Tell Tale Book Reviews

Epic Book Launch - The Bible Companion Book 2: Leviticus - Deuteronomy by Karen Westbrook Moderow

6/14/2025

Do you struggle to relate to God in the Old Testament?

The Bible Companion Book 2 can help. Its simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions help you recognize God’s faithfulness even in your most difficult journey.

Though filled with unfamiliar symbols and rituals, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy hold treasures—the great promises of God. They show us the lengths to which God goes to be in our daily lives. Hard-to-read passages come alive as we travel with Israel to the Promised Land and discover the same God who guided His people in ancient times guides us today. If you want to know what God is like and what matters to Him . . . if you question His love for you . . . if you wonder how believing God can change your life, these books of the Law will speak to you. For personal and group study.

Genre: Bible Study

Excerpt from The Bible Companion Book 2:
Leviticus - Deuteronomy

Though we no longer sacrifice animals, burnt offerings symbolize the importance of beginning and ending our day with a complete surrender to God. The ritual God designed shows us that worship is not a spectator sport played by professional clergy. We, the lay people, must participate actively, bringing our gifts and praises to the Lord. The apostle Paul writes, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Rom. 12:1).

COMPANION THOUGHT
If you were to make an intentional gift to God every morning and evening, what would it be?

Leviticus 2: THE GRAIN OFFERING
When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be finest flour.
Leviticus 2:1

The Hebrew word for offering combines two ideas—to present and to draw near. Drawing near to God is the point of the five offerings in Leviticus: (1) burnt offering; (2) grain offering; (3) fellowship offering; (4) sin offering; and (5) guilt offering. Except for the grain offering, they are blood offerings. The term sacrifices in Scripture usually refers to blood offerings.

In the Levitical system, physical perfection symbolizes spiritual holiness.

Karen Westbrook Moderow

Karen Westbrook Moderow is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Warsafe by Lauren Smyth (Give.away)

6/5/2025

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Play. Win. Survive.

There’s one building on her island that Halley has never visited: the Mercenary House. Perched atop a mountain, surrounded by unnaturally evergreen foliage, the House is rumored to be a breeding ground for criminals. Mercenaries are liars, cheats, spies . . . and maybe, depending on who you ask, killers.

At the Warsafe headquarters in Seattle, Roscoe is beta testing the company’s new video game. It’s her job to track down glitches—but something is different about this one. Lurking behind the lines of malfunctioning code is a secret that threatens to drag her deeper into the game, forcing her to put her life on the line if she ever wants to come home.

Worlds collide as Roscoe teams up with Halley to uncover the island’s secret and expose Warsafe’s designs. But some mysteries are better left unsolved. As traitor after so-called traitor is revealed to be on their side, they begin to wonder: Could Warsafe’s mission be critical enough to justify its cruelty?

Genre: YA Science Fiction
Release date: May 6, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

How far will they have go to uncover the truth....

I'll admit that I picked this book up because I've liked pretty much every title that I've read from the publisher. Warsafe turned out to be no exception. I found the story to be intriguing right from the start and that never let up all the way through the last page. The blur between fiction and reality that makes up the heart of this story from Lauren Smyth was just too interesting to put down.

The mix of familiar and sci-fi was something that I enjoyed in Warsafe. It really kept the story grounded while allowing the imagination to fully engage. Lauren Smyth's writing style and worldbuilding skills were also something I appreciated as they kept the story moving forward with no lags and made me feel like I was right there with each of the story's leads.

Aimed at mid to older teens, Lauren Smyth's Warsafe is a bit edgy in all of the best ways that make for a good Christian sci-fi or fantasy novel that can also be enjoyed by adult fans of those genres.

This was my first Lauren Smyth novel but after reading Warsafe I doubt it will be my last. It was exciting, had an interesting premise, and was just flat out a good and entertaining read....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Warsafe by Lauren Smyth a 4 Bark rating.

(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

More from Lauren

The Mercenary House, where much of Warsafe takes place, quite literally appeared to me in a dream.

By age 12, I’d already watched way too many action-adventure movies. (Did anyone else grow up on Tom Clancy--The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games?) Most nights, I was hyped on fictional adrenaline, and I was able to lucid dream. So I got to star in highly imaginative and unrealistic versions of my favorite spy stories when I fell asleep.

That night, I found myself trapped in the basement of an eight-story house. Guards patrolled the rooms outside, and somehow I knew I had to sneak past them to reach the top floor. I also knew I was dreaming and in no real danger, which made me brave. So I crawled through air ducts, hid in shadowy corners, and darted behind turned backs. And I escaped.

The dream was so logical compared to others I’d had that it stuck in my mind. Why was I trying to get to the roof? Why did I agree to play this “game?” What was the secret behind that dilapidated, shadowy building where I’d been imprisoned?

A few years later, I started coding video games. My first full-length game featured more than 100,000 lines of code and is probably part of the reason why I’m so near-sighted. I loved the results, but not the process. More than coding, I realized I loved storytelling—weaving together sentences and images and movements that became a world on the reader’s screen.

I hadn’t forgotten my dream, but I didn’t have the Python know-how to turn it into a game. And I’d gotten sick of naming variables. (Somewhere in the source code for that first game, there’s an if-then statement oh-so-creatively named “againagainagainagainagainagainagain.” See also the classic: “help.”) What if, instead of crawling back to my code editing software, I wrote a book?

And what if that book wasn’t just about a fictional video game, but was also an exploration of morality, economics, and politics in a parallel world?

I believe that good books don’t answer questions; they make you ask new ones. They draw you into a situation you’ve never experienced and force you to take sides, rooting for or against characters, judging or supporting their choices. If you could stop a catastrophe by sacrificing a few people, would you do it? If you were offered control over someone’s life, would you take it?

That’s the central dilemma of Warsafe. What you choose, who you agree with is up to you. Like a real video game, Warsafe lets you confront the same choices as the characters and work your way out of the puzzle—if you can do it without compromising your morality.

Remember Warsafe’s motto: Safety requires the many to sacrifice the one.

Disagree?

Enter the Warsafe universe and prove it.

Lauren Smyth

Lauren Smyth is an economics and journalism student at Hillsdale College. Since signing her first publishing contract at age 13, she has written three young adult action/adventure novels, coded two story-based video games, and started a blog enjoyed by readers and writers around the world. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her flying right seat in a Piper PA-30 aircraft, recording episodes of her Grammar Minute writing podcast, or heading upriver on her paddleboard.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Lauren is giving away the grand prize of
a $25 Amazon card and a signed, hardcover copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54229

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 27
Artistic Nobody, May 28 (Author Interview)
CeCe Reads and Sings, May 28
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 29
The Lofty Pages, May 30
Guild Master, May 31 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, June 1
Texas Book-aholic, June 2
Fiction Book Lover, June 3 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 4
Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 5
Simple Harvest Reads, June 6 (Guest Review from Mindy)
For the Love of Literature, June 7 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, June 8
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 9 (Spotlight)
Inklings and Notions, June 9

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Book Review - The Amish Bachelor's Promise by Amy Lillard

6/1/2025

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From a lifelong friendship
To an unexpected courtship…

After years of overlooking his best friend, Amish farmer Freeman Yoder finally begins to see Evie Ebersol through new eyes. But Evie is convinced that she would be a rebound—and that her physical challenges would be a burden. Despite loving Freeman for most of her life and yearning for a family and home of her own, she refuses to hold Freeman to his decades-old promise to marry her. Now he’s determined to show Evie that she’s the only one he wants to build a future with.

ISBN-13: 9781335937254

My Review

Soap, goats, and a childhood promise....

It's been awhile since I've read such a sweet romance story and I can tell you that it was high time that I did. The Amish Bachelor's Promise was the perfect way to spend an afternoon. It had me smiling and even laughing at the antics of a certain small goat.

I truly liked Evie and Freeman from the very start of the book. Evie doesn't let her physical disability stop her and Freeman is such a genuinely caring person. I was honestly surprised at just how much I was caught up in their story and how invested I was in the outcome of such a quick read.

Amy Lillard has a charming story in this 200+ page book and it was a definitely enjoyable read. The characters are likable and you can't help but root for these two friends to overcome the obstacles potentially keeping them apart.

If you are looking for a cute story and a quick read with an Amish theme The Amish Bachelor's Promise from Amy Lillard is a great choice....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Amish Bachelor's Promise by Amy Lillard a 4 Bark rating.

(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Bible Companion Book 1 by Karen Westbrook Moderow (Give.away)

5/30/2025

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The Bible Companion series is a simple, flexible, and compelling Bible Study guide. Short daily readings link God’s story to yours, help you through difficult passages, and highlight the treasures in each chapter of the Bible. In Genesis and Exodus, God reveals Himself as a loving Creator who longs to walk through life with you. Book 1 takes you deep into God’s plan to share His life and wisdom with those who love and follow Him. The storytelling approach of the series will keep you reading, even through the parts that are challenging and hard-to-understand. Find hope in the stories of ordinary men and women in the Bible whose encounters with God transformed them and reversed the direction of their lives. Discover that what God has done for them, He can do for you.

