Monday, September 25, 2017

Series Review: Trixie Belden Mysteries by Julie Campbell and Kathryn Kenny

I recently picked up one of these "to refresh myself as to why I liked them". Turns out... once a good book... always a good book. Before I could blink almost, I found myself finishing four of them. And I'd be reading more right now if I didn't have a large stack of library books needing my attention. Trixie Belden is a 13 year old, freckled mess. A tom-boy who is, in the words of most who know her, "Fresh as paint". She and her brothers and neighbors form a club, and sometimes new members are introduced. The lingo is definitely only something that a nerd like me would still use in daily conversation, but the stories can't fail to touch the hearts of both boys and girls. It's a series that will bring a smile to your face. And the characters actually have math homework that they aren't good at. Can we get any more relatable than this? Not for a teenager anyway. I'm giving this series 4.5 stars.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Waiting-On-Wednesday: A Dangerous Legacy by Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is another of my favorite authors. In This Moment is probably my favorite, but I can't wait to read A Dangerous Legacy, which releases in October of this year.

About

"Camden is the master of historical inspirational romance..."--Booklist Telegraph operator Lucy Drake is a master of Morse code and has made herself a valuable asset to the Associated Press news agency. But the sudden arrival of Sir Colin Beckwith at rival British news agency Reuters puts her hard-earned livelihood at risk. Colin is talented, handsome, insufferably charming--and keeping a secret that jeopardizes his reputation.

Despite their rivalry, Lucy can't deny that Colin has the connections she needs to give her family an edge in the long legal battle they've been waging over their rightful inheritance. But when she negotiates an unlikely alliance with him, the web of treachery they dive into proves to be far more dangerous than they ever could have known.

Waiting-On-Wednesday is hosted at Breaking The Spine.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Answer a Question: What is the first book you read by yourself?

I remember the day I read a whole book by myself for the first time. It took me alllllll day! It was an orange book, a collection of Dick and Jane short stories. I was so proud of myself. I still have that book in my room! What about you? What was your first book?

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Waiting-On-Wednesday: Out of the Ashes by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

If you remember from this past January, I loved book 1 in the Heart of Alaska series. I was over the top in love. (And it introduced me to Kimberley Woodhouse, who is definitely a favorite author now.) I'm so excited about Out of the Ashes. It releases January 2018, and I know it's going to be a tough wait.

About

After the death of their father, Collette and Jean-Michel Langelier are no longer tied to post-war France. While his sister dreams of adventure, Jean-Michel is hoping to finally escape reminders of the horrors he faced in the war. When Jean-Michel receives an unexpected invitation for them to visit Alaska and the Curry Hotel, it seems an opportunity for a change he needs.

Katherine Demarchis is a young widow who does not grieve the dangerous husband she was forced to marry. Now she just wants to retreat to a quiet life, content to be alone. First, though, she's agreed to accompany her grandmother on a final trip, but never expects to see a man from her past.

Katherine and Jean-Michel once shared a deep love that was torn apart by forces beyond their control. Reunited now, have the years changed them too deeply to rediscover what they had? And when Jean-Michel's nightmares return with terrifying consequences, will faith be enough to heal what's been broken for so long?

Waiting-on-Wednesday is hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Review: A Harvest of Hope by Lauraine Snelling

Miriam's attraction for Trygve is growing. Ingegborg is dealing with her loss. The awful bank manager is causing more troubles than he is helping, and Thorliff is fed up with him to the point of almost beating the fellow up. I'm not doing a good job on this summary.... I'm sorry. Next time I'll use the actual one, but for now this will have to do.

I'm giving this book 4.5 stars.

1: This one was better than the last one, but I still say the last one is the best. We'll see after Streams of Mercy.

2: This might or might not be a SPOILER but I don't care if it is. I was laughing so hard I was crying when Miriam up and punched that awful man. I couldn't help myself. It was the best thing ever!

3: My favorite part of the book has to be the way Trygve obviously adores his Tante Ingeborg. It was too sweet for words! And she just loves him right back and fills him up with as may sweets as he can eat.

4: Baby Roald...and then what Miriam did... and poor Elizabeth being stuck in the house for months... and oh I loved it. These characters stick with you, as does the place. Blessing is a wonderful place.

