Thursday, August 12, 2021

Book Review and Giveaway - Fremont’s Promise Author: Kathryn Spurgeon on tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: Fremont’s Promise

Author: Kathryn Spurgeon

Genre: Historical

Release date: March 16, 2021

Every time Sibyl visits her mother, she’s criticized, shamed, and leaves in tears. The only thing that can calm her is Fremont’s assurance to move them to a place they can share their faith more freely. While her emotions bounce from frustration to despair, she holds on to the belief that God can help her family.

Fremont, a former hobo, promises to find a better paying job and spirit his wife away from this unstable family. But only God can work that miracle.

If you love family sagas and drama based on true stories, you will love this book. The 1930s and 40s were a time of difficulty but hope carried them through.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathryn Spurgeon writes FAITH STORIES FROM THE PAST or Christian historical novels with a focus on 1930s America using true events and actual locations. Award winning author, she won Illumination Award, She studied creative writing at the University of Central Oklahoma and has spoken at many women’s conferences around the world. She grew up on a farm in Oklahoma before moving to South Korea and adopting two daughters. Kathryn and her husband, Bill, have six children and thirteen grandchildren.

More from Kathryn

The tumultuous times of the 1930s and 40s are amazingly similar to the difficulties we face today. Read how God guided this prominent family toward greater strength and dependence on him. Based on a true story, this compelling novel is taken from handwritten biographies, personal interviews, and family research.

Fremont’s Promise is a Historical Novel written by Kathryn Spurgeon. This is book three in the Promise series. I have read book 1, but not book 2. I am not sure how I missed book 2, but I will be going back to read book 2. This author always writes in such a way that you feel that you are there. Her stories are so historically accurate. This book is work of fiction that is based on actual events and locations. I also love that this is based in the 1930s-1940's which is a time periods that I do not read a lot on.

Sybil has a disapproving mother. Her mother is always criticizing her, putting her down and making her cry. Fremont, who has previously been a hobo knows that he needs to move Sybil away from this unstableness. They both came from different types of families. Fremont loves his wife and wants to see her happy. I love how focused on their marriage they were. How they knew there were problems. I love their faith and how they realized how much God has done for them.

Well written characters, fun story line, researched time period and so much more. I loved this book. I look forward to what comes next from the author. I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging Program, all thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 9

lakesidelivingsite, August 10

Reviewingbooksplusmore, August 10

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 11

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 12

Connie’s History Classroom, August 13

Lighthouse Academy, August 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 14

Inklings and notions, August 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 16

Texas Book-aholic, August 17

Life of Literature, August 17

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 18

For Him and My Family, August 19

deb’s Book Review, August 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 21

Pause for Tales, August 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathryn is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card!!

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/11209/fremont-s-promise-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, August 9, 2021

Book Review and Giveaway- The Last Gasp By: Chautona Havig On Tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: The Last Gasp

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Christian Historical Mystery, Fairytale retelling

Release date: July 6, 2021

1-The Last Gasp At the pinnacle of his Hollywood career, Garrison Prince’s reign ends tonight.

As plain old Gary Prinz, he can pursue his Bible education, buy a bungalow in Pasadena, acquire a few chickens, and marry the girl of his dreams. He just never imagined trading the silver screen for a pulpit would wreak such havoc.

A cigarillo girl, Lucinda Ashton spends her days with her boyfriend, Gary, and her evenings selling candy and “gaspers” to the Hollywood elite at the Taj Mahal Theater.

However, when gunshots ring out just as intermission begins, Lucinda finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a brouhaha that leaves three dead, and no one has a clue why.

All the police know is that the evidence points to Lucinda as the killer and Gary as the intended target.

Four new friends, one young orphan, and a potluck of clues that don’t seem to fit anywhere leave the police baffled, Lucinda in fear for her freedom, and Gary ready to trade in his acting shoes for gumshoes if it’ll save his “Cinda.”

The first book in the Ever After Mysteries combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries, The Last Gasp. This Cinderella retelling blends a murder with enough crime and story clues to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

media-headshot-sm Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona

What Beautiful, Unexpected Parallel Did I Find Writing this Mystery?