Genre: Bible Study
Release date: April 16, 2024

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Karen

#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
My father was a pastor who had a passion for God’s word. He encouraged his congregation to read the Bible, but without tepid success. A lot of people started yearly plans but dropped out when they got behind or when they hit Leviticus. Those who pushed through often didn’t remember or understand what they read. But then he started a small Bible Study with a few folks who committed to reading one chapter a day. He prepared a one-page devotional that gave insight into their daily readings and discovered people were not only absorbing what they read but were experiencing God in exciting ways. They brought their friends and within two years more than two hundred people were meeting together weekly to read through the Bible. It takes about three years and three months to read the Bible through if you read a chapter a day, but people stuck with it. That group read through the Bible 6 times. I saw this. I had already been writing and was on a fiction track but I kept being drawn back to my father’s vision. We had many discussions around how we could help more people discover the treasures in God’s book. I was convinced his approach was a good one. When I graduated from seminary and was praying about how to best use my writing for God’s glory, I realized that I could combine my love of storytelling with my love of Scripture by adapting my father’s template. With his blessing, I took his idea as the foundation and began writing a series of daily Bible readings that were story-driven.

#2. What new or interesting things did you learn while researching for this book?
That Genesis and Exodus are much more contemporary than we think.
A lot of people hesitate to read the Old Testament because they think it’s not relevant. But Genesis is about new beginnings, something we all have needed at some point. Exodus is about freedom—freedom from external forces and freedom from internal pressures that keep us from flourishing like our mindsets, addictions, and broken relationships. The first two books of the Bible—Genesis and Exodus—identify all that enslaves us and tell us there is a way out. A way that brings life, that offers a chance to begin again, that redeems what we’ve lost. You can’t get more relevant than that.

#3. What drew you to take on this topic through non-fiction versus fiction?
Since the book is a chapter-by-chapter exploration of Scripture, it had to be non-fiction, however, what makes the Bible Companion unique is that I combine non-fiction and fiction techniques. I use the techniques of fiction storytelling such as character development and drama to highlight the Bible’s themes and message.
#7. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
#8. How has writing about this particular topic changed your own life?

#4. Did you have a specific demographic in mind while writing this book?
Absolutely. I write for two audiences:

the person who wants to read through the Bible, believes every word of it has been given for our benefit, but has been unable to read it all the way through;
the person who struggle with their faith, hopes the Bible can help them, but feels too overwhelmed and ill-equipped to tackle it on their own.

#5. What do you hope your readers will remember after finishing this book?
That God is present and active in our lives, creating, rescuing, and transforming us for His glory and for our flourishing.

#6. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Psalm 119:18.
Working in the Bible all the time, it’s easy to slip into learning ABOUT God rather than experience Him. This verse helps me remember why I wrote the Bible Companion. I’m praying that I and those I write for will find Jesus in the Bible, the beautiful book He’s written and preserved for us. Jesus is there, in the stories—the law—the warnings—the celebrations—but unless the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, we won’t see Him. “Open my eyes” can mean a lot of different things such as: “make me aware,” “shake me out of complacency,” and “open my heart.” Every time I go to the Scriptures, I pray that God will open my eyes to what He is saying. That I will see myself and my problems from His perspective. That I will see Him for who He is. That I will see His words as wonderful, even they’re it’s hard. I’m changed when I meet Jesus in Scriptures. That transformation is what I try to tell others is possible.

More from Karen

A Father-Daughter Legacy: The Bible Companion Series

In 1993, my father, Pastor Floyd Westbrook challenged a group of men and women from his weekly Bible study to join him in reading the Bible from cover to cover. He found if he wrote short daily lessons for each chapter, people stayed engaged and were transformed by the Scripture they read. His work, though enjoyed by hundreds, was never widely published.

I shared his passion for making God’s word accessible to people who found it hard to understand parts of the Bible, couldn’t keep up with the schedule, or couldn’t relate Scripture to their journey. Later, after I completed degrees in theology and creative writing, we realized combining storytelling with his format could help people overcome the most common barriers to Bible reading. With his blessing, I began working on The Bible Companion. The result is a story-rich study which is simple, flexible, yet rich in content.

The Bible Companion Book 1 Genesis–Exodus is the first of twelve books that tracks God story from creation to the end of time. God, who tells His story through families, has graciously given me the privilege of carrying on my father’s legacy through The Bible Companion series.

Father and daughter, Pastor Floyd Westbrook and Karen Westbrook Moderow ministering together.

2004 Christ Church of Westminster

Karen Westbrook Moderow

Karen Westbrook Moderow is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She graduated magna cum laude from California State University at Long Beach with a BA in English Literature. She also holds an MFA from Chapman University in creative writing and a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Seminary. She has been published by numerous Christian periodicals and authored two previous books.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54220

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 17
Vicky Sluiter, May 18 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 19
Godly Book Reviews, May 20
Lots of Helpers, May 21
Simple Harvest Reads, May 22 (Author Interview)
Book Butterfly in Dreamland, May 22
Texas Book-aholic, May 23
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 24
For the Love of Literature, May 25 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 26
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 27
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 28
Cover Lover Book Review, May 29
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 30 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, May 30

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Seven Brides For Seven Texans by Multiple Authors (Give.away)

5/28/2025

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Seven stubborn brothers navigate the
delicate balance between duty and desire
in this sweeping saga of romance, redemption,
and second chances on the rugged Texas frontier.

In 1874 Texas, the wealthy patriarch of the 7-Heart ranch delivers an ultimatum to his seven independent sons: marry within the year or forfeit their inheritance. The directive sends these confirmed bachelors scrambling to secure their futures while protecting their fiercely guarded freedom.

While the youngest brother races to be first at the altar, the other brothers are more reluctant to tie the knot. The Hart brothers face unique challenges on the road to romance with a cast of remarkable women: a long-lost love haunted by the past, a former sweetheart guarding her heart, a cave-dwelling lady with mysterious money, a mail-order bride who falls for the wrong man, and a Civil War nurse willing to heal a scarred soldier's heart.

Will they find true love under the pressure of their father's demands, or will they sacrifice their inheritance to maintain their independence?

Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release date: April 29, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

These brothers have 1 year to find 7 brides....

Seven Brides For Seven Texans is an enjoyable collection of novellas by seven talented authors. Each story revolves around a different Hart brother and the lady he must win in order to claim his inheritance.

Overall the book is pretty big coming in at over 560+ pages but I love that each story allows you to read a bite sized portion complete with its own happy ending. This makes it feel like the book progresses quickly and the page count becomes so much less daunting.

I really came to like each of the Hart brothers as well as their brides. Each of their stories is as different as the brothers themselves are and they are equally as fun to read.

I've read a number of novella collections before this but I have to say that I was a bit impressed with how well the authors did with it. Most of the novella collections I've read had a common theme such a state or a location but it is a little more difficult when the thread binding all of the stories together is a single family of brothers and pretty much all of them will appear in each other's story. I felt that each author put her own mark on their respective novellas but they did very well keeping a cohesive story going with no real obvious slip-ups in continuity.

As I said, Severn Brides For Seven Texans was an enjoyable read. With touches of humor, poignant moments, and sweet clean romance the book is a great way to spend an hour or two here and there without missing a beat. If you enjoy novella collections and Christian historical romance this is a good one to check out....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Seven Brides For Seven Texans by Gabrielle Meyer, Erica Vetsch, Amanda Barratt, Lorna Seilstad, Keli Gwyn, Vickie McDonough, and Susan Page Davis a 4 Bark rating.

(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

More from Erica

Hi, I’m Erica Vetsch, and I loved collaborating on the stories for the 7 Brides for 7 Texans collection. It was fun writing stories that were so intertwined, and working closely with the other authors in the collection to bring the whole concept together.

Initially, I was approached by a publisher, asking if I would be interested in heading up a novella collection loosely based on the idea of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, the classic musical. The parameters were that the stories must be no longer than 25K words, be historical in setting, and that I could choose the overall concept, as well as my team of authors.

I, of course, jumped at the chance. Before I contacted anyone, I worked up a rough idea of the premise of the stories. A wealthy Texas rancher with seven strapping sons is tired of waiting for them to get married and provide him with grandchildren, so he issues an ultimatum. Get married by the end of the calendar year, or you’re disinherited.

I named all the sons after famous Texans, and gave them a birth order, then I began contacting writing friends to see if they were interested in joining the project. Everyone I asked said yes!

Then the real fun began. We formed a private Facebook group, and as the characters were chosen by the various authors, the order of the stories in the collection formed, and as ideas for storylines poured in, I began creating what we came to call The Master Document.

In the MD we tracked main characters’ names and appearances, secondary characters, a map of the fictional town of Hartsville, TX, and more. It eventually ran to more than 20 pages of information. We named the town newspaper, the general store, and kept track of the layout of the Harts’ massive ranch house. Keeping these details all in one place made it easy for the authors to flesh out their story world in a way that was consistent with everyone else’s stories.

Because the stories are so closely tied and on such a tight timeline, each of the authors’ characters would appear in another author’s novella. We needed to respect each other’s visions for the characters and treat them with respect, while also having the freedom to write our own stories.

Early on, as the project coordinator, it was established that if a dispute arose between two authors on how something should go, it would be myself who would cast the final vote. However, that contingency never came into play, as all the authors worked so well together.

