-tour-giveaway

Harbor Secrets Guest Review from Mindy Houng

About the Book

Harbor Secrets Cover(1)

A Peaceful Coastal Town…Threatened by a Storm of Secrets

It’s 1916 when newspaper woman Anna McDowell learns her estranged father has suffered a stroke. Deciding it’s time to repair bridges, Anna packs up her precocious adolescent daughter and heads for her hometown in Sunset Cove, Oregon.

Although much has changed since the turn of the century, some things haven’t. Anna finds the staff of her father’s paper not exactly eager to welcome a woman into the editor-in-chief role, but her father insists he wants her at the helm. Anna is quickly pulled into the charming town and her new position…but just as quickly learns this seaside getaway harbors some dark and dangerous secrets.

With Oregon’s new statewide prohibition in effect, crime has crept along the seacoast and invaded even idyllic Sunset Cove. Anna only meant to get to know her father again over the summer, but instead she finds herself rooting out the biggest story the town has ever seen—and trying to keep her daughter safe from it all.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

Thoughts from Mindy Houng

What an interesting historical fiction set on the Oregon coast during the years of Prohibition and US teetering on the brink of entering WWI! Melody Carlson, no matter the genre, creates a setting, plot, and a set of characters that bring her story to life. This story focuses on Anna, a rare woman journalist at that time who writes under a presumed male pseudonym, and her sixteen-year-old daughter Katy. Due to misunderstanding and falling out, Anna has been estranged from her father who owns and operates a small town newspaper but, due to his failing health, Anna sets aside past hurts and misgivings to return home to Sunset Cove to help her father. In the midst of trying to nurture her father back to health and organize her father’s business better, Anna learns the truth about her past, which isn’t exactly how she remembers it. Her persistence and stubbornness get her into some trouble but she remains true to wanting to discover and disseminate the truth that seems to run in her family’s newspaper genes. Anna also learns about forgiveness and giving people second chances. Katy, in her youthful enthusiasm and kindness to all, is endearing and lovable. There is a bit of suspense woven into the storyline in regard to Prohibition and it was definitely interesting to see what the average person’s attitude may have been like during those years.

This is book 1 in The Legacy of Sunset Cove and the second book in the series looks like Anna and Katy’s stories will continue seamlessly. I can’t wait to see what adventures await the mother-daughter duo!

I received a copy of the book from WhiteFire Publishing via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

On a Summer Tide Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: On a Summer Tide

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Christian Fiction Romance

Release Date: April 30, 2019

On a Summer Tide Cover Sometimes love hurts—and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. “Moving on” is Cam’s mantra. But there’s a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.

Cam’s full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island—a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam’s surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals—and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Guest Review from Mindy Houng

If you’ve never read Suzanne Woods Fisher, this is the book to jumpstart your acquaintanceship (and likely a long friendship) with her books. She writes a lot of Amish book but does venture into other genres like historical fiction and contemporary. I discovered her books by reading the historical fiction series set on Nantucket Island and loved the series; this book is the first in a contemporary series set on an island off Maine called Three Sisters Island. Whether historical or contemporary, the author has a writing style that draws you into the heart of her characters and leaves you looking forward to the next book. If you’re a fan of her writing, you will doubtless be pleased and satisfied with the tale of a widowed father making his late wife’s wishes come true as he hopes to rebuild the family ties with and amongst his three independent daughters on a breath-taking island filled with God’s beauty but also economic decline.

Paul, a widowed and retired sports announcer, buys a large chunk of an island that holds dear memories for him and his late wife in hopes that he can revive the area and the island itself. Convinced that he needs to be coddled, his three daughters follow him to the island and their worlds turn upside down. Cam, the oldest, is your stereotypical first born who is bossy and driven in her determination towards the goal. Maddie, the middle one, is finishing up her training as a family counselor and wants everyone to be in touch with their feelings. Blaine, the youngest by quite a few years at nineteen, is a free spirit who still hasn’t decided what she wants to do with her life. As the Grayson family actually spends time together, each are drawn to the island that helps them remember the good memories of their past and build new ones. The romantic thread in the story involves Cam and the island school teacher Seth, whose steadfast kindness and gentleness bring her adopted son Cooper out of his shell. But there is more! Intertwined within this sweet story of growing up and becoming a true family is a bit of mystery and some plot twists that definitely add excitement.

