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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - God Storys by Victorya Wright (Give.away)

4/16/2026

Do you have a personal mantra that guides you? Have you ever felt God’s presence so strongly that it seemed as if He was right beside you? Do you seek His wisdom when faced with tough decisions?
For me, my constant prayer is “Not in my own strength, Lord. Not in my own strength. Guide me. Direct me. Help me.” Since childhood I have experienced God’s undeniable presence, leading me in ways both profound and personal. There are moments when I turn, expecting to see someone beside me, only to realize it is His unseen nearness. When uncertainty arises, I seek clarity through prayer and my own version of the ancient Thummim and Urim – trusting Him to reveal the way forward. God Storys is a compilation of 30 true, standalone vignettes that testify to these Divine encounters – extraordinary moments that are not mere coincidences, but God-instances. May these stories inspire you, strengthen your faith, and open your eyes to His presence in your own life.

Genre: Non-Fiction; Inspirational
Release Date: October 14, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Victorya

#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
The inspiration behind this book began in my childhood. Even as a young child I had a personal relationship with God. As the events of my life unfolded, I didn't initially attribute them to God but looking back I realize He has had his hand on my life from the very beginning. I began talking about God stories decades ago. I marveled at the different circumstances, situations, and stories that God produced in my life. Not all of them were happy stories but they all had purposeful results or endings. I was keenly aware of the sovereignty of God and His many amazing attributes. The 30 true stories in my/His book are all nonfiction. They range from my birth and resuscitation during a Los Angeles earthquake in 1952 to surprising travels abroad. They are all stories about Him, and I am passionate about proclaiming what He has done. As I told my/His God stories over the years and decades, family and friends encouraged me to write about them. Over those years, my faithful prayer partners prodded me to write this book. It was in, or around, the year 2018 when God Himself, directed me to write them through His familiar God Tap/directive in my life.

#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
I began writing my/His book in the spring of 2019. God directed me to go away for several days to focus and concentrate on my writing. I was able to complete the book in that one chunk of time while I was away in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Twain Harte, California. Writing the book was twofold. It was easy to write because they were familiar stories that were true that I did not have to imaginatively create. But the stories were personal and I found myself resistant to sharing them in public as I am predominantly a very private person and sharing my stories was out of my comfort zone. The process from writing to actual book release was from spring of 2019 until October of 2025 … six years.

#3. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
God influenced me the most while writing His book. As I remembered, wrote, and relayed the many stories, He connected the dots and I saw His purpose in all of them.
Other influencers were my many prayer partners to whom I have dedicated the book. They were very encouraging, supportive, even prodding and my impetus to take action.

#4. How has writing about this particular topic changed your own life?
As I remembered, wrote, and relayed the many stories my own faith in Him, and my personal relationship with Him, grew deeper and stronger. Seeing so many of the things that He accomplished in my life in one place, between the covers of my/His book resulted in my confidence and trust in His love and provision. The roots of my faith are growing even more deeply as I witness and proclaim what He has done, and is doing, through His work.

#5. What do you hope your readers will remember after finishing this book?
It is my goal that the readers of my/His book will recognize and grow deeper in their own personal relationships with God. It is my prayer that people will see God in their own lives in a new, fresh and reliant way. I hope that individuals will perceive their own personal God stories and proclaim them. God Storys is intended for people of all ages and all genders.

#6. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
God gave me the verse Psalm 40:1-3 ESV in 1982 when I was a student at a non-denominational Christian Learning Center for 3 months in Julian, CA called the Julian Center. The Julian Center was patterned after the Schaefer’s L ‘Abri, in Switzerland. While at the Julian Center I was transitioning from my life in the world to my life in Christ. The verses Psalm 40:1-3 reflected my life experiences to date. That verse is my life verse, my favorite verse, it belongs to me. My/His book, God Storys, is a profound manifestation of that verse.

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet
upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new
song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many
will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3 ESV

More from Victorya

I have been asked, “What is the purpose of this book? I believe that the answer to that question lies in the fact that you are holding this book in your hands and reading these God storys. That is not a coincidence; it is another God incidence. I do not believe in coincidence. I believe that our lives and our world are beautifully orchestrated by a very personal, very relational Creator.

This book is not about me; it is not about spiritual one-upmanship. This book is all about Him … about having a relationship with Him. I am an ordinary person; I am an ordinary Christian. I am merely His scribe writing out of obedience. Even the cover and subtitle of this book reflect God storys. I photographed the sunset from my front door before this book was ever written. The song that I refer to “The Truth”, reflects our royal relationship with Him as our King. The lock on the cover is to be unlocked as you explore your own relationship with Him, the God Who breathed life into our nostrils.

Victorya Wright

Born at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles during one of the city’s largest earthquakes, I took my first breath as the building swayed and the gurney rolled – my parents recount a dramatic beginning marked by both chaos and grace. Life since then has been rich with God’s goodness, meaningful relationships, and profound learning. It has also brought seasons of hardship, loss and shame – yet grace has always abounded. I am the mother of seven children, two of whom are already in heaven. My five God-fearing, compassionate, and well-educated adult children live in five U. S. states. My greatest joy is spending time with them and my 14 adorable grandchildren. I have spent most of my life working in healthcare and continue to serve part time in my orofacial myofunctional therapy private practice in San Diego County and beyond. I am passionate about proclaiming all that God has done.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Victorya is giving away the grand prize of a
$100 VISA gift card, a hardcover signed copy of the book and 2-Gold Antique
Skeleton Keys [for bookmarks, decoration, favors, or handiwork]!!

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

https://gleam.io/C8evw/god-storys-told-by-a-daughter-of-the-most-high-king-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, April 8 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, April 9 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, April 10 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, April 11
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 12
Fiction Book Lover, April 13 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, April 14 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, April 15 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, April 15
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 16 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 17
Blossoms and Blessings, April 18 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, April 19 (Author Interview)
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 20 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, April 20
Books, Books, & More Books, April 21 (Author Interview)

6 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Star-Blessed by Angie Dickinson (Give.away)

4/9/2026

2 Comments

Three legendary origins of power.
Two royal bloodlines. One deadly curse.

The kingdom of Stelauris is slowly dying. A season of poison infects the air, earth, and water with increasing deadliness each year, and a deep love of gold and power infects the failing mind of the king. His only daughter and first in line to the throne, Princess Seren, lives in tightly controlled isolation. When she is suddenly thrust into royal society, she struggles to hide the strain of untamed magic awakening in her blood.
Seren’s newly appointed personal guard, Sir Corin, resents the exile of his people. As heir to a long-banished line of succession and the last of the land’s legendary protectors, he holds no loyalty for the current royal family and their history of unhinged cruelty.
As death steals over the kingdom and the schemes at court grow deadlier, the princess and the guard are forced to face their fears, their troubled pasts, and the cost of personal freedom.
The Star-Blessed is a reimagining and reinventing of two fairy tales: “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Cat-Skin” by the Brothers Grimm.

Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling
Release Date: March 10, 2026

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

There are those who only seek to use them....

I absolutely loved Angie Dickinson's book Truth Cursed, so I was beyond excited when I heard about The Star-Blessed a few months ago. Since then I have been on tenterhooks of eager anticipation. When I finally got my hands on it I dived right in. And it was every bit as good as I hoped it would be.

The Star-Blessed captured my attention right from the start. First and foremost, it is a fantasy story with all of the elements that I love about the genre. But, it is also a fairytale retelling, or rather a double fairytale retelling. What I enjoyed so much about this book was the clever way that Angie Dickinson wove those two things together into a tale that is both captivating and richly detailed. From fancy balls and swordplay to magical clothing and spun gold, you get that fairytale essence within a story that is entirely fresh and new.

The worldbuilding is exquisite in The Star-Blessed. The realm has history, it has geography, it has culture, it has religion. And, since this book is a standalone title, those elements are key and must not be skimped on. Angie Dickinson's did not skimp. Her characters are interesting and you can't help but become immersed in their lives as well as the world around them.

Anyway, as I'm sure you can tell, I loved The Star-Blessed just as much as I did Truth Seeker. With two books of this caliber already out, I can't wait to read more from Angie Dickinson myself. Definitely recommend!

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Star-Blessed by Angie Dickinson a 4.5 Bark rating.

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

More from Angie

If you’re like me, I suspect you can still remember the soft sounds and smells of the local or school library that you visited in childhood. You can probably remember the thrill of finding a book that you longed to spend time paging through in peace. For me, the greatest thrills came whenever I found a beautifully illustrated fairy tale. Fairy tale collections were always my favorite, and finding illustrated versions by talented artists made my heart sing.

Reading and re-reading fairy tales as a child eventually led to writing my own retelling as an adult. I began with an unusual tale that was very familiar to me via its illustrated retelling: “Cat-Skin” by the Brothers Grimm has been gorgeously retold (and mercifully sanitized) by Charlotte Huck, and illustrated by Anita Lobel. This picture book for children is titled Princess Furball, and is one of my old favorites that never left me. I chose this story and its original source for my retelling, lightening the darker original elements in my own way, but including the story beats, themes, and motifs that were so dear to me. I put my own twist on the tale, which surprisingly (even to me) included a subplot that was a retelling of its own: “Rumpelstiltskin.” I have loved many versions of this familiar story over the years, but my favorite is an illustrated retelling by Paul O. Zelinsky.

I have read this one to my children countless times, and it has always set my mind whirring with the different ways that it could be told again.

For my retelling, I lovingly mined these two stories, “Cat-Skin” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” and worked them together into a foundation for a new fairy tale. The frame holds pieces of the old tales, but it’s wrapped up in something brand new. This is a story of a young woman and a young man whose paths cross and wend down a road marked by destiny, shadowed by grief, and lit by courage. Their story is a new fairy tale, reflected in gold and fortified by the faithful gleam of the stars.

