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Sunday, March 25, 2018

The Innkeeper's Daughter by Michele Griep

The Innkeeper’s Daughter Celebration Tour

The Innkeepers Daughter FB Banner copy

Blog Stops

Mommynificent, March 16
Among the Reads, March 17
Mary Hake, March 17
Karen Sue Hadley, March 18
Kathleen Denly, March 19
Remembrancy, March 20
Book by Book, March 20
Bookworm Mama, March 22
Vicky Sluiter, March 22
Carpe Diem, March 22
Pause for Tales, March 23
margaret kazmierczak, March 23 (Interview)
A Greater Yes, March 24
Simple Harvest Reads, March 26 (Mindy Houng Guest Post)
Pursuing Stacie, March 27
Bigreadersite, March 27
The PhD Mamma, March 28

About the Book

Title: The Innkeeper’s Daughter
Author: Michelle GriepInnkeepersDaughter_CoverImage
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Release Date: March 1, 2018
A London officer goes undercover to expose a plot against the Crown
Dover, England, 1808: Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the king—and he’s a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue. . .until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm.
All Johanna wants is to keep the family inn afloat, but when the rent and the hearth payment are due at the same time, where will she find the extra funds? If she doesn’t come up with the money, there will be nowhere to go other than the workhouse—where she’ll be separated from her ailing mother and ten-year-old brother.
Alex desperately wants to help Johanna, especially when she confides in him, but his mission—finding and bringing to justice a traitor to the crown—must come first, or they could all end up dead.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

MichelleGriepMichelle Griep has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones while rambling around a castle. Michelle is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild). Keep up with her adventures at her blog “Writer off the Leash” or visit www.michellegriep.com.

Guest Post from Michelle Griep

Celebrating Oak Apple Day
Spring is just around the corner, or maybe it’s in full bloom in your neck of the woods. Regardless, by this time of year, everyone is ready to celebrate. . .and nothing new is under the sun. For centuries people have been eager to welcome budding greenery and warmth.
In my recent release, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, I incorporated a spring holiday that’s been around for over 500 years in England, one you may never heard of.
Oak Apple Day.
This ancient celebration dates back to the year 1651. At the time, Charles II escaped the Roundhead army by taking cover in an oak tree. Everyone loved ol’ Charlie and was glad he lived, so in his honor, a new national holiday was born—one that in some parts of England is still celebrated today.
Another name for this annual event is Royal Oak Day and the festivities occur every May 29th.  Celebration traditions vary from parades to the ringing of bells, but one thing that is standard is that it’s a day to pin an oak leaf on your lapel. If you fail to wear one, you could end up getting pinched.
The hero in my latest release is kind enough to remind the heroine that she forgot to pin on her leaf, thus saving her from untoward pinches. Interested in hearing more about this gallant fellow and the forgetful miss? Here’s a blurb about The Innkeeper’s Daughter
Tension is high with the threat of a Napoleonic attack in Regency England, but risk from abroad means nothing when there’s danger at home.
Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the crown—and he’s a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue . . . until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm.
All Johanna wants is to keep the family inn afloat, but when the rent and the hearth payment are due at the same time, where will she find the extra funds? If she doesn’t come up with the money, there will be nowhere to go other than the workhouse—where she’ll be separated from her ailing mother and ten-year-old brother.
Alex desperately wants to help Johanna, especially when she confides in him, but his mission—finding and bringing to justice a traitor to the crown—must come first, or they could all end up dead.
It’s a race against time for them both.

Giveaway

The Innkeeper's Daughter Celebration Tour Giveaway

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Grand Prize: A signed copy of The Innkeeper's Daughter and a $25 gift card from Barnes & Noble.






Saturday, March 24, 2018

Enchanting Nicholette by Dawn Crandall plus giveaway!



From DawnCrandall's blog:


ENCHANTING NICHOLETTE: Cover Real Time + GIVEAWAY!

My newest novella, Enchanting Nicholette, is a historical romance written from First Person Point of View, like all of my other books. It is part of The Everstone Chronicles Series, but is also a stand-alone story. And not really that short, compared to most novellas... it's sitting pretty at 50,000 words, so it's more like a shorter novel. :)

It hits bookstores October 9, 2018! 

And not only do I have the cover for you here, but so much more! 

If you simply cannot wait to read my long awaited offering to the published book world, there is a way you can read it EARLY. 

Like, on June 19th

(which also happens to be my husband's birthday!) 

And for practically FREE. 