One of the most challenging aspects of the project was, that as the project lead, and the one writing the final story in the collection, I needed to know the most about all the stories. Just before the deadline to turn our stories into the publisher, each author sent their story along to me to read for continuity. I spent a long weekend at author Gabrielle Meyer’s house, and we read every novella aloud, making notes for consistency and continuity throughout. These notes were turned in to the project editor, and she used them in her editing process to make sure seven separate stories felt cohesive.

It truly was a fun—and to me—unique, project, and when the publisher asked if I would like to head up a follow up collection, I was eager to say yes, and thus 7 Brides for 7 Texas Rangers was born.

Both of these intertwined collections went out of print, but they are now being released once more, this time through Wild Heart Books. I’m thrilled that we can tell our stories to new readers and prolong the lives of these characters.

Gabrielle Meyer, a Minnesota native, draws inspiration for her historical fiction from the rich
stories and landscapes of her home state, where she lives on the banks of the upper Mississippi
River with her husband and four children. A former employee of the Minnesota Historical Society,
Gabrielle loves weaving real people, places, and events into her captivating tales.

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch weaves her love for Jesus, history, romance, and
sports into her stories, including The Debutante’s Code, the first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency
Mystery Series. When she’s not crafting fiction or planning her next trip to a history museum.

Bestselling author Amanda Barratt brings to life overlooked moments in history through her
award-winning novels, including The Warsaw Sisters, Within These Walls of Sorrow, and The
White Rose Resists. Based in Michigan, she’s often immersed in research, tackling her
ever-growing TBR stack, or savoring a slice of lemon cake.

Carol Award finalist Lorna Seilstad explores life’s complexities with humor in her nine novels,
including the Lake Manawa Summers and Gregory Sisters series, as well as several novella
collections. When she’s not writing, she teaches women’s Bible classes, runs a toy store,
plans weddings, or spends time with her Pyredoodle, Honey Bea.

Keli Gwyn crafts inspirational historical romances that she loves to read. A California native,
she now lives in the greater Sacramento area with her husband and their sweet orange tabby,
enjoying life close to family.

Vickie McDonough, a CBA, EPCA, and Amazon best-selling author of 54 books and novellas, brings
the Old West to life in her award-winning romances featuring ranchers, cowboys, and lawmen.
Though married to a computer geek who fears horses, she lives out her ranching dreams through her
stories—and when she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, making cards, and traveling.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate their tour, the Wild Heart Books Authors are
giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54225

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 21
Pens Pages & Pulses, May 21
Texas Book-aholic, May 22
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 23
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 24
Simple Harvest Reads, May 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Devoted To Hope, May 25
For Him and My Family, May 25
Stories By Gina, May 26 (Author Interview)
Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 26
She Lives to Read, May 27
lakesidelivingsite, May 27
Labor Not in Vain, May 28
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 28
Cover Lover Book Review, May 29
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 29
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 30
Holly’s Book Corner, May 30
Books You Can Feel Good About, May 31
Blossoms and Blessings, June 1
Jodie Wolfe, June 1
Pause for Tales, June 2
Book Butterfly in Dreamland, June 2
Leslie’s Library Escape, June 3

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Dada Base by Allen Brokken (Give.away)

5/19/2025

3 Comments

This book is a compliation of the most popular one-liners, head scratchers and total groaners shared on social media by Author Allen Brokken.

Awarded the prestigious Cool Dad Everyone Talks About by his own kids these wholesome jokes are sure to be a hit with your family.

Plus this book contains his complete Telling Jokes and Puns for kids class with free digital access to course videos.

Genre: Comedy

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Allen

#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
When I was a kid I loved joke books. I devoured them, so after two years of doing a daily dad joke I thought it would be good to collect them up into one thing.

#2. What new or interesting things did you learn while researching for this book?
This isn’t really a writing or joke thing, but it was an interest problem to solve. I didn’t really have these jokes written down because I told them mostly while walking and talking in my neighborhood. So I wanted to just pull the transcripts from youtube to use to start the book. However, youtube shorts doesn’t just have a simple transcript button, so it turned into a whole technical process generate the transcripts one at a time.

#3. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
I would say that Tim Hawkins is probably one of my biggest influences as a Christian joke teller. His comedy always really hit home with me, plus my wife setup a surprise trip to one of his events. It was particularly funny because he was doing a joke about different kinds of laughs and I started laughing so hard he pointed me out in the audience.

#4. Did you have a specific demographic in mind while writing this book?
While this book is geared towards boys in 3rd to 6th grade kids will generally like it and I think Dads that read it might learn a trick or two about making a joke that is actually funny. The class aspect of it is something I haven’t seen in any other joke book so it’s also relevant to a homeschool family looking for a quick fun unit.

#5. What do you hope your readers will remember after finishing this book?
One of the big things I hope kids get out of the class is the love of playing with words. The bad puns and one-liners that their Dads are telling them are really just baby jokes that haven’t matured yet. If they will play with words a bunch they can grow that one liner into something that’s actually funny.

More from Allen

When you are an author the industry encourages you to “have a social media presence”. As a new author that’s pretty intimidating because the focus is generally on long form writing which is very different than a 140 character tweet. For the first couple of years I tried different things in the hopes of engaging an audience and nothing seemed to gel.

Then my son introduced me to TikTok. He said, Dad sometimes your jokes are actually funny so why don’t you do them on Tik Tok? I was skeptical at first, but I have been known to be pretty PUN-ny at dinner parties so I tried it.

Given that my office has a lot of Star Wars memorabilia from when I was a kid I landed on telling Star Wars jokes at first. I had very little success only getting between 200 and 1000 view. Then one day I told this joke and my Tik Tok took off.

“So my son was on his way to take his drivers test and I handed him my collectable life size Storm Trooper helmet.”

He looked at me and said, “What’s this for?”

I replied,”So you don’t hit anything.”

If you’re not familiar with Star Wars that joke is funny because Storm Troopers notoriously don’t hit their target. Now I’ve broken the cardinal rule of joke telling, jokes that require the audience to do homework are not good jokes. Which is just one of the many rules of joking around that I learned over the past couple of years.

As my joke list increased I found a group of them that did particularly well online and realized the might make a good joke book. However, I also realized there are a lot of joke books for kids and I wanted to do something different with mine. So I decided I should include my class on telling jokes for kids as a part of the book. So in addition to a collection of funny jokes the book provides a workbook for learning how to tell your own jokes and access to my virtual class for kids on telling jokes and puns.

Allen Brokken

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband, and a father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age-appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off to college, he’s sharing his life experiences at home school conferences and through his blog and newsletter at his website. You can get sneak peeks of the ongoing adventures of Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan (plus their pets!) and the #dadjokeoftheday on all the major social media platforms.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54219

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 16
Vicky Sluiter, May 17 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 18
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 19 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, May 19
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 20
Blossoms and Blessings, May 21 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 22
Stories By Gina, May 23 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, May 24
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 25 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, May 26
A Reader’s Brain, May 27 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, May 27
Artistic Nobody, May 28
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 29 (Author Interview)

3 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Unshakable by K.J. Rowe (Give.away)

5/18/2025

1 Comment

Self-assured. Perceptive. Determined. Character traits Nick Marshall wears with pride, along with a bit of charm.
He knows himself and what his future holds.
At last, living the life he had long dreamed for himself as a Police Officer, Nick struggles to understand why things he witnessed as a first responder early in his career continue to haunt him. Reoccurring dreams grow a nagging anxiety which, combined with the stress of keeping up with his grueling work roster, as well as extracurricular activities, begin to shadow his professionalism.
Frustrated at himself slipping, Nick begins to take steps to ease his workload when his youth minister drops a bombshell on the Leadership Team that leaves them all reeling, but also sparks a question in Nick’s mind: was he really doing what God wanted him to do?
With rumors starting at work amid a sense of impending threat, Nick continues to pursue the life he’s long envisaged for himself, believing the blessings of God are still upon him. However, when he finds himself in mortal danger, Nick is forced to reconsider everything he’d come to believe and the plans he had for himself.
Will Nick win the battle within his mind and decode the will of God for his life? Will he be willing to let go of his own will and take hold of God’s?

Genre: Teen / Y.A
Release date: January 13, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with K.J.

#1. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
Approximately 18 months

#2. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
When I was in my early 20’s a good friend suggested I should have been a Police woman (instead of a Vet Nurse). At the time I laughed it off, but over time I began to wonder what it would have looked like if I went down that road. So it was good fun to dive into the life of a Police Officer and write from that perspective.

#3. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
That God is not finished with any of us. No matter what someone has gone through or going through, God can make something incredible out of it. Just hand it all over to Him.

#4. What one piece of advice would you like to give readers?
Spend time with God every day. Make a list of pray points/praise points and watch as God shapes your desires and answers your prayers.

#5. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
There are a number of Bible verses close too my heart, but Ephesians 2:10 is so beautiful I find. Each one of us are so unique and alive at this time in earth’s history for a reason, it’s awe inspiring to dwell on passages like this one.

More from K.J.

Hey! Thanks for stopping by!

Casts of Silver is my debut five book series. After a nagging conviction to write, I asked the Lord what it was He wanted me to pen down. The very next morning, I awoke with five clear stories in my mind.