5: I love how the Lord sent people into Ingeborg's life to keep her from the pit. Emmy, and Manny, sweet inquisitive Inga, Kaaren, Trygve, and Miriam. (Inserts innumerable emojis here because words fail)

Not my longest review, probably not my best... but I do recommend reading the Blessing books.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Review: Bringing Home Maggie by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Decades of Loss, an Unsolved Mystery,
and a Rift Spanning Three Generations

Hazel DeFord is a woman haunted by her past. While berry picking in a blackberry thicket in 1943, ten-year old Hazel momentarily turns her back on her three-year old sister Maggie and the young girl disappears.

Almost seventy years later, the mystery remains unsolved and the secret guilt Hazel carries has alienated her from her daughter Diane, who can’t understand her mother’s overprotectiveness and near paranoia. While Diane resents her mother’s inexplicable eccentricities, her daughter Meghan—a cold case agent—cherishes her grandmother’s lavish attention and affection.

When a traffic accident forces Meghan to take a six-week leave-of-absence to recover, all three generations of DeFord women find themselves unexpectedly under the same roof. Meghan knows she will have to act as a mediator between the two headstrong and contentious women. But when they uncover Hazel’s painful secret, will Meghan also be able to use her investigative prowess to solve the family mystery and help both women recover all that’s been lost?

5 stars!

1: Yes.... I have been reading a ton of Kim's books.... Yes, you will keep hearing about them. Here's the deal. I haven't disliked a single one of her books, and more often than not, she has me crying. Her books always provide the perfect conditions to get emotionally involved, something I adore about them.

2: I enjoyed the (extremely random, as far as time and place we went to) flashbacks. It made this book the perfect blend of historical and contemporary. And just seeing everything through the eyes of the 3 DeFord women.... and then Sean. The POVs were exceptional.

3: Okay, well since this smarty-pants decided to start filling in random points and not do it in order, I'm going to put right here in the middle that this book had an incredible ending! I mean, all of her books do... another reason I love them. (Oh, but if I post this before the In Every Heartbeat review... that one scares even me. I haven't gone back to read over it again yet. Too scared. I wrote it while I was in a huff... the entire thing is a spoiler. Oomph.)

4: Honestly, if Diane hadn't had her "come-to-Jesus-meeting" when she had, I'd've had to slap her upside the head with her own book! And Meghan had hers. And I was just so happy! It was perfect! I was so glad they came to Jesus, so glad that I forgot the fictitious nature of the story.

5: Whew... if the bad guy (I'm not saying who, because it was a surprise for me and I don't want to spoil anything. Course, if I'd been actually trying to solve the mystery instead of all the relationships then I might have seen it....) hadn't already been taken care of, I'd be having some major problems. And if these characters weren't (unfortunately) fictional, then my problems have a high chance of landing me behind bars...... What scum would do that to sweet little Maggie!

This is gonna sound weird, and not-me, but if you had someone who actually knew how to make an accurate movie off of a book, I'd probably have that DVD worn down so fast..... I'm serious.

Well, we can definitely see that I don't have strong feelings about this book! (Sarcasm flowing strongly there)

This book is available for purchase TODAY!!! Happy Book Birthday Kim!

I received this book through the Blogging for Books program.

Monday, September 4, 2017

CelebrateLit Tour: Review: Wheresoever They May Be by Terri Wangard

Lily Swanson longs to be a mother. Soon Frank should be home for good and they can furnish a nursery. Maybe even find a bigger house.
Joe Gallagher grew up in a small house with plenty of siblings. He loves the solitude of flying, but the war has dragged on for so long. He’s ready to go home.
Susan Talbot has a bad attitude. She’s estranged from her family and she doesn’t attract friends. But war can bring out the best in people and Susan’s surprised to realize she’s happy.
They all do their part in striving for victory in World War II. Sometimes, though, the danger can be hard to identify.

I'm not even sure where to start.... (I'm pretty sure I'm going to regret writing this the instant I finished, but I want everything fresh and firmly fixed in my mind........And doing it all without spoilers is going to kill me!) I can't even use my outline on this book. This book has taken everything I thought I knew about WWII books and crumpled it up, then tossed in the nearest wastebasket. Start with the good.... The characters were awesome. Lily and Frank were the cutest thing. Joe was funny. Susan was a hard egg to crack, but I knew from the first that she was going to become a favorite. And she did. I honestly thought from the beginning that Susan and Joe were going to be an item, but this book's first surprise was the fact that it wasn't a romance. I enjoyed getting to see 4 different views of the war: Homefront, WAC, Navy, and Air Force. It gave such a well rounded and interesting.... moving.... action packed story. The dynamics between characters. Even the great secondary characters like Gibson, Pearl of great price, and Charlotte, were very loved. And of course, there were a ton of characters to dump all your hatred and frustration on. There was character growth, especially for Lily and Susan. Things I didn't like.... well, that's difficult to say while keeping this spoiler free. A typhoon and a plane crash are among the things that I didn't like. In fact, I didn't even cry over this book because my mind didn't register things. I guess I thought it wasn't true and everything would undo itself in the last chapter. Speaking of the last chapter.... I was totally fine with where I saw this going, but when I turned the last page I literally went "What?" out loud. I felt like it was missing a chapter, or at least a few pages. I have a thing about endings, and this one wasn't what I was expecting at all. In fact this crazy book didn't do anything I thought it would. ANYTHING!

