About the Book

Book: The Fifth Avenue Story Society

Author: Rachel Hauck

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Women’s Fiction

Release Date: February 4, 2020

An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories.

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to bear their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.

Get your copy of the book here.

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist.

Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pet and writes from her ivory tower.

Visit her online at RachelHauck.com; Facebook: RachelHauck; Twitter: @RachelHauck; Instagram: @rachelhauck.

Read an Excerpt

Read an excerpt [Excerpt Link ]

MY REVIEW

I always know when I read a novel by Rachel Hauck, that it will entertain, have a profound message, and touch my heart in a way that I can't stop thinking about it after I turn the last page. This book was even better than I could have imagined.

Five characters all drawn to a library by an anonymous invitation. The story is about learning to trust the ability, to be honest with yourself and others, accept forgiveness, and release the chains that bind you to the past.

The storyline is unique and the character's strengths and weaknesses made them come alive as I followed their journey. They found that truth brings freedom they never imagined giving them newfound hope for the future.

I feel this is one of Rachel's best so far and I highly recommend that you don't miss the opportunity to be thrilled by her magical story. I couldn't put it down.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 10

The Avid Reader, February 10

Livin’ Lit, February 10

Genesis 5020, February 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 10

The Power of Words, February 11

A Baker’s Perspective, February 11

Rebecca Tews, February 11

All-of-a-kind Mom, February 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 11

Older & Smarter?, February 12

Seasons of Opportunities, February 12

Texas Book-aholic, February 12

Inklings and notions, February 12

deb’s Book Review, February 12

My Devotional Thoughts, February 13

Just the Write Escape, February 13

For Him and My Family, February 13

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, February 13

CarpeDiem, February 13

Remembrancy, February 14

Christian Bookaholic, February 14

Connect in Fiction, February 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 14

April Hayman, Author, February 14

Robin’s Nest, February 15

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, February 15

Britt Reads Fiction, February 15

Just Your Average reviews, February 15

Blogging With Carol, February 15

Batya’s Bits, February 16

Bigreadersite, February 16

A Reader’s Brain, February 16

Worthy2Read, February 16

Stories By Gina, February 16

Back Porch Reads, February 17

janicesbookreviews, February 17

Literary Reflections Book Blog, February 17

Inside the Wong Mind, February 17

Mary Hake, February 17

Through the fire blogs, February 18

Mia Reads, February 18

Baker Kella, February 18

EmpowerMoms, February 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 18

Maureen’s Musings, February 19

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 19

Coast and Anchor, February 19

Spoken from the Heart, February 19

SPLASHES of Joy, February 19

She Lives to Read, February 20

By The Book, February 20

Wishful Endings, February 20

Moments, February 20

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

Andrea Christenson, February 21

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 21

Pause for Tales, February 21

For The Love of Books, February 21

Lis Loves Reading, February 21

Reader’s Cozy Corner, February 22

Hallie Reads, February 22

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, February 22

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, February 22

To Everything There Is A Season, February 22

Godly Book Reviews, February 23

Daysong Reflections, February 23

SusanLovesBooks, February 23

Lights in a Dark World, February 23

Operation Blessing (OB) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization dedicated to demonstrating God’s love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world. With the support of our generous partners, Operation Blessing provides strategic relief on an ongoing basis through core programs such as disaster relief, health and medical care, hunger relief, and clean water.

Along with our faithful supporters, we put a special emphasis on not only providing physical relief to those in immediate need, but also equipping them with new knowledge to create sustainable solutions to combat poverty. Operation Blessing and our partners are devoted to being God’s hands and feet in the world. We’re committed to listening to the needs of each community we serve, instead of telling them what we think they need, addressing the core issues behind poverty, rather than only treating the symptoms.

Book Description:

Sarah Hubbard makes her living as a seamstress in her solitary home beside Willoughby Run, a creek near Gettysburg. Her loyalties are firmly on the side of the North so when Confederate soldier, Jesse Mitchell, seeks refuge at her home she cautiously agrees to help him.

