Friday, February 16, 2024

My Thoughts - Book: A Season of Harvest Author: Lauraine Snelling

About the Book

Book: A Season of Harvest

Author: Lauraine Snelling

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: January 30, 2024

Can her dreams for the future–and a budding romance–survive the trouble that comes calling?

Larkspur Nielsen is determined to keep her family homestead running and to fulfill their dream of starting a seed catalog, with or without her siblings’ help. With Isaac McTavish back in town, Lark finds herself at odds with her own heart and her determination to shoulder the burden of carrying her responsibilities alone. But Isaac is set on convincing her that he’s here to stay and she doesn’t have to carry everything by herself.

As a new romance blossoms between Lilac and an old schoolmate and the other Nielsen sisters are busy caring for their families, Lark bears more and more responsibility on the farm. When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of nearly one-hundred books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies. She makes her home in Tehachapi, California.

More from Lauraine

Please provide a brief summary of your new novel, A Season of Harvest.

Lauraine Snelling: With her three sisters all finding their own paths of life and love, Larkspur Nielsen determines to shoulder their family farm and business dream herself and stay single—even if drifter Isaac McTavish, claiming he’s back in town for good, now seeks her heart. When danger from the past comes knocking, Lark must choose whether to insist on going it alone or accept the love and support God—and Isaac—hold out.

Each of the previous books in your current series, Leah’s Garden, follows a different Neilsen sister as the main character. What led you to save Larkspur’s story for the series conclusion?

LS: I’d actually planned Larkspur’s story to be first since she’s the oldest. However, once The Seeds of Changestarted coming together, Forsythia took over the story! So the first book became hers.

Loyalty plays a key role in A Season of Harvest. Without giving spoilers, can you hint at why loyalty is at the core of the story?

LS: Loyalty threads through the whole series. These sisters are loyal to each other, to their friends, and to everyone they know. Through all the books, they take care of each other so faithfully. Even their initial departure from Ohio stems from drastic action they take to protect each other and their family. Loyalty then streams over into other characters in the series, especially Isaac McTavish, who really grows into loyalty in this book. Even our villain stays loyal to his purpose all the way through.

Which of the four Neilsen sisters do you personally resonate with the most?

LS: Truth be told, I resonate with each of them. But really, I tend to identify with whichever one I’m writing at the moment!

A Season of Harvest returns to a major conflict from the first book in the series, The Seeds of Change. Was it always in your plan to circle back and address that conflict again in the series conclusion?

LS: It wasn’t always in our plan, but as the book came together, it became inevitable. One benefit of a great editor is that they sometimes contribute ideas, and my editor, Jessica Sharpe, pointed out how key it would be for Ringwald to confront Larkspur at the end of the series. As the book went on, it became so important to resolve that conflict, and we kept the villain in the stories just enough to keep readers from forgetting about him.

What do you hope readers learn or take away from this series?

LS: A reminder of how important our families are. The Nielsens stood by each other in so many crises, and that’s what I would hope readers take away—just a reminder of how important your family is and how absolutely critical faith in Christ is. Salton becomes a place of healing, a place for people to recover joy. That we have so many joys and things to learn in this life is a theme that weaves through all my books.

What led you to set these stories in the homesteading period? How was the setting important to the story you wanted to tell?

LS: It’s one of my favorite periods! The homesteading era was such a time of change and adventure. As for why Nebraska, I hadn’t set stories there very much yet. For Kiersti, it was special to join in on The Seeds of Change and get to write about Nebraska homesteaders living in a soddy because her great-grandfather, a son of Danish immigrants, was born in a soddy in Nebraska in the late 1800s.

Is this truly the last your readers will see of the Neilsen sisters and the rest of their community?

LS: As far as we know!

Now that you’ve wrapped up the Leah’s Garden series, what are you working on next?

