Sunday, August 6, 2023

My Thoughts - Beside Still Waters Author: Lynnette Bonner

About the Book

Book: Beside Still Waters

Author: Lynnette Bonner

Genre:Historical Christian Western Romance

Release Date: August 15, 2023

Zoe Kastain wants to be happy, but just the sight of Washington Nolan standing beside Kin at his wedding has her choking the life from her gloves. The man who once dazzled her with promises of love and commitment now will hardly look at her. Even through the haze of red clouding her vision, she realizes it is probably better this way. Because after he’d returned, injured, she’d gone and laid her heart at his feet. He’d slammed his door in her face, and she never wanted to feel that incomprehensible rejection again. But as Kin and Cora exchange rings and kisses, Zoe realizes her best efforts to quash her love for Wash Nolan have been hopeless. Not only that but what if his rejection was a test to see if she would stand by him?! And she walked away! She needed to fix this! Make him realize she still loved him. But how? Her gaze settles on Kin and Cora leaving the church to the cheers of their guests. What was the biggest gesture of love, but marriage? No! She couldn’t, could she? It was preposterous madness!

Wash stumbles out of the church, chastising himself for letting Kin talk him into being here today. He ought to have known that seeing Zoe again would bring nothing but heartache. They could have built a life together if not for his injury that rendered him unable to provide for a family. Despite all that, it felt good to have escaped the cabin. He needed to make an effort to get out more. He’d been pretty detached from, well, everything since his return. He just needed to make his escapes to places where Zoe Kastain would not be, because seeing her was temptation itself. The soft light of invitation in her eyes could downright make a man forget his limitations. And this was not the time for that, especially not with all the strange things happening at the farm.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Lynnette Bonner was born in Malawi, Africa, and spent the first years of her life reveling in warm equatorial sunshine and the late evening duets of cicadas and hyenas. The year she turned eight she was off to Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school in Kenya where she spent many joy-filled years and graduated in 1990.

That fall, she traded to a new duet–one of traffic and rain–when she moved to Kirkland, Washington to attend Northwest University. It was there that she met her husband and a few years later they moved to the small town of Pierce, Idaho.

During the time they lived in Idaho while studying the history of their little town, Lynnette was inspired to begin the Shepherd’s Heart Series with Rocky Mountain Oasis.

Marty and Lynnette have four children and currently live in Washington where Marty pastors a church.

More from Lynette

Dear Readers,

History is one of my favorite things. I love opening a book and getting immersed in the sights, sounds, smells, and culture of by-gone eras. Because I love to read these stories, these are also the kinds of stories I write. And here we are at the fourteenth and final historical foray in the Wyldhaven series! This one is the wrap-up, the happy sigh at the end of an intricate set of adventures. If you haven’t yet jumped into the Wyldhaven series, I invite you to start with book one, because while each book can stand alone, you’ll enjoy the characters so much more if you’ve followed them from the beginning. Book one is Not a Sparrow Falls.

However, on tour here today is book fourteen, Beside Still Waters. Two of my favorite characters from the series are about to face their biggest set of challenges yet, and along the way they just might learn a little about leaning on God’s truth, even when bad things happen, and of course find that loving one another makes those bad things so much easier to bear.

I hope you’ll enjoy this story and that it will in some way draw you closer to the One who leads us beside still waters.

Injured by friendly fire. Trapped in the torrent of his own fears.

Washington Nolan wanted to join the cavalry from the time he was a boy. He planned to enlist for a few years, and then return home to marry Zoe Kastain, the girl he’s been sweet on from almost his earliest memory. What he didn’t plan on was a friendly fire incident that would cost him the use of his leg. Now he’s home. But without the means to provide for a family, he can’t in all good conscience marry Zoe. Even harder than losing his leg is letting her go.

Rejected by the man she loves. She’ll brave the deepest waters to convince him that God will see them through.

Zoe Kastain can’t believe that