Me

Me

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

The Bride Of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen



The Bride of Ivy Green is the delightful conclusion to Julie Klassen's Ivy Green trilogy. I enjoyed revisiting Ivy Green and catching up with lives of everyone there. With some new faces amongst the villagers, there is always something new going on. With several people of courting age who is going to be the bride? Ms. Klassen has created an enjoyable cast of characters that have grown throughout her trilogy. I would not mind seeing a fourth book...hint. LOL.  So settle in at The Bell and have a mug of tea while you catch up on all the gossip from Ivy Green!

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.


From Amazon:

Much has happened in idyllic Ivy Hill in recent months, and while several villagers have found new love and purpose, questions remain--and a few dearly held dreams have yet to be fulfilled.

Jane Bell is torn. Gabriel Locke is back and has made his intentions clear. But Jane is reluctant to give up her inn and destine another man to a childless marriage. Then someone she never expected to see again returns to Ivy Hill. . . . 

Mercy Grove has lost her school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires seems out of reach. Should she uproot herself from Ivy Cottage to become a governess for a former pupil? Her decision will change more lives than her own.

A secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, but the ladies soon suspect she isn't who she claims to be. Will they oust the imposter, or help rescue her from a dangerous predicament?

In the meantime, everyone expects Miss Brockwell to marry a titled gentleman, even though her heart is drawn to another. While the people of Ivy Hill anticipate one wedding, an unexpected bride may surprise them all.

Don't miss this romantic, stirring conclusion to Tales from Ivy Hill.


About the author:

Biography

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. She has also won the Minnesota Book Award, the Midwest Book Award, and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit www.julieklassen.com and talesfromivyhill.com for more information.






https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Green-Tales-Hill-Book-ebook/dp/B07D6YYNJ3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543374407&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bride+of+ivy+green+julie+klassen

Saturday, November 17, 2018

The Making of Mrs. Hale by Carolyn Miller



 From the land down under comes The Making of Mrs. Hale the latest Regency novel by Carolyn Miller. I love Carolyn's books! She writes delightful stories of ladies and gentlemen during the Regency period of London. Her characters have depth and  I love how characters from former books usually appear at some point in the story. I also love the way that her stories always point the way back to God. It is always a good day when I get one of Carolyn's books in the mail. So grab your tea and biscuits and settle in for a lovely visit to Regency England.

I was given a copy of this book by Kregel Publications with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.


From Amazon:

Marry in haste, repent in leisure—Mrs. Hale is about to find out how painful that repentance can truly be.

Julia Hale ran off to be married in Gretna Green, following romance instead of common sense. But her tale isn't turning into a happily ever after. Her new husband is gone and she doesn't know where—or if he's ever coming back. Julia has no option but to head home to the family she betrayed by eloping and to hope they'll forgive her. Especially now that she might be carrying a baby from her brief marriage.

Carolyn Miller's clean and wholesome Regency romances continue with The Making of Mrs. Hale, following familiar characters as they learn how restoration can occur by finding hope and healing through a deep relationship with God. Full of rich historical details and witty banter, this series continues to draw in fans of Jane Austen, Sarah Ladd, and Julie Klassen.

"Carolyn Miller gets better and better with each book!"
Becky 

"This entire series is going straight to my all-time favorites shelf!"
Beth Erin

"My girls and I have fallen in love with the Regency Brides series."
Ann Hibbard


Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace
The Elusive Miss Ellison
The Captivating Lady Charlotte
The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey

Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope
Winning Miss Winthrop
Miss Serena's Secret
The Making of Mrs. Hale


About the author:

Biography

Hi, I'm Carolyn Miller, author of 'The Elusive Miss Ellison'.

I live in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia.

I'm married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!) as I do (except not in the Regency genre - funny, that!).

My favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but I also enjoy contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

I try to write stories that are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus 'true love', and other challenges we all face at different times.

I hope you enjoy reading my novels. Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, November 15, 2018

When You Look At Me by Pepper Basham



When You Look At Me is the sequel to Pepper Basham's Just The Way You Are. This pair of books is set between England and the Appalachian mountains. Ms. Basham handles romance in a sweet, yet oh so lovely way that has you cheering for the couples long before they realize that they are in love. Her descriptions of kisses and food leave you longing for more! The way she describes the settings make it easy to visualize beautiful landscapes. I love the way she weaves God's love and redemption into the fabric of the story.
So grab a mug of sassafras tea and some of Julia's baked goods, it's time for a great read!