Jesse promised his sister-in-law to bring her husband, Jonas, home safely. With all the death he's witnessed fighting for "The Cause," protecting Jonas has become a matter of honor. He is prepared to die for his brother and his country. He appreciates his luck in finding a caring woman behind enemy lines.

When Union soldiers spill onto their property, Sarah's compassionate decision to conceal Jesse's presence in her home leads to more hardships than she can imagine.

More than borders separate the couple. Can a Southern soldier and a Northern seamstress overcome the bitterness of loss and find the love amidst the horrors of war.

MY REVIEW

A Rebel in My House is an on the edge of your seat, emotional read. It bases the storyline on the three days in Gettysburg and the days following, which gives the reader a glimpse into a fictional yet historical view of the events seen through the eyes of the main characters.

The characters are well-developed and I connected with them immediately. I felt their pain as the terror of war-affected every fiber of their being.

It was clear throughout the book, that the author did extensive research. Her descriptions of the battlefield and condition of the town during the war became very real.

A Rebel in My House is a wonderful fictional tale with well-written historical aspects woven throughout. I also was happy to see the spiritual content woven into her characters. Highly recommended.

Purchase on Amazon

About the Book

Book: Babel Author: Brennan S. McPherson

Genre: Biblical fiction

Release Date: July 29, 2019

A sweeping, epic retelling of the story of the Tower of Babel. . .

More than a century after the worldwide flood, Noah, now the forefather of the living world, works peacefully in his vineyard until tragedy tears apart his relationship with his son, Ham.

Years later, dark prophetic dreams inextricably link him with a young man carrying scars from a painful past, and a young woman who longs for acceptance yet harbor secrets darker than either of them imagine.

Will Noah face the role he played in the slow unraveling of his family? Or will everything collapse when they meet the evil attempting to swallow the world at. . . the Tower of Babel?

Read today to experience biblical fiction that helps you think biblically and feel deeply.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

BRENNAN S. MCPHERSON writes epic, imaginative biblical fiction with heart-pounding plots and lyrical prose, for readers who like to think biblically and feel deeply. He lives with his wife and young daughter in the Midwest, and spends as much of his spare time with them as possible. Find out more about him at brennanmcpherson.com.

MY REVIEW

Bebel, is written from multiple viewpoints of what may have happened in the journey and it creates a wonderful storyline that I enjoyed very much.

I like Brennan's style of keeping the Biblical tale as accurate as possible, but he has a unique way of melding factional and fictional aspects that keep the reader engaged.

His characters come alive and I find myself examining my walk in life. Babel, makes you think of the hard times during Noah's days and transports you into the story on a new level.

Babel, is wonderfully written and I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

I especially enjoyed the question-and-answer section at the end of the book. It was a history lesson plus an insight into the author's writing process.

More from Brennan

10 Facts You Might Not Know About the Story of the Tower of Babel

When I first heard the story of the Tower of Babel as a kid, it was hard for me to take it seriously. A guy named Nimrod builds a tower that he thinks is going to reach to the heavens (what a nimrod) and God punishes him? That’s pretty humorous sounding.

But is that really the whole story?

Upon closer look, we see that’s not quite what happened! And neither is the story any laughing matter. So, let’s dive through 10 facts you might not know about the story of the Tower of Babel in the book of Genesis:

1. The entire account of the Tower of Babel is in Genesis 11:1-9, but additional details and references are found from Genesis 9 through Genesis 11:26. There’s WAY too much here for just one point, so suffice it to say that to get a true understanding of the events in Genesis 11:1-9, you have to dig deep and cross-reference the surrounding Scripture text heavily. Because Genesis is written as what seems to be a poetic historical account, the events of the flood in Genesis 6-9 directly impact the events of the Tower of Babel. As do the troubles between Noah and his children, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In addition, the text of Genesis 9 through Genesis 11 is not perfectly chronological. Noah’s death is talked about in Genesis 9, and yet Noah was alive during the events of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. This is part of the reason why we have to read carefully, and cross-reference often, to make sense of the nuanced details in the story.