Angie Dickinson

Angie Dickinson is a lifelong lover of magical stories that point to truth, hope, and redemption. She is the author of Truth Cursed, a YA fantasy with Enclave Publishing. Angie especially loves to read and write historically inspired fantasy, mystery, and fairy tales. She enjoys Earl Grey tea, reading too late at night, and spending time with her husband and children at their home in the woods of Michigan.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Angie is giving away the grand prize of
a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a hardcover copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/0iDN2/the-star-blessed-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, March 31
Devoted Steps, April 1
The Lofty Pages, April 1
Inspired by Fiction, April 2
Because Fiction, April 3 (Author Interview)
Lily’s Corner, April 4
Blogging With Carol, April 5
Artistic Nobody, April 6 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, April 7
Guild Master, April 8 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 9
Simple Harvest Reads, April 10 (Guest Review from Mindy)
Fiction Book Lover, April 11 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 12 (Spotlight)
To Everything There Is A Season, April 12
Vicky Sluiter, April 13 (Author Interview)

2 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Firebreak by Kathy Tyers (Give.away)

4/3/2026

5 Comments

What would you sacrifice to save
your family and your home world?

Lady Firebird Caldwell returns to the world of her birth, Netaia, intending to introduce her young sons to the noble Electors while her husband, Brennen, conducts a military inspection. When mysterious ships in distress suddenly approach the planet, the Electorate sends her to initiate first contact. Forced to work alongside a vengeful childhood enemy, Firebird uses everything within her power—even her passion for music—to negotiate, only to discover their alien technology threatens all the worlds she holds dear.
Facing ruthless betrayal, Firebird undertakes a deadly journey to salvage the mission. Brennen must make daring use of his telepathic powers to save human life in the galactic Whorl, including that of their young sons. But saving the worlds might force Brennen to give the order that would mean Firebird’s death. In a galaxy poised on the edge of ruin, survival may demand the ultimate sacrifice—from them both.

Genre: Science Fiction Space Opera
Release Date: March 10, 2026

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

Just what do mercy and forgiveness mean....

I've heard of the Firebird series, it's almost legendary if you enjoy Christian sci-fi, but up until now I had never had the chance to read it. Enter Firebreak, the first book in Kathy Tyers' new Firebird Interlude Trilogy that takes place in between some of the original Firebird books. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to get my hands on it.

Firebreak, and the rest of the Firebird Interlude Trilogy, can be read standalone which I was grateful to find. I didn't actually know that this was an 'in between times' series so I was happy to see that in the author's note at the beginning. Kathy Tyers did a great job weaving enough facts from the past that I didn't feel left out, while still telling a perfectly new story.

The book did start off a little slow for me but after some rather exciting events lead to Firebird, I absolutely that name for a sci-fi character, stepping foot onto an alien spacecraft with a surprising hidden motive. Seriously, the first contact team's time on the ship as Brennan and the others face danger from within and without back on the planet Netaia, had me on the edge of my seat. And the final showdown, wow!

After reading Firebreak, I definitely want to read the surrounding Firebird series in addition to the next Firebird Interlude Trilogy book when it releases. Kathy Tyers definitely has a good thing here with great worldbuilding and an interesting story. Can't wait for more....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Firebreak by Kathy Tyers a 4 Bark rating.

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

More from Kathy

Is the Firebird Series “Space Opera”?
Kathy Tyers

You may have come across the term “space opera” and wondered what it meant. Sopranos in space suits?

The term comes to us by way of “horse opera,” those good old-fashioned western movies with horses and bad guys and adventures and sweet-rated romance. With space opera, it’s “head ’em off at the next galaxy” and the sheriff carries a blaster (a blazer in my books) instead of a revolver, but it often has the same flavor. Remember the sci-fi TV series “Firefly”? It acknowledged its western-movie roots with horse chases and train rides. Often, people who dislike most science fiction for its far-futuristic technology find that they enjoy space opera, because its beating heart is the characters who are having the adventure.

I’ve written two kinds of science fiction. My Christy-award winning novel Shivering World is what we call “hard” science fiction. The plot revolves around solving a scientifically plausible problem.

I like to explain the distinction between hard SF, soft SF, and space opera like this: All science fiction has a veneer of scientific credibility. With hard SF, that veneer has to be so thick that a scientist in that field wouldn’t scoff. I once read a compelling hard SF story in which the characters were saved by knowing the melting point of aluminum and whether it would float them across a pool of extraterrestrial lava (plainly, they were too far off Earth to Google it).

Soft SF has a thinner scientific veneer, with more emphasis on well-drawn characters. In space opera, the veneer can be thin indeed. Some people mock the Star Wars movies for showing that explosions in space go “boom” although sound waves are carried by air molecules.

Do Star Wars fans care? No! They’re in it for the adventure, the fight scenes, the fabulous visual effects, John Williams’s music, and the sense of hope that even in dark times, maybe goodness will win out.

Can’t we all use some of that?

In my Firebird space opera series, I keep the science plausible if I can. My telepaths’ ancestors dabbled in genetic manipulation to create those abilities. They exceed lightspeed using a technology that turns every shipboard molecule sideways to normal space (say quasi-orthogonal three times fast). My “magical weapon,” the crystace, contains a crystal whose X and Y axes elongate dramatically when activated by sound at a particular resonant frequency. I explained the crystace just once, at the start of the series, because what really matters in these tales is whether Lady Firebird will survive to have another adventure.

Yet there’s music in my space operas. Firebird plays a small harp, which becomes a plot point in Firebreak. All of my chapter titles have musical subheadings such as allegro con fuoco, like instructions for a performer.

There is also chaste, moral romance and deep love between a pair-bonded husband and wife. My sister accused me of trying to “create the perfect man” in my series hero, Brennen. I won’t call him perfect—no one is—but I think he’d be a catch on any planet. Then there’s Prince Tel, left a widower . . .

If you’ve never enjoyed science fiction, you might try a space opera, maybe even mine. If you already enjoy science fiction, this series could fall within your comfort zone, too.

Kathy Tyers

Kathy Tyers is known for her award-winning Firebird series and two licensed Star Wars Legends novels, including New York Times bestseller The Truce at Bakura. Her messiah-in-space novel, Daystar, which concluded the original Firebird series, won a 2013 Carol Award, and in 2019, Shivering World received the Christy Award in the visionary category. At home in southwest Montana with her husband, William T. Gillin, Kathy focuses on writing, music, and short-season vegetable gardening.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Kathy 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!

https://gleam.io/28yLK/firebreak-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 25
Because Fiction, March 26 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 27 (Spotlight)
Artistic Nobody, March 28 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, March 29
Blossoms and Blessings, March 30 (Spotlight)
Guild Master, March 31 (Author Interview)
The Lofty Pages, March 31
Stories By Gina, April 1 (Spotlight)
Fiction Book Lover, April 2 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, April 2
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 3
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 4 (Spotlight)
Vicky Sluiter, April 5 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, April 6 (Guest Review from Mindy)
Books, Books, & More Books, April 7 (Spotlight)

5 Comments

Just Read Blog Tour - Special Target by Jerusha Agen (Give.away)

4/1/2026

6 Comments

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Special Target by Jerusha Agen,
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

She’s trying to save the boy’s life. What if he’s supposed to save hers?

For tough-as-nails Chicago social worker Ashley Sorenson, it’s nothing new to risk her life for hurting children. Seeing innocent kids suffer every day may have made her a little cynical, but she’ll stop at nothing to rescue children from miserable circumstances.

But Ashley faces a special challenge when Matthew Borden, a sixteen-year-old with Down syndrome, is orphaned. Finding a suitable foster home for the boy becomes the least of her problems when someone starts threatening her and Matthew.
The sudden appearance of a mysterious FBI agent confirms Ashley’s growing suspicions that Matthew is no ordinary teen. The boy she thought no one wanted is wanted by many…dead or alive.

Dodging danger at every turn, Ashley races to find the secrets that could save Matthew’s life. When the truth unearths her own dark past and threatens more than their lives, the God Matthew trusts may be her only hope for rescue.

A gripping and gritty standalone Christian suspense thriller from the bestselling author of the Guardians Unleashed Series.

Publisher: ‎ SDG Words, LLC
Release Date: March 26, 2026
Genre: Christian Suspense Thriller

Also Available

My Review

Can there be a purpose for good....?

Well, that was definitely not what I expected. I've gotten hooked on Jerusha Agen's romantic suspense with her Guardians Unleashed series, so I always jump at the chance to read one of her books.

Special Target is a standalone novel which was a little different – all of her previous books that I've read have been a part of a series – so, seeing Jerusha Agen's take on a story without a follow-up was quite interesting.

Special Target certainly kept me on the edge of my seat with all of the mystery and suspense that I've come to expect from Jerusha Agen. Danger is everywhere for the characters and they have no clue who they can really trust.

The story, however, had a much different emotional feel to it. It's less of a romantic suspense novel and more the story of a woman who has been hurt by the people closest to her and now has a lot of anger, distrust, and even prejudice borne from the pain of her past. There were times that I positively disliked Ashley and her viewpoint. There were times I wanted to ask her how she could be so hurtful to other characters, and yet, the way she was written was raw and real. She's hurting. She questions how a good God could allow and have a purpose in the suffering of this world. She wants the same answers we all do when we are facing pain and darkness.

This book is grittier, the ending was completely unexpected, but it is also a story that sticks with you and makes you consider your own thoughts, viewpoints, and the way we see others around us. Special Target is a different kind of story from Jerusha Agen, but if you like your Christian fiction to be less fluffy and more thought-provoking, check it out....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Special Target by Jerusha Agen a 4 Bark rating.

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

Jerusha Agen

Jerusha Agen is a Christy Award finalist who imagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats, often while reading or watching movies. Find more of Jerusha’s thrilling, fear-fighting stories at JerushaAgen.com.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

(1) winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Special Target,
a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card and a Special Target mug, notebook, and magnet!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 30, 2026 and will last through
11:59 PM EST on April 6, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and
given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

6 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - How To Make A Miracle by Carol Schlorff (Give.away)

3/30/2026

5 Comments

Three teenagers. One perilous quest.
A miracle worth risking everything for.

Trapped in the Past … A visit to an old palace takes an unexpected turn when Stefan, his sister Julia, and their friend Hugo are mysteriously hurled into the harsh, unpredictable world of the Bible, where they meet Nasiya, a young slave girl caught in a dreadful fate.