I can’t wait for the second installment in the series! Will the island go through a true revival? Will Maddie and Blaine find their one and only? Will Paul fall in love again? So many questions….

I received a copy of the book from Revell (Baker Publishing Group) via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than thirty books, including Mending Fences, as well as the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop’s Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, among other novels. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher.

More from Suzanne

Oh-So-Maine Blueberry Buckle

Summer in Maine means plump, tart blueberries are everywhere. Here’s a family recipe that is nearly fool-proof….and so delicious! Especially with a scoop or two with vanilla ice cream.

Ever wonder how it got the name Blueberry Buckle? While the batter rises as it bakes, but the blueberries and crumb topping weigh it down. This causes the surface of the cake to buckle…hence the name.

Batter:

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup soft butter

1 egg

½ cup milk

2 cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups drained blueberries

Crumb Topping:

½ cup sugar

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup softened butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix sugar and butter with egg. Stir in milk Sift together and stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Carefully blend in blueberries. Put on topping before baking. Pour in a greased and floured 9” square pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, May 23

The Avid Reader, May 23

The Power of Words, May 23

Blessed & Bookish, May 23

The Morning Chapter, May 24

Blogging With Carol, May 24

Carpe Diem, May 24

Cultivating Us, May 24

Godly Book Reviews, May 25

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, May 25

Mary Hake, May 25

For Him and my Family, May 25

C Jane Read, May 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 26

Blossoms and Blessings, May 26

Daysong Reflections, May 26

Lighthouse Academy, May 27

Reader’s Cozy Corner, May 27

Empower Moms, May 27

Remembrancy, May 27

Wishful Endings, May 28

Simple Harvest Reads, May 28

Spoken from the Heart, May 28

SusanLovesBooks, May 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 29

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, May 29

Chas Ray’ Book Nerd Corner, May 29

Hallie Reads, May 29

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 30

Maureen’s Musings, May 30

Library Lady’s Kit Lit, May 30

Inspiration Clothesline, May 30

Living Life Free in Christ, May 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 31

Pause for Tales, May 31

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 1

A Reader’s Brain, June 1

Through the Fire Blogs, June 2

Have A Wonderful Day, June 2

Southern Gal Loves to Read, June 2

Quiet Quilter, June 3

2014 and Beyond, June 3

By The Book, June 3

She Lives to Read, June 4

Texas Book-aholic, June 4

janicesbookreviews, June 4

Jeanette’s Thoughts, June 4

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, June 5

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, June 5

Inklings and notions, June 5

Giveaway

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

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e540/on-a-summer-tide-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Printed Letter Bookshop Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Printed Letter Bookshop

Author: Katherine Reay

Genre: Women’s fiction, romance

Release Date: May 14, 2019

Amid literature and lattes, three women come together and find that sharing one’s journey with best friends makes life richer.

When attorney Madeline Carter inherits her aunt’s bookstore in a small town north of Chicago, she plans to sell it and add the proceeds to her nonexistent “investment portfolio.” But plans change when Madeline discovers the store isn’t making money and she gets passed over for promotion at her firm. She quits in protest, takes the train north, and decides to work at the store to prep it for sale. Madeline soon finds herself at odds with employees Jessica and Courtney; when she also finds herself attracted to an affianced man, it only confuses the entire situation.