1. The story of the Tower of Babel wouldn’t have happened without Noah getting drunk in Genesis 9. In Genesis 9:18-29, we are given a general overview of the breakdown of Noah’s family, and the end of Noah’s life. Noah plants a vineyard, gets drunk, then gets naked (a little strange), and his son Ham sees him naked and ridicules him to the family. Noah wakes up, hears what happened, and curses Ham’s lineage instead of directly cursing Ham, because as a prophet of God, Noah doesn’t presume to curse whom God has blessed (Genesis 9:1). This curse splits the family, and Noah’s failure to be a spiritual leader in his family is part of what allows the events of the tower of Babel to happen, because the Tower was most likely a religious structure made to aid in the worship of the celestial bodies (i.e. sun, stars, moon). If Noah had not allowed a schism in his family, he would have been more capable of speaking against occurrences of idolatry. Seeing this connection, along with the next point, was what gave rise to the plot for my full-length novelization of the story, BABEL: The Story of the Tower and the Rebellion of Man.

1. Noah was alive during the events of the tower of Babel. In Genesis 9:28-29, we’re told that Noah lived 350 years after the flood, and died when he was 950 years old. If we flip ahead to Genesis 11:10, we find several VERY interesting clues that help us piece together a reasonably accurate timeline. Shem’s son Arpachshad (I don’t know how to pronounce that either) was born two years after the flood. If we assume that every descendant afterward is a father-son relationship (meaning that there’s no skipping generations—which we see in other genealogies in Scripture), we end up finding out that a man named Peleg was born 101 years after the flood. We’re also told Peleg lived 239 years, so he died 340 years after the flood (ten years before Noah died). We’re also told in the mirrored genealogy in Genesis 10 that the earth was “divided” in Peleg’s lifetime. We know that this doesn’t refer to a continental divide, or the flood, because the flood happened 101 years before Peleg was born, and a continental divide would have caused worldwide flooding again (which God promised to never do). The only other divide we’re told about in Scripture is the divide in languages and countries from the events at the Tower of Babel. Thus, we can pretty safely conclude that Noah was alive during the events of the tower of Babel.

1. Abram could have been alive during the events of the tower of Babel, and was definitely alive during Noah’s lifetime. Following the timeline given in Genesis 11 (along with the assumption we already talked about in point 3 above), we see that Abram was born 292 years after the flood. This is 58 years before Noah died, and 48 years before Peleg died. It’s therefore reasonable to assume that Abram could have both known about (or been present at) the Tower of Babel event, and that he could have been directly discipled by Noah himself, learning about the beginning of the universe and the world’s greatest cataclysm from someone who had experienced the violent baptism of the world first-hand. In addition, Noah’s father, Lamech, could have known Seth (Adam’s son), and gotten a second-hand account of the garden of Eden. Not hard to see how an accurate oral tradition about the beginnings of the universe could have been passed down to Abram’s lineage and written in some form in his day (because they definitely had Semitic cuneiform writing back during the Tower of Babel days).

1. The Tower of Babel story could have happened anywhere from 101 years after the flood, to 340 years after the flood. This is interesting for several reasons. The closer the events were to the timing of the flood, the more we question what in the world Noah was doing during the events of the Tower of Babel. Why wasn’t the prophet of God stopping the world from gathering in rebellion against God with blatant idolatry? This was the provocative “What-if” question that gave rise to my novel, BABEL: The Story of the Tower and the Rebellion of Man, which is (you guessed it) largely about Noah’s involvement (and failure) in the events at the Tower of Babel. But in addition to that, we can also see that the population size could have varied widely, from a thousand or so people, to tens of thousands of people.

1. Just like the hundreds of flood myths in myriad cultures around the world, there are countless myths about the confusion of the world’s languages. Many of these language myths arose through oral tradition in areas that were untouched by the biblical text, which strongly indicates that there was a real event that spawned the disparate accounts. Some of the accounts include an Australian myth that attributes the language split to cannibalism, an African tale where madness struck people during a famine and they all spoke different languages and scattered, and a Polynesian tale that talks of a God who, in his fury, scattered the builders of a tower, broke its foundation, and made the builders speak in many different languages. Pretty crazy, right?