Danger and Destiny … In a land where any shadow can hide an enemy, the trio must summon every ounce of faith to survive. For Stefan, however, the battle isn’t only against ruthless warriors—it’s against the anger and guilt holding him captive for too long. As the teens embark on a dangerous journey, Stefan must face the wounds of his past before they shatter his future.

A Race Against the Clock … With time running out and lives hanging in the balance, Stefan must discover that the greatest miracles aren’t about changing the world—they’re about renewing the heart. Fast-paced, richly immersive, and carrying a powerful message of redemption, this middle-grade adventure will grip readers from the first page to the last.

Genre: Middle-grade action and adventure
Release Date: February 17, 2026

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Carol

#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
The idea for How to Make a Miracle, and the entire time-travel series set in the Bible, came to me during a church sermon on meditating on God’s Word. My motivation for writing is to show that the Bible is exciting and relevant to our lives, offers answers to the questions we seek about life, and is the truth. I also want to keep readers engaged and entertained, of course. If my books can help readers grow in their faith and trust in God, I will consider them a success.

#2. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I chose to target middle-grade readers because it’s a time in life when many begin questioning the Bible and Christianity, seeking answers about why they should believe. I know this because I experienced it at that age, even though I grew up in a Christian family. I had many questions, and I’m grateful to those who took the time to answer them. My prayer is that my books will help my readers tackle the spiritual questions they’re asking and show them how the Bible still speaks today—with the trustworthiness we can live by.
As to why action and adventure—well, because it’s fun!

#3. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
The topic of How to Make a Miracle is forgiveness. I hope readers will be encouraged to let go of their anger and forgive. I hope they realize that unforgiveness is a prison that only causes pain to themselves and others. Finally, I hope they understand the difference between forgiveness and trust. God wants us to forgive everyone, regardless of whether they are sorry. But that doesn’t mean we need to trust or even like them. Trust is earned only when they repent.

#4. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, friends.
I grew up in France, where my parents were missionaries. But at the age of 15, due to a sudden health emergency, we had to move back to the Philadelphia area. As you can imagine, this was a traumatic experience for me, as I found myself in a country I didn’t know or understand. It took me until my university years to finally adjust to being in the US.
I’m single, and I live in Krakow, Poland, where I teach English and work for a mission organization. I have a Polish roommate. We also have a cat, Tabasco. He’s a 16-year-old Maine Coon whose old age has caught up with him, and I’m not sure how long he has left. It’s heartbreaking to see him become a shadow of his former self. But he still has an appetite, enjoys human contact, and even plays sometimes, so I just enjoy each day as it comes.

#5. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
Caring for my senior cat has made me reflect on the value of life and on how God cares for all his creation, even the old and infirm. For example, the easiest path for me would be to put my cat to sleep, but I would be acting out of selfishness. My motivation wouldn’t be to put him out of his misery (we’re not at that point yet) but to spare myself the time and effort required to care for him. Is that God’s way?

God sees things so differently from how humans do. Humans are motivated by pride and comfort. We divide people into different tiers of worthiness. God, however, sees everyone as so precious that he was willing to die for them. A person’s worth doesn’t change with age or weakness. He loves and values everyone equally and expects us to love, respect, and care for people, no matter their condition, even when it’s inconvenient. How incredible God is! And how precious people are!

And yes, God even expects me to care for my elderly cat.

More from Carol

The idea for a middle-grade novel came to me while I was listening to a series of sermons on meditating on God’s Word. How could I show that the Bible is exciting, far from boring, relevant to our lives, and has the answers we seek about our purpose in life? And do so in a way that is fun and intriguing, keeping the readers on the edge of their seats? Write a time-travel adventure into the Bible, of course! Granted, the premise may not be new, but I aimed to write it in a way that is fresh and stimulating, giving valuable insights into the Bible.

The result of this crazy idea is the How to Be a Hero series, of which How to Make a Miracle is the second installment, although each book can be read as a standalone novel.

I targeted middle-grade readers because it’s an awkward age when young people begin to question what their parents have taught them and seek answers for themselves (speaking from experience, here). If my books can encourage them in their faith, I will consider my writing a success.

I chose the book themes based on issues young people struggle with. How to Make a Miracle addresses the problem of anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness, which I don’t need to tell you are far too prevalent in our society. The solution is forgiveness—and we all need to learn how to forgive each other, regardless of age.

Carol Schlorff

Carol’s passion is to write exciting stories that encourage, inspire, and boost the reader’s faith, possibly because she has always felt like an outsider. She was born in North Africa to American parents and grew up in France. At age 15, her family’s abrupt move to Philadelphia resulted in a rough transition to American life. After graduating from Penn State, Carol joined the Army in search of adventure. She was stationed in exotic—for her—locations like California, Arizona, and Texas. Since then, Carol has lived in Krakow, Poland, where she teaches English and organizes language camps. She also writes a blog on faith-related topics. Carol enjoys watching or reading a good murder mystery and getting nervous while watching NFL games.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Carol 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!

https://gleam.io/OTSG5/how-to-make-a-miracle-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 17
Simple Harvest Reads, March 18 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, March 19
Artistic Nobody, March 20 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, March 21
Guild Master, March 22 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 23
Fiction Book Lover, March 24 (Author Interview)
Books Less Travelled, March 25 (Author Interview)
Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, March 25
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, March 26 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, March 27
History, Hope & Happily Ever After, March 28 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, March 29 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, March 29
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 30 (Author Interview)

5 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy (Give.away)

3/29/2026

6 Comments

From beloved author Mary Connealy comes a
delightful Western adventure brimming with danger, laughter, and unexpected romance—a tale of a
resourceful widow, a rugged cowboy, and the
ready-made family that will steal his heart. Perfect
for fans of Tracie Peterson and Karen Witemeyer.

Sophie Edwards has survived two years in the Texas wilderness with four daughters and her wits. When a stranger falls injured near her hidden cabin during a thunderstorm, she discovers he’s the spitting image of her late husband—because Clay McClellen is her husband’s twin brother, a man who never knew his brother existed.
Clay came to Texas seeking justice for his brother’s murder. What he finds instead is a ready-made family, a rundown ranch, and a fiercely independent woman who doesn’t need rescuing—even when danger comes calling. Sophie may have pulled him from a flooded creek, but Clay is determined to be the protector she deserves, whether she wants one or not.
As vigilantes close in and old enemies resurface, Clay and Sophie must learn to trust each other and God’s plan. But can a mountain man used to solitude embrace life with four talkative daughters? And can Sophie open her guarded heart to love again—especially when the man looks exactly like the husband who broke it?

A heartwarming tale of second chances, faith, and finding love in the untamed West.

Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: March 10, 2026

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

Sparks and bullets fly when they join forces....

I'm a fan of Mary Connealy from way back and I've enjoyed every one of her series that I've read. Petticoat Ranch is the start of a new series, Petticoats And Cowboys, and I was excited to head back to Texas with her.

Petticoat Ranch had everything that I've come to expect from Mary Connealy including humor and and some good edge-of-your-seat moments. There were also some surprises along the way – particularly the unexpected answers to a woman's prayers – that were interesting and kept me turning those pages.

Sophie and her girls were such a delight to read about, though I must admit that all of their giggling and crying made my imaginative 'ears' almost as tired as they did poor Clay's fictional ones. But, they also had an amusing vicious streak that made me laugh out loud more than once. Clay, however, made me mad. His high-handed ways and bullheadedness drove me crazy. Just as I was hopping mad, about halfway or so through the first Petticoats And Cowboys book, I had a sudden realization. My high emotions over a fictional character was really a testament to just how well Mary Connealy had written him to be. And I was impressed by just how quickly and easily she had gained every bit of my attention.

Petticoat Ranch was a good read. While, I may have been annoyed by a certain character, I still couldn't really put it down since I just HAD to know what would happen next. I do think this was a strong start to the Petticoats And Cowboys series and I am looking forward to reading book two....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy a 4 Bark rating.

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

More from Mary

Petticoat Ranch is my husband’s story.

My husband is a cowboy…or rather he’s a Nebraska cattleman. Our ‘horse’ though we used to have horses, is now a pick-up truck and a four-wheeled rig that can crawl all over rugged land.

My Cowboy grew up in a family of seven sons.

His mom was about the coolest, nicest lady ever born…a living embodiment of ‘Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.’ She could tell stories of chaos and mayhem for HOURS and just laugh. I loved her.

Then I married My Cowboy and we had FOUR DAUGHTERS.

My husband spent his whole life confused.

And example of a usual conversation:

My Cowboy: Why won’t they stop crying!?

Why won’t they stop giggling?

Why won’t they stop TALKING?

Me: Um, cuz they’re girls?

He was constantly befuddled. He loved them (still does) so madly but they did NOT make sense to him.

That’s Petticoat Ranch.

A mountain man comes to find his brother’s wife…his brother died and he’s come to ‘rescue’ them. Except they’re unbelievable tough and competent and, well, maybe they could use a little rescuing, life is tough in Texas for a widow and her four children and, in a weak moment, she agrees to marry this man who looks EXACTLY like her husband. A man she never knew existed.

And there they are. Her and her four tough Texas daughters.

Him who’s pretty much never seen a woman in his life, and certainly not a CHILD.

Now they’re married about twenty-four hours after she found out he existed…and they have to figure out how to get along.

I try really hard to thread that needle where a man is befuddled by a woman…but he’s not stupid. A woman is exasperated by a man…but she’s got a good heart.

I shove them together…and leave them to try and get along. If someone is trying to kill them, or steal their ranch, or whatever horrible outlaw is in the book, that adds to the fun.

I shove them together and then leave them to figure out how to get along.

I love Petticoat Ranch. I’ve done this kind of book many times, the mountain man who’s never been around women. The feisty lady rancher who’s used to being in charge. And never did I find that sweet spot quite as well as I did in Petticoat Ranch.

One of my very favorite books.

Ah, tough, self-sufficient Sophie. She really can use the help and he really does look exactly like her dead husband.