Unshakable is book 4, of 5. It’s been an incredible journey for me writing this series with each of stories including a part of my own testimony. The series is centered around five youth group leaders, with the stories looking at very real circumstances that young people face in today’s world without sugar coating consequences of individual actions.

However, God is always at work.

But where is He when problems arise?

Well, He is always closer than you think and He’s always working for your good!

Enjoy.
God Bless!

Now, who doesn’t love a great healthy(ish) treat while reading a fabulous book? I’ve recently come across this delicious cake recipe and thought I would share it with you all.

DATE CAKE

1.5C Boiling Water
70g dates, chopped
1 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3/4C softened butter
1C Sugar (I used a little less)
2 eggs
2C Plain Flour
1/2 tsp salt
TOPPING
1/2C chocolate chips
1/2C sugar
1/2C chopped nuts of choice (I used Pecans, recipe uses walnuts)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 175C, grease 28x18cm lamington pan
Pour boiling water over dates, stir in 1tsp of Bicarbonate Soda. Stand until cool.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, then remaining bicarbonate of soda, sifted flour and salt. Fold in date mixture.
Pour into pan, sprinkle over the topping ingredients. Bake for 35-45mins.
Goes well cold or warm with cream. Enjoy!

K.J. Rowe

K.J. Rowe began her writing career in 2012 with the drafting of her Young Adult series called “Casts of Silver”, The series, born out of her own unique experiences and understanding how books can literally change people’s lives has been crafted to spotlight particular issues common amongst young people. To impress upon youth the importance of listening to their inner voice, remembering their self worth and to trust in Gods perfect plan for each of our lives is the mission and vision of this series. Karen lives with her husband and 2 children on a farm in North West Victoria, Australia.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, K.J. is giving away the grand prize of
a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54222

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 8
Life on Chickadee Lane, May 9
Simple Harvest Reads, May 10 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 11
Artistic Nobody, May 12 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, May 13 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, May 14 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, May 14
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 15
Blossoms and Blessings, May 16 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, May 17
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 18 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 19
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 20 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, May 20
A Reader’s Brain , May 21 (Author Interview)

1 Comment

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Your Finances God's Way by Scott LaPierre (Give.away)

5/15/2025

6 Comments

Since he married, author and pastor Scott LaPierre has supported his wife and ten children on a single income. He’s witnessed the stress that accompanies financial insecurity, yet he’s learned firsthand that even those with a limited income can eliminate monetary worries when they abide by biblical principles.
With Your Finances God’s Way, you’ll replace negative spending habits with positive patterns that will set you on the road to financial freedom. Drawing from the Bible’s wisdom on money management, this book provides essential steps backed by proven practices, helping you…

get the most out of your money by paying off debt and building up savings
make informed spending choices that help you avoid anxiety, regret, and conflict
enjoy the fruits of managing your money in a way that honors God

Use what God has provided to thrive! Whether you’re young or old, married or single, working or staying at home, Your Finances God’s Way will give you everything you need to be a Christlike steward of the resources you have been given.

Genre: Christian Nonfiction
Release date: May 3, 2022

Click here to get your copy!

About the Workbook

How can I take control of my impulsive spending habits? How do I make up for not saving sooner? How should I prepare in case of an unplanned financial burden? Money can easily become a source of anxiety, but a sound understanding of your finances and a proactive plan for your future will put those fears to rest!
This companion workbook to Your Finances God’s Way guides you deeper into the Bible’s financial wisdom while leading you to create a plan for money management. Perfect for individual use or group study, you will find…

thoughtful questions for self-reflection
illuminating verses from Scripture
helpful guidelines for creating a personalized strategy for spending, saving, giving, and paying off debt

As believers, part of living out the call in 1 Corinthians 6:12 to “not be dominated by anything” means ensuring we control our spending and not the other way around. This workbook will give you the tools to take charge of your money, find peace with your finances, and use every resource God has given you for His glory.

Interview with Scott

#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
My books are drawn from my sermons. When I preached about finances, I didn’t know I would end up writing a finance book. However, the inspiration for this book came from the need I observed in my church for people to be equipped to manage their finances biblically.

#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
It took me about two years to finish "Your Finances God’s Way." As a full-time teaching pastor, I write in my free time. Since pastoring requires so much of my time and we are expecting our 11th child, I don’t have much free time, so I can’t dedicate much to writing. However, the good news is that I already have the material I need because my books are based on my sermons. It just takes time to transform the content from sermon notes into book form.

#3. What drew you to take on this topic through non-fiction versus fiction?
When I preached about finances, I didn’t expect to write a finance book. However, the inspiration for this book arose from the need I observed in my church for people to be equipped to manage their finances biblically. So, you could say I felt compelled to explore this topic because I recognized my need in my church.

#4. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
I rely on John MacArthur’s commentaries more than others; his books have blessed me. I’m sure I used some of his writings for each sermon in the book. I don’t know if Randy Alcorn has any commentaries, but I probably used his books frequently since he writes extensively on Christian stewardship. I might have quoted him more than anyone else in Your Finances God’s Way.

#5. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
Early in my Christian life, someone directed me to 1 Samuel 2:30, which has become my life verse. God says, “Those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” I strive to keep this verse in mind when making decisions.

More from Scott

There are many finance books already available, so why another one? What makes mine different? Is there any reason you should trust what I have to say?

Most importantly, I’m not asking you to trust me but God. Your Finances God’s Way is not a collection of my opinions about money, but God’s words revealed in Scripture. I do my best to unpack the Bible’s critical money-related verses. God is the One “who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18), and He “makes poor and makes rich” (1 Samuel 2:7). That means God knows what you should and shouldn’t do with your finances, and He has provided you with the needed instructions in His Word. I present these instructions in a clear, engaging, and biblical manner.

I’ve taught extensively on money to the church I serve. The most common type of counseling I give is for marriages, with many sessions revolving around finances. The time I’ve spent with people in counseling—couples and individuals—has made me familiar with the most common problems in marriage, many of which relate to finances. I have seen people struggle, and the time I’ve spent studying the Bible has equipped me to help them find solutions. I’ve been blessed to watch the truths of God’s Word resolve their problems, restore their relationships, and strengthen their financial situations. Your Finances God’s Way is the culmination of hundreds of hours of Bible study and counseling. I wrote this book because I am passionate about this area of Scripture and life.

As a pastor and counselor, I have witnessed the blessings of obeying God and the negative consequences of disobedience. I have experienced these blessings and consequences firsthand as a husband and father. As of 2024, our oldest child of ten, Rhea Grace, is 17. Perhaps God will bless us with more. We have always been a single-income family. I was a schoolteacher when Katie and I married; then, I became a full-time youth pastor. In 2010, I moved from that role to become the senior pastor at Woodland Christian Church in Woodland, Washington.

We have never lived off anything more than modest salaries, but God still enabled us to pay off all our debt, including our mortgage. In some months, we put a few hundred dollars toward debt; in others, we allocated a few thousand. When Katie inherited $10,000, we didn’t think twice before putting it toward the mortgage, and every tax return went toward the mortgage—the year I worked part-time as a youth pastor and full-time as an elementary schoolteacher provided the most money we ever made. More than half of each paycheck went toward the mortgage.

I share my story for three reasons. First, I want to give you confidence in the biblical principles presented in this book. Second, I don’t want you to wonder, Has Scott “walked the talk,” or is he a hypocrite? When discussing debt, I want you to know we have none. When I talk about paying off a mortgage, I want you to know that’s what we’ve done. Third, I don’t want you to think, That’s easy for you to say, Scott; you’ve probably made more than I make. Whether you make much money or a little, you’re in the prime of your career or just starting, or you already have a family or are looking to start one, these principles work because they’re rooted in God’s Word.

Scott LaPierre

Scott LaPierre is a teaching pastor, author, and popular conference speaker. He holds an MA in Biblical Studies from Liberty University. God has blessed Scott and his wife, Katie, with ten children.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate his tour, Scott is giving away the grand prize of
a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book and workbook!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54215

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, May 9 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, May 10 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 10
Guild Master, May 11 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, May 12
Fiction Book Lover, May 13 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 14
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 15 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 16
Blossoms and Blessings, May 17 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 18
Stories By Gina, May 19 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, May 19
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 20
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 21 (Author Interview)
Lily’s Corner, May 22

6 Comments

Epic Book Launch - The Last Disciple: Gospel of John by Kurt Brouwer

5/8/2025

0 Comments

Discover the Untold Story of the Last Disciple to Witness the Miracles of Christ

In a world shrouded in doubt and darkness, one man holds the key to the greatest story ever told.
The epic saga of the Last Disciple continues in this captivating new Christian historical novel from Kurt Brouwer. Witness the miracles of Jesus through the eyes of one who was there. John, a disciple of Christ, watched the Son of God sacrifice his life on the Cross and entered the empty tomb after Jesus rose from the grave.

Witness Jesus Through the Eyes of One Who Was with Him
Years after witnessing the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John seeks to faithfully write down the life-changing events he experienced firsthand.
Go back in time with John to old Jerusalem as he describes the fateful meeting between the Messiah and Nicodemus in which Christ uttered the most beloved passage in the Bible: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

John sets down the true story of Christ, contending with those who seek to water down the gospel message. Accompanied by trusted allies like Emmaus and Avram, John travels from Ephesus to Laodicea, Hierapolis, and beyond, determined to ensure the world never forgets the sacrifice and love of the Son of God.