1. It’s possible that Nimrod didn’t build Babel OR the Tower, though he was likely involved in the process. We’re told in Genesis 10:9 that Nimrod was primarily a hunter (a man of violence), and that the “beginning of his kingdom” was Babel, among other cities, before he went and built Nineveh, among others. If he built Babel, it likely would’ve said so there (though this is, of course, still up for debate). In addition, the actual account of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 cites that the people communally said to one another, “let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens.” There was no one person who was commanding the building, but rather a group deciding in unison. Again, Nimrod could have been involved in this process. Or, he could have come to power afterward.

1. The trinity was involved at the events of the Tower of Babel. Traditional interpretation of Genesis 11, and God’s words saying, “Let us go down and see the tower” that mankind had built, is that Jesus, God (Yahweh), and the Holy Spirit were present and involved in the event. This makes sense with our New Testament understanding of the trinity for several reasons. First, Jesus is the Word, and his relation to God’s spoken revelation is inseparable throughout Scripture. Second, the world was created through Jesus (John 1:3), so he and the Holy Spirit are shown as involved in everything God has done from the beginning (“Spirit hovered over the face of the waters”;). We also know the Holy Spirit’s involvement in human speech is profound from the account at Pentecost in the Book of Acts, which seems to be a sort of divine symbolic reversal of the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel. Furthermore, if God was speaking in the plural to beings unified with him and who needed to be involved at the Tower, he could only have been speaking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If God took a physical form in some way, traditional interpretation says that it would likely have been as a humanoid prefigurement of the Christ. Now we’re getting kindof “out there,” but this is important because we can see Christ and the Holy Spirit at work in this ancient, Old Testament story, along with links to their work in the New Testament church and the covenant we have with God under Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. Because Noah was atypeof Adam. The world began anew with Noah through the baptism of the world. And we know that Christ is the last Adam, the undoing of Adam’s mistakes, and that his baptism is by the Spirit, not by water, which pointed ahead to the baptism we experience through Christ’s blood. Baptism came to represent the death of the old world because of the literal destruction of the old world through water at the almighty hand of God. In this way, we see powerful symbolic connections and importance layered into the Tower of Babel story, and the lives of those involved.

1. The tower of Babel was likely finished when the languages were confused. In Genesis 11:5, it says God went down to see the city and the tower which the children of man “had built.” In addition, In Genesis 11:8, it claims God spread them out from there over the face of the earth, and that the people left off building the city (but not the tower, which implies the tower was already finished).

1. For the last time, the Tower of Babel story is NOT about technological advancement. Baked bricks were no new technology. In fact, though modern sociologists who don’t hold the Bible to be trustworthy often say that iron-working didn’t exist until much later, the Bible claims that in the first couple generations of humanity’s existence (long before the flood), humanity was building cities, creating pipe and stringed instruments, forging bronze andiron, and cultivating livestock (Genesis 4:19-22). So, we know that brick-making and using mortar were no great technological advancements. Especially after reminding ourselves that Noah (who was still alive) built the world’s largest wooden boat, waterproofed it with pitch, and survived the greatest cataclysm to ever strike the earth. He had some advanced building skills and would not have been impressed by bricks. The point of the story of the Tower of Babel is to illustrate man’s pride (wanting to make a name for themselves separate from their identity as children of God – i.e. “children of man”;), along with man’s tendency toward idolatry, and God’s unlimited power coupled with his mercy and gentleness. The confusion of languages was a brilliant, non-violent way of disrupting their prideful plans. All in all, however, this story is a fascinating view into human nature, family dynamics, mankind’s purpose and ambition, and God’s personhood. If you want a more detailed historical study on the Tower of Babel, check out Bodie Hodge’s book, Tower of Babel, which is a careful study of the historical details, and which is endorsed by Answers in Genesis.