Well, almost free. 

For 99 cents... but for those 99 cents, you also get six other novellas by some author friends of mine! And it sort of feels like we're giving them away, because not a single one of us is actually getting paid, but instead we're donating the proceeds to charity. 

If you want to know more about the different novellas and their authors right now, click here

And here, if you want to add it to GoodReads?

If you want to pre-order this fabulous collection of novellas by well-established and award-winning authors, click here. 

If you want a chance to win a $30 Amazon Gift Card AND the full set of The Everstone Chronicles in paperback... keep scrolling down.

And if you want to see the full version of The Everstone Chronicles/Whitaker House cover of Enchanting Nicholette.... 













keep scrolling...













I promise, it's worth it!














And... here it is! (squeal!)





What do you think? 

Personally, I LOVE IT. 

And if you want to PRE-ORDER this lovely, darling book just so you can have this fabulous cover on your bookshelf to grab and re-read anytime you feel like swooning and sighing... or your kindle... because it will look great there too...



I know October is a million years away... oh, how I know. But you can at least add it to your reading list on GoodReads until you're able to have that baby in your hands.   











The blurb

At twenty-two, Nicholette Everstone is already a widow: Her husband was murdered on their wedding day. She has just returned to Boston after two years of mourning in Europe. Although her husband was loving, the marriage was an arranged one, and Nicholette would like to wed again—this time for love...and to someone safe.

Cal Hawthorne has been interested in Nicholette for years. But right now, he’s busy helping the police trying to catch his rotten cousin, who has tricked young women into prostitution in Maine. Cal is also living under an assumed name; his late father left his fortune to his secret mistress and their six young children.


Is Cal’s work too risky for Nicholette to pin her hopes on him? And will her heart be strong enough to keep her fears of “what if” at bay?



About the author


Dawn Crandall’s debut Gilded Age Victorian romance,The Hesitant Heiress, was a 2015 ACFW Carol award finalist in the debut category and received the 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2015 Write Touch Reader's Choice Award and the 2015 Romancing the Novel Reader's Choice Award. Her follow-up novel, The Bound Heart, received the 2016 Laurel Award from Clash of the Titles. 

Dawn earned a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University. She’s been balancing books and babies lately as her two sons were both born as the four books of her Everstone Chronicles series were being released from Whitaker House from 2014 to 2016. Dawn lives with her husband and two young sons on a hobby farm in her hometown in northeast Indiana. 






Tuesday, March 20, 2018

No One Ever Asked by Kate Ganshert




Kate Ganshert's No One Ever Asked tells the story of three families and two school districts have on one another. Through a series of events over the course of a school year, it is revealed that we are all more alike then we want to admit. I liked the characters and I have to say that Ms. Ganshert writes some of the best hooks of any author I read. So grab your cup of tea and settle in for a satisfying read.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:
Challenging perceptions of discrimination and prejudice, this emotionally resonant drama for readers of Lisa Wingate and Jodi Picoult explores three different women navigating challenges in a changing school district--and in their lives.

When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray--the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser--faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones--the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge's top elementary school, unprepared for the powder-keg situation she's stepped into. Tensions rise within and without, culminating in an unforeseen event that impacts them all. This story explores the implicit biases impacting American society, and asks the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human? Why are we so quick to put labels on each other and categorize people as "this" or "that", when such complexity exists in each person?

About the author: 
KATIE GANSHERT is the author of seven novels and several works of short fiction. She has won both the Christy and Carol Awards for her writing and awarded the RT Reviews Reviewers Choice for her novel, The Art of Losing Yourself.Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the exciting state of Iowa, where she currently resides with her family. She likes to write things and consume large quantities of coffee and chocolate while she writes all the things. She's won some awards. For the writing, not the consuming. Although the latter would be fun.

Friday, March 9, 2018

Washed Under The Waves by Gloria Clover



Washed Under the Waves was a very different book to read.  I would classify it as fantasy/allegory with a touch of steampunk. Several times I almost stopped reading it, but I had to see what happened to everyone.  I would have liked a little more character development. The plot, while slow to develop, does eventually get interesting. If you are looking for something different to read, give Washed Under the Waves a chance.

From Amazon:

A hidden island. A prince in disguise…and a lady torn between love and duty.

Lady Tayte Bashan never desired the distinctive black hair that marks her as Undae royalty, but when her family perishes in a devastating tsunami, the burden of leadership falls upon her young shoulders. Even as she prepares her island for the prophesied prince, she fears the duty to marry him is truly meant for another.