Ah, confused but definitely attracted Clay. He’s trying to take care of her and take charge…and she’s not cooperating.
She was definitely in charge when his brother was alive…he was kinda cranky and inept. Why won’t Clay just let her run things?

All those tough little Texas cowgirl daughters who can’t quite figure out if this is they’re pa, given back to them by God…or if this is some new guy that they are desperate to make love them, when their real pa was so desperate to have sons.

I love that Wild Heart Books is re-releasing Petticoat Ranch.

Thank you Wild Heart for giving it another chance at life.

Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies with cowboys and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist. Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist. She is the bestselling author of 75 books and novellas. She has over a million and a half books in print. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Visit her website or find her at Petticoats & Pistols!

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Mary 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!

https://gleam.io/0Pzml/petticoat-ranch-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 24
Texas Book-aholic, March 25
Holly’s Book Corner, March 25
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 26
Jodie Wolfe, March 27
For Him and My Family, March 27
Devoted To Hope, March 28
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 29
Book Holds and Jello Molds, March 29
Jeanette’s Thoughts , March 30
She Lives To Read, March 31
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 31
Books You Can Feel Good About, April 1
Vicky Sluiter, April 2
Sydney Schmied Books, April 2
Cover Lover Book Review, April 3
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4
Labor Not in Vain , April 5
Stories By Gina, April 6 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, April 6

6 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition by Joy Michelle Austin (Give.away)

3/29/2026

4 Comments

Lily
Days before her wedding, Lily Wentworth’s carefully planned future is shaken by an unexpected turn. Unsure how to move forward, she turns to the one person she has always trusted—her father.

Rick
Determined not to let their darkest years define her, Rick Wentworth offers Lily the journals he wrote during the season he fought to keep her safe and survive one day at a time.

As Lily reads, she begins to uncover not only the truth of what they endured, but also the fierce, steady love that carried her through—and the strength she may need now.

Half Agony, Half Hope: The Dear Lily Edition is a clean, closed-door story of resilience, family, and the love that shaped two lives.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: March 17, 2026

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Joy

1. What was the inspiration for this book?
This story grew from a long-held desire to write something emotionally honest yet deeply hopeful — a novel that acknowledges life’s harder places while still pointing readers toward light.
Years ago, I was profoundly moved by Captain Wentworth’s “half agony, half hope” letter in Persuasion. That phrase lingered with me and eventually inspired a poem, which later became the quiet foundation for this story.
Over time, I found myself reflecting on questions of endurance, healing, and what it means to begin again after darkness. From those reflections, Rick and Lily’s journey slowly emerged — a story centered not only on survival, but on restoration.
More than anything, I wanted to create a book readers could enter with confidence: clean, compassionate, and ultimately anchored in hope.

2. What do you hope readers will take away?
My deepest hope is that readers close this book feeling encouraged — reminded that no life is beyond the reach of grace and that even the most fragile beginnings can grow into something strong.
We all encounter seasons that ask more of us than we feel prepared to give. If this story reassures someone that healing is possible, that their story is still unfolding, and that hope is never misplaced, then it has fulfilled its purpose.
Stories have a quiet way of steadying us, and I pray this one does exactly that.

3. Do you have favorite characters?
It is always difficult to choose, but Lily, Rick, Ellie, and Darcy each hold an extra special place in my heart.
Lily represents quiet resilience — the kind of strength that unfolds gently yet endures. Rick embodies steadfast love and the courage it takes to rebuild. Ellie brings warmth and light, while Darcy offers loyalty and the reassuring presence of someone who stands firm when it matters most.

4. Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
I am an adopted Asian American and the eldest daughter in my family, experiences that have shaped both my perspective and my storytelling in meaningful ways. Family has always been a place of deep connection for me, and those themes naturally find their way into my work.
My brother serves as an EMT, a role that requires both courage and compassion — qualities I deeply admire and that quietly influenced elements of my fictional world.
More than anything, I am grateful for the people who have grounded my life with love and steadiness. Their presence continually reminds me of the strength found in belonging.

5. Share with us a thought or Bible verse on your heart.
I often return to Jeremiah 29:11:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares
the Lord… “plans to give you hope and a future.”

It is a promise that has steadied me through uncertain seasons, reminding me that God is always at work beyond what we can see.
Lately, I have been especially comforted by the reminder that our lives are not defined by the timelines we once imagined, but by the faithfulness of the One who guides us forward. There is deep peace in trusting that no chapter is wasted — and that hope is never without purpose.

More from Joy

Half Agony, Half Hope was not a story I set out to write lightly.

It was an answer to a call God placed on my heart as a survivor of sexual assault—a call to tell the truth without exploiting it, and to create hope without diminishing the pain. From the beginning, I knew this would be a heavy debut novel. I also knew I wanted it to be clean, faith-centered, and redemptive.

The decision to tell this story through the eyes of a man was intentional. So few novels explore male survivors with compassion and dignity, yet one in six men are sexually assaulted. Their stories are often hidden, misunderstood, or minimized. Rick Wentworth’s journey exists to say plainly: healing is possible, faith is not erased by trauma, and masculinity is not diminished by suffering.

Because of the weight of Rick’s past, much of the abuse in Half Agony, Half Hope is veiled. I wanted readers to feel the truth of what he endured without being retraumatized themselves. Still, after the book released, readers told me they longed for more gentleness—more space to breathe inside the story.

That is how the Dear Lily Edition was born.

Lily was Rick’s hope and grace during the darkest years of his captivity. In the cellar, she was the reminder that love could still exist, that innocence could survive, and that God was not absent—even there. Their bond became the quiet heartbeat of the story: a wounded man learning how to hope again through the steady, healing love of a child.

At its core, Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition is a story of survival and faith—but it is also a story of a father and daughter choosing trust and hope despite hardship, and building a family where brokenness does not get the final word.

Joy Michelle Austin

Joy Michelle Austin is an award-winning novelist writing contemporary fiction. Her debut found an immediate audience among readers drawn to heartfelt stories of healing and second chances, launching the Jane Austen’s Men series. She also wrote The Seaside Sleuths and the Bridal Batter Blunder, a cozy mystery tie-in project for young readers. Joy draws inspiration from real stories of courage, grace, and the quiet heroes found in everyday life, crafting fiction for readers who seek hope, honesty, and heart in contemporary storytelling. She is the recipient of the West Coast Christian Writers Encourager Award and the Walt Disney Legacy Award—an honor given to fewer than 1% of Cast Members worldwide for embodying Disney’s “Dream, Create, Inspire” legacy.

Through her blog, The Joyous Living, she connects with thousands of readers who share her love of culture,
storytelling, and meaningful living. She lives in Southern California with her dog, Captain Hastings.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Joy is giving away the grand prize of
a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a Kindle copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/DEiCR/half-agony-half-hope-dear-lily-edition-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, March 21 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, March 22 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, March 23 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 24
Fiction Book Lover, March 25 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, March 26 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26
For the Love of Literature, March 27 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 28
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 29 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, March 30 (Author Interview)
Fruitfully Planted, March 30
Stories By Gina, March 31 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, April 1
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 2 (Author Interview)
Books, Books, & More Books, April 3 (Author Interview)

4 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Bernadette by Jennifer Lynn Cary (Give.away)

3/27/2026

7 Comments

She’s supposed to be a small-town girl…
…He’s billed as America’s biggest heartthrob.
What could possibly go wrong?
How about everything?

Tiny Bernie Sawrey is perfectly happy fixing carburetors until her stepmother ambushes her with a blind date. The catch? It’s with movie star Garrett Lomas, Bernie’s secret celebrity crush and the reason she’s haunted the drive-in alone her entire adult life.
There’s just one teensy problem: Bernie’s about as Hollywood-ready as a rusty muffler.
But when her dad’s garage faces financial ruin, suddenly playing Kokomo’s answer to the girl-next-door doesn’t seem so impossible, if it will help. How hard can it be to fake being normal for a few weeks?
Meanwhile, Gabe Lomas thought being his identical twin’s stunt double only involved driving race cars—not impersonating him at charity events in small-town Indiana. But when the movie studio execs set up the deal and Garrett’s fiancée says no way, Gabe trades his helmet for a fake smile and a very real problem.

The problem? Bernie Sawrey, all five-foot-nothing of her, with enough quirk and innocence to charm the grumpiest producer. That’s the problem.
Gabe is falling for her hard, only she thinks he’s his famous brother.
And she just might be falling for him too.
Now he’s caught between protecting his brother’s career and protecting his own heart. Because telling Bernie the truth might send her racing away—but not telling her guarantees he’ll lose her when she finds out.
Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana, where the cardinal in the sycamore knows that love—like a good engine—runs best when all the parts are genuine. A sweet, hilarious tale of mistaken identity, small-town charm, and finding love when you’re not even being yourself.
You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of secret twists, because sometimes the best love stories start with a little white lie and maybe a bit of motor oil.

Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy
Release Date: August 4, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Jennifer

#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
There were two, sort of. The first I think was subliminal. The song, “Bernadette” by the Four Tops begins with the lead singer, Levi Stubbs, singing out the name—Bernadette! So, I wanted the book to start with someone shouting out her name, as well. Turned out to be her stepmother. I didn’t know then if they’d end up being close or if she’d be a bad influence on Bernie. But I knew hearing her name like that would make her cringe and want to hide.
The other inspiration comes from the year this book was set in—1973. We’d moved from Kokomo the year before and I worked hard to get enough money to pay for my first airplane ride back home. I called everyone I could to get together with them. One person was Jim Barnett. We’d been friends since I was in fifth grade and he was in sixth—he went steady with my best friend.
Anyway, Cheryl and Jim had long since broken up and moved on so when he asked me out, I didn’t think anything about it. He took me to the Kokomo Speedway. Going back over fifty years of memories, I could really only say it was loud. Also, Jim and I had fun but decided we made better friends than a romantic couple. That’s why he’s in the book dedication.

#2. How long did it to finish writing this book?
I’m thinking about four months. I met up with my friend Jen Crosswhite who gave me the idea about Gabe on the car roof. Then in March we went back east on a special bucket list trip and I wrote in the evenings there. Finished soon after I got home. So, yeah, about four months.