Before working on the full-length novelization of the story of the Tower of Babel (BABEL: The Story of the Tower and the Rebellion of Mankind), I didn’t know any of this. This is part of the reason why I love writing biblical fiction. It drives me back to the text of the Bible in a way nothing else does. I hope reading it does the same for you! Blessings, and thanks for reading. And if you want to pick up a copy of the book, you can do so now on Amazon or Audible.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 4

Discipling4Life, January 4

Simple Harvest Reads, January 5 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 6

Literary Reflections Book Blog, January 6

For the Love of Literature, January 7

My Devotional Thoughts, January 7

Through the Fire Blogs, January 8

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 9

Betti Mace, January 10

Mamma Loves Books, January 10

Texas Book-aholic, January 11

janicesbookreviews, January 12

Novels Corner, January 12

Inklings and notions, January 13

Emily Yager, January 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 14

Aryn The Libraryan ��, January 15

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, January 16

Pause for Tales, January 16

CarpeDiem, January 17

Hallie Reads, January 17

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Brennan is giving away a McPherson Publishing Bundle, which includes paperback copies of Flood, Eden, the Psalm Series, and The Simple Gospel!!

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/f445/babel-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: The Camera Never Lies

Author: David Rawlings

Genre: General fiction/allegory/magical realism

Release Date: December 3, 2019

David Rawlings, author of The Baggage Handler, returns with another probing story: what would you do if your secrets were revealed to those around you?

Daniel Whiteley is a successful couples counselor who regularly puts families back together, helping them face up to the things in life they hide. But his own marriage is falling apart.

His wife, Kelly, knows Daniel is hiding something from her, but she doesn’t dare probe for fear her own secrets will be revealed.

When his grandfather dies, Daniel inherits an old SLR camera from a time when cameras pointed away from the person taking the photograph. On the camera is an inscription: “Use this camera wisely and remember, regardless of the picture you think you took, the camera never lies.” When Daniel first uses his new camera he finds someone has already filled the roll of film. Annoyed, he processes the film and finds photos of a secret that he’s been hiding from his wife and daughter. He has no idea who took them.

Now every time he uses the camera, the photographs reveal another secret about himself the he is desperate to keep-as well as those of his wife, which he is desperate to uncover.

Click to get your copy here 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father of three who loves humor and a clever turn of phrase. Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication. Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face.

My Review

The author, David Rawlings, writes an inspirational and enlightening story similar to those of James Rubart. The Camera Never Lies is full of thought-provoking situations, real connectable characters, and twists that you won't see coming.

 I enjoyed this second book of his as much as The Baggage Handler. Similar style, with a storyline that will leave you scratching your head, bring tears to your eyes, and will give you some, " Ah, Ha!" moments.

You will definitely come away examining your own life when you turn the last page. I couldn't put it down.  Highly recommended.

Read an Excerpt

Read an excerpt of The Camera Never Lies  

http://aerbook.com/books/The_Camera_Never_Lies-228751.html?utm_source=pubpage

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 5

amandainpa, December 5

Older & Smarter?, December 6

Through the Fire Blogs, December 6

Blogging With Carol, December 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 7

For Him and My Family, December 7

Christian Bookaholic, December 8

Emily Yager, December 8

Splashes of Joy, December 8

As He Leads is Joy, December 9

Mamma Loves Books, December 9

Vicky Sluiter, December 10

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 10

Robin’s Nest, December 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 11

Bigreadersite, December 11

Genesis 5020, December 12

Remembrancy, December 12

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 12

Pause for Tales, December 13

A Reader’s Brain, December 13

For the Love of Literature, December 14

Seasons of Opportunities, December 14

Inklings and notions, December 14

Artistic Nobody, December 15

To Everything There Is A Season, December 15

Texas Book-aholic, December 15

Just the Write Escape, December 16

janicesbookreviews, December 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 16

Hallie Reads, December 17

My Devotional Thoughts, December 17

Quiet Quilter, December 18

Literary Reflections Book Blog, December 18

Godly Book Reviews, December 18

When a girl with a Christian background decides all of her happiness depends on a daydream, she will make many mistakes. Hard lessons eventuate before she learns that what she had, in the beginning, was better than her obsessive desire.

