Saturday, April 13, 2024

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jamie Jo Wright

About the Book

Book: Night Falls on Predicament Avenue

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: April 9, 2024

In 1910, Effie James is living a dream for two. Her younger sister is harboring a secret that has left timid Effie determined to fulfill her daring sister’s grand plan of seeking out adventure in their small Iowa town. When a British gentleman arrives, disrupting their peace with efforts to find the wife many claim lived her final days at the now abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue, Effie is thrust into intrigue she couldn’t have prepared for. But what she finds inside will forever link her to the scandal staining the house’s walls and to a woman whose secrets promise a curse.

A century later, Norah Richman is living out her late-twin’s dream of running their great aunt’s bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue–a place Norah believes nothing good can come out of after her sister’s abduction and murder thirteen years ago. Her first guest is a crime historian and podcaster, and Norah resolves to stay far away from the charming and enigmatic man–until another guest is found dead. As they dig deeper, something sinister unfurls that will reveal an ominous unknown far greater than the possibility of death itself.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Oh this author had done it again! This story is so very good. It jumps deep into life and death, darkness and light. I happen to enjoy the works of Edgar Allen Poe, and this time, this author echoed things like him beautifully. It's not all dark, so don't panic, but it is beautifully gothic. 322 Predicament Avenue will make you think, and wonder, and hold the world at bay to read what happens next. I love the sets of sisters and there's so many lovely characters in this book. I could give you quotes for miles, but instead, you need to read this book for yourself.

5 BIG STARS

About the Author

Jaime Jo, the coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire, has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands.

Her literary vocation involves penning Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe.

More from Jaime Jo

True crime did NOT just become popular in this century! Scour the old newspapers for a full and detailed telling of the latest crime. That’s how I got the idea for Night Falls on Predicament Avenue! Yes! I read an old newspaper article from the late 1800’s in which they described in quite delectable detail, the crime scene of a murder in a house with questionable history. That being said, it’s also important to note, that forensics DID just recently become popular in the last 50-100 years. In the 1800’s, if you were murdered, it was common for your neighbor to tour and trample over your crime scene out of curiosity and/or the hope they might be of service in solving the crime. More likely than not, they were merely wanna-be podcast listeners of true crime shows simply born too early for that technological advancement.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 10

Devoted To Hope, April 10

By The Book, April 11

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 11

Inspired by Fiction, April 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 12

Texas Book-aholic, April 13

Blossoms and Blessings, April 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 14

Blogging With Carol, April 14

Betti Mace, April 15

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, April 15

Live. Love. Read., April 16

For Him and My Family, April 16

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 18

Holly’s Book Corner, April 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 19

Boondock Ramblings, April 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 20

Sylvan Musings, April 20

Bigreadersite , April 21

Back Porch Reads, April 21

Lily’s Corner, April 22

Simple Harvest Reads, April 22 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, April 23

Denise L. Barela, April 23

The Lofty Pages, April 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jaime Jo is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 gift card to Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, MI and an autographed copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2af9e/night-falls-on-predicament-avenue-celebration-tour-giveaway

Rip Tide by Lisa T. Bergren (Oceans of Time Book 2)

About the Book

Book: Rip Tide

Author: Lisa T. Bergren

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Release Date: March 20, 2024

The trap is set and time is slipping away.

After narrowly escaping arrest, Luciana Betarrini hurtles back to medieval Italy. Once there, she and her brother, Domenico, must decide how far they’ll go to be part of the family, and if they’re willing to risk their lives to hunt down an assassin.

Meanwhile, Lady Tiliani Forelli’s family has disappeared in enemy territory. Fearing for their lives—and secretly hoping to cross paths with the Fiorentini she loves—Tiliani goes to Firenze intent on either rescue or seeing justice done. Yet a trap is closing around them all.

Together, the Grecos and Betarrinis must find the Forellis’ nemesis and force him to confess to his role in the murders. They assume he has slipped into the serpentine streets of Firenze to evade them. But will they find him in time to save the Forellis?