After blowing up her marriage two years earlier, Jessica has found solace working at the bookstore and a kindred spirit within its owner, Maddie Cullen. But when Maddie dies and her niece, Madeline, barges in like a bulldozer, Jessica pushes at the new owner in every way-until she trips over common ground. Soon the women are delving into online dating and fashion makeovers, and Jessica feels the pull to rediscover her art, a love she thought long behind her.

After a night of bad decisions leaves the store in peril, Courtney arrives and tries to save the day. While she, too, found sanctuary in the little bookstore, she knows it’s under-insured, in the red, and will never survive. When she discovers her teenage daughter has played a part in vandalizing the store, Courtney taps into strength she didn’t know existed-or had long forgotten. The quietest of the three, she steps up and finds a way to save her family, the store, and the precious friendships that have grown within it.

The Printed Letter Bookshop is the story of friends who find each other-and themselves-in a place none of them ever expected.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Guest Review from Mindy Houng

“If I’ve learned anything in the past six weeks, it’s that simply not looking to the past is not the same as living in the present. I need not dwell there, but I do need to learn from it.”

What a beautifully written book by a master storyteller! And Katherine Reay really knows how to use different points of view and verb tenses to bring the story and characters to full life. Reading this book is like sitting down to a rich, warm soup that is enticing at first bite and bursts into delectable fulfillment on a cold, bitter wintery day. If you enjoy contemporary women’s fiction/romance, you will love this well-crafted work of art that is sure to satisfy.

The story is a life journey of three women – Madeline who is in her early thirties, Claire who is in her forties, and Janet who is in her fifties. All three women are so different in their personalities, gifts, and current walks in life but are held together by having known and loved Madeline’s aunt Maddie. They are drawn together to Aunt Maddie’s bookshop where they realize they’re actually quite similar in their struggle to find who they really are. Each of the women’s faith journey is amazing and heart-warming. The men in their lives – Chris, Brian, and Seth – are great characters who are definitely each swoon-worthy in different ways.

Another home-run for Katherine Reay!

I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane, The Brontë Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, The Austen Escape, and The Printed Letter Bookshop. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and isa wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL. You can meet her at www.katherinereay.com; Facebook: KatherineReayBooks; Twitter: @katherine_reay; or Instagram: @katherinereay.

More from Katherine

Don’t you love bookshops?

Every time I walk into a bookstore, it feels like a rainbow cracked open and rained a kaleidoscope of light, life and possibilities before me. I find worlds within the world and a call to adventure.

Each bookshop tells a different story. It tells of its loyal beloved customer base. It reflects the personality of its owner and staff. It carries the aura of the stories it offers to us.

And it was the perfect place to dig into lives, hearts and book loves of Janet, Claire and Madeline. These three women, at different stages in life, meet at the Printed Letter Bookshop, with all the romance and wonder it holds, and learn to work through their challenges together. They become the friends that each didn’t know she was missing.

There is also a fourth woman I loved spending time with in the Printed Letter Bookshop — its original owner, Maddie Carter. Maddie doesn’t step onto the stage even once, but her presence, her love and her guiding hand are apparent from page one as Janet, Claire, and Madeline grow in friendship and in faith.

The Printed Letter Bookshop is a love letter to books, a testament to the beauty of new beginnings and a sweet reminder of the power of friendship. I hope you savor your time with these three women — And, book lovers rejoice, there is a list of all the books they allude to in the back of the book!

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, May 14

Godly Book Reviews, May 14

The Power of Words, May 14

Reflections From My Bookshelves, May 15

Carla Loves To Read, May 15

Pause for Tales, May 15

Maureen’s Musings, May 16

Bigreadersite, May 16

By The Book, May 16

Inspirationally Ever After, May 17

Reading Themes, May 17

For The Love of Books, May 17

Lis Loves Reading, May 18

Emily Yager, May 18

Living Life Free in Christ, May 18

For HIm and My Family, May 19

Retrospective Spines, May 19

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, May 19

Girls Living For God’s Glory, May 20

As He Leads is Joy, May 20

To Everything A Season, May 20

All-Of-a-kind Mom, May 21

Through the Fire Blogs, May 21

Creating Romance, May 21

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 22

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, May 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 22