Hopkinsville, Kentucky 1925 and Gracie McLaren has visions of becoming a country music star. Desperate to leave the drudgery of farm life behind she escapes the day after her eighteenth birthday leaving in pre-dawn darkness to walk the dusty road to Nashville.

Her determination against the life she has known is set like stone and drives her on.

Pastor Ethan Tindale is new to Hopkinsville, a handsome single man with a secretive past, he reads into the wild thoughts racing through the beautiful young woman’s mind.

Can he wisely guide her to attain her dream without the many evil temptations that he knows to lie ahead?

Will, her soul, be lost entirely or will her Heavenly Father intervene by sending messengers to enlighten her understanding of right from wrong.

Discover how Gracie's journey into spiritual awakening leads her to an unimaginable eternal love for her Savior and others.

MY REVIEW

Stinky Thoughts and Her Lost Soul, is filled with inspiration and an uplifting story of redemption. The main characters, Gracie and Ethan both have an interesting past filled with heartache and frustration.

Gracie, just coming of age, decides for herself that she wants to follow her dream. Not God's will for her life which Gracie knows nothing about. Throughout the storyline, I felt more and more connected to her. I also admire Ethan's dedication to the Lord in helping her find her true path.

There were tender moments, moments of fear, and also some of chilling suspense. This book has it all, and I came away feeling rejuvenated in God's word. It's a wonderful story which will stay with you long after you turn the last page. I feel it is the author's best so far and look forward to her next one.

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

 

Book Description:

This book assures children of God's love through all their experiences—including during hard times such as being afraid of the dark or being bullied—and gives assurance that the parent was there when they were first born and will be with them even in heaven.

From New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado comes Just in Case You Ever Wonder, the classic children’s book that has made its way into hearts and story times around the world. This award-winning book about the love between a parent and child has sold 1.7 million copies, touching lives for more than 25 years now includes new, breathtaking art from Eve Tharlet; is perfect for children ages 3–7; and reminds children of Jesus’ unconditional love.

Whether you have treasured this classic book for years or are reading it for the first time with your little ones, this timeless reminder of the love between a parent and a child—and ultimately, between God the Father and us—will come to hold a special place in your heart and home. Children long to hear they’re special and loved. Just in Case You Ever Wonder assures them that as they grow and change, in both good and bad times, you—and their heavenly Father—will always be on their side . . . just in case they ever wonder.

PURCHASE LINK

MY REVIEW

Just in Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado is a wonderful resource to remind our children and grandchildren how much we love them and how God loves them.  I found this easy to read book beautifully written and illustrated.

The illustrations are well drawn and the colors are vibrant and will catch the eyes of any child.  They illustrate the storyline well. The story is easy for children to understand, the message simplistic but with a deeper meaning that is evident as you read.  Very inspirational and uplifting.

I would highly recommend adding this to your reading library to be read over and over again!

Lost in the Storm

Ladies of Oberlin Book 2

By Tamera Lynn Kraft

Will war bring them love or will they be Lost in the Storm!

Lavena, a journalist during the Civil War, wants to become a war correspondent. She finally gets her chance, but there’s a catch. She has to get an interview from a war hero who has refused to tell his story to every other journalist, and she has to accomplish this impossible task in a month or she’ll lose her job.

Captain Cage, the war hero, has a secret that will destroy his military career and reputation. Now, a new journalist is trying to get him to tell what he’s been hiding. He wants to ignore her, but from the moment she came into camp, he can’t get her out of his mind.

Leading up to the turbulent Battles for the city of Chattanooga, will Lavena and Cage find the courage to love and forgive, or will they be swept away by their past mistakes that don’t want to stay buried?

Meet the Ladies of Oberlin, the causes they're willing to fight for, and the men who capture their hearts.

Available in eBook and paperback at Mt Zion Ridge Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online retailers. 

Purchase book here

Other Books in the Series:

Red Sky Over America: Ladies of Oberlin Book 1

The Aftermath: Ladies of Oberlin Book 3 (coming in 2021)

Forks in the Road (to be released in October): This novel is a Western that tells the story of what happened to Jed and his brothers. Jed is one of the characters in Lost in the Storm.