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Beautiful, romantic, faith filled, with so much suspense and I can't tell you how good this book is. You have to read it and I'm so looking forward to the next book in this series. You can read this alone, I prefer it in the series. This is probably going on my don't miss read of 2024 list. The time travel in this book is just perfect. Everything in this book flows, but then too, there is also the rip tide. I am warning you, this is an amazing and addictive series.

5 Massive Stars

About the Author

Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over sixty books spanning a variety of genres, from children’s picture books to women’s historical fiction to supernatural suspense and time travel. She lives with her husband and three gradually-flying-from-the-nest young adult children

More from Lisa

Part of what makes RIP TIDE unique is that one of the heroines (and her love interest) both have a passion for hunting for medicinal plants in the woods…which made for a sweet setting for some swoony scenes! A sweet friend sent me Brother Cadfael’s Herb Garden: An Illustrated Companion to Medieval Plants and Their Uses by Talbot and Whiteman, and it was an invaluable resource!

Here are a few herbs that were utilized in the Middle Ages—and you might find in one of my Oceans of Time novels:

#1: Betony: “Medieval herbalists highly valued the healing properties of betony, considering it a cure-all for all disorders, including migraine, indigestion and nervous complaints. The herb was also used for staunching bleeding and healing wounds, sores, ulcers and boils.” (P68, Brother Cadfael’s Herb Garden)

#2: Bryony: “Although poisonous, bryony has been valued medicinally since ancient times. Internally, in small doses, the root was taken as a purgative, and for rheumatism, sciatica and chest complaints. Externally, it was used to treat leprosy, old sores, gangrene and other skin ailments.” (P79, Brother Cadfael’s Herb Garden)

Blog Stops

Artistic Nobody, April 9 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 10

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 11 (Author Interview)

Wishful Endings, April 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 12

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 13 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, April 14

Blossoms and Blessings, April 15 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 16

Fiction Book Lover, April 17 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 18

Guild Master, April 19 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 19

Simple Harvest Reads, April 20 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

A Reader’s Brain, April 21 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, April 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ade0/rip-tide-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, April 12, 2024

The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem by Kurt Brouwer

About the Book

Book: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem

Author: Kurt Brouwer

Genre:Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: November, 2022

He was the Beloved Disciple…

…and he would be the last.

The mantle to tell the whole story has fallen on him.

From the cross, Jesus entrusted John, the youngest disciple, with the welfare of Mary, Jesus’s mother. Over thirty years later, as Jerusalem becomes a cauldron of explosive tempers, he receives a calling he doesn’t want.

Will he listen and follow?

And if he does, will it be too late?

In 62 AD, the Jewish high priest executes James, the brother of Jesus, triggering a bitter fight for power in Jerusalem that shatters the quiet life of John. The Jewish people he loves are making dangerous choices that will change the land of Israel forever.

Should he stay in Jerusalem and help hold off the Roman onslaught? Or is it time to reach out to those beyond Israel’s borders?

If he chooses to leave, what will be his message to these foreign believers? What new words of comfort could he possibly share?

Set against a backdrop of actual events, The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem is the first novel in a new series based on the Bible and Christian history.

Follow along while John faces multiple crises and comes to understand what it is to stand alone and lean on only the Lord.

Your heart will embrace The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem because John’s story is the story of our hope and promise.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

This is a really good book about John. I love Biblical fiction, because so often it just makes things so alive and gives fresh perspectives. This is my second time posting about this book, but it is that good! It's still a five star read and I highly recommend this series and I'd greatly encourage you to read this book. It's a fantastic read which will have you digging into your Bible anew.

5 Stars

https://carolkeen.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-last-disciple-crisis-in-jerusalem.html

About the Author

It all started the morning I learned that the Gospel of John was published fifty years after Jesus died. Fifty years! What did John do all that time? Where did he live? Why did he wait? Frankly I got a little obsessive about this man who became the last disciple.

Living in Hawaii

For the past 20 years, I’ve been a member of a Bible-based Christian church in Hawaii. About eight years ago, our pastor, Kahu Billy Mitchell, challenged our Elders group to pray and read the Bible for one hour every morning.