LS: A series set in 1889 near Decorah, Iowa. Six-year-old Ruth and twenty-one-year-old Amalia are thrown together on a ship crossing over from Norway when their families die of cholera. Ruth’s dying mother gives her daughter into Amalia’s custody, and the two orphans travel to Iowa to take over the family boardinghouse Ruth will inherit. They must battle a greedy relative trying to claim the property and somehow make ends meet for the motley band of orphans who gather under their roof, while finding a way to make this new land home.

My Thoughts

A Season of Harvest is written by Lauraine Snelling. This author is one that I first read when I became a Christian. She always does such a fantastic job with her stories. This is book four in the Leah’s garden series. I’ve not read all the books but I didn’t have any issues following along.

The Nielsen sisters have found some hardships with starting fresh. However their sister bond is strong and lean on each other when things are not going great.

In this story, it’s Lark and Lilac’s turn to find happiness. However Lark wants to love on her sisters families and work the farm. Enter Isaac McTavish. He has fallen in love with Lark, but she doesn't feel she can depend on him and pushes him away.

Lilac has to return to Ohio to assist her brothers and hopefully bring Sam back to help with the Harvest. While she is there she reconnects with an old classmate, Sam. Sam has his teaching certificate and a mother who is constantly hovering. When Lilac recommends her town for teaching he sees it as a good thing.

I love the historical detail that the author has put into the story. I love this family.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book all thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Wishful Endings, February 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 6

Texas Book-aholic, February 7

The Avid Reader, February 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 8

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, February 9 (Author Interview)

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 9

She Lives to Read, February 10

Jeanette’s Thoughts, February 11

Mary Hake, February 11

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 12

For Him and My Family, February 13

Splashes of Joy, February 13

Holly’s Book Corner, February 14

Cover Lover Book Review, February 15

Connie’s History Classroom , February 16

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, February 16

Live. Love. Read., February 17

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, February 17

lakesidelivingsite, February 18

Pause for Tales, February 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lauraine is giving away the grand prize package of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback set of all four books in the Leah’s Garden Series: The Seeds of Change, A Time to Bloom, Fields of Bounty, and A Season of Harvest!! (US Only)

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/29c4f/a-season-of-harvest-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, February 9, 2024

My Thoughts - When the Waters Came Author: Candice Sue Patterson

About the Book

Book: When the Waters Came

Author: Candice Sue Patterson

Genre: Christian/Historical/Romance

Release Date: January, 2024

An act of greed or an act of God?

Introducing a new series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic American disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.

Pastor Montgomery Childs has tended his flock in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for two years. While his pews are full every Sunday, he most desires to see a reckoning between God and the kings of industry who recreate on Lake Conemaugh. The pleasure grounds, flowing alcohol, and business dealings of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club taunts Monty as he works to heal the wounds inflicted from his own privileged childhood among Pittsburgh society. Like Noah, Monty prays against the evil surrounding him, but he never expects God to send a flood.

It takes five days for the Red Cross to respond to the Johnstown flood disaster, but when it does, Annamae Worthington is ready to help. Apprenticing under Clara Barton has prepared her for the job, but nothing can prepare her for the death and destruction that awaits. As if the survivors haven’t suffered enough, typhoid fever ravages the town, resurfacing suppressed emotions regarding her father’s death.

Narrowly surviving the flood and the horrifying things he’s witnessed, Monty’s faith is floundering. Then a Red Cross nurse puts him to work helping with the typhoid fever victims arriving at the hospital tents every hour. Monty and Annamae work together distributing disinfectants and supplies, housing orphans, and serving those left behind. Slowly, his faith resurfaces. A kinship forms between them neither can ignore. But when an investigation into the collapsed dam points to the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, secrets emerge that may tear them apart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Candice Sue Pattersonstudied at The Institute of Children’s Literature and is an elementary librarian. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, snuggling with her Great Pyrenees, or helping children discover books they love, she’s working on a new story. Candice writes Modern Vintage Romance–where the past and present collide with faith. For more on Candice and her books, visit www.candicesuepatterson.com.