John reunites with his old friend and fellow disciple, Philip, who is gravely ill. In a desperate bid to save Philip's life, John seeks out the help of Evangeline, a skilled herbalist and healer. After Philip recovers, a mob whipped up by a high priest of the goddess Cybele lays in wait to attack John and Philip.
Will violent enemies of the faith cut off the gospel message John carries?
Witness the miracles of Jesus through the eyes of the Beloved Disciple—and discover how one man's courage can change the course of history.

If you're struggling with doubt, searching for meaning, or hungry to deepen your faith, The Last Disciple: Gospel of John is the Christian novel you've been waiting for.
Don't miss this gripping tale of courage, conviction, and the eternal power of the gospel!

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: February 10, 2025

Excerpt from
The Last Disciple: Gospel of John

After Tychicus had sorted out his clothes, John clapped him on the shoulder. “How many people have you baptized over the years?”

“Tychicus pursed his lips. “Quite a number, for Paul did not really like to baptize believers himself. He usually delegated that to me, or sometimes to Titus or Silas or Timothy.”

While John listened to his friend, he made a connection that had never occurred to him before. “I don’t know if you knew this, but Jesus did not baptize either. He always had one of us disciples do it. I don’t remember him baptizing anyone. Perhaps he felt his calling was to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Maybe that’s why he let us do the baptisms in water.”

John woke in darkness with vivid images flashing through his mind. He thought back to sunny days on the Jordan River when he and Andrew and other followers of John the Baptist had helped those who wanted to be baptized. They were good days, but on one of them, his life changed forever.

That day, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Kurt Brouwer

Kurt is a Christian and a member of a vibrant Christian church on the Big Island of Hawaii. So, in addition to all the usual temptations writers face, Kurt has to fight off the lure of beautiful beaches, pounding surf, great weather, and lush golf courses. Can you imagine? About nine years ago, Kurt did a study for his church on the Apostle John. If you’ve ever been obsessed by anything, you’ll understand what happened. Kurt couldn’t stop researching, digging, diving into the life of John and other first century Christians. Kurt read books by early church historians who wrote quite a bit more more about the disciples, but they often contradicted each other.

Further, they never really delved into the daily lives and motivations, joys and sorrows of the first Christians. Kurt took
all of his research and knowledge, all the insights and details he had acquired and turned it into a series of Christian
historical novels based on research and Biblical knowledge. The first four books in the series are now available
(on Amazon). Here is the series link: The Last Disciple Series. The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem,
The Last Disciple: Escape to Antioch, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus, and The Last Disciple: Gospel of John.
You can also read more on why he started the series at KurtBrouwer.com: Why I Started The Last Disciple Series.

Blog Stops

Excerpt One: https://lakesidelivingsite.wordpress.com/2025/04/28/the-last-disciple-gospel-of-john-by-kurt-brouwer/
Excerpt Two: https://coverloverbookreview.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-last-disciple-gospel-of-john.html
Excerpt Three: https://blossomsandblessings.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-last-disciple-gospel-of-john-by.html
Excerpt Four: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/the-last-disciple-gospel-of-john-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Five: https://lightsinadarkworld.wordpress.com/2025/04/26/the-last-disciple-gospel-of-john-epic-book-launch/
Excerpt Six: https://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/the-last-disciple-gospel-of-john-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Seven: https://montanamade.weebly.com/tell-tale-book-reviews/epic-book-launch-the-last-disciple-gospel-of-john-by-kurt-brouwer

0 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder (Give.away)

5/8/2025

3 Comments

Glimpse the past, illuminate the future.

Yosarai Patican dreams of becoming an illuminator in a country that values art above all else. A lofty goal that finally seems within reach when she earns a position at the prestigious Academy of the Seven

Arts. Although Yosarai loathes to leave behind her quiet country life, she travels to the capital, determined to live up to her mother’s fame asone of Indel’s greatest artists.

Prince Xander never planned to become king. Indeed, he never wanted to become king. But when his father dies suddenly, he is thrust into the middle of coronation preparations—and assassination attempts. With everyone around him in increasing danger, Xander decides to hide in neighboring Indel until the time for him to be crowned king arrives.

Posing as an inventor struggling with aesthetics, Xander enlists Yosarai’s aid as part of his cover, but soon he suspects she knows more than she should. But when danger threatens and secrets are exposed, entering a competition reputed as cutthroat may be the only way for them to protect everything they hold dear.

Genre: YA Fantasy inspired by A Little Princess
Release date: April 8, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

Danger comes in many forms....

I got hooked on Chawna Schroeder's fiction awhile back when I read The Vault Between Spaces so I've been looking forward to Illuminary since first hearing about it. As expected it turned out to be a great start to the intriguingly titled The Sceptre & The Stylus series.

With her trademark attention to detail and excellent fantasy worldbuilding skills, Chawna Schroeder introduces an interesting tale with nods to the Bible and Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess. I found the story to be a faster read than even I expected as my curiosity kept me turning those pages even when I should have headed off for bed.

I was excited to find out that Illuminary is the first book in a planned trilogy as that means I will get the chance to revisit The Sceptre & The Stylus characters again instead of having to say goodbye what feels like too soon.

Great for older YA readers, Illuminary can also entertain adults, such as myself, equally as well. The addition of things like trains and automatons makes The Sceptre & The Stylus trilogy from Chawna Schroeder even more interesting. I enjoyed this first book in the series and now I am definitely looking forward to the next book so I can find out where Yosarai and Xander will find themselves next....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder a 4 Bark rating.

(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

More from Chawna

Why I Love “A Little Princess”

Illuminary begins a fantasy trilogy loosely inspired by A Little Princess. This classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a book I’ve read almost annually since I was a preteen, with some years containing two or more readings. It is a story that never fails to enchant me no matter how often I read it, and it carries for me the same magic that Anne of Green Gables has for many other girls.

Yet unlike Anne, who endears herself to almost all who meet her, the young heroine of A Little Princess, Sara Crewe, is known to be a somewhat divisive character—the kind you either adore or hate the moment you meet her, much like the characters within the story itself. So, what draws me back to this young protagonist again and again?

The reasons are many. I love her imagination, her intelligence, her ability for the perfect comeback, her courage in the face of horrifying circumstances, her uniqueness—all characteristics that I’ve tried to endow upon the heroine of Illuminary to some extent.

But I think the thing I hope my heroine in Illuminary emulates most is Sara’s unshakeable character. For Sara is a principled young lady, and no matter what is thrown at her, she holds onto those principles without wavering.

Often in literature, it seems like the good, principled characters, when they are faced with great difficulty, end up struggling with their principles, debating whether they are good or worthwhile. In some stories, those characters even outright reject those principles for a time.

While these are good and needed stories to tell, sometimes they are portrayed as the only accurate arcs for such characters—as if characters holding onto their principles and maintaining their integrity is somehow unrealistic. A charge originating, I suppose, from those too sweet, too perfect characters found in morality tales.

Yet while such characters of integrity and principle might be rare, Scripture shows us that hard times don’t have to shake one’s principles or undermine one’s integrity. Both Joseph in the book of Genesis and Daniel in the book bearing his name exemplify this kind of life. And we see this same principled integrity in Sara Crewe.

It is not that she is some perfectly sweet heroine. Sara has a temper, struggles with some uncharitable thoughts toward others, and even misjudges another character terribly. Nor does she fail to grow. The Sara at the end of the story is definitely a more mature, thoughtful, and understanding girl than the one who began the tale.

But the core essence of her character—her politeness, generosity, and compassion as summarized by her wish to act like a princess—does not change in the story. The core characteristics that make Sara Crewe, Sara Crewe, are unshaken. They may grow and expand with the character, but these essential attributes characterize her throughout the entire story. Even in her darkest moments she holds fast to them.

That is both hopeful and encouraging. For we all will face hard and difficult times. A Little Princess doesn’t deny that reality. Rather, it says that those hard times don’t have to destroy us and that holding onto one’s integrity, one’s faith, is possible.

For me, that is what makes Sara Crewe and A Little Princess truly magical—and what I hope will make Illuminary magical for its readers.

Chawna Schroeder

Chawna Schroeder loves exploring the wonder of God through the intersection of imagination and faith. When she isn’t reading or writing, she may be found practicing piano, reading biblical Greek or Hebrew, preparing for the Bible study she teaches, or working onone of her handwork projects while enjoying a movie.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Chawna is giving away the grand prize of a 2.5” x 9.5” poster
of Psalm 46:5 and 10-11 illuminated by artist and calligrapher Timothy Botts, a
signed copy of the book, a $25 Amazon gift card, a glass stylus, and 5 bookish stickers!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54208

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 29
Artistic Nobody, April 30 (Author Interview)
CeCe Reads and Sings, April 30
The Lofty Pages, May 1
Wishful Endings, May 2
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 3 (Spotlight)
Simple Harvest Reads, May 3 (Guest Review from Mindy)
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 4
Guild Master, May 5 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, May 6
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 7
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 8
Inklings and Notions, May 9
Fiction Book Lover, May 10 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, May 11
Labor Not in Vain, May 12

3 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Wanderer's Legacy by Natasha Woodcraft (Give.away)

4/22/2025

3 Comments

Adah lives trapped between the life she yearned for and the life she chose. Childless and desperate, she’s failed to produce an heir for her once-devoted husband, Lamech. As his love turns to obsession and control, Adah finds herself drawn to whispered legends of a mysterious Wanderer.