#3. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I’m a sucker for a good HEA. And well-done romcoms deliver. I also found I missed the Kokomo of my youth. It’s not perfect and anyone doing a deep dive can find things I wish had never happened. But it was a great place to grow up. So I write about it, bring the colors and flavors I remember back to life, and share them with my family.

#4. Do you have favorite character(s) in this book?
Yes. Okay, I pretty much love them all. But there are two you might not consider.
The first is Debbie LePre. She is named for a sweet friend of mine who passed away after an incredibly valiant fight against cancer a month before I started the book. I thought her name sounded like one that would fit the character, so with her family’s permission, I named Gary’s fiancé after my friend.
The second is Roberta, Bernie’s stepmother. I had a stepmother and wanted to give her a tribute for all the ways she worked to make us all a family. I didn’t put her in the dedication because the last book I have planned for this series is Along Comes Mary and I’ll be dedicating it to her—Mary Elaine Fortner Goodell England. 😊

#5. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
Always an aha moment that points straight to God. Even if they don’t agree with me, at least I want them to think and ask God about it. If it opens eyes to Him, draws someone closer to Him, then I’ve done what He’s called me to do.

#6. How did you name your characters?
Well, the female main character is easy. Her name is in the title of the book—yep, I come up with the title first. I choose a song from the 1960s-early 1970s that has a girl’s name in the title. I ask questions about: What is the song about? What images does it put in my brain? Or even what play on words could I make? (Check out Cracklin’ Rosie for an example of the latter 😉)
Then I need the male main character’s name. So, I remember names from kids I went to school with, look up popular names for babies born the same year as my character, and listen to oldies music (With Shilo, I changed a name after Three Dog Night’s “Eli’s Coming” came on the radio as I was starting that book. So he became Eli and will be in Walk Away, Rene later this year.)

#7. Tell us something funny, sad, embarrassing, whatever, that happened involving this book.
I shared about my friend, Debbie. I think she’d get a kick out of a character being named for her. She enjoyed my books and had a great sense of humor.

#8. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, friends.
Hmm, let’s see. I’ve been married to the same sweet grumpypants for over forty-five years. We have three daughters who are all married to wonderful husbands that I love enough to adopt, and they’ve produced three amazing grandchildren ranging from a senior in high school to kindergarten. I think the youngest is going to be an author. She was taking her mother’s paper towels and folding them to make “books.” Next, she wrote and illustrated them. Then she took them to school and put them in the class library where her classmates can check them out. My daughter didn’t know about the school part until parent/teacher conferences. Lately she’s gotten very interested in my books so for Christmas I made her a book of blank pages. I included call-out clouds so she could write what her characters say in the illustrations, and a bunch of stickers and things. She got started filling pages on Christmas Day.

#9. If you could change one thing in your life, past or present, what would it be?
That one’s a little private. Let’s just say I wouldn’t have had to say good-bye to so many I love.

#10. What one piece of advice would you like to give readers?
Go with your gut when reading and reviewing. Don’t let someone else who doesn’t see the book the same as you change your mind. I know, that sounds weird. But if you like a book and someone else doesn’t, does that change your initial impression? And if you don’t like a book and someone else loves it, are you going to suddenly like it? Okay, if it were one of mine, I’d hope for a second chance, but really, there’s only one book ever published that was meant for every person on the earth and to be honest, there are plenty of those who don’t like it. Even when you have available about every type of translation known to man.
So, it’s fine how you feel about a book. And if you think it deserves a one star, give it. Only write out concrete facts why in your review—with kindness and respect. Never give a one star without an explanation.

#11 Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
My life verse is Isaiah 41:13. It has seen me through so much and only becomes dearer as I get older. I pray daily for Jesus to hold my hand because of that verse.

More from Jennifer

As I put this series together in my head, certain books were right there, laid out, easy to have a handle on them. But with Bernadette, I knew two things: she was a tiny spitfire, and the first line of the book had to be someone calling out her name. Why? Because that’s the way the Four Tops started the song that was my inspiration. Sort of. Actually, that is the only thing I used from the song.

I also wanted to introduce my readers to other places I remembered in Kokomo during the 1970s. I’d only been to the Kokomo Speedway once, and all I could remember was that it was loud. It was my one and only date with a longtime friend who had been an on-again, off-again boyfriend of my best friend. After we moved to Arizona, I had a chance to go back home for a few weeks before my senior year. Cheryl and Jim were no longer an item, but I’d been friends with both. Jim asked if I wanted to go to the races and I agreed. Can’t remember if we took his motorcycle or not, but I did ride with him once or twice on that trip. The funny thing is, we knew we were better as friends, and especially with the long distance between us, that was all either of us wanted. We remained friends for many years before we lost contact—I got to meet his wife and daughters, and he met my husband.

About the time I was starting this book, as the plot ideas were coming together, one of my sweet sisters from our Bible study group succumbed to cancer. Debbie was a sweet light, and I wanted to honor her. I asked her family if I could use her name in the story and they agreed.

Finally, I think every girl remembers the first boy to ask her to go steady. The thing is, I’m not sure who it was. From kindergarten through fourth grade, I went to school with the Richardson twins. Both were sweet and funny. Mike was the more outgoing, Mark was quieter.

I remember one time going to their house and making Christmas ornaments from straws after we learned how in school.
One day I got a phone call. I’d learned to tell them apart in person, but on the phone, not so much. I got asked to go steady. My dad had already informed me that ten-years-old was too young, so I blamed it on Dad and declined.

A few minutes later, I got a second phone call. Again I was asked to go steady and had to say no. The thing is, I never knew who asked first!

After that year we moved across town though I kept in touch with my friends. It was only about two-three years later that I learned Mike had died from an accident. It wasn’t my first intro to death, but it was concerning someone my own age.

It’s been almost sixty years since I last saw Mike Richardson, but I still remember him with fondness. Another reason I had twins in this story. If only I knew which twin had asked me to go steady first.

Jennifer Lynn Cary

Historical Christian Romance author and three-time Selah Award nominee, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty-plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy, as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of
a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/iwo6B/bernadette-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 26
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 27 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 28
Texas Book-aholic, March 29
Blossoms and Blessings, March 30 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 30
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31
Blogging With Carol, April 1
Stories By Gina, April 2 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, April 3 (Guest Review from Donna)
She Lives to Read, April 4
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 5 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, April 5
Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, April 6
Pause for Tales, April 7
Books, Books, & More Books, April 8 (Author Interview)

7 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - My Prayer Ministry from Anita Higman (Give.away)

3/20/2026

7 Comments

My latest endeavor is not a book, but a prayer ministry in blog form, which is entitled, JourneyWomanPrayers. Please feel free to drop by my website at anitahigman.com and check out my free miniblog of daily prayers, scriptures, and questions for pondering. If you would like to receive future prayers straight to your inbox, you may subscribe to them on my website.

Genre: Daily Scriptures, Prayers, and Questions for Pondering

Interview with Anita

1. Why did you want to start a prayer blog?
There are a number of reasons. I think life became lonely and chaotic during the covid era, and I found myself needing to reach out to God more and more. I assume most everyone else felt that way too and how we needed to cling to our Savior more closely than ever, both then and now!

2. Any other reasons for creating such a ministry?
I think that God called me to do this. I kept feeling these nudges to share my prayer life with others. Also, with the Lord’s help, I wanted to work through some of my own questions about prayer as well as encourage others to connect with Christ every day.

3. Has moving forward with this ministry been an easy endeavor?
No, not really. But I am believing that if God wants this prayer ministry to flourish, He will keep it moving along. If I know this ministry belongs to Him, and it is meant to glorify Him, then it takes the pressure off for me to try to impress the world.

More from Anita

Beginnings….

Some might wonder why I chose to start a prayer blog entitled, JourneyWomanPrayers. Well, I guess you could say I fell off a cliff. Not literally, but sometimes the tumult of these past few years has felt like a wild freefall—a crazy journey—and the world still feels that way!

As I see ongoing global chaos, violence, fear, and loneliness, my prayer life has become more raw and real than ever before. I no longer come to the foot of the cross with a list; I come with a soul ready to listen. Since sometimes it’s hard to know truth from lies in our world, I’m hungrier than ever for God’s truth. As I watch the culture collapse, social media explode, and our nation divide, the need becomes greater in me for those quiet waters and green pastures—and those daily visits with Jesus. He will lead me to what is tranquil, genuine, and hope-filled—what is redemptive, miraculous, and eternal.

And then I thought, “I wonder if these ongoing prayers would resonate with anyone else?” And so, that it is how JourneyWomanPrayers came to be born. Please join me, and together we will pray, and we will dance this sacred dance with God…

Anita Higman

Anita Higman

Anita Higman—an award-winning and bestselling author from Texas—has authored or coauthored fifty-plus books, and she has a BA in the combined fields of speech communication, psychology, and art. A few of Anita’s favorite things are fairytale castles, antiquing, exotic teas, gardening, being with her family and friends, and, of course, her daily visits with Jesus. Anita’s latest endeavor is a prayer ministry entitled, JourneyWomanPrayers. Please feel free to drop by her website at anitahigman.com and check out her free miniblog of daily prayers, scriptures, and questions for pondering. If you would like to receive future prayers straight to your inbox, you may subscribe to them on her website.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Anita 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!

https://gleam.io/Ubd8Z/my-prayer-ministry-in-daily-blog-form-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 18
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 19
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 20 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, March 21
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 22
Blossoms and Blessings, March 23 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, March 24
Artistic Nobody, March 25
Stories By Gina, March 26 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, March 27
Fiction Book Lover, March 28
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 29 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, March 29
The Bookish Ledger, March 30
The Quiet Bookmark, March 31

7 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Heaven: Experience The Extraordinary by Tony Stoltzfus (Give.away)

3/18/2026

8 Comments

At the very edge of heaven, beyond pain and death, the Great Leap waits for you…

Dive in with physicist Amanda for a full-on immersion in a breathtaking, mind-bending new world that’s far, far better than you ever imagined! Gravity is optional, so you can fly. Mistakes are impossible, because evil no longer exists. Time is swallowed in the Eternal Now where you never miss out or run short of time. And an intimacy and acceptance we can only dream of on earth is present with everyone you meet, from the very first moment.

