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Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Book Review: Sand Creek Serenade by Jennifer Uhlarik --- BLIND DATE with a book -- Courtesy of JustRead Tours

Sand Creek Serenade

About the Book

One woman with a deep desire to serve and help. One brave who will stop at nothing to save his people. Each willing to die for their beliefs and love for one another. Will their sacrifice be enough?

As a female medical doctor in 1864, Sadie Hoppner is no stranger to tragedy and loss. While she grapples with the difficulties of practicing medicine at a Colorado outpost, she learns that finding acceptance and respect proves especially difficult at Fort Lyon.

Cheyenne brave Five Kills wants peace between his people and the American Army. But a chance encounter with their female doctor ignites memories from his upbringing among the whites … along with a growing fondness for the one person who seems to understand him and his people.As two cultures collide with differing beliefs of right and wrong, of what constitutes justice and savagery, blood spills on the Great Plains. When the inevitable war reaches Fort Lyon, the young couple's fledgling love is put to the test.

Written for the General Market (G) (I): This story contains mild violence appropriate to depict battle scenes or other war-themed situations. This story does not contain strong language or explicit sexual content. May also contain some content of an inspirational nature

About the Author
Jennifer Uhlarik

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, 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 B.A. in writing, she has won five writing competitions and finaled in two other competitions. 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 lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children. 


My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of this author. She always writes books that flow nicely and have wonderful character development. In this book we see a strong female main character -- we meet Sadie Hoppner who has come from a fractured past and has studied medicine journals, worked along side others and dreams of practicing on her own. Five Kills, a Cheyenne brave is injured and needs help --- Sadie is able to assist and a friendship forms -- two different worlds. Can they make it work? 

I love the research that went into this book - I felt like I had taken a trip back to 1864. The descriptions she has written make you feel like you are there. Well written characters, amazing and informative storyline -- a must read!

I received a copy of this book through JustRead tours -- all thoughts are my own. 

Friday, April 17, 2020

Book Review and Giveaway: How Do You Kill 11 Million People? by Andy Andrews, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!



11 Million People Blog Tour 


Welcome to the Blog Tour for How Do You Kill 11 Million People? by Andy Andrews, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

How Do You Kill 11 Million People? by Andy AndrewsTitle: How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think
Author: Andy Andrews
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: March 17, 2020
Genre: Motivational/Inspirational Political Science
Become an informed, passionate citizen who demands honesty and integrity from our leaders or suffer the consequences of our own ignorance and apathy.
In this updated and expanded New York Times bestselling nonpartisan book, Andy Andrews urges you to believe that seeking and discerning the truth really, really matters and that believing lies is the most dangerous thing you can do. You’ll be challenged to become a more “careful student” of the past, seeking accurate, factual accounts of events and decisions that illuminate choices you face now.
By considering how the Nazi German regime was able to carry out over eleven million institutional killings between 1933 and 1945, Andrews advocates for an informed population that demands honesty and integrity from its leaders and from each other. He includes several key documents written by our Founding Fathers as examples of America’s core principles that present and future leadership should live up to and embrace.
We can no longer measure a leader’s worth by the yardsticks provided by the left or the right. Instead, we must use an unchanging standard: the pure, unvarnished truth.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Photo by Christy Haynes, BeachChicPhotography.com
Andy Andrews is a bestselling novelist, speaker, and consultant for some of the world’s most successful teams, largest corporations, and fastest-growing organizations. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The NoticerHow Do You Kill 11 Million People?, and the modern classic The Traveler’s Gift. For more information, please visit AndyAndrews.com.
CONNECT WITH ANDY: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
 My Thoughts
This was a good and informative read. I did a lot of WWII in my undergrad. (My BA is in History and Religion) I took a class that was called "Hitler and the Holocaust". The professor was amazing, and I learned so much from it. I did not know until that class that there were a lot of people who did not think that the Holocaust was real. I was floored. I have seen the pictures, the videos, the propaganda, and I have read Mein Kampf. I know that the Holocaust is real. 
Anyways, this book is well researched. The book did not drag on like some historical topic books do. The author was able to accurately display his point without having it spill over. 
Most importantly, I am glad I read this book during this time. COVID 19 and the taking away of civil liberties is comparable to what happened in Germany. Now before you send me hate mail - know this. The media is making things worse.... This book can align with what is happening today. 
The author is well knowledge in his writing. He writes to an audience of non historians. 
If you want a great informative well researched book - this book is for you. 

Special thanks to the author and JustRead tours for allowing me to read this book. All thoughts are my own. 



TOUR GIVEAWAY

(3) winners will receive a print copy of How Do You Kill 11 Million People? by Andy Andrews!
How Do You Kill 11 Million People Giveaway
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight April 6, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on April 20, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US mailing addresses only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Book Review: Out of Embers by Amanda Cabot #RevellReads

Out of the Embers (Mesquite Springs, #1)

About the Book

Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents' murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don't include a family of his own.

At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage?

Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.

