Clinging to Christ

When my emotions overwhelm me and I can't focus, I turn to music. I found this beautiful song by Sovereign Grace, appropriately titled Cling to Christ. That is all any of us can do because Christ alone is the Savior. He alone is the Redeemer. He alone. I hope in some small way, if you are going through a trial that seems too much to bear, that these lyrics will speak to you through the power of the Holy Spirit and encourage you to hang on, Cling to Christ!

Soli Deo gloria,

Psalm 63:8 (NASB)
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.
 

Review ~ An Inconvenient Beauty (Hawthorne House #4) by Kristi Ann Hunter

Award-Winning Regency Romance Author on the Rise

Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, and he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. He's certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, but while Frederica is strangely elusive, he can't seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.

Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, her uncle will only help them if she'll use her beauty to assist him in his political aims. Already uncomfortable with this agreement, the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she wishes to be free of her unfortunate obligation.

Will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and face their fears in time to find their own happily-ever-after?

About the Author

Kristi is the RITA® award winning author of Regency romance novels from a Christian worldview. Her titles include A Noble Masquerade, An Elegant Façade, and An Uncommon Courtship. Beyond writing, she is also speaker, teaching classes in writing as well as Biblical and spiritual topics. She has spoken to writers' groups, schools, and young women's groups at churches. 

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When she is not writing or interacting with her readers, Kristi spends time with her family and her church. A graduate of Georgia Tech with a computer science degree, she can also be found fiddling with her computer in her free time. A born lover of stories she is also an avid reader. From very young she dreamed of sharing her own stories with others and praises God daily that she gets to live that dream today.  

Kristi has an amazing blog/website! 

Check out all her stuff @ http://www.kristiannhunter.com

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My Review

5 STARS!!! 

Griffith, Duke of Riverton, thinks the way to choose a bride is to be logical and in control of the situation. Until he meets Miss Isabella Breckenridge, that is.

Isabella is most beautiful and in a rather troublesome predicament that could dash every hope and dream she had about true romance. Surely, the Duke of Riverton will want nothing to do with her when he discovers her secret.

In typical Regency style, Hunter has written a dazzling tale of intrigue and romance. I enthusiastically finished this tale of intrigue and love in record time. I rode along on a wave of whimsy that truly swept me away to regency England! Exquisite ball gowns, glittering jewels, fluttering fans and a dashing Duke all conspire to create the perfect picture in An Inconvenient Beauty.

Faith, hope, and love are entwined in this deeply romantic historical that left this reader slightly saddened that the series has come to an end. And a beautiful, fulfilling ending it was! I adored Griffith completely. The whole family is just wonderful, even if they are fictitious. I look forward to future stories from Ms Hunter.

Fans of Jane Austen, Julie Klassen, and historical fiction with a softly woven theme of Christianity will appreciate An Inconvenient Beauty. I received a paperback copy from the publisher for review purposes. No compensation has been received. 

I hope you'll look for this exceptionally written Regency series if you haven't read them. 

It really is super duper fantastic! Just click on the image of the books above and it will take you to the author's website where you can read excerpts of each book. :)

~Happy Reading~

 

Review ~ Bible Story Coloring and Activity Book by B&H Kids Editorial Staff

Published June 1st 2017 by B&H Publishing Group

Here are some of the great activities your kids will love:
Word searches
Mazes
Connect the dots
Hidden messages
Fill in the blank
Secret code
Matching
Find it
Unscramble
and more!

    

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My Review

4 STARS

Filled with over 200 coloring pages and 150 activity pages, Bible Story Coloring & Activity Book will provide hours of fun for young children.  While delighting in coloring, puzzles, word searches and finding hidden objects children will be learning more about the Bible and people who are most prominent in their Sunday school lessons. There is a helpful Parent Connection in the beginning to guide parents in how best to utilize the book. Parents will have an opportunity to engage one-on-one with their child and impart knowledge and understanding in spiritual matters. Little ones can practice their letters and reading and have fun choosing their favorite crayons to splash an array of colors on the pages.

I appreciate Lifeway and B&H sending me a copy for review purposes. No compensation has been received.