When Lamech takes a second wife, Adah’s world shatters – sending her fleeing to her family home. There, a fragile sense of freedom awakens long-buried hopes. But her body hides a secret that will propel her back into the heart of danger.

As survival becomes a daily challenge, can a legend offer her the salvation she craves? Or does someone else hold the power to help her dwell in safety?

Genre: Biblical Fiction
Release date: April 10, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Natasha

#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
The Bible story about Lamech in Genesis 4. I’ve written three books based on Genesis 4 and this is the third (but it’s a standalone story, so you don’t have to have read the others.) I love exploring big questions that the Bible presents through my writing. This one considers how one man could get to the point of openly admitting to murder. Lamech is a descendant of Cain, the first murderer, but where Cain hid his crime, Lamech admitted it. Why?

#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
It took me a year to draft the novel and I’ve spent a year in the editing process. My books get five run-throughs – with critique partners, beta readers, developmental editor, line editor and proofreader, so that’s pretty time consuming!

#3. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I first started writing Bible-era fiction after reading books by Connilyn Cossette and Tessa Afshar. At first, I was a bit scared of the Biblical fiction genre, wondering if it was “adding to the Bible” which we shouldn’t do. But rather than adding to it, these incredible writers brought the Bible to life, helping me to understand the context of scripture through storytelling and sending me back to the Word of God. Their works really inspired me, and I feel privileged to be following in their footsteps.

#6. How did you name your characters?
As my characters are based on stories from the Bible, many of their names are set, but I change them into the Hebrew forms. Then it kind of works the other way round, because I’ll consider the meanings of the original names, and often plot points or character traits will form around those name meanings. For example, my main character Adah’s name means “adornment”. So, she is really beautiful and her husband treats her like a trophy wife, not respecting who she is as a person. At the end, God whispers such beautiful words to her about her name, but you’ll have to read it to find out what they are!

#8. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, friends.
I’m British and I live in a slightly crumbling old farmhouse with my husband, four boys (two teens and two younger ones) and twenty-eight animals (though not all of them are in the house!) I also work as an editor for a publishing house, and doing finances for the family business, so life is very busy. Writing time is my favourite switch off from the crazy, and I rely on God so much to get me through each day. He is so kind!

If readers would like to sample my writing, they can sign up my newsletter here https://natashawoodcraft.com/subscribe
They’ll get a free novella for signing up, and I send monthly emails with doses of encouragement and writing news.

More from Natasha

I wrote The Wanderer’s Legacy because I believe stories have the power to communicate deep truths and transform lives, and Bible stories are no exception! Lamech, the first man to have two wives, features way back in Genesis 4, after Cain & Abel and before Noah. It’s not even a story, really, it’s a little poem stuck at the end of a chapter. What is it doing there, and what can it teach us about God’s goodness during a really dark time in humanity’s history?

That’s what this novel is about. It was an excuse to engage deeply with that story and the result is full of biblical truth that I hope will draw the reader closer to Jesus, understanding how his redemptive purposes are woven through the fabric of the whole Bible, even obscure little poems that almost feel like a sidenote.

Rather than telling you more, I’m just going to share the opening with you, to give you a taster…

“Adah presses her back to the pillar, squeezing into its evening shadow. Her heavy breathing is almost as loud as the heartbeat pummelling in her head. Surely someone will hear?

Her chance to escape diminishes with every moment of delay. She is a desert jerboa – alert, aware of every sight and smell, yet frozen in place as she awaits her predator’s pounce.

Azurak should be occupied. Her son arranged it when she pleaded with him on hands and knees, eyes streaming in desperation. But Adah is sure she hears him. His rasping breath and distinct blood-soaked-campfire smell linger, fusing her feet to the ground.

Unless it’s someone worse than Azurak. Perhaps her husband will find her.”

Natasha Woodcraft

Natasha Woodcraft lives in the UK with her family of boys and menagerie of animals. She holds an honours degree in Theology and believes stories have power to communicate deep truth and transform lives. Her novels explore God’s redemptive purposes for ordinary, messy people living in biblical times.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Natasha is giving away the grand prize of
a $20 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54196

Blog Stops

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 10 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, April 11 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 11
Simple Harvest Reads, April 12 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 13
Artistic Nobody, April 14 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, April 15
Guild Master, April 16 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, April 16
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 17
Vicky Sluiter, April 18 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 19
For the Love of Literature, April 20 (Author Interview)
Devoted Steps, April 21
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 22 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, April 23 (Author Interview)

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - It's Fight Night! by Todd Woodfill (Give.away)

4/19/2025

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It’s Fight Night: Lessons For Men on Samson’s Fight uses the story of Samson to challenge men to examine their lives through the lens of strength and weakness. Designed for personal or group study, this Bible study delves into the complexities of Samson’s journey, asking men to reflect on their God-given strengths and areas of vulnerability. By exploring themes of divine purpose, failure, and redemption, this study invites men to seek guidance from God as they grow in faith and understand their true potential. Become a warrior, step into the ring and discover timeless lessons on strength, weakness, and grace.

Genre: Men’s Bible Study
Release date: October, 2024

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Todd

1. What was the inspiration behind the book?
The inspiration behind Fight Night came from one of the most challenging seasons of my life. I was navigating a major health scare that had me and my family believing I might only have a short time left on this earth. In that season of uncertainty, I was forced to take a hard look at my faith, my purpose, and the legacy I was leaving behind. It was a time of deep reflection, where I had to confront my own weaknesses, my struggles, and even my doubts.

As I wrestled with these questions, I found myself drawn to the story of Samson. His life was one of immense strength, yet also of devastating weakness. He was chosen by God, set apart for a divine purpose, yet time and again, he made choices that led to his downfall. And yet—despite his failures—God still used him in a mighty way. That truth hit me hard. It reminded me that no matter how much we struggle, no matter how many times we fall, God is never done with us. He can redeem even our worst moments and use them for His glory.

Through this, I felt an undeniable calling to help men examine their own lives in the same way—to look at their strengths, their weaknesses, and their purpose through God’s eyes. Too many men are walking around feeling disqualified, burdened by their past mistakes or unsure of how to step into their God-given calling. Fight Night was written to challenge men to step into the ring, to face their battles head-on, and to understand that real strength comes not from physical power, but from surrendering to God.

This book isn’t just about Samson—it’s about all of us. It’s about every man who has ever questioned whether he’s good enough, strong enough, or capable enough to be the leader, husband, father, or warrior God has called him to be. My prayer is that Fight Night helps men see that their fight isn’t over, that God is still working in them, and that through Him, they can rise up and live with boldness, purpose, and faith.

2. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
When writing Fight Night, I was heavily influenced by the story of Samson, of course, but also by other biblical figures like Job and Gideon. Job’s endurance through suffering and his unwavering faith in God, even when everything was stripped away, spoke to me deeply. Gideon’s journey from fear and self-doubt to becoming a mighty warrior for God showed me that true strength isn’t about what we see in ourselves, but what God sees in us. These stories shaped my understanding of what it means to fight—not just physically, but spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

Beyond biblical influences, several men in my life played a significant role in shaping this book. Joel Eason, a pastor and mentor, has been a rock of faith, consistently demonstrating what it means to trust God in the toughest circumstances. His wisdom and example have helped me grow in my own faith and leadership. KB, a well-known musical artist but, more importantly, a friend, has shown me what it looks like to keep God first, no matter how demanding life gets. His ability to balance his calling, family, and faith has been a powerful reminder to always keep priorities in check. Kurt Schaer, who runs a marriage counseling ministry, has been an incredible example of what it means to honor my wife in the way God calls us to in scripture. His guidance has helped me navigate my role as a husband and ensure that my marriage reflects God’s love and grace.

Each of these men, in their own way, have influenced my understanding of faith, resilience, leadership, and what it truly means to fight the right battles. Their lives and wisdom have helped shape Fight Night, and I’m grateful for the ways they continue to challenge and inspire me.

3. Did you have a specific demographic in mind while writing this book?
Yes, I wrote Fight Night with men in mind. My calling and my ministry, Warriors For His Glory, are centered on helping men grow in their faith, step into their God-given purpose, and become stronger leaders in their homes, churches, and communities.

I wanted this book to speak directly to men who are struggling with the tension between their strengths and weaknesses—those who feel called to something greater but are battling obstacles, whether internal or external. Samson’s story provides a powerful lens through which men can examine their own lives, recognizing both their God-given potential and the pitfalls that can come with it.

Whether a man is a new believer or has been walking with God for years, I wanted Fight Night to challenge and equip him to fight the right battles, lean into God’s strength, and walk in the victory that comes from surrendering to His plan.

4. What do you hope your readers will remember after finishing this book?
I hope that after finishing Fight Night, readers walk away with a deeper understanding of both their God-given strengths and their areas of weakness, and how both can be used for His glory. I want men to realize that their past failures don’t define them—God does. Samson’s story is a reminder that even in our worst moments, God’s purpose for our lives isn’t erased.