More from Candice

On May 30, 1889, the industrious residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania fell into slumber to the sound of rain pattering their rooftops, unaware that, for many, it would be their last night on earth. This was the thought I carried with me through the entire journey of writing When the Waters Came. Every survivor’s account of that day, every loss, every miracle, every emotion will stick with me for years to come.

My first knowledge of the Johnstown Flood came several years ago when I watched The Men Who Built America in its first airing on the History Channel. The idea that so great a loss of life could’ve easily been prevented by some of the richest men in the world strummed an invisible chord inside me. I remember looking at my husband and saying, “I’m going to write a book about it someday.”

A few more years went by and each time I sat down to plot a new story idea, Johnstown whispered across my heart, but the timing wasn’t right. Then, in 2021, I was shopping at our local community book fair and stumbled upon a first edition of History of the Johnstown Flood, Illustrated by Willis Fletcher Johnson, published in 1889, months after the disaster. Not meaning to sound hokey, I felt as if God handed me the book Himself and confirmed He wanted me to write this story. The next year, at the same book fair, I found a first edition of The Life of Clara Barton by Percy H. Epler, published in 1919. It contained transcripts of her journals and correspondence, some specifically mentioning the Red Cross and her role in aiding the survivors of the Johnstown flood. Once again, I felt that God had provided all the material I would need to tell my tale. Then, in 2022, when my publisher reached out looking for proposals for a new series centered on disasters, I knew the time had come to remind folks of that tragic day.

I’ll be honest, I shed a lot of tears during my research. The accounts are heartbreaking. But the faith and determination in some of those accounts are inspiring as well. Many of the characters in When the Waters Came are real survivors of the flood, and Clara Barton, herself, walks on and off the pages throughout the story.

In May 2023, a month before I turned the manuscript in to my publisher, my husband and I traveled nine hours to Johnstown to experience what we could for ourselves and to make sure my historical facts were correct. I stood where the South Fork Dam once did. I imagined the roar of the water as the dam crumbled. I toured the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club clubhouse, where America’s elite once recreated. I stood at Colonel Unger’s homestead where he’d stood that fateful day, powerless to reinforce the dam and save the folks in Johnstown below. I walked the rows of 777 graves in Grandview Cemetery honoring the unidentified bodies that were rescued. I thought of all the lost loved ones never found.

Where the retelling of the Johnstown Flood is hard and tragic, I also packed the story with plenty of faith, hope, and love to give readers a well-balanced experience. For on-site videos, behind-the-writing-scenes info, and more details about the Johnstown Flood, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

My Thoughts

When the Waters Came is written by Candace Sue Patterson. This is the first book in a multi author series that focuses on historical disasters that transformed landscapes and lives.

This book is about the Johnstown Flood. Pastor Montgomery Childs grew up with a life of luxury and high society. However he saw the greed that came along with that society. He’s been pastor in Johnstown, Pennsylvania for two years. He’s saddened to see the rise of alcohol, salooons and soiled doves in a city where the evil ways of the world seem to be forefront.

When the flood hits so many are killed. Families are washed away, children become orphans. This leads Monty to struggle with why God would allow this to happen. The Red Cross shows up five days after the flood. Led by Clara Barton, Annamae Worthington is excited and nervous about her first disaster relief assignment.

I loved seeing Annamae grow and evolve throughout the book. She wants to make a difference. She’s got bitterness in her heart. I loved the authors reminder that God can heal all pain.

Well written with a throughly researched storyline. I am so excited for this new series. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 27

Devoted To Hope, January 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 30

Mary Hake, January 30

Texas Book-aholic, January 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 2

She Lives To Read, February 3

Blossoms and Blessings, February 3

Simple Harvest Reads, February 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Cover Lover Book Review, February 5

Book Looks by Lisa, February 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 6

Pause for Tales, February 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 7

For Him and My Family, February 8

Connie’s History Classroom, February 9

To Everything There Is A Season , February 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Candice is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and a copy of the book!!