I bought it at Pic-n-Save when I was eleven—an 8.5×11 paperback book of traditional fairy tales. I learned another side of the age-old stories that you don’t see from Disney. Rapunzel? Yeah. That was the story about the queen who was craving rampion (a salad vegetable) so much that she promised to give up her child for it. Rampion—Rapunzel. It’s a thing.

It’s also where I learned Cinderella’s name as “Aschenputtel.” Look, those Brothers Grimm were… well, they were German and that should explain everything. “Puttel” just sings of German, doesn’t it? That tale was also a bit gruesome. The one sister cut off her big toe to make the shoe fit because her mother said, “You won’t have to walk anywhere if you’re a queen. Who needs it!” So the idiotic girl did. Same for the other sister and her heel. Seriously, didn’t she learn from her older sister?

Oh, and it’s the one where mother and stepsisters get their eyes picked out by birds. It reminded me of Proverbs 30:17. “The eye that mocks a father and scorns a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it.”

Talk about bringing Scripture to life for kids there. *Gulp*

True confession, our kids used to sing that verse to the tune of “All Hail the Pow’r of Jesus’ Name.” You should have heard the lusty voices of our children in our Grand Marquis station wagon (may the wonderful beast rest in peace) singing, “The ravens shall pick out his eyes and eeee-agles eeee-eeaat the saaaammmme!”

I digress.

Cinderella—I mean, Aschenputtel—really wasn’t my favorite story, though. I liked other stories from other books. Like the Ten Brothers—a Chinese folk tale. You know. Fairy tale.

Know which fairy tale I liked even less than Cinderella?

The Little Mermaid. Seriously, I didn’t like the original (Sorry Mr. Andersen… I just didn’t), and I can’t stand Disney’s. But when we first began planning the Ever After Mysteries, I knew which one I wanted to do. The Little Mermaid had everything going for it. Houdini and a water tank. Can’t you just see it? It would have been great. But a friend asked who was writing about the “cigarillo girl” (as I mention in THIS post), and well… the rest is history. Or at least, it’s set back in history.

But there’s one truth I discovered as I wrote this mystery.

Mystery… that’s a good word for this truth, actually. Cinderella is a beautiful picture of Jesus as our prince. We can be His bride and put on the shoe He has fashioned only to fit us, or we can try to snatch it up and make it suit our wills and hold our overgrown egos (work with me here). He takes us out of our ragged, dirty lives and brings us home… to Him. To His Father.

Is there anything more beautiful? I don’t think so.

In The Last Gasp, Gary knows Cinda long before she knows him—truly knows him. He loves her just as she is. Is it a perfect retelling of the beauty of Christ’s love for his church? Not hardly. It wasn’t intended to demonstrate that relationship at all. But there are tiny nuances that do. And that’s pretty cool.

My Thoughts

The Last Gasp is written by Chautona Havig. This is Christian Historical Mystery, Fairytale retelling story. This is also book one in the Ever After Mystery series. Which is a series that will be written by multiple authors. I am super excited about this series, for it contains some of my favorites along with a debut author.

In this book we travel back to 1920s Hollywood era. This is a the dawn of a new era with movies and screen play staring evolve. We meet Hollywood legend Garrison Prince. He is ready to hang up the fancy hat and pursue a career in Bible education. He wants to settle down and live a pretty normal life. His girlfriend Lucinda works at the Taj Mahal Theater as a cigarillo girl.

Everything changes when gunshots ring out and three people are dead. Lucinda becomes the prime suspect. This is where the retelling of Cinderella (which is my favorite fairy tale) comes in. Lucinda is behind bars and trying to fight for her innocence and trying to figure out who would try and frame her. You’ll want to pay attention to ever character that is introduced so that you can try and solve the mystery.

The author has some some great research to ensure that this is as historically accurate as possible. I didn’t know a lot about 1920 Hollywood and it was interesting to learn about. This author writes a wide variety of genres and is so talented with her words.