And heaven’s God is gloriously, ridiculously good—as comfortable and accessible as your best friend, completely satisfied in you, yet so big that you’ll never run out of adventure, wonder and delight. Marrying scripture, near-death experiences and physics, this profound journey of imagination will transport you into an eternity you’ll never forget.

Genre: Christian Fiction
Release Date: October 3, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Tony

#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
I took an audacious step of faith about 10 years back, when I told everyone coming to a 3-day workshop that I would interview all 30 of them beforehand about their most painful story in life, then rewrite their story as it looked to Jesus from the vantage point of heaven. The month I wrote those stories I got in a mode where it was like I could ask Jesus any question I could think of about heaven and I’d get an answer. I ended up with 80 pages of notes that formed the basis of this book. So I think overall my greatest inspirations have been my greatest leaps of faith into the unknown.

#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
Six years! The back story just wasn’t working at first; so I put it down for a year. I tried reformatting, and that didn’t work, so I put it down for another year. Finally, I cut 30,000 words and a whole chunk of the story out of it (and 20,000 more later) and I had a book. I spent a year editing once the first draft was done, and had so much fun that I was sorry to have to say it was finished.

#3. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
The original inspiration for this was a dream I had 40 years ago, where I found myself in heaven. I wrote a song about it, which has kept it in my mind all these years, and I decided soon after that one of my goals in life was to make a movie about heaven—because if people could just experience 90 minutes in heaven, they’d give anything to go back. So that’s what I’d like them to take away: to experience what eternity is like, and to develop a craving for it!

#4. If you could change one thing in your life, past or present, what would it be?
There is plenty that has gone wrong in my life (betrayals, losing my life’s work, house burning to the ground, etc) but I don’t really have any regrets. The story of my life has been god taking the bad things and making good from them—so my worst moments are not things I’d wish on anyone, but I wouldn’t be all I am today without them.

Right now God is speaking to me about not living for significance, and I can see some things I’ve sacrificed for it that have brought pain to me and those around me. But how would I have learned that without going through it, and without him gently bringing it to my attention? Life without regrets is not a function of making all good choices, but of meeting God in the bad ones!

#11 Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
We bought 2000 copies of this book to give away free to seekers and people who are suffering or grieving loss. Since I’m retired (sort of) and don’t have to make money from it, I just want to give away as many copies as possible to people who need hope in the pace they are in life. Anyone who read the book and loves it can go to the web site at www.HeavenExperience.net, fill out a form and we’ll give you free books to give to people you know who are grieving loss!

More from Tony

“If people could spend just one day in heaven, they’d give anything to go back…”

Sounds right, doesn’t it? Then what would it take for people to have that experience on earth (without, of course, the messy detail of having to die in the process)?

The surprising key is in that word, ‘experience.’ Experience is the realm of your emotional brain. That side of you that thinks in pictures, stories, and feelings—not in sterile words and detached, rational concepts. Give people a story that transports them to heaven, that lets them feel timelessness, soar in the gravity-optional skies of the Beautiful Land or fall into the all-encompassing embrace of the lover of their soul, and maybe, just maybe, they’d give up anything to go!

The book, Heaven: Experience the Extraordinary, is that story. Join physicist Amanda as she finds herself on the other side, in an astonishing, mind-bending universe where evil has been so completely stamped out that no one remembers it ever existed. In this world built of light, gravity is optional—you can sky-dive without a parachute. Conversations are spirit-to-spirit, with no chance of misunderstanding. You travel at the speed of thought. And heaven’s extra dimensions let Jesus be everywhere at once—so you never have to wait to spend time with him!

For those who’ve experienced loss or grief in this life, it’s a heaven that holds the power to make ALL things well. You’ll weep with Amanda as the devastation of losing both parents as a teen is brought to light; but then rejoice when the Man of Light enters every painful memory, washing her heart clean. You’ll see how prayers and acts of kindness done in secret echo down through generations, joining all of us in a Great Tapestry of connections. Meet the mother of an autistic child, and see how the great sacrifices that circumstance drew from her made them both Great Ones in heaven. Learn how Jesus worked behind the scenes to make the man who betrayed Amanda’s father into one of his dearest friends.

And when Amanda learns that her mom has chosen not to come, discover how heaven makes even THAT well.

And yet this heaven is still, always, more! Join a flash-mob gathered to revel in unrestricted joy. Breathe under water in the River of Life. Garden with an angel, and make a plant grow simply by speaking to it. Travel through time to relive any memory in your life, whenever you want.

Heaven is beyond comprehension—but not beyond imagination! And when we give ourselves permission to imagine the unthinkable, the seed of heaven gets lodged deeply in our hearts.

Tony Stoltzfus

Tony Stoltzfus is the author of 21 books on coaching, life and leadership, including the best-selling Coaching Questions (over 200,000 sold). His latest is Heaven: Experience the Extraordinary—a full-on immersion into life in heaven. His specialty over 25 years as a professional coach is working with ‘senior leaders in painful transitions’, helping them find the goodness of God in the midst of suffering. He’s had plenty of opportunities to meet God in his own adversities, including betrayals, losing access to his life’s work, depression, a home burning down in a forest fire, and more. His message through it all is, “there is nothing that can happen to you that God won’t make something beautiful of.”

Tony has launched or co-launched several coach training organizations, including Leadership MetaFormation and Coaching
Mission International. He has trained and certified thousands of Christian coaches, and been recognized by CCNI for
pioneering contributions to the Christian coaching field. He is the developer of the Encounter Coaching approach, which
transforms the emotional brain by making Jesus a live participant in the coaching conversation. Tony lives in Redding, CA with
his wonderful wife of 37 years, a dog that is a sucking void of emotional need, and a constantly-breaking sprinkler system.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate his tour, Tony is giving away the grand prize of
a $150 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!

https://gleam.io/FRl5c/heaven-experience-the-extraordinary-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, March 11
Simple Harvest Reads, March 12 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, March 13 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, March 14 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 14
Fiction Book Lover, March 15 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, March 16 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, March 17 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 18 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, March 19
Blossoms and Blessings, March 20 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, March 21 (Author Interview)
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 22 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 22
Books, Books, & More Books, March 23 (Author Interview)
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 24 (Author Interview)

8 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Mail-Order Baroness by Misty M. Beller (Give.away)

3/16/2026

10 Comments

Five sons of an English duke,
all raised in the Rocky Mountains…

James Balfour, the charming middle son of an English duke, is determined to prove he’s capable of taking leadership of his family’s Montana ranch as the next deadly winter approaches. With the household stretched to its limits, James crafts a clever plan to hire Rose Prescott—his childhood best friend—and to right an old wrong.
Rose’s remarkable singing voice was meant to be her gift, but in Virginia City, it’s become her curse. Forced by her stepfather to perform nightly shows, she dreams of escape and a life free from his control. When a newspaper ad for a housekeeper offers her a way out, she risks everything and flees, hoping her stepfather can’t find her. She never expected to return to the Balfour ranch, nor to see James again, whose charm now reminds her too much of the men who’ve betrayed her before.
James’s desire to protect Rose is shaken when his old friend treats him like an enemy. Winning her trust becomes his greatest challenge yet. As tensions rise on the ranch, old secrets and new dangers threaten everything James and his family have built.

With enemies closing in, Rose must decide whom she can trust—and whether she’s willing to fight for the freedom and love she’s always longed for.
From a USA Today bestselling author comes a royal family saga featuring a mail-order bride, a second chance romance, and an aristocratic marriage of convenience…all set in the rugged Montana Territory.

Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: February 10, 2026

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

Their story started with friendship years ago....

I enjoy a good Misty M. Beller story whenever I can get my hands on one and this book was no exception. Mail-Order Baroness is the second book in her new Lords Of The Rockies series and it was both a fun and interesting read.

The blend of historical romance with a touch of suspense kept me engaged and turning those pages. James and Rose are characters that you can't help but like and you quickly become invested in their story. And what a story it is. Threads of the past wind their way through the present and put the future in jeopardy. I found myself completely caught up I whether Rose's stepfather would find her and if James could convince her to stay.

I'm also a fan of the Montana setting with its dramatic landscape and wild weather. That weather plays a big part in several scenes and I must admit that it was a little crazy that, even as I read about winter snow and cold, an early spring snow was falling outside my window.

Anyway, Mail-Order Baroness was a good read and I did enjoy it. Of course, now I have to wait to find out what happens next to the Balfour family and also where Misty M. Beller will take her Lords Of The Rockies as well as her readers....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Mail-Order Baroness by Misty M. Beller a 4 Bark rating.

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

More from Misty

Hello Reader Friends!

I’m so excited to be back with you in the Lords of the Rockies world—where Regency roots and Montana grit collide in the best kind of way.

When I first dreamed up this series, I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if five sons of an English duke were raised far from ballrooms and titled expectations…out in the wide-open wilderness instead. No polished drawing rooms. No London Season. Just rugged mountains, hard work, and the kind of faith that’s tested (and strengthened) when survival itself requires perseverance.

And now I’m thrilled to share the newest installment with you…

Welcome to Mail-Order Baroness!

One of my favorite things about writing romance is getting to explore the truth that God is always in the business of redemption—of taking what’s been broken and offering something new. That’s one reason I especially love the second-chance romance trope.

There’s just something so moving about two people who have already been hurt—by life, by circumstances, sometimes even by each other—and yet are given an unexpected opportunity to try again. Not because everything is suddenly easy, but because they’re different now. Wiser. Humbled. More aware of what truly matters.

In Mail-Order Baroness, you’ll find a love story rooted in that kind of hope—the kind that doesn’t ignore the past, but doesn’t let the past have the final word either.

If you enjoy stories with:

old wounds that still ache
hard-earned forgiveness
trust rebuilt one choice at a time
and the gentle reminder that God can restore what feels beyond saving

…then I think this one will tug at your heart.