Now the hard part is stars. After I got into this whopper (it took me 7 hours!) I didn't want to put it down. In fact, I'd have no problems giving this book 5 stars if it wasn't for that ending... or that one plane crash.... I think I'll give this book 4.5 stars, and hope you'll forgive the craziness of this review. I promise I enjoyed, even loved, this book. (Trust me, I'm rolling my eyes at me too...)

Anyhow, I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and all opinions are my own. (As if ya couldn't tell ;) )

About the Author

Terri Wangard grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the Lombardi Glory Years. Her first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. These days she is writing historical fiction, and won the 2013 Writers on the Storm contest and 2013 First Impressions, as well as being a 2012 Genesis finalist. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, she lives in Wisconsin. Her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Classic Boating Magazine, a family business since 1984, keeps her busy as an associate editor.

Guest Post from Terri Wangard

After eight years of thinking, breathing, researching B-17s, I was ready to disembark and concentrate on something else. But what? I had a vague idea of three friends who joined the WAC, the WAVES, and the WASPs, but nothing crystalized. Except for the WAC.
I didn’t want to completely turn away from flying, and I prefer topics that aren’t commonly known. How about a grasshopper pilot? My second character was on board.
I had toyed with the idea of a family generational series. A World War II story paired with a World War I story. But no, too unwieldy.
The WAC could have a sister, though, who stayed on the home front and did factory work. Oh, dear. I couldn’t completely stay away from B-17s. She’s building them.
She also needs a husband. He’ll be in the navy, and not on an aircraft carrier. A destroyer! (This was in the works before Sarah Sundin signed a contract for her just-concluded series about destroyer men. I checked with her: She was writing about the Atlantic war; my guy’s in the Pacific. No problem.) I studied the list of Pacific destroyers and, oooh, the Spence. All kinds of possibilities there.
So there I had it: a sailor, his Rosie-the-Riveter wife, her WAC sister, and a grasshopper pilot. They’re all doing their part to help win the war, but sometimes the enemy isn’t obvious.

Giveaway

To celebrate the tour, Celebrate Lit Publishing is giving away:

Grand Prize of $25 Amazon Gift Card
1st Place prize of the Wheresoever They May Be – eBook

and
2nd Place prize of the Wheresoever They May Be – eBook!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

Click here to purchase your copy.

Check out the other reviews on this tour. I know I will be!

Blog Stops

August 31: A Baker’s Perspective

August 31: Connie’s History Classroom

September 1: Bibliophile Reviews

September 1: Red Headed Book Lady

September 2: Just the Write Escape

September 2: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS

September 3: Zerina Blossom’s Books

September 3: Janices book reviews

September 4: Live. Love. Read.

September 4: Jeanette’s Thoughts

September 5: Reading Is My SuperPower

September 5: Carpe Diem

September 6: Lock, Hooks and Books

September 6: Neverending Stories

September 7: Christian Bookaholic

September 7: Splashes of Joy

September 8: Bigreadersite

September 8: My Crazy Life as a Scholar

September 9: Have A Wonderful Day

September 9: Novels Corner

September 10: Radiant Light

September 10: History, Mystery & Faith

September 11: Daysong Reflections

September 11: Pursuing Stacie

September 12: God’s Little Bookworm

September 12: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

September 13: Blossoms and Blessings

September 13: Marry Hake

I can't wait to hear from you. I'll be checking for comments!