It wasn’t as though we were not reading the Bible or praying every day, but he challenged us to take our devotions up a few notches. So, I did just that.

During one of those early morning sessions, I was studying the books of the New Testament in a broad sense. Who wrote them and when? What were the broad themes covered in each?

I found out that a huge gap of 50 years elapsed after the ministry of Jesus and the publication of the Gospel of John. That morning something else hit me–John outlived all the others to become the last disciple. I couldn’t stop thinking about how lonely it must have been to be the last one standing.

A few years later, I began writing The Last Disciple Series of Christian historical novels about the life of John.

The Last Disciple Series

The Last Disciple is a series of Christian novels based on the Bible and Christian history. The first in the series: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem, begins in the year 62 AD. In it, you walk with John through the streets of Jerusalem. With him, you face multiple crises and come to understand what it is to stand alone and lean only on the Lord.

This book, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus is the third in the series, following The Last Disciple: Escape to Antioch (book two) and The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem (book one).

Blog Stops

Blogging With Carol, April 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 14

Texas Book-aholic, April 15

Artistic Nobody, April 16 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, April 16

She Lives To Read, April 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 18

Guild Master, April 19 (Author Interview)

An Author’s Take, April 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 21

Fiction Book Lover, April 22 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 22

The Lofty Pages, April 23

Cover Lover Book Review, April 24

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 25

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b465/the-last-disciple-crisis-in-jerusalem-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Secrets of the Wildflowers Epic Book Launch

About the Book

Book Title: Secrets of the Wildflowers

Author Name: Sarah Talbert

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Release Date: April 30, 2024

In the heart of ancient Ur, where the gods cast shadows and tradition weaves the fabric of life, Secrets of the Wildflowers unfolds the captivating tale of Miu, a spirited young woman determined to bloom amid the constraints of her culture, family, and the ancient deities that hold sway.

When tragedy strikes, and her beloved brother becomes a sacrifice to the gods, Miu embarks on a courageous journey to break free from the shackles of societal expectations and unearth her true purpose. Inspired by the resilient wildflowers that thrive against all odds, Miu is driven to forge her own path and create a name for herself.

As Miu navigates running her own tavern, friendship with an unlikely courier, and supporting an abandoned child, she finds herself crossing paths with Abram, a figure of significance from the Bible. In their encounters, Abram imparts profound wisdom, revealing that, like the wildflowers, Miu is created to be unique. Yet, he guides her to embrace the very boundaries that enable her to flourish.

Book Excerpt

If she controlled the numbers in her own business, then she’d make sure everyone could rely on each other.

Last night she had lain in bed whispering to her little brother, “What if the farmers harvested wheat using bigger tools?”

Zigan rolled over facing the wall.

“Zigan, what if we had a way to bake bread in larger quantities? What would that do for Ur?” she wondered as she heard him snoring.

She loved numbers, but she also loved giving people like her brother and sister new ways to see the world. And she felt suffocated in this back office. She wanted to escape and run through the wildflowers outside of Ur’s city walls. That’s where she felt alive while her mind raced with new ideas–in the wildflowers where she could run free. If Miu had her way, she’d take her brother and sister on a journey to the edges of the world. They would see the places her father traveled and beyond. If she had her way, she’d trick the gods into letting her control her own life. She wasn’t sure how, but she’d break their rules and prove to everyone she could run the accounting and see the world.

Missed Any Excerpts, Go Here

Excerpt One: http://kid-lit.library-lady.blog/epic-book-launch-and-excerpt-secrets-of-the-wildflowers/
Excerpt Two: https://blossomsandblessings.blogspot.com/2024/04/secrets-of-wildflowers-by-sarah-talbert.html
Excerpt Three: https://moments-of-beauty.blogspot.com/2024/03/epic-book-launch-secrets-of-wildflowers.html
Excerpt Four: https://carolkeen.blogspot.com/2024/04/secrets-of-wildflowers-epic-book-launch.html
Excerpt Five: https://storiesbygina.com/2024/04/11/secrets-of-the-wildflowers-epic-book-launch-with-celebrate-lit-publicity/
Excerpt Six: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/secrets-of-the-wildflowers-epic-book-launch/
Excerpt Seven: https://coverloverbookreview.blogspot.com/2024/03/secrets-of-wildflowers.html

About the Author

Sarah Talbert is an enthusiastic storyteller who loves to explore the complexities of faith. She uses her creative writing to inspire others in their own spiritual journey.