Soldier’s Heart: This is the story of a minor character in Lost in the Storm who comes home from the war with PTSD.

MY REVIEW

Lavina, a young reporter and determined to report on the truth of the Civil War, goes by train to the front lines of the war. Carrying the terrible hurt from the lies of her imprisoned father, she isn't ready to get close to any man.

Cage Jones, captain of the Ohio seventh brigade is carrying some hurt and guilt of his own. Taken by Lavina's truth and determination, he wrestles with the idea to be truthful with her regarding the battle he received a medal for.

The characters were compelling, yet vulnerable, and the story came alive with the vivid descriptions of the battle front.

Lost in the Storm is a story of forgiveness and a love that conquers all wrongs.

I recieved an ARC from the author and willingly chose to review it.

Author Interview:

What would you say has been the most rewarding part of writing?

Every story I tell has a theme that shows God working throughout history. I love researching historical events and seeing how God has weaved Himself throughout our nation’s history. I love when someone reads one of my stories and gets that.

My faith permeates through everything I write because it’s a major part of who I am. Even when I don’t write something “Christian”, my faith still shines through the pages.

What made you decide to become a writer?

I have always loved to write. I remember writing my first novel when I was ten years old. It was awful. I think what sparked my love for books was my grandmother. She only had an 8th grade education and was a coal miner’s wife, but she loved to read. I remember sitting on her lap in her rocker and her reading great novels like Black Beauty to me.

In high school, I took all the English and literature classes I could to prepare for my career in writing. I even major in English in college in preparation of being a writer.

At some point in my twenties, my writing career was put on hold for decades. Between raising children and becoming a children’s pastor on staff at my church, there just wasn’t time. I still couldn’t keep from writing. I would write children’s church curriculum and puppet skits for my lessons. Some of it even got published.

Finally about twelve years ago, I resigned as a children’s pastor and started a ministry called Revival Fire for Kids where I travel to other churches to do teacher training, kid’s crusades, and children’s ministry consultations. I also am launching Revival Fire for Kids children’s church curriculum in about a year. This keeps me very busy during the summer, but the rest of the time, I have time to write fiction.

My writing career is back on track and moving along. I feel like God has brought me full circle. I put Him first in raising my children and ministering to other children, and He is fulfilling the desires of my heart by opening up doors for me to write again.

Where do you get your ideas for your books? How did you decide to write Lost in the Storm or the Ladies of Oberlin Series?

I get my ideas from historical events. I love studying history. When I read about an event in history, I wonder what it would have been like for the people living during that time.

The way the Ladies of Oberlin Series began was when I thought about writing about strong Christian women in the 19th century. The more I researched, the more I noticed almost every women I read about had a connection with Oberlin College. That intrigued me enough to research Oberlin. What I found astonished me.

Oberlin College was the first college to give degrees to men, women, and blacks before the Civil War. Almost every missionary who went overseas between 1860 and 1900 was a graduate of Oberlin College. Oberlin’s president was the fiery Second Great Awakening evangelist Charles Finney. Oberlin graduates were involved in abolition, women’s suffrage, prohibition, education, laws protecting children, and many other causes of the late 1800s.

I knew I wanted to write stories about women who graduated from Oberlin shortly before the Civil War. The first novel, Red Sky Over America, is about America Leighton the year before she graduated. She went home to Kentucky to try to convince her father to free his slaves. In the second novel, Lost in the Storm, Lavena Falcon is a woman’s rights activist and a journalist during the Civil War and wants to be a war correspondent. In the third novel, The Aftermath, which will be released in 2021, Betsy Teagan fights for prohibition after the war. Each lady has a love interest to keep things interesting.

What advice/tips do you have for budding authors who are just starting out?

Don’t give up too early. It takes years to get to a point where your writing is good enough to be published. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you work hard, continue to improve, and don’t let discouragement stop you, you’ll make it. I’ve always believed that the published authors are not the ones who are the greatest or who have the most potential. They’re the ones who work hard and persevere.

What are your future plans?