Review ~ Heart on the Line (Ladies of Harper’s Station, #2) by Karen Witemeyer

                         Published June 6th 2017 by Bethany House Publishers                          

Grace Mallory is tired of running, of hiding. But when an old friend sends an after-hours telegraph transmission warning Grace that the man who has hunted her for nearly a year has discovered her location, she fears she has no choice. She can't let the villain she believes responsible for her father's death release his wrath in Harper's Station, the town that has sheltered her and blessed her with the dearest friends she's ever known.

Amos Bledsoe prefers bicycles to horses and private conversations over the telegraph wire to social gatherings with young ladies who see him as nothing more than an oddity. His telegraph companion, the mysterious Miss G, listens eagerly to his ramblings every night and delights him with tales all her own. For months, their friendship--dare he believe, courtship?--has fed his hope that he has finally found the woman God intended for him. Yet when he takes the next step to meet her in person, he discovers her life is in peril, and Amos must decide if he can shed the cocoon of his quiet nature to become the hero Grace requires. 

About Karen

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. A transplant from California, Karen came to Texas for college, met a cowboy disguised as a computer nerd, married him, and never left the state that had become home.

Winner of the National Reader's Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and a finalist for both the RITA and Christy Awards, Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She also loves to reward her readers. Every month she gives away two inspirational historical novels to someone from her newsletter list and offers substantial bonus content on her website. To learn more about Karen and her books, or to join her subscriber list, please visit www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Read an Excerpt here.

My Review

4 STARS!!!

Dependable can sometimes seem like a dull word but in this case it means anything but. Witemeyer is a dependable author. By this I mean her stories always can be depended upon to model utmost moral character while at the same time exhibiting the most charming romance. I find this a refreshing attribute. I never have to worry that the latest narrative might contain anything of an objectionable nature. Therefore, I highly recommend any of her books but especially Heart on the Line.

Amos Bledsoe didn’t strike me as a swoon worthy hero in the beginning. He is not your quintessential tall, dark, and handsome man. But what Amos ‘lacks’ in physical hero qualities, he more than makes up for in his character. By the end, I absolutely adored him! He is witty, brave, staunchly in love with Grace, and willing to put his heart on the line. J What more could a lady ask for?

Grace Mallory is hiding out in a small women’s colony after witnessing a tragic event. I liked her character but didn’t really connect to her in any way. The lady who did capture my attention was Helen. With a prickly pear demeanor and an air of mystery surrounding her, I found her fascinating. Helen’s love story is secondary to Grace’s, but stole the show, in my opinion.

“She glanced at the sky, where a handful of puffy white clouds swam lazily across the bright blue expanse. So peaceful. Perhaps even happy. Helen didn't really know what happiness felt like. To her, it was simply the absence of pain. Yet when she looked at a sky like this one, something inside her whispered that there could be more. There could be joy that led to dancing, to laughter, to a place where fear could not penetrate.” (Witemeyer, pg. 100)

There is a prequel novella, Worth the Wait, and the first novel, No Other Will Do. Although Heart on the Line is the second full length book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. Fans of historical fiction with strong Christian values, mystery, and romance will enjoy this book.

I received a print copy from Bethany House for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. No compensation has been received. 

~Happy Reading, Y'all~

WINNER!!!

Elizabethd won the ebook, Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig!

~Happy Reading~

Cover Reveal ~ Charming the Troublemaker by Pepper Basham

If you've read any of Pepper's books then you know she is a fabulously gifted writer! You'll have hours of great fun reading her stories. Pepper is a breath of fresh air in what can sometimes seem a monotonous obligation of reading and reviewing. I have enjoyed all of her books I've read and look forward to getting caught up with the ones I haven't. And while I haven't personally met her...yet...I am a part of her launch team on FB and can I just say that she is one of the most enthusiastic and sweet persons I have met in my book circle. I hope I get to meet her in person sometime soon! Our own Rebecca Maney has had the honor of meeting her a few times, I do believe. You know we just want to talk heroes and heroines! :-)

Now take a look at this adorable couple with those gorgeous mountains in the background and put it on your to-be-read list!