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging Program, all thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Rebecca Tews, August 2

For Him and My Family, August 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 3

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 3 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, August 4

Inklings and notions, August 4

deb’s Book Review, August 5

CarpeDiem, August 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 6

Connect in Fiction, August 6

Texas Book-aholic, August 7

Blogging With Carol, August 7

She Lives To Read, August 8

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 8

Connie’s History Classroom, August 9

Simple Harvest Reads, August 9 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 10

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 10

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 11

The Meanderings of a Bookworm , August 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 12

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, August 12

Splashes of Joy, August 13

Mary Hake, August 13

For the Love of Literature, August 14

Back Porch Reads, August 14

Through the Fire Blogs, August 15

Mamma loves books, August 15

Giveaway

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

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/11420/the-last-gasp-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, August 6, 2021

Book Review and Giveaway- Beyond These War-Torn Lands Author: Cynthia Roemer on Tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: Beyond These War-Torn Lands

Author: Cynthia Roemer

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: August 3, 2021

The war brought them together – Would it also tear them apart?

While en route to aid Confederate soldiers injured in battle near her home, Southerner Caroline Dunbar stumbles across a wounded Union sergeant. Unable to ignore his plea for help, she tends his injuries and, against her better judgement, hides him away, only to find her attachment to him deepen with each passing day. But when her secret is discovered, Caroline incurs her father’s wrath and, in turn, unlocks a dark secret from the past which she is determined to unravel.

After being forced to flee his place of refuge, Sergeant Andrew Gallagher fears he’s seen the last of Caroline. Resolved not to let that happen, when the war ends, he seeks her out, only to discover she’s been sent away on his account. When word reaches him that President Lincoln has been shot, Drew is assigned the task of tracking down the assassin. A chance encounter with Caroline revives his hopes, until he learns she may be involved in a plot to aid the assassin.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Cynthia Roemer is an inspirational, award-winning author with a heart for scattering seeds of hope into the hearts of readers. Raised in the cornfields of rural Illinois, Cynthia enjoys spinning tales set in the backdrop of the mid-1800’s prairie and Civil War era. Her Prairie Sky Series consists of Amazon bestseller, Under This Same Sky, Under Prairie Skies, and Under Moonlit Skies, a 2020 Selah Award winner.

Cynthia writes from her family farm in central Illinois where she resides with her husband of twenty-seven years. They have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing or researching, Cynthia can be found hiking, biking, gardening, reading, or riding sidesaddle with her husband in the combine or on their motorcycle. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

More from Cynthia

Let me start by saying, I absolutely love novel research and learning about the past. But, when I set out to write a Civil War novel, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. LOL!

My first three novels (Prairie Sky Series) were set on the Illinois prairie (my home state) in the mid to late 1850’s with only moderate research of the time period necessary. The majority of my characters and plot stemmed from my imagination. With this fourth novel, Beyond These War-Torn Lands, I ventured into the very heart of the Civil War conflict in Maryland and Virginia.

Though my hero and heroine are fictional, many of those they encounter along the way are based on actual people and much of the plot revolves around actual events. I soon found out that’s a whole different ballgame when it comes to research. But, I enjoyed throwing in a few historical “surprises” along the way.

I’m a stickler for accuracy, so I found myself steeped in researching minute historical details—everything from the specifics of certain battles to the layout of war campsites to the weather on certain dates to the correct type of salutes to General Grant’s mannerisms and the name of his horse.

While the extensive research slowed the writing process, I loved every minute of it. Over a year and a half in the writing, Beyond These War-Torn Lands is a tale of honor versus deception, good versus evil, and God’s transforming power versus bitterness.

Theme verse:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

(Matthew 5:43-44)

I hope you’ll be blessed by Drew and Caroline’s story and that you enjoy the hidden bits of history tucked within the pages of the novel.

My Thoughts

Beyond These War-Torn Lands is written by Cynthia Roemer. This is book one in the Wounded Hearts Series. This is the first book that I have read by this author. I am completely in love with this book. It will take you on an emotional journey.

We know that the Civil War tore apart so many families. This story focuses on how Southerner Caroline helps wounded Union Soldier, Andrew. She goes as far to hide him even though her family are Confederate sympathizers. However they are both drawn to each other despite their differences. Once her father finds out Caroline is sent away. Andrew feels bad about this and can’t get her off his mind. Once the war is over, he wants to try and find her.

I have a masters in military history. I love that the author did detailed research to ensure that her story is as accurate as possible. This story focuses on the Petersburg campaign. Which is not one that is focused on. It’s beautifully written full of rich historical facts. The characters are well written and the storyline is unique. I hope to read more from this author.