More than anything, I want men to remember that they are in a fight, whether they acknowledge it or not. The battles they face—temptation, pride, insecurity, distractions—are real, but they don’t have to fight alone. With God’s strength, they can rise above their struggles and step into the purpose He has for them.

I also hope this book challenges men to take an honest look at their lives, to surround themselves with other godly men who will push them forward, and to seek God daily as they grow into the warriors He has called them to be.

5. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart?
My favorite Bible verse is Matthew 22:39, where Jesus commands us to "Love your neighbor as yourself." What makes this verse so powerful to me is that, right before His death, Jesus simplified all of God’s commands into just two: Love God and love others. And I believe that if we truly love others well, we are also honoring God in the process.

This verse resonates deeply with me because I struggle with the hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and accusatory nature I often see from some who claim to follow Christ. My core belief is that our role as Christians is not to police people's behavior but to introduce them to the life-changing power of Jesus. I firmly believe in heart transformation over behavior modification—meaning our job isn’t to call people out, but to call them into a relationship with Christ.

Once someone enters that relationship, if God wants to work on certain behaviors in their life, He will convict and guide them. It’s not my place to do it. My job—and the job of every believer—is to love people, walk alongside them, and show them the grace that was first shown to us. When we focus on love instead of condemnation, we actually become the light of the world that Jesus called us to be.

That belief is central to Fight Night because the story of Samson isn’t just about his failures—it’s about God’s relentless grace and redemption. And if God can extend that grace to a man like Samson, He can do the same for every one of us.

More from Todd

Men, it’s time to step into the ring! Todd Woodfill’s new book, It’s Fight Night: Lessons For Men On Samson’s Fight, is officially here-and it’s not just a book; it’s a challenge to reclaim your strength, confront your weaknesses, and discover the warrior God created you to be.

Using the story of Samson as a backdrop, this study invites you to explore themes of strength, weakness, purpose, and redemption. Whether you’re diving in solo or in a small group with you brothers in Christ, this book is designed to help you reflect deeply on your journey as a man of faith. You’ll be encouraged to embrace your God-given potential, find hope in the face of failure, and live boldly for Christ.

What to Expect:

Discover the divine purpose in your strengths AND your struggles.
Learn how to fight like Samson-but live with the grace of Christ.
Build up your faith and deepen your connection to God alongside other men.

Are You Ready for the Fight?

This more than just a book launch-this is the kickoff to an incredible journey! Todd is hitting the road for the Fight Night Book Tour, bringing these lessons to life through interactive discussions, powerful testimonies, and real talk about what it means to walk boldly as a man of God today.

About the Author:
Todd Woodfill is a man blessed beyond measure and proof that God has a sense of humor. From being a husband to his incredible wife, Holly, for 30+ years, to raising for amazing kids and a grandchild who alternately call him “Papa” and “that old weirdo,” he’s been living a wild, grace-filled adventure.

Todd is passionate about men’s ministries, mental health advocacy, Legos, and boxing-yes, he is a man of layers like Shrek. You might catch Todd talking about Jordan sneakers one moment, throwing a jab at the heavy bag the next, or surprisingly belting out a Disney tune with unapologetic joy. But his heart is always centered on helping men find God’s purpose in their lives.

Join the Fight!

Follow the tour schedule, grab a copy of the book, and let’s get ready to rumble-with faith as our foundation. God has incredible things in store, and Todd can’t wait to share this journey with you.

Stay tuned for book tour dates near you!

Let’s grow together, brothers. The bell’s ringing-are you ready to step into the ring?

#ItsFightNight #ChristianMen #MensMinistry #BibleStudy #SamsonLessons #WarriorsForHisGlory #StrengthInFaith

Todd Woodfill

Todd Woodfill is a modern-day Renaissance man whose life could be inspirational if it didn’t so closely resemble a comedy sketch. Married to his absolutely amazing, beautiful, intelligent, and talented wife Holly for a whirlwind 30 years so far, he couldn’t imagine doing life without her support. With four incredible children and one extraordinary grandchild, who refer to Todd as Dad, Papa, dork, old timer, and weirdo, Todd has been blessed far more than he deserves. Passionate about mental health and suicide prevention, men’s ministries, Legos, boxing, and pursuing God, Todd is a man of many talents and clearly a master of none. But who else can seamlessly switch from being a Jordan sneaker connoisseur to a boxing enthusiast, all while building men’s ministries and helping those with mental health challenges.

Heck, this guy can be found passionately discussing the virtues of mental wellness, only to break into a joyful
song from a Disney classic, spreading cheer like a modern-day Mary Poppins with a passion for Christ. His
life is a whirlwind of laughter, love, and an unshakable faith, making him the ultimate blend of humor and
heart in a world that often takes itself too seriously.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate his tour, Todd is giving away the grand prize of
a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54200

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 14
Vicky Sluiter, April 15 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 16
For the Love of Literature, April 17 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, April 18
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 19 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 20
Blossoms and Blessings, April 21 (Author Interview)
Book Butterfly in Dreamland, April 22
Stories By Gina, April 23 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, April 23
Artistic Nobody, April 24
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 25 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, April 25
Guild Master, April 26
A Reader’s Brain, April 27 (Author Interview)

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Our Trustworthy God by Sarah K. Howley (Give.away)

4/17/2025

3 Comments

Have you ever felt like in life’s most challenging moments, trusting God can be a struggle—even impossible? What if you knew that God not only invites you to trust him but is trustworthy himself and trusts you in return? Our Trustworthy God warmly welcomes you into a deeper understanding of the mutual relationship he longs to have with you, one built on love, trust, and active engagement.
With your guide, Sarah K. Howley—founder of InspiritEncourage, author, and speaker—you will walk through those difficult moments when trust feels scary, discovering how God’s faithfulness shines brightest in your darkest times. Through rich, Scripture-based insights, Sarah unpacks why God is always trustworthy and how his boundless love continually works for your good.
Through this study, you’ll find:

A deeper awareness of God’s active love and trust in your everyday life
Confidence in God’s unwavering faithfulness, even when challenges arise
Practical steps to strengthen your relationship with God, built on mutual trust
Encouragement to openly confront doubts and questions about your faith
Guidance on how to live as a trustworthy person, reflecting God’s faithfulness in your life

Our Trustworthy God explores the incredible truth that God trusts you, reminding you that your relationship with him is neither one-sided nor blind but vibrant and deeply mutual. You’ll be invited to reflect on what it truly means to live in faithful connection with your loving God despite the pains of life and evils of the world.
Approachable yet deeply rooted in Scripture, this study is perfect for individuals or groups seeking to strengthen their faith and experience the joy of walking in a two-way relationship with the God who loves and trusts you.

Genre: Bible Study
Release date: March 28, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Sarah

#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
When I got the idea for this book, it was when I was reading about God trusting us. For some reason, I had always focused on trusting God – but never the reciprocal. When I truly understood that God trusts me, it changed the way I viewed challenges and my mission. I knew God trusted me in what I was doing and how I was doing things. That gave me such confidence and drew me closer to Him like never before. I hope readers have the same response to this book!

#2. What part of the writing process do you like the least?
I am not a fan of editing. I do alright the first time through and send it to my editor. After that, I tend to have trouble focusing and working through the points that my editor made about the book. Of course, sometimes the comments are a real challenge, and then I enjoy it, but generally I have a hard time with edits.

#3. What drew you to take on this topic through non-fiction versus fiction?
I have had an inkling of an idea for a fiction book, but I have had more training and experience in teaching than in fiction. Teaching comes more naturally to me than telling a story. My editor always encourages me to tell stories to illustrate concepts in my books, and it is the thing I struggle most with. So, nonfiction is my thing.

#4. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
I have enjoyed reading about relational theology over recent years. There are a number of authors who fall into this field and their books have all been pretty inspiring (that I have read). One is Thomas Oord and another is Jason Clark. Amy-Jill Levine has been influential is getting me to question what I’ve been told about the Bible and God and find the answers myself. All combined, the topic of trusting God is part of a mutual relationship that I have struggled with and found some clarity in these ideas. I hope readers do, too!

#5. What do you hope your readers will remember after finishing this book?
When I wrote this book, I wanted readers to know deeply how much God loves them, wants to interact with them and trusts them to carry out his work; and his work is everything we do, from brushing our teeth or driving the kids to school to volunteering at the food bank. God is interested in all of it and believes in us.

More from Sarah

Our Trustworthy God is the result of years of seeking. I knew I was supposed to trust God… but. I struggled with the buts of trusting God. There are too many to name, and they usually start with “why?” Some examples are when good people have bad things happen to them, why? When someone we love has died too soon, when our best friend gets cancer, when a hurricane strikes and whole towns are lost. For me, it was cancer in the family and even starting my own business. I couldn’t really understand, or “feel” that everything was working out for my good. Trusting God wasn’t exactly an on-command reflex when I thought of these things. It was easier to wonder where God was rather than trust that he IS and will always be here.

But I wanted more than to believe he was here, I wanted to know deeply that God was working for my good, even when all I saw was destruction and evil. So, I spent a year dedicated to digging in and seeking to understand what trusting God really means. I wanted to know how trustworthy God is, all the time. I didn’t want that knowledge to remain in my head, but I wanted it in my heart. I wanted it to be the automatic reflex when bad things happen that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was in that situation and working for my good.