At its core, this book is about a fresh start that doesn’t come from pretending yesterday didn’t happen—but from bravely stepping forward anyway, learning to hope again, and discovering that the Lord can write something beautiful even after disappointment.

I pray you love Mail-Order Baroness! J
Blessings!
Misty

Misty M. Beller

Misty M. Beller is an ECPA and USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books sold. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy. Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters. Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Misty 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!

https://gleam.io/F0qYE/mail-order-baroness-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Sydney Schmied Books, March 14
Madi’s Musings, March 14
Pause for Tales, March 14
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 15
Holly’s Book Corner, March 15
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 16
Simple Harvest Reads, March 16 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 17
Texas Book-aholic, March 17
Slyvan Musings, March 18
Devoted To Hope, March 18
Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 18
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 19
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 19
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 20
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 20
She Lives To Read, March 21
For Him and My Family, March 21
Life on Chickadee Lane, March 22
Book Looks by Lisa, March 22
Cover Lover Book Review, March 22
lakesidelivingsite, March 23
Lyssa Loves Books, March 23
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 24
Fruitfully Planted, March 24
Books You Can Feel Good About, March 25
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 25
Connie’s History Classroom, March 26
Artistic Nobody, March 26 (Guest Review from Donna)
Blossoms and Blessings, March 27
Mary Hake, March 27

10 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Raging Waters by Dana Mentink (Give.away)

3/9/2026

10 Comments

As the dam crumbles and water sweeps
across the terrain, their battle for
justice and survival is just beginning.

When Mackenzie Bardine’s brother Aaron was murdered in a drug deal gone wrong, she started a true crime podcast dedicated to exposing “Bullseye,” the drug kingpin responsible. But her protective heart has never let go of the blame she places on herself and Aaron’s best friend, Gideon Landry. On the run to the wilds of Washington to chase a recent lead, she meets none other than Gideon himself.
While conducting a wilderness survival class in remote Washington, Gideon never expected to cross paths with Mackenzie, and he’s certainly not interested in helping her after he’s already declined to participate in her vigilante podcasting. He carries a mountain of guilt about Aaron’s fatal choices, but not for the reasons Mackenzie suspects.
As killers begin to circle Mackenzie like sharks, it’s clear to Gideon she’s in over her head, and in light of his troubled past with her brother, he can’t bring himself to ignore her perilous situation. Then a flood threatens the town, turning their investigation into a race to escape the raging waters and the wrath of a powerful kingpin who wants to sink them both.

A gripping, clean romantic suspense featuring enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, and high-stakes investigations set in small-town Washington, sweeping readers away on a turbulent wave of thrills and chills. Perfect for fans of forced proximity, wilderness survival, protective heroes, and justice-driven heroines.

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Release Date: March 3, 2026

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

Will high water or bullets find them first....

It was a series based on natural disasters that hooked me on Dana Mentink's brand of romantic suspense, and, things have come full circle as I have been reading her latest series called Elements Of Danger. Raging Waters is book 2 in the series and it certainly keeps up with its predecessor, Fire Mountain, in the edge of your seat danger department.

And Raging Waters is certainly edge of your seat. Between the murderous bad guys and killer weather there isn't a moment to spare in this second Elements Of Danger novel. Of the 2 lead characters I was surprised to find that I had a clear favorite. Gideon is capable, loyal, and he is willing to risk his life to save his best friend's sister. Mackenzie is tenacious, reckless, and she will risk more than her own life in order to bring down her brother's killer.

I'll admit that it was kind of weird for me while reading this book because it was only a very few short months ago when we had a big flood event (and wind storms) where I live. The buckets of rain, concern about dam failure, and seeing the raw power of raging streams and high water was very familiar. Thank heavens there was no kingpin trying to kill anyone!

The elements really are the star of this book, and series, and after reading about volcanoes and floods I am more than curious to see where Dana Mentink might go next. At any rate, this was an interesting story with all of the suspense I've come to expect from the author....

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Raging Waters by Dana Mentink a 3.5 Bark rating.

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

More from Dana

I’m afraid of deep water. There. I’ve said it. I live in California, famous for beaches sand and surf. If that’s not enough, there are swimming pools aplenty. I should be enjoying the surfing, boating, kayaking, sailing culture, but I’d much rather sit on a deck somewhere and watch others partake. So what’s a gal like me doing writing an adventure that takes place as a dam rupture overwhelms a town? I love to write that type of wilderness story, where stakes are high and the help is scarce. Similar to the previous book, Fire Mountain, the characters will have to dig deep of their strength and faith to survive. And you and I can enjoy it from the safety of our decks! Are you ready? Grab your book and your cuppa and let’s go!

Dana Mentink

Dana Mentink is a New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and a Holt Medallion winner. She is the author of over fifty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell and Poisoned Pen Press.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize of
a $100 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!

https://gleam.io/OQ5p4/raging-waters-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 3
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 3
The Avid Reader, March 3
The Sacred Line, March 4
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 4
She Lives To Read, March 5
Texas Book-aholic, March 5
Leslie’s Library Escape, March 6
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 6
Lily’s Corner, March 7
Pause for Tales, March 7
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 7
Devoted To Hope, March 8
For Him and My Family, March 8
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 9
Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 9
EmpowerMoms, March 10
Blogging With Carol, March 10
Just Your Average reviews, March 10
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 11
Simple Harvest Reads, March 11 (Guest Review from Donna)
Lyssa Loves Books, March 12
Blossoms and Blessings, March 12
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, March 12
Cover Lover Book Review, March 13
Labor Not in Vain, March 13
Betti Mace, March 14
Bigreadersite, March 14
Life on Chickadee Lane, March 15
Lights in a Dark World, March 15
Holly’s Book Corner, March 15
Stories By Gina, March 16 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, March 16

10 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Restitching Of Camille DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin (Give.away)

3/2/2026

5 Comments

A splintered world, a heart gone cold.
Hope reborn in threads of gold.

After accidentally bridging the storyworlds together, Emlyn DuLaine faces an impossible task: sever the connections without destroying the stories themselves. If she fails, the characters will be trapped in twisted versions of their tales, forced to relive their worst moments forever.
But undoing the bridges is only the beginning. To truly fix what’sbunraveling, Emlyn must uncover the secret flaw buried deep in Rivenlea’sbfoundation, something that’s been wrong since the very start.
And the danger has never been closer to home. The clock is ticking for the injured wyvern who needs Rivenlite air to survive and the story boy Emlyn swore she’d never fall for. Emlyn and her team must rescue Frank and Laramie from chaotic, shifting story spheres before they’re gone for good.
But Frank and Laramie aren’t the only ones lost to the spheres. Camille DuLaine is a prisoner, held as bait by someone who knows exactly how to lure her sister in. After seven years of sleep, Camille wakes to find herself trapped in a storybook and sure of only one thing: Emlyn must stay far, faraway.

Racing to solve one mind-bending puzzle after the next, Emlyn uncovers a plan seventeen years in the making. She stands at the center of a fractured universe—and she might be too late to save it.

Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: February 10, 2023

Click here to get your copy!

More from Lindsay

The Fiction-Fixer’s Handbook:
A Guest Post by Emlyn DuLaine, the Newest Member of Novem XVII

I haven’t been a Novemite long, and if you want advice from an absolute expert, you’ll have to ask Captain Doyle or maybe Laramie, if you can manage to push your way past the cloud of ego that surrounds him at all times.

But I’ve been diving into upside-down classics, wrangling rogue characters, bridging broken plots, and saving story spheres long enough to give some helpful pointers on how to keep your wits about you when you, too, traverse the fantastical, fictional universes we all know and love.

Read on for my hard-won wisdom.

Never accept apples from anyone. Ever. Even if they promise it’s organic and locally sourced. Just don’t.
If a book starts whispering, close it immediately. This is not the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Cursed tomes are not to be trifled with.
Stay away from unattended spinning wheels and mirrors that look a little too shiny. Exercise caution around wardrobe-shaped furniture. Odds are high you’re about to be enchanted, imprisoned, or transported. Stay vigilant.
Beware of overly charming men in masks, hoods, and/or capes. It’s 50/50 on whether he’s a tragic hero or a villain with a vendetta. Proceed with caution.
Always check the fine print on magical contracts. If the terms include “firstborn child” or an unspecified “favor” to be later named, run.
Characters who break into song at random intervals are either harmless or extremely dangerous. If they’re just narrating their morning routine, you’re fine. If the music gets ominous, assume the worst.
If you find yourself in the company of a talking animal sidekick, always ask for its backstory. Talking cats may be friend or foe, sometimes both if it starts telling riddles. Grumpy toads are probably cursed nobles. Overdramatic ravens are almost always bad news.
When in doubt, follow the protagonist—but not too closely. The main character has plot armor. You do not.

If you’re hoping for a fairy-tale ending, these tips might get you there. Stay safe, friends. And happy sphere-diving!

Lindsay A. Franklin

Lindsay A. Franklin is the Carol Award–winning author of The Story Peddler, the ECPA best-selling author of Adored, and Managing Editor of Enclave Publishing. She would wear pajama pants all the time if it were socially acceptable. Lindsay lives happily among the rain and evergreens of the Pacific Northwest with her scruffy-looking nerf-herder husband, their three (nearly) grown geeklings, and three demanding thunder pillows (a.k.a. cats).