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/299c0/when-the-waters-came-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

My Thoughts - A Summer on Bellevue Avenue Author: Lorri Dudley

About the Book

Book: A Summer on Bellevue Avenue

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre: Christian historical romance

Release Date: January 9, 2024

In the world of the elite, reputation is everything…

Wealthy heiress Amanda Mae Klein is set to marry the man she loves, Wesley Jansen—the only person she trusts to help ease her anxiety among the social climbers of high society. Until the daughter of a union boss falls down a flight of stairs at Wesley’s office in the middle of the night…and the woman claims Wesley pushed her.

Seeking solace from the growing scandal, Amanda flees to the mansion-dotted seaside of Newport. Wesley follows to disprove the rumors and win back the trust of Amelia and her father. But soon, Amanda finds not only her social status but her life at risk. As dire events pit the two against each other, will their love find a way to survive?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household.

More from Lorri

Moguls, Millionaires, and Midas

Imagine parties where the dining guests could dig through a sand centerpiece for rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and other precious stones to take home as party favors. Or celebrating elaborate pet birthdays, where dogs are seated around a formal dining table and served liver, rice, and cake. Fancy dining on horseback as guests eat while riding. At the mention of the Gilded Age in Newport, Rhode Island, Robin Leach’s voice naturally pipes in my head, “These are the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”

Imposing wrought iron gates, expansive manicured lawns and gardens, and opulent French chateaus or Italian palazzos—the summer “cottages” of Newport’s famous self-made moguls of America’s Gilded Age stir the imagination and leave us wondering if we glimpsed a bit of what heaven may look like. What was accomplished, built, and achieved still impresses, and I had oodles of fun researching the era and its eccentric society walkers.

One of my favorite stories regarding the elites was the rivalry between “old money” Caroline Astor and “new money” Alva Vanderbilt. Legend has it that Caroline Astor frowned upon the Vanderbilts and did much to prohibit the new money Vanderbilts from having true social standing. Alva Vanderbilt concocted a plan to pry her way into old-money elitism by planning a fabulous costume party with all the who’s who of New York’s knickerbockers. Alva personally delivered Mrs. Astor’s invitation, and when Mrs. Astor refused to receive her, Alva Vanderbilt rescinded Caroline Astor’s daughter, Carrie’s, invitation. Hearing she was uninvited to the event, Carrie bent her mother’s ear and got her to acquiesce. Caroline Astor formally visited Alva Vanderbilt and attended the costume party, solidifying the Vanderbilt’s arrival into high society.

Living a little over an hour from Newport, I’ve toured many of the mansions and hiked the cliff walk along the luxurious shoreline. It was during one of these tours that the plot idea struck for Summer on Bellevue Avenue and the romance between two Gilded sweethearts torn apart by scandal was born.

My Thoughts

A Summer on Bellevue Avenue is written by Lorri Dudley. I have read several of this authors books and have always really enjoyed all of them. This is a wonderful addition to the Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts series, taking place in Newport, Rhode Island in 1895. Each book is written by a different author, but is tied together by the Gilded Age Resort theme.

Wealthy heiress Amanda Mae Klein is set to marry the man she loves, Wesley Jansen. He helps her with her anxiety - however there is an accident at Wesley’s office in the middle of the night. A girl has accused Wesley of pushing her down the stairs. Amanda flees to the sanctuary of Newport, Rhode Island trying to sort everything out - however Wesley follows her there and tries to win back her trust and prove her innocence. However it seems that trouble is also following them there.

I really liked these characters. While they want for nothing, they are experiencing the downfall of high society. I loved how down to earth they seemed. I loved how Wesley balanced Amanda out - she deals with the fears of messing up in society.