I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited. All thoughts are my own.

link:  https://www.amazon.com/When-Look-Pleasant-Romance-Book-ebook/dp/B07GJ47L7Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542338759&sr=8-1&keywords=when+you+look+at+me+by+pepper+basham

From Amazon:

An unexpected mother-to-be
A romance-leery composer
And a forgotten melody from the past that holds the keys to their futures

When Julia Jenkins' great aunt dies and leaves her a Victorian mansion with decades of secrets, Julia never expects to unearth a World War 2 espionage mystery. Struggling with her own past since an assault left her pregnant, her future as a solo parent leaves her dreams uncertain. The inheritance from her great aunt gives Julia the ability to take a step back into her future, but also sends her into the discovery of a love story she’d never anticipated. As she goes through her aunt's treasured possessions, Julia uncovers some oddly written piano music with a musical code she can’t decipher on her own. Not to worry, introverted Englishman and composer, Henry Wright, is thrust on the scene by a pair of homespun matchmakers who know the ‘right’ man for Julia’s wounded heart. 

Henry arrives in Pleasant Gap with the task of composing the soundtrack for his best mate’s newest film. The Jenkins’ family’s southern welcome and gregarious personalities set his reticent nature on edge, but he’s inexplicably drawn to his gentle and music-loving hostess, Julia. Uncertain how to build a friendship with the wounded woman, and rather hopeless in communicating well through words, the bond of music becomes a bridge between her uncertainty and his awkwardness. 

But her broken past and his families’ expectations build a wall much greater than the cultures that separate them. As they work together to solve a musical mystery from the grave, will an unlikely romance from the past inspire their hearts to trust in a God who’s written the perfect melody for their lives?


About the author:

Biography

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus. Her debut historical novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015 and has garnered awards such as Reader's Favorites Award, finalist in the Grace Awards, shortlisted for the Inspy Awards, and a finalist in ACFW's Carol Awards. Her second historical novel, The Thorn Keeper, released in Feb 2016 and her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, released in April 2016 with a 4 star review from Romantic Times. In December 2016, her third historical in the Penned in Time series, The Thorn Healer - released with a 4 1/2 star review from RT and a Top Picks rating. You can get to know Pepper on her website, www.pepperdbasham.com, on Facebook, or over at her group blog, The Writer's Alley.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Who was David? and Who was Esther? by Matt Koceich

Two of a series of Bible studies for elementary age children. I liked these as they were entertaining and quite enjoyable. They are called Kingdom Files and first offer a list of facts about the character. Then in the action file they tell the characters story. Last comes a series of brief lessons called power ups to be taken from the character's life. Well written and age appropriate.

My take, grab some cookies and milk and settle in for a time of fun learning with your kids!

I was given copies of these books with no expectation by #Barbourbooks. All thoughts are my own.


From Amazon:

What do you know about Esther?

Was she:
. . .the beautiful Queen of Persia?
. . .the woman who hid her Jewish heritage from the king?
. . .the courageous one who risked her life to save her people?
. . .all of the above?

Journey along with Esther in a luxurious Persian palace, in the presence of a powerful king, in the very center of God’s amazing power!

This biblically accurate story of Esther, created just for the kids in your life, explores the life of the beautiful Queen of Persia, while drawing 8- to 12-year-olds into a fascinating time and place as they learn about the woman who hid her Jewish heritage from the king and ultimately risked her life to save her people. Featuring three key sections—a Fact File, an Action File, and a Power File—kids will enjoying learning about the life of Esther while coming to understand that an ancient Bible story really does apply to their lives today. Dozens of captivating line art pieces add depth and interest to every chapter.



What do you know about David?

Was he:
. . .a shepherd boy turned king?
. . .a faithful harp player?
. . .a brave giant slayer?
. . .all of the above?

Journey along with David in a field of sheep, in the presence of a towering giant, in the very center of God’s amazing power!

This biblically accurate story of David, created just for the kids in your life, explores the life of this shepherd boy turned king, while drawing 8- to 12-year-olds into a fascinating time and place as they learn about this faithful harp player and courageous giant slayer. Featuring three key sections—a Fact File, an Action File, and a Power File—kids will enjoying learning about the life of David while coming to understand that an ancient Bible story really does apply to their lives today. Dozens of captivating line art pieces add depth and interest to every chapter.



About the author:




Sunday, November 11, 2018

An Hour Unspent by Roseanna White



An Hour Unspent is book 3 in Roseanna White's Shadows over England series. While I have loved all 3 books I believe this one to be my favorite. Barclay Pearce is a delightful character who truly loves his family and as a reformed thief works for the government. Evalina Manning is a clockmakers daughter and suffragette. I really enjoyed the light suspense along with the romance. I really hope this is not the final book on the family as there are still several siblings with stories to tell. So grab a mug of good black tea and a few biscuits and settle in for a good read.