Saturday, September 2, 2017

CelebrateLit Tour: Review: The Duke's Dilemma by Elaine Manders

Should he wed the perfect match—or the one he loves?
Edward Dalton, the new Duke of Langsdale, must soon take a wife to ensure the hereditary line. A young war widow seems the perfect choice. She is charming, well respected with impeccable character, and her connections to the Ton’s most important people is an asset he can’t ignore. But Edward is intrigued by another widow. The mysterious, hauntingly beautiful Lady Wayte.
Cassandra Wayte could not be a more unsuitable match. She isn’t received by polite society, and her notorious dealings with London’s underclass is the talk of nobility from White’s patrons to the most fashionable hostesses. It’s even whispered she murdered her elderly husband. But Edward sees a different side of the tragic lady, and he determines to discover the secrets tormenting her. As he peels away the layers of her resistance, he discovers a malevolent adversary stalking Lady Wayte and exposes a level of depravity that shocks even his war-hardened sensibilities. Can he win her trust and her heart? And at what cost to the dukedom?
As Cassandra’s relentless search for her husband’s murderer exposes both her and Edward to unseen dangers, all they can rely on is their love for each other and their faith in God.

I'm giving this book 4 stars.

1: First time for this author. I enjoyed it. Also.... possibly first time for regency. I thought I had read some before, and maybe I have, or maybe I just got confused and thought regency was something else. Either way, I was afraid at the start that I might not like it as much, but turns out, Elaine Manders did a great job making me fall in love with the gossipy ol' Ton.

2: I loved the characters. Even before I was really and truly "into" the story, little Sarah was a favorite character. Other characters became favorites quickly, like Cassandra and Edward (Obviously...) and Gama. Others took some time, but grew on me till I loved them too, like Lady Pugh. Of course, there were some who remained enemies to the end, and even a surprise enemy that added quite the twist to the story... (Maybe two surprise enemies... depending on how you view it) And are these enemies EVER fun to hate! Despise even!

3: This story demonstrates God working "all things to good", considering what poor Cassandra had to go through, but what she was rescued from, first because He sent Lord Wayte, and then Cassandra helping those poor girls, and then God sending Edward to rescue Cassandra (This girl is all the time needing rescuing.)

4: It was a little more....well, you know, dealing with the poor, trapped, girls so much.....but a little more...(can't think of the proper word here) than is usual for me. (It was still a great story. Believe me, it was)

5: I loved the vivid word pictures. The descriptions of the paintings, of the gowns, of Snowfire. Everything coming together until I could all but touch the Sarah's curls.

I received this book through the CelebrateLit blogging program. All opinions are (of course) mine.

About the Author

Elaine Manders writes wholesome Christian romance and suspense about the bold, capable women of history and the strong, dependable men who love them. She prefers stories that twist and turn and surprise, told by characters of faith. She lives in Central Georgia with a happy bichon-poodle mix. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, crafts, and spending time with her friends, daughter, and grandchildren.

Guest post from Elaine Manders

Historical romance became my favorite genre back in the seventies and eighties, and one of my favorite settings was Regency England. A Regency can be a romance in the Jane Austin mode or historical romance set during the Regency period. There is a difference, and The Duke’s Dilemma falls into this latter category. Yes, there is some of usual drawing room intrigue in an Austen novel, but The Duke’s Dilemma contains a serious spiritual theme. The plot fitted perfectly into my new series, The Wolf Deceivers.
I wrote the original manuscript nearly twenty years ago as a light, secular romance, but when I revised it to Christian romance, I was delighted to find the inspirational thread deepened the characters. Instead of merely fighting for her reputation while trying to wrest the duke from another woman, Cassandra, the heroine, must fight for her survival. Instead of being another handsome, sardonic nobleman, Edward, the hero, uses his intelligence and grace to protect Cassandra and win her love.
Even the secondary characters captivated me. Little Sarah’s match-making antics suited the Regency theme and provided some levity during the darker moments of the plot. Lady Ashford, Cassandra’s foil, developed a tenacity I had to admire in spite of all her shortcomings. And Sir Harcrumb became a villain I loved to hate.
Though the characters changed a great deal in the retelling, the plot remained basically the same. The only thing I added was a surprise twist at the end—something that has inadvertently become a part of my brand.
Every story is a learning experience for me, and I’m always grateful for how much I learn from my research and from the Holy Spirit. I’ve become more aware of those who deceive, and how vulnerable people, especially young people, are to Satan’s tactics. Also, I’ve unexpectedly come away with a better understanding of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Although this is a new label, we all know it has affected people throughout history.
Yes, The Duke’s Dilemma has taught me much, and I hated to say good-bye to these characters. I love stories that move me during the writing and only ask two things of my books. That they bring enjoyment to my readers and glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus. I hope this one does both.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elaine is giving away:

Grand prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card
1st place: paperback copies of Books 1 and 2 of the Wolf Deceivers series, The Chieftain’s Choice and The Duke’s Dilemma!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/bbab

Click here to purchase your copy.

Check out all these blog stops for this tour.