What I found surprised me. Don’t misunderstand, more than ever before, I know God IS with me in every circumstance and he IS working for my well-being. He loves me deeply. What surprised me was that God trusts me as well and his power is unlike anything I could imagine.

A deep discussion of relationship and trusting God is what came out of that search to understand how I could trust the unseen God in an evil world, and I had to share it. Because I know my God is good and he is trustworthy. He is working for your good. He loves you, joyfully engages with you, and he trusts you.

Sarah K. Howley

Sarah K. Howley is the founder of InspiritEncourage and author of several Bible studies. She is a certified counselor by the Chiesa Apostolica in Italia and holds a master’s degree in education. Sarah often travels the world, usually with espresso in hand. Follow her at inspiritencourage.com to keep in touch.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54197

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, April 11 (Author Interview)
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 11
Texas Book-aholic, April 12
Simple Harvest Reads, April 13 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 14
For the Love of Literature, April 15 (Author Interview)
She Lives To Read, April 16
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 17 (Author Interview)
The Sacred Line, April 17
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 18
Blossoms and Blessings, April 19 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 20
Artistic Nobody, April 21 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, April 21
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 22
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 23 (Author Interview)
EmpowerMoms, April 24

3 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Embergold by Rachelle Nelson (Give.away)

4/15/2025

5 Comments

Fire dreamed of water, but the first sip would be its last.

Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.

Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.

This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast —truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.

Genre: YA Fantasy
Release date: March 18, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

What will she be willing to risk....

I fell in love with Rachelle Nelson's writing style when I read her debut novel. When I saw her name on the cover of Embergold I didn't even really read the blurb because I already knew I wanted to read it.

And it did not disappoint. Though, how could a story with dragons ever be a disappointment. With some Beauty And The Beast vibes Embergold kept me reading all afternoon and even while I was eating dinner.

Rachelle Nelson is one of those with the rare talent of being able to describe an entire location or even an event with just a few words. The simplicity of description is the beauty of it and you can completely visualize every aspect of what is going on on the page in front of you. I absolutely love it when an author can help your imagination soar rather than leading you in a single narrow vision.

Anyway, Embergold was a wonderful read. It has everything you want to see in a clean fantasy and even a few surprises along the way. It completely captivated me from the moments of humor to the darker ones of pain and heartbreak. The splash of romance is also nicely done and it is a part of the story rather than taking it over.

Whether you are an adult reader like me who just enjoys a good clean fantasy read or if you know a teen reader I would definitely recommend Embergold. Honestly, I'd recommend anything by Rachelle Nelson and as for myself I will be anxiously anticipating reading more from her...

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Embergold by Rachelle Nelson a 5 Bark rating.

(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

More from Rachelle

For the past decade or so, I have been a volunteer youth leader for teen groups. Some of my favorite memories have come from that position. Camp pranks, hilarious games involving edible mealworms, scavenger hunts, singing together at the top of our lungs, and speaking life into the lives of young women. When a girl sees herself through the eyes of Jesus, everything changes.

Some of my hardest moments have come from being a youth leader, too. There’s a kind of hurt that happens when we watch someone suffer, and we cannot take the suffering away. I have cried tears with teens who have been wounded by betrayal, carelessness, and abandonment. Those wounds go deeper when they come from a parent.

The truth is, God is the only perfect father, and we’re meant to be parented by Him. Learning to trust Him is a process, even if we had a pretty great (if imperfect) example of an earthly dad. But we live in a fatherless generation, when so many have experienced separation and pain in their family from divorce, or addiction, or generational cycles of pain. I’ve seen what that kind of pain can do to a heart, and how trusting others becomes almost impossible.

Almost.

Embergold is a story about betrayal and abandonment. It’s about two young people who never expected to find kindness in a harsh world. It’s about the healing of hearts.

I wrote it for myself, to remember what is possible. I wrote it for the young people I have loved. And for the parents who are still recovering from their childhoods.

Sin and brokenness happen in community. But, the amazing thing is, God designed the healing to happen in community too, among people. We need each other.

Rachelle Nelson

Rachelle Nelson grew up reading fantasy novels and getting her clothes muddy in the pine forests of Idaho. These days, she still loves hiking through forests and libraries, though she’s a bit less fond of mud. Her debut novel, Sky of Seven Colors, released through Enclave Publishing, and won both the Carol Award and Christy Award. Rachelle doesn’t write true stories, but she does write about truth. When she’s not doing that, she sings in a band with her husband who makes her happier than should be legal. If you like good food and honest conversations, you’re her favorite kind of person.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Rachelle is giving away the grand prize of
a $50 Amazon gift card, a hardcover copy of the book,and an envelope of
fun goodies, including a signed bookplate and a pewter dragon bookmark!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54195

Blog Stops

Fiction Book Lover, April 8 (Author Interview)
CeCe Reads and Sings, April 8
Texas Book-aholic, April 9
MinReads and Reviews, April 9
Wishful Endings, April 10
The Lofty Pages, April 11
Blossoms and Blessings, April 12
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 13
Blogging With Carol, April 14
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 15
Devoted Steps, April 16
Madi’s Musings, April 17
Labor Not in Vain, April 18
Guild Master, April 19
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 20
Simple Harvest Reads, April 21 (Guest Review from Mindy)

5 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Meow Meow Milks The Cow by Allen Brokken (Giveaway)

4/13/2025

3 Comments

When disaster strikes the family farm, Lauren gets a big job. She has to milk their cow, Clarabelle, all by herself! Her only help might come from her new feline friend Meow Meow, but how can such a little kitten help with such a big job?

This read-aloud will help you share the timeless truth from the Bible that God can use the least of us to solve big problems.

Genre: Christian Fable
Release date: March 15, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Allen

#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
A couple of years ago I hired a family friend, Heather Freeman, to be my virtual assistant. In our first official business meeting, she told me she thought Towers of Light needed stuffies and picture books. While I thought it was a fun idea, there’s a huge difference between writing novels and picture books. Plus, I was working on book 4 in a series of 6 and didn’t see how I would ever get around to writing a picture book.
However, there was a scene that I really liked in my first book, Light of Mine, that my editor made me cut out because it didn’t flow well from a storytelling perspective. It basically pulled all of the intensity from the story, so she insisted that I pull it. So, I followed her advice, and that scene was left on the cutting room floor. But it always bugged me. So one day I was talking to a picture book author, Pam Halter and she said she could help me adapt that scene to a picture book format. All I needed was an illustrator.
Well, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law had just drawn a nice set of characters depicting the children in the Towers of Light series and I thought, WOW that style would be perfect for a picture book. So, I had my story and my illustrator.

#2. Do you have favorite character(s) in this book?
Of course! The kids in the story are my kids. That was very intentional since I was writing a story about their adventures. But Meow Meow is really the star of the show and I was so glad to be able to make a story starring this loveable feline.

#3. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
In God’s creation, big help often comes in small packages.

#4. How did you name your characters?
The kids in the story are named after and based on my kids, so it was only right to name the kitten after Lauren’s real-life favorite stuffed animal Meow Meow.

#5. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, friends.
I am a husband and father who works full-time and keeps busy pursuing my career as a Christian author on the side. All of my children have graduated from college and are out on their own, so the house is a bit different. I’m working on several projects right now for Towers of Light that are super exciting and have the good fortune to actually work with my kids on my side business.

More from Allen

Sometimes, a story just HAS to be told. When I first wrote the book that became Light of Mine, book 1 of the Towers of Light series, there was a scene in which the main character, Lauren, and her newly found kitten are trying to milk the cow. It was a sweet moment in a chaotic story, and I had fun writing it as an homage to my kitten squeaker, who made trying to work around home very challenging at times. However, my editor was pretty clear that as cute as the story was, Meow Meow’s interlude with the milk cow Clarabelle just didn’t fit the story’s action. So, unfortunately, that scene found its way to the cutting room floor.

After a few years, I started having mothers of children who loved the Towers of Light Series ask the same question over and over….”But what about my littles?” Do you have a story for me to read to my younger children? After thinking about it, I realized Meow Meow’s adventure might be a perfect read-aloud. So I reached out to a fellow Realm Maker, Pam Halter, who has a really fun series of books with Willougby the Dragon, to see if she could help me turn my 2500-word novel scene into an 800-word picture book…and she did a fantastic job! So now we have Meow Meow Milks the Cow.

Another fun fact is that the character Ethan in this book is all grown up now and engaged to be married to Reace Erbe, and this is her first illustrated work in print. So we all hope you enjoy this Tower of Light read to me.

Allen Brokken

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off to college he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media and through his blog.

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To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54199

Blog Stops

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 9
For the Love of Literature, April 10 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, April 10
By the Book, April 11
For Him and My Family, April 12
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 13 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, April 14
Hannahbandanarama, April 15
Blossoms and Blessings, April 16 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 17
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 18
Labor Not in Vain , April 19
Texas Book-aholic, April 20
Pause for Tales, April 21
A Reader’s Brain, April 22 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, April 22

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Excerpt from The Bible Companion Book 2:
Leviticus - Deuteronomy

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