Reader’s Cozy Corner, May 23

Wishful Endings, May 23

Texas Book-aholic, May 23

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 24

Just the Write Escape, May 24

The Christian Fiction Girl, May 25

Lighthouse Academy, May 25

janicesbookreviews, May 25

Inspired by Fiction, May 26

Simple Harvest Reads, May 26 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Inklings and notion, May 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 27

amandainpa, May 27

A Reader’s Brain, May 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Katherine is giving away a paperback copy of The Printed Letter Bookshop to one lucky winner!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e4f1/the-printed-letter-bookshop-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Pages of Her Life Review & Spotlight

About the Book

Book: The Pages of Her Life

Author: James L. Rubart

Genre: Christian fiction – suspense

Release Date: May 21, 2019

Award-winning and bestselling author James L. Rubart explores the way our memories shape us . . . and how they affect our beliefs.

Allison Moore has no idea why she got out of her car on that rainy March afternoon and picked up the soaked journal laying on the side of the road. Brought it home. But she did. It was empty. Except for two lines scrawled in the front, too washed out to read. And a Jesus emblem inside the back cover. Something about the journal compels her to start writing in it, capturing thoughts about her newly acquired job that she thought would be heaven, but has turned into hell. Then one day, she finds words in the center of the journal. Words she didn’t write: Mene mene tekel upharsin. After her heart stops hammering, Allison Googles the phrase, and reads the story of Belshazzar’s Feast, where a hand from God writes on the wall, and the king is slain. Fear grips her, certain God is coming after her for what she did twelve years back. What she’s done wrong her whole life. She vows to make things right. Then she discovers more phrases appearing underneath each of her journal entries. Those phrases take her on an emotional roller coaster that forces her to look at everything she believes about her past in a new light, and opens her eyes to a supernatural realm of staggering consequence.

    Click here to purchase a copy of the book.

Guest Review from Mindy Houng

“Climb the highest mountains that come into your world. Scale the city walls. Keep running even when this journey overwhelms you. Believe your bonds have been broken, Believe Jesus carried the cross of your shame. Believe in kingdom come. Not in some age to come in the future, but right now. Choose to believe the kingdom is in your midst and is here to set you free.”

James Rubart really knows how to craft a compelling book that draws you in from the first page and has you pondering everything you’ve read after you finish the last page. His unique style and plot are refreshing and eye-opening. It’s a fast read – you won’t be able to put the book down once the story gains momentum and you’re discovering, along with the main characters, why the entire world seems upside down and inside out.

The book is a journey of Allison and Parker’s – sister-brother duo who have lost much in life and can’t seem to find who they are. Battered by guilt, shame, and a need to prove themselves and be loved, they are fighting this emotional and spiritual battle alone, one by making work top priority and doing her best to support their mom and the other by hiding from the world and festering away in isolation. They both begin this journey unwittingly and somewhat unwillingly but come to a place where the fears that are strangling them must be dealt with. No spoilers here, but there are some characters from one of his earlier books that make an appearance in this book and have a significant impact on both Allison and Parker (now I have to go and read that book since I’m a relative newbie in James Rubart’s writing).

There isn’t any romantic thread in the book but there are plenty of good spiritual truths that we all need to hear sprinkled throughout the story.

If you enjoy a well-written speculative novel with great characters and a plot that twists and turns, you have found your next read. I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

About the Author

Rubart James James L. Rubart is a professional marketer and speaker. He is the author of the best-selling novel Rooms as well as Book of Days, The Chair, Soul’s Gate, Memory’s Door, and Spirit Bridge. He lives with his wife and sons in the Pacific Northwest. Website: www.jameslrubart.com Twitter: @jameslrubart Facebook: JamesLRubart