About the Author: 
Amanda Cabot

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than thirty-five novels. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading. 

My Thoughts

This is the first book in a new series by the author. I love the time period that Ms. Cabot has written about. It is not one that I get to read often. This book is set in Texas in the 1850's. The main characters, Evelyn, Polly and Wyatt are well written, and you can see that they are fast friends. The characters are real feeling, flawed, have hopes, dreams and are fearful. Evelyn is afraid of the "watcher" who she feels is watching her from a distance. Can they be the same person that burned down the orphanage? There is mystery in this book that I tried to solve - but was thrown through twists and turns. I cannot wait until the next book!

Well written, flowing storyline, and original 


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Book Review and Giveaway --- The Blue Cloak Author: Shannon McNear - On tour with Celebrate Lit

The Blue cloak FB Banner

About the Book


Book:  The Blue  Cloak
Author: Shannon McNear
Genre:  Christian Historical/Suspense
Release Date: March, 2020
9781643523149
Evil Incarnate Leaves a Trail of Destruction across the Frontier
Book 5 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History
Rachel Taylor lives a rather mundane existence in 1797 at the way station her family runs along the Wilderness Road in Tennessee. She attends her friend Sally Rice’s wedding only to watch the marriage dissolve into horror has the groom, Wiley Harpe, and his cousin Micajah become murderers on the run, who drag their families along. Declaring a “war on all humanity,” the Harpes won’t be stopped, and Ben Langford is on their trail to see if his own cousin was one of their latest victims.
How many will die before peace can return to the frontier?

Click here for your copy.


About the Author

ShannonMcNear
Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in Charleston, South Carolina, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s a military wife, mom of eight, mother-in-law of three, grammie of two, and a member of ACFW and RWA. Her first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® finalist. When she’s not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies. Connect with her at www.shannonmcnear.com, or on Facebook and Goodreads.

More from Shannon

How dark is too dark for a Christian to write?
That was the question I wrestled with when deciding whether or not to take on the story of the Harpes. The histories in Scripture itself aren’t rated G, but writing fiction requires a level of detail and depth of emotion I wasn’t sure would be wise, or helpful, to explore in this case. But as I prayed and sought the counsel of those whose discernment I trust, the answer came back, overwhelmingly …
Is God stronger than the darkness, or not?
Well, of course He is. And nothing in human history has ever escaped His notice, or taken Him by surprise.
So, was there something redeeming to be found in the tale of the Harpes?
For the first few weeks of research, I walked around in a state of shock at the horror of the historical accounts, but details surfaced that helped me shape my fictional characters Rachel and Ben. With Rachel working in her family’s trading post near the wild frontier town of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Ben a lawyer who recently passed the bar, the real-life Hugh Lawson White provided a handy connection point between them. Many other details fell together in ways I had not foreseen when I began developing the story. Sally Rice Harpe, however, rose to the forefront. This was more her story than anyone’s, but realizing I couldn’t properly write the book without using her point of view? That was scary. I knew the moments I’d have to visit, some of them in real-time.
Despite the tragedy, however, I could see an overarching story of spiritual warfare. Felt a growing conviction that prayer must have played a vital role in bringing the Harpes’ reign of terror to an end. So it is my hope that against the backdrop of one of the most chilling episodes of our country’s early history, the hand of God shows clearly, and that yes, the reader finds it redemptive.

My Thoughts

I have read several of the books in the True Color Series. Each is based off a real historical event - recreated as a fictional story. This book, is a bit gorier then some of the others that I have read. But I enjoyed it. I don't know if I have read anything by this author before, but I will be on the look out for anything that she writes in the future

In this edition of the True Color Series - We travel  back to 1797. This time period is not one that I read about often. It seems that the author has done amazing research to bring this time period to life.In this story, we see what life was like in the  historical setting of the frontier of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. I can't imagine what life was like during this time - we are post revolution and building as  nation. In this story, we see the story of horror that 2 men inflicted. As stated above, there are some gruesome descriptions -- but there is a lot of FAITH weaved through it. It's sad to think that this is based off a true story - but we know (as with what we are going through now with COVID) God is ultimately in control. There is also a sweet love story that is included - Rachel and Ben. Ben wants to find out who killed his cousin, and is following clues. Rachel, who works at her father's story - ends up mixed up through her friend. During the chaos their paths cross and they develop feelings for each other. 

This was a well written story. There is a lot of description and character development. I love suspense and mystery stories. Again, just the disclaimer of the description of the gore. 

I received a copy of this story, through the Celebrate Lit blogging program - all thoughts are my own. 



Blog Stops

Emily Yager, March 25
Genesis 5020, March 26
Remembrancy, March 26
Among the Reads, March 27
Betti Mace, March 30
Older & Smarter?, March 30
Robin’s Nest, March 31
Stories By Gina, April 1
By The Book, April 2
Artistic Nobody, April 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Pause for Tales, April 5
Hallie Reads, April 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of The Blue Cloak and a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.