Sarah has a deep passion for making God famous. By using her gifts as a Christian Historical Fiction author and blogger, Sarah shares powerful stories that honor the beauty of humanity while pointing readers toward a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Sarah loves fostering community through discipleship, hospitality, and practical evangelism. She also runs her own copywriting business, focusing on giving other businesses opportunities for their voice to be heard.

Friday, April 5, 2024

Cracklin' Rosie by Jennifer Lynn Cary (The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue Book 4)

About the Book

Book: Cracklin’ Rosie

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release Date: November 20, 2023

She’s a strong-willed chiropractor…

…He’s an old-fashioned MD.

Sparks fly—but will they burn them or make them sizzle?

When Rose Crackinbush D.C. sets up her modern (for the 1970s) practice in a new town, heaven help anyone who thinks chiropractors aren’t legitimate doctors. Those naysayers will eat their words. Or she might make them cookies—she can be nice.

And if she can keep her temper about the town’s Jokester MD, she might win some new patients.

But this MD isn’t just a jokester. A dedicated family doctor, Brett Shoffner uses humor to help heal his patients. Only it seems newly-arrived lady chiropractors aren’t ready for his quips — no matter how pretty and smart they are. This specific lady chiropractor, not the quips.

Life would be so much easier for these two if they could avoid each other. But fate keeps throwing them together. Can they see beyond the symptoms and diagnose the real reasons behind their push-pull attraction?

And if so, will they choose the best cure?

Welcome back to 1972 Kokomo, Indiana in Cracklin’ Rosie, the fourth installment of the Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series, where the Great Physician can adjust callings and purposes in ways never imagined.

You will enjoy Cracklin’ Rosie, a sweet, clean romcom inspired by Neil Diamond’s 1960’s song of the same title, because everyone knows that the plans we make don’t always end up as we thought they would.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

We do need fun things to read, and this series, especially this book, fit those qualifications. This is book four of a series, but you could read it alone. It's funny! So much wonderful humor is in this story. Rose's humor isn't all that's in these pages. I love seeing another female chiropractor. I enjoy the 70's setting. It's just so cozy and feels like home, even when people were struggling for acceptance and independence. Faith isn't left out of this book either. It's just a lovely read. I'd call this a vacation or beach read because it's that relaxing and fun and a I learned a lot about a song I didn't of at all before this.

5 Stars

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 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 Girls trilogy 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. Cracklin’ Rosie is the fourth book of her spin-off series The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue.

More from Jennifer

I’ve long been a fan of 60s music—since the 1960s! Neil Diamond has been a favorite performer since that time. I must have been in fourth grade with “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime” was released. I had no idea of any deeper meaning, just loved the song—it would’ve gotten full 98 score from me for having “a great beat and fun to dance to” if I’d been a judge on American Bandstand with Dick Clark.

Fast-forward a good fifty plus years, and I’m researching 60s music where the song title has a girl’s name in it for my Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series and I run across “Cracklin’ Rosie.” That was one song I sang with gusto. So fun. But I never was sure of the meaning. What or who was Cracklin’ Rosie? Then I got an inspiration that made me laugh out loud. I even contacted friends to share—tickled me to no end. What if Rosie was a chiropractor? That was the genesis for this story.

Of course, it needed to be funny. And who better to add humor and conflict than a medical doctor who fancied himself as an amateur comedian? The idea stuck and the brainstorming began. I have to tell you my critique partner, Diana Brandmeyer, understands humor. It was a blast coming up with ways to make it funny.

I hope you will agree, and that there will be moments when you snort or chuckle. Or even laugh out loud and have someone look over at you, so you tell them, “You gotta read this book.” Anyway, whether anyone watches you read, I hope you’ll enjoy this latest addition to the Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series, Cracklin’ Rosie.