I am currently writing the first of a series of novels about women who came to Jamestown in 1619 to marry. The series is called Jamestown Brides, and the first novel is The Seasoning of Elizabella.

Bio:

Award winning author Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. Some of the novels she has written are Red Sky Over America, Alice’s Notions, and Lost in the Storm. You can check Tamera out on her website at http://tameralynnkraft.net.

Tamera been married for 40 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and three grandchildren. She has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire for Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

Online Links:

Website: http://tameralynnkraft.net

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cdybpb

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7334438.Tamera_Lynn_Kraft

Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraft

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamerakraft

About the Book

Book: Identity Theft

Author: Alana Terry

Genre: Christian fiction, mystery/suspense

Release date: March 15, 2019

She imagined Alaska would be the perfect place to hide. She found out it’s the most dangerous place to be found …

Lacy has a secret. A secret nobody knows — not even her fiancé.

A secret that would cost her life … and so much more. So it’s a good thing she’s tucked away in the very heart of rural Alaska, where for once in her life she is finally safe.

But can she stay that way for long?

Suspenseful, thrilling, and impossible to put down, Identity Theft is an unforgettable novel by bestselling Christian author Alana Terry.

Buy your copy today … but be prepared to stay up late!

About the Author

Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

More from Alana

I loved how the author kept the underlying Christian theme alive throughout the story without being preachy. Once you read the story, the seed is planted.

The characters in the story are well-developed, and I could feel a connection early in the story. Even though Lacey made a lot of bad choices, not all of them had bad consequences. Some were by association.

There were lots of twists and turns in the story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending which was uplifting made the story complete for me and I would highly recommend it. Another great read from Alana Terry.

Blog Stops

Genesis 5020, July 25

EmpowerMoms, July 25

Inklings and notions, July 26

Blogging With Carol, July 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 27

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 27

Just the Write Escape, July 27

Just Your Average reviews, July 28

Splashes of Joy, July 28

Carla Loves To Read, July 29

Retrospective Spines, July 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 29

All-of-a-kind Mom, July 30

The Becca Files, July 30

Quiet Quilter, July 31

Maureen’s Musings, July 31

Godly Book Reviews, August 1

For Him and My Family, August 1

Texas Book-aholic, August 1

Literary Reflections Book Blog, August 2

Mary Hake, August 2

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 3

CarpeDiem, August 3

Through the Fire Blogs, August 4

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, August 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 5

Moments, August 5

Henry Happens, August 6

Livin’ Lit, August 6

janicesbookreviews, August 6

As He Leads is Joy, August 7

A Readers Brain, August 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a $30 Amazon gift card!!

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

http://promosimple.com/ps/e546/identity-theft-celebration-tour-giveaway

Britfield & The Lost Crown Description

Tom has spent most of his life locked behind the cruel walls of Weatherly Orphanage, but when he learns that his parents might still be alive, Tom knows he must do what he can to find them. He can’t leave Weatherly without his best friend Sarah, so armed with a single clue to his past, the word Britfield, the two make a daring escape by commandeering a hot air balloon. Now they’re on the run from a famous Scotland Yard detective and what looks like half the police officers in England. Tom and Sarah’s journey takes them from Oxford University to Windsor Castle, through London, and finally to Canterbury. Along the way, they discover that Tom may be the true heir to the British throne, but even with the help of two brilliant professors, it looks like Tom and Sarah will be captured and sent back to the orphanage before they have a chance to solve Tom’s Royal mystery.

Britfield.com

MY REVIEW

Britfield & The Lost Crown is an adventure with suspense and lots of action.  Tom & Sarah rush through London with the police and bad guys tring to catch them.

The author's writing style is geared for the young, but held my interest as an adult reader. The characters are humorous, witty, and very creative in finding ways to avoid being caught.  There are a lot of twists throughout that would keep a young reader thinking what will happen next.

The storyline is fresh, the characters are strong as young children. They came from a hard life at the orphanage and are determined not be be sent back.  The history and culture creates an interesting backstory.

The ending wrapped things up nicely, but left questions that lead you into the next book in the series.  A very enjoyable read.

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