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Lyndsay is giving away the grand prize of
a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a hardcover copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/iyeVn/the-restitching-of-camille-dulaine-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, February 25
Simple Harvest Reads, February 26 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 27 (Spotlight)
Blogging With Carol, February 27
Artistic Nobody, February 28 (Author Interview)
Inspired by Fiction, March 1
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 2 (Spotlight)
Where Faith and Books Meet, March 3
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 4
Guild Master, March 5 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, March 6 (Spotlight)
Holly’s Book Corner, March 6
For the Love of Literature, March 7 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, March 8
Stories By Gina, March 9 (Spotlight)
Fiction Book Lover, March 10 (Author Interview)

5 Comments

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Copper Scroll by Nicholas Teeguarden (Give.away)

2/21/2026

0 Comments

When American grad student and Veteran Joshua Bennett lands in Amman, Jordan, he thinks he’s chasing academic glory. What he finds instead is a centuries-old mystery that’s been waiting for someone reckless or desperate enough to uncover it.
At the center of it all is the Copper Scroll, a cryptic Dead Sea artifact rumored to hold clues to an ancient treasure buried deep in the Judean desert. But Joshua soon learns it’s no ordinary scroll.
Hidden symbols, coded phrases, and whispers of a “shepherd’s path” point to something far more significant and far more dangerous.
As the clues mount, so do the warnings. A silent observer in the library. A cryptic priest with a knowing smile. A message slipped into Joshua’s backpack: The shepherd’s path is not for the faint-hearted.
A cryptic priest and a rabbi jump in to help understand uncovered information. As Mossad agents, Templar knights, and ISIS operatives close in, Joshua and his allies race to unravel the truth. But who seeks to unearth it, and who will kill to keep it buried?

Genre: Christian Fiction Action/Suspense
Release Date: October 7, 2025

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Nicholas

1. Inspiration for this book?
A mix of fascination with the real Copper Scroll, love for Indiana Jones–style adventure, and a desire to honestly wrestle with the tension between faith and proof in a modern, high-stakes story.

2. How long did it take to write?
From first serious draft to final manuscript was several years, including long stretches of research, rewrites, and letting the story “cool” between passes.

3. Why this genre?
Archaeological and historical thrillers let history, theology, and suspense collide in one place, which is exactly where the interests naturally overlap.

4. Favorite character(s)?
Masa tops the list, with Noa close behind; their combination of stubbornness, wit, and genuine wrestling with belief feels closest to real people.

5. What do you hope readers take away?
That God is not afraid of hard questions, and that chasing truth—intellectually and spiritually—will cost something, but is absolutely worth it.

6. How did you name your characters?
Names were chosen to fit culture, family, and spiritual trajectory—biblical roots, regional norms, and a bit of meaning tucked in for anyone who wants to dig.

7. Funny/sad/embarrassing moment with this book...
One of the funniest was my daughter gifting a “Future Bestselling Author” sign before the book was even out, then insisting it stay in the office like a prophetic joke.

8. A little about you...
Married, dad, veteran, lifelong story nerd who splits time between family, church, writing, and occasionally getting lost in the woods or on a back road.

9. If you could change one thing in your life...
On a serious level, it is hard to pick a single change without unravelling lessons learned through heartbreak; on a less serious level, slipping myself the winning lottery numbers once would be interesting.

10. One piece of advice for readers...
Read widely, including outside your favorite genre, and do not be afraid to let a book challenge you instead of only confirming what you already think.

11. Share a thought / Bible verse on your heart...
Acts 9, where God sends Ananias to lay hands on Saul, stays close: Ananias hesitates, God answers his fear, and then still says “Go,” calling Saul a chosen instrument. It is a vivid reminder that God often asks believers to step toward the very people and situations they would rather avoid, trusting that His plans run deeper than their fears.

More from Nicholas

Whenever I think of telling a story, I have Indiana Jones swapping the bag of sand with the golden idol. The spirits swirling around the Nazis and the uncanny escapes from the clutches of death.

I spent my early adult years stomping through biblical lands with the military, experiencing life that seemed to represent many stages of evolution. Seeing the differences in how people value life, faith, and each other.

I experienced the heart-pounding adrenaline of adventure, the edge of life moments, and the strange stillness that follows them. The sights, sounds, and smells of those places stay with you forever.

When I finally retired, I walked to the altar, a different kind of battlefield, and realized that all those years of chasing survival were really leading me to understand purpose.

That moment changed how I responded to almost everything that came after, and it’s what shaped The Copper Scroll.

Like me, Joshua “Masa” Bennett isn’t just searching for an ancient artifact; he’s looking for proof that faith still matters, that truth can survive the centuries, and that even when everything feels lost, redemption can still be found buried beneath the dust.

Writing this book was my way of reconnecting with those memories, with the lands I once marched through, and with the faith that anchored me through it all.

It’s a story of mystery, courage, and belief. The kind of adventure that begins in the desert but ends in the heart.

Nicholas Teeguarden

Nicholas Teeguarden writes faith-fueled thrillers that explore the intersection of history, belief, and discovery. His debut, The Copper Scroll: Masa Chronicles, follows archaeologist Joshua “Masa” Bennett across the Middle East in a race to uncover one of history’s most enigmatic biblical relics. Praised for its vivid realism and clean storytelling, the novel has been honored with a ChristLit Award, a Readers’ Favorite 5-star review, and recognition at the Paris Book Festival. A veteran whose global service inspires his storytelling, Teeguarden aims to create cinematic fiction that uplifts while it thrills. He is currently developing the next installment in The Masa Chronicles alongside The Teeguarden Writing Room, a growing creative community where readers and writers explore faith, art, and story together.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate his tour, Nicholas is giving away the grand prize of
a $50 Amazon Gift Card, a copy of the book, bookmarks, and stickers!!

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

https://gleam.io/XuOgC/masa-chronicles-the-copper-scroll-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 10
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Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 16
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Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 20
Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 21 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, February 22 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, February 23 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, February 23

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - The Making Of A BraveHearted Woman by Dawn Damon (Give.away)

2/9/2026

4 Comments

This time, it’s YOUR time.

Boldly voice a resounding YES to YOU. Embark on a midlife path that leads to a life brimming with BRAVE CONFIDENCE and a BOLD Vision.

In this ultimate guide to living midlife full-out you’ll find the courage to step out of the shadows of self-doubt and insecurity, and seize the unfolding opportunities before you.

So, with determination in your heart, shed your faintheart, and step into the brilliance that awaits. Say YES to your dreams, your growth, and your exceptional potential. Now is your time BraveHeart. The transformational quest to a future filled with fulfillment beyond measure has begun

Genre: Non-Fiction
Release Date: November 8, 2023

Click here to get your copy!

Interview with Dawn

#1. What was the inspiration behind this book?
At I found myself single after 28 years of life as a married person, I had to reinvent myself. This journey inspired me to write this book. It was several years in the making before I wrote it. In addition, I saw how many women were facing midlife and beyond and I did not want to age as a shrinking violet, without dreams or purpose.

#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
I tend to be a slower writer, but this book went faster for me. I am passionate about this subject. It took about 6 months to write. But the overall process of a book is usually a year or more.

#3. What part of the writing process do you like the least?
Edits! Getting the manuscript back to make changes. That’s not fun for me. Once I send it off I feel a release…and then… it comes back! :p

#4. What people influenced you the most while writing about this topic?
Terri Savelle. She was speaking my language when I read her book, “Dream It. Pin It. Live It.” It explains why living with a vision for your life is God’s plan to invite us into His purpose for our life. We must SEE it in our heart.

#5. Did you have a specific demographic in mind while writing this book?
Yes, women in midlife or beyond, empty nest, changes in life, body and biological changes, and most often ready for a new purpose.

#6. What do you hope your readers will remember after finishing this book?
To employ what I call the “5 Fortitudes.” I use the acronym B.R.A.V.E. to share them so women can remember what each one is: Bold Vision, Real Identity, Able Mindset, Virtuous Speech, Excellent Habits.

More from Dawn

One of my favorite movies as a kid was The Wizard of Oz. It aired on network TV once a year, and watching the movie with my two sisters, popcorn, blankets, (to hide my eyes during the scary flying monkeys scene) and staying up late, was a big deal.

One of my favorite parts is when the cowardly Lion makes his speech about Courage.

“What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage. What makes the Sphinx the 7th Wonder? Courage. What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage”.

Years later, I found myself in a place where like Cowardly Lion, I needed courage. I had to do some brave things in my life, but I was stuck in fear. I asked myself, “What would I do if the drag of fear wasn’t tethered to my soul; if scary stories and whispers of doom were replaced with curiosity and courage?

I would rise.

What would you do?

If fear was vanquished and lying voices silenced, would you catch the wind and rise to new challenges? Would you be curious enough to explore the new beginnings of an authentic life and brave enough to take important steps, even while afraid?

Sometimes we feel more like the cowardly lion. The dawn doesn’t come up like thunder, but, it does always come up! Can you do something today to move you toward living from your heart and not your fear? As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

If you’re being called to rise, if in areas of your life you need to become brave and step out of the comfort zone to reclaim the life you’re meant to live, I believe my book will help you take those courageous steps! It’s time to Rise.

Dawn Damon

For over 25 years, Dawn Damon has inspired audiences as a speaker, author, podcaster, and teacher. Her greatest joy is equipping others to reach their goals and God-given purpose—whether in their personal lives or the platform of public ministry. With contagious passion and wisdom, Dawn says, “The purpose of my life is to help others fulfill the purpose of their life!”
Dawn is founder / CEO of The BraveHearted Woman, and BraveHearted YOUniveristy, a growth and development coaching enterprise for women, awakening their God-given vision and equipping them to live an extraordinary life.

Dawn is a Conference Speaker, Podcaster, and Author, 6 award-winning books including “When a Woman
You Love Was Abused, by Kregel Publications and “The Freedom Challenge: 60 Days to Untie the Cords that Bind
You, Redemption Press,” and most recent, Selah Award finalist, and CIPA 1st Place Award, “The Making of a
BraveHearted Woman: Courage, Confidence, and Vision in Midlife.” The Podcast and YouTube Channel,
called “The BraveHearted Woman: Courage, Confidence, and Mindset Mastery,” echoes Dawn’s calling, offering
solo episodes and meaningful interviews, coaching women to live as the vibrant “leading lady” of their life.

It's Time For A Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Dawn is giving away the grand prize of
a $25 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!

https://gleam.io/dSwy8/the-making-of-a-bravehearted-woman-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, January 28
Simple Harvest Reads, January 29 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, January 30 (Author Interview)
Inspired by Fiction, January 31
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 1
Guild Master, February 2 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, February 3 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 3
Vicky Sluiter, February 4 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 5
For the Love of Literature, February 6 (Author Interview)
Because I said so – adventures in Parenting , February 7
Cover Lover Book Review, February 8
Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 9 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, February 10 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, February 10

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