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging Program, all thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, August 3

CarpeDiem, August 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 5

Genesis 5020, August 5

Connie’s History Classroom, August 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 8

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 9

Texas Book-aholic, August 10

Betti Mace, August 11

deb’s Book Review, August 12

Writing from the Heart Land, August 12

Blossoms and Blessings, August 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 14

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 15

Mary Hake, August 15

A Baker’s Perspective, August 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cynthia is giving away the grand prize package of a $30 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of Beyond These War-Torn Lands!!

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/110e7/beyond-these-war-torn-lands-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Book Review and Giveaway- The Scarlet Pen Author: Jennifer Uhlarik on Tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: The Scarlet Pen

Author: Jennifer Uhlarik

Genre: Christian Historical Suspense

Release date: July 2021

Engaged to a Monster

Book 12 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History

Enjoy a tale of true but forgotten history of a 19th century serial killer whose silver-tongued ways almost trap a young woman into a nightmarish marriage.

In 1876, Emma Draycott is charmed into a quick engagement with childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards after reconnecting with him at a church event in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. But within the week, Stephen leaves to “make his fame and fortune.” The heartbroken Emma gives him a special pen to write to her, and he does with tales of grand adventures. Secret Service agent Clay Timmons arrives in Mount Pleasant to track purchases made with fake currency. Every trail leads back to Stephen—and therefore, Emma. Can he convince the naive woman she is engaged to a charlatan who is being linked a string of deaths in Nebraska?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a preteen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a BA in writing, she has won five writing competitions and was a finalist in two others. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenage son, and four fur children.

More from Jennifer

Hello, Readers! For all who might never have read one of my stories or come across me, it’s great to meet you! I’m a wife, a mom, a (young!) grandma, and an author—among many other things. My author tagline is “Where Grit Meets Grace.” If you’re familiar with my writing at all, you’ll know that most of my stories at least touch on a bit of the difficult side of life. Death, abandonment, war, addiction, or who knows what else you might find. The Scarlet Pen is no different.

Given that this novel is the final installment in Barbour’s True Colors series, the story revolves around a true crime from history—in this case, the murders of serial killer Stephen Dee Richards—AKA the Nebraska Fiend. Anytime you’re dealing with someone so depraved as he, you’ll find plenty of “grit” to write about. But that’s only half of my tagline. Remember, it’s “Where Grit Meets Grace.”

While I love a story that delves into difficult topics and, in some cases, pushes the characters right to the edge of what they can handle, I also love a truly redemptive story. When I was asked to write for this series, the ideas that drew me the most were the ones that had something redeeming in the actual history. There were plenty of interesting historical killers I could’ve chosen where I could have manufactured a positive, even happy ending through the fictional characters in the book. In the case of Stephen Dee Richards, there was no manufacturing needed. The “grace” part was already written. The end of Stephen’s story is precisely why I chose to write about him. I hope you’ll find it as though-provoking and compelling as I did. Happy reading!

My Thoughts

The Scarlet Pen is written by Jennifer Uhlarik. This is book 12 in the True Colors series. The true color series takes real life cases and history and places fictional characters into it. I’ve read the whole series. They are all standalone novels. However I’ve enjoyed learning about all the different events in history that I didn’t know existed.

In the Scarlet Pen we travel to 19th century Mount Pleasant, Ohio. We see Emma reconnecting with her child hood friend, Stephen. The two have sparks fly immediately and they become engaged quickly. However Stephen leaves to claim his fortune. He sees out on a business adventure.

Clay is a secret service agent who has been looking into a bunch of crimes including counterfeit cash and murder. Clues are leading to Stephen. Clay questions Emma who doesn’t want to believe charming Stephen would be responsible. Clay continues to present the mounting evidence and Emma refuses to believe he’s a serial killer.

So, I disliked Stephen immediately. I did feel bad for Emma. She is young, naive and doesn’t want to think the man who has charmed her could be responsible for the crimes Clay is saying. Clay is the hero of the story. He kept coming back with more stuff to show Emma.

This book does contain some gruesome parts. It may be sensitive to some. The book is suspenseful, and full of mystery. I did some research that this book is based on and the author did a wonderful job capturing so much of the true story.

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging Program, all thoughts are my own.