Sent from the King to an island untouched by the outside world for centuries, Prince Geoffrey Athan D’Ambrose's mission is to lead its people to the ultimate truth. The first sent out, he desires to serve his King, but how is he supposed to win the heart of Undae’s princess when the King sends him disguised as a tutor?

Betrayal stirs within Castle Bashan, a threat as deadly as the rising wave. Now Tayte and Athan must brave the maelstrom or watch as the entire island succumbs to treachery’s destructive tide.

About the Children of the King Series:

The Children of the King series is comprised of stand-alone, individual romances. Any of the books can be read out of order, but there is a growing series arc woven into each story. The books are set in the distant (or not so distant) future when the King sends out His children to reclaim His lost lands. However, because of the simplistic cultures of many of the island inhabitants, the majority of the stories will seem set in the past—except for modern phrases, changed-up idioms, occasional futuristic words, references to our present as their past, and other speculative story elements that remind the reader this isn’t Kansas anymore.

I was given this book by the publisher for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

About the author:

Gloria Clover writes Christian fiction, contemporary and speculative romance. She enjoys puzzles, word games, drama, deep conversations, and basically anything that doesn't take coordination. Her favorite place is her nose in a good book.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Across The Blue by Carrie Turansky




Carrie Turansky brings the Edwardian age to life with her latest novel, Across The Blue. She has captured the joy and desperation to fly the first airplane across the English channel. she manages to convey the friendly and not so friendly rivalries and the risks the early aviators were willing to take. as with her other novels, she has created memorable characters. Isabella Grayson is a charming young woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. James Drake is a broken man who longs to be whole. The story of how they discover what God's will is for their lives is totally satisfying. This is a book for anyone who loves the Edwardian world of Downton Abbey.So grab your tea and biscuits and curl up for a truly enjoyable read!

I was given this book by the publisher for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

https://www.amazon.com/Across-Blue-Novel-Carrie-Turansky-ebook/dp/B071P63JCZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515376022&sr=8-1&keywords=across+the+blue+carrie+turansky

From Amazon:
Set in Edwardian England and ideal for readers who enjoy Julie Klassen novels, this romance about an English aviation pioneer and the girl who falls in love with him is filled with adventure and faith.

Isabella Grayson, the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate, longs to become a journalist, but her parents don't approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year. When James Drake, an aspiring aviator, crashes his flying machine at the Grayson's new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to be the first to fly across the Channel and win the prize Mr. Grayson's newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella's heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella's faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?

About the author:

CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of eighteen novels and novellas. She has been the winner of the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence. A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women's fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband, Scott. They have five adult children and five grandchildren.

Monday, March 5, 2018

A Loyal Heart by Jody Hedlund




Book 4 in Jody Hedlund's An Uncertain Choice series is an excellent addition. I loved Lady Olivia and Sir Aldric. As the plot progressed both were forced to examine their motives and accept God's grace. I really enjoyed watching them grow to know each other. The setting is thrilling for anyone who loves medieval tales. 

I was given this book by the author for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:
He’s taken her as his prisoner. But she’s holding his heart captive. In gaining their freedom, will they lose what matters most?

When Lady Olivia’s castle is besieged, she and her sister are taken captive and held for ransom by her father’s enemy, Lord Pitt. Loyalty to family means everything to Olivia. She’ll save her sister at any cost and do whatever her father asks—even if that means obeying his order to steal a sacred relic from her captor. 

As Lord Pitt’s commander, Sir Aldric is in charge of the beautiful but feisty new prisoner. He has his hands full attempting to keep Lady Olivia out of trouble. When Lord Pitt throws her in the dungeon and threatens to hang her for stealing, Aldric conceives a plot to save Olivia’s life—betrothal to him.

Can Olivia give up the prestigious match her father has arranged with a wealthy marquess in order to marry a lowly knight like Aldric? And can Aldric move beyond his past mistakes to embrace love again? When loyalties are tested, they’re thrust into danger that could cost them their love and their lives.

“...heart-stopping . . . will make a solid addition to any YA romance collection.” School Library Journal

About the author:

Winner of 2016 Christian Book Award for fiction and Christy Award for historical romance, best-selling author Jody Hedlund writes inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

https://www.amazon.com/Loyal-Heart-Jody-Hedlund-ebook/dp/B0797F1YZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520300806&sr=8-1&keywords=a+loyal+heart+jody+hedlund