About the Book
Book 2 in Mitchell’s Crossroads Series
Releases November 1, 2017

When Dr. Alex Murdock is demoted to a university in rural Virginia, the last thing he expects to find is a future. But country charm never looked as good as it does on Rainey Mitchell.

Rainey Mitchell does not need a high-class flirt in her wounded world, but trouble and temptation wafts off the new professor as strong as his sandalwood-scented cologne.

When circumstances thrust them together to save her tutoring clinic, can the troublemaker find the hero inside and encourage the reticent Rainey to open her heart again?

About the Author

Pepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. When her grandmother called her a “writer” at the age of ten, Pepper took it as gospel and has enjoyed various types of writing styles ever since. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of Seymour Agency.

Media Links

Blog: https://pepperdbasham.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pepperdbasham/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13561411.Pepper_D_Basham

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pepperbasham/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pepperbasham/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pepperbasham

Website: www.pepperdbasham.com

Review ~ Crown of Souls (The Tox Files, Book 2) by Ronie Kendig + GIVEAWAY of Conspiracy of Silence (The Tox Files, Book 1, e-book copy)

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!!

                           Published September 5th 2017 by Bethany House Publishers                          

"Kendig has out done herself."-- RT Book Reviews on Conspiracy of Silence

Six months after stopping a deadly plague, Cole "Tox" Russell and his team are enjoying a little rest. That peace is short-lived when a sniper shot hits Tox. The enemy is discovered to be one of their own, a rogue Special Forces team operator.
Alec King is perhaps the only person as skilled as Tox, and he's out for justice. Furious with orders that got his men killed, he intends to make those responsible pay. And he insists Tox join him, believing they are the same breed of soldier.
Afraid his old friend is right, Tox battles a growing darkness within himself as he and his team engage in another deadly encounter with antiquity. It appears Alec is cheating--he's using a mysterious artifact, a crown that history has linked to some of the worst slaughters in humanity. Racing to stop Alec before his vengeance is unleashed, Tox must fight the monster without becoming one.

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Sounds amazing, right?

That's because it IS!!!!

Seriously!!! This series is one of the best I have read and definitely one of Kendig's finest. 

It's release day so that means you can hop over to your favorite online retailer and purchase a copy. It's available in both paperback and e-book.

Here are some purchase links and I don't get any kickbacks!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

CBD

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My Review

5 STARS!!!

Crown of Souls is a global thrill ride suffused with heart pounding, adrenaline driven moments. Kendig is a master at characterization and The Tox Files characters are just getting better and better! I was a little intimidated by the length of this book but it didn’t take long to realize when it was over, I wished it wasn’t. That’s the thing about Kendig’s stories, I can never get enough!

Cole ‘Tox’ Russell has become one of my favorite characters that Kendig has written.  Yes, he is the ultimate spec -ops soldier but this time he is really and truly swoony. Oh my! There are a couple of the most amazingly romantic moments between Tox and Haven.  Mind you, this is in no way a focus in this story but it’s such a vital glimpse into their relationship and getting to know them even better as a couple.

If you’ve read Kendig’s Discarded Heroes Series, you are in for a surprise. If you haven’t, you are missing the beginning of a great author’s career in fiction writing. And that’s all I am saying about that. ;-)

I genuinely loved this book and recommend it to fans of contemporary fiction with a high intensity military focus that weaves in a truly gripping ancient mystery. I think anyone who has enjoyed The DaVinci Code, Jason Bourne, The Librarian and any adventure/thriller/mystery/ancient treasure hunting book or movie will be enthralled with this series. I received a digital copy for review purposes from the publisher through Netgalley. No compensation has been received.

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*Giveaway is for a Kindle copy of the first novel in the series!

Now then, I purchased a gift certificate from Amazon for a Kindle copy of Conspiracy of Silence to get you started on this incredible series! Actually, there is a FREE novella, The Warrior's Seal, that is the very first thing you need to read, then read CoS.
But leave a comment below telling me how you follow my blog, along with your email address in a non-spam format ( jane at here dot com). If you are not a follower yet, please sign up in the side bar on the right and then leave your comment. I will draw a winner on Sept 10, which just so happens to be my birthday! 

Whew! If you made it to the end of this post, Thank You! 
You rock!!!

~Happy Reading, Y'all~