I was given a preview copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.









an hour unspent FB banner copy

About the Book

An Hour UnspentOnce London’s top thief, Barclay Pearce has turned his back on his life of crime and now uses his skills for a nation at war. But not until he rescues a clockmaker’s daughter from a mugging does he begin to wonder what his future might hold.
Evelina Manning has constantly fought for independence but she certainly never meant for it to inspire her fiancé to end the engagement and enlist in the army. When the intriguing man who saved her returns to the Manning residence to study clockwork repair with her father, she can’t help being interested. But she soon learns that nothing with Barclay Pearce is as simple as it seems.
As 1915 England plunges ever deeper into war, the work of an ingenious clockmaker may give England an unbeatable military edge—and Germany realizes it as well. Evelina’s father soon finds his whole family in danger—and it may just take a reformed thief to steal the time they need to escape it.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Roseanna 2018Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Guest Post from Roseanna

Last year, as I finished up the writing of An Hour Unspent, my great-grandmother passed away at the age of 103. As I sat at her funeral service and listened to the heartfelt memorial raised up to her by her kids and grandkids, I realized anew that this woman had been a matriarch in the truest sense of the word. She’d taught my family for generations how to love the Lord and each other, how to serve the Lord and each other, and how to trust the Lord and each other. Grandma Seward was, in so many ways, the one who instilled in me my idea of what family really is.
That idea—that it’s those knit together by love more than blood, and that faith is the strongest foundation—is what I built my unusual family of thieves upon in the Shadows Over England series. And strange as it is to liken my twenty-something reformed-thief hero to my 103-year-old-grandmother, Barclay Pearce is very much to his family what Maxine Seward was to mine.
The founder. The caregiver. The leader.
I knew as I began the series that I would write about Barclay in book three, and as I got to know him better throughout the series, I grew so excited to share his story! This is a man who led his family first into and then out of a life a crime, always for the right reasons—so he could provide for the children under his care. All he ever wanted to do was give them what he himself had lost. To show them love. To prove to them that they were worth any sacrifice.
It was truly a blessing for me to get to write the story in which Barclay found someone to come alongside him, to appreciate and learn to understand him. To finally share what started him down this path. I loved the idea that only a reformed thief could steal the time another family needed to overcome their own trials.
There are many historical items in the book that were such fun to explore—watchmaking of the era, the suffrage movement in England, technological advancements of the war—but at the heart, this isn’t a story about any of those.
It’s a story about how far people should go for love. I hope you enjoy Barclay’s story as much as I did!

Blog Stops

The Avid ReaderOctober 30
The Power of WordsOctober 30
Back Porch ReadsOctober 30
Kat’s Corner BooksOctober 30
Faithfully BookishOctober 31
Genesis 5020October 31
Fiction AficionadoNovember 1
Among the ReadsNovember 1
The Lit AddictNovember 1
Just the Write EscapeNovember 1
MultifariousNovember 2
Godly Book ReviewsNovember 2
Madeline ClarkNovember 2
Christian BookaholicNovember 3
Bookworm MamaNovember 3
BigreadersiteNovember 3
Blogging With Carol , November 4
D’S QUILTS & BOOKSNovember 4
Life with the Tribe, November 4
The Becca FilesNovember 4
Kathleen DenlyNovember 5
Cordially BarbaraNovember 5
Simple Harvest ReadsNovember 5 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)
All-of-a-kind MomNovember 6
Faery Tales Are RealNovember 6
Carpe DiemNovember 6
Margaret KazmierczakNovember 7
Blossoms and Blessings , November 7
Maureen’s Musings , November 8
Book by BookNovember 8
Just CommonlyNovember 8
cherylbbookblogNovember 9
Have A Wonderful Day , November 9
With a Joyful NoiseNovember 9
KarenSueHadley , November 10
Tell Tale Book ReviewsNovember 10
Baker kellaNovember 10
Bibliophile ReviewsNovember 10
Inklings and Notions , November 11
Two Points of InterestNovember 11
Henry HappensNovember 12
Texas Book-aholicNovember 12

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Roseanna is giving away a grand prize of a signed book, a London mug, and a 48-pack Twinings tea sampler!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d570/an-hour-unspent-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, November 10, 2018

The Christmas Heirloom



Delightful set of Christmas novellas by four master storytellers. These four stories are connected by a brooch that legend has it brings true love to the owner. From Regency England to contemporary America four ladies discover the magic of Christmas and true love. I love Christmas and happy ever after stories and it is neat to see these two themes combined. So grab some Christmas cookies and hot chocolate and curl up in front a roaring fire and enjoy these sweet tales.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.


From Amazon:

In Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love," Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman's grandson, a man far above her station.

In Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart," widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love.

In Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love," Fleeta Brady's rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her family's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance.

In Becky Wade's "Because of You," Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?


About the authors:


Karen Witemeyer is an award-winning, bestselling author and lives in Texas with her family. Find her online at www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Kristi Ann Hunter is the award-winning author of five books, and she lives with her family in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.

Sarah Loudin Thomas is an award-winning author, and she and her husband reside in Asheville, North Carolina. She can be found online at www.sarahloudinthomas.com.

Becky Wade is the award-winning author of seven books and lives in a suburb of Dallas with her husband and three kids. Find her online at www.beckywade.com.