This book is well written characters and an intriguing storyline. I loved the element of suspense with the story. I have been enjoying every book in the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book., all thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 26

Devoted To Hope, January 26

Texas Book-aholic, January 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 28

Sylvan Reads, January 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 30

Betti Mace, January 31

Alena Mentink, January 31

For Him and My Family, February 1

Simple Harvest Reads, February 2 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

An Author’s Take, February 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 3

Cover Lover Book Review, February 4

Blossoms and Blessings, February 5

Holly’s Book Corner, February 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 6

Pause for Tales, February 6

Connie’s History Classroom, February 7

Book Looks by Lisa, February 7

Lily’s Corner, February 8

She Lives To Read, February 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away the grand prize of 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/299bf/a-summer-on-bellevue-avenue-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, January 27, 2024

My Thoughts -Faces in the Window Authors: Andrew Busch and Melinda Busch

About the Book

Book: Faces in the Window

Authors: Andrew Busch and Melinda Busch

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: October, 2022

Franz Maedler, an officer in the Wehrmacht, loses a leg in Stalingrad and is evacuated just before it becomes impossible to do so. He returns to a desk job with the Army General Staff in Berlin but is deeply conflicted. His father is committed to the Nazi cause, as seems to be his brother Friedrich. Yet his girlfriend Katrin is a devout Christian, as was his now-deceased mother, and his conscience is haunted by things he was a part of on the Eastern Front. He wants to marry Katrin, but she will not agree until he decides who he is and who he follows. Then, unexpectedly, a moment of crisis forces Franz to choose. Will he side with the cross or with the swastika? And what will it cost him?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Authors

Andrew and Melinda Busch were both born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, and were introduced in 1994 by their junior high school math teacher. They married in 1995 and have three grown children. They now live in Rialto, California.

Andrew teaches American government at Claremont McKenna College in southern California. He has authored or co-authored about two dozen books on American politics, government, and public policy. He received his Ph.D. in Government from the University of Virginia. Melinda is a freelance author who has published numerous short stories and children’s books. She received her Master’s degree in education from Concordia University-Portland. Faces in the Window is their first co-authored book.

More from Andrew and Melinda

We came up with the idea for our book after a trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. in 2006, but didn’t start writing it until late 2019. The COVID lock-down gave us a lot of time at home to work on it.

Writing together was fun. Sometimes one of us would draft a section and the other one would revise it and then we would go back and forth until we were satisfied with it. Other times, when there was important dialogue, we would each pick a character, go onto Google Docs, and have the conversation in real time. We had to be sharp, since our characters often found themselves in a tight spot. Though we planned out the story, sometimes the conversations took on a life of their own, and things went in a different direction.

One of us is a poet and an author of children’s books, fantasy stories, and fan fiction, while the other is a professor who has written extensively about American government but has never before dipped his toe into the vasty depths of fiction. Together, we had a great time!

My Thoughts

I was not prepared for the emotional journey that this book took me on. Faces in the Window is written by Andrew Busch and Melinda Busch. This book drops us in the middle of WWII - and we see a German Soldier, Franz Maedler, who returns home after an injury. He is haunted by what he has seen and what he has become.

Franz is dealing with a lot of conflicting issues. He sees that Hitler may not be right. He is wrestling with his a lot. His father was VERY committed to Hitler and his cause, yet his mother was a Christian woman. He is worried on how his father will react with him being injured and given a desk job. After all the horrible violence he has seen he really wrestles if he even still believes in God. He wonders how God can let so much suffering and such happen if he is a God of Grace.

The war, Franz soon realizes has put some doubts in his girlfriend, Katrin also. Katrin is a devout Christian and she tells him that he needs to make a decision who he will be loyal too. Hitler of God.

I appreciated the authors putting in so much historical research into this story. I have read alot of WWII era books the last year and this one is in the top 10 of the ones that I have read. The authors also do a great job with portraying how those serving in the German Army may have had so many moral demons they had to wrestle.

The book is well written. The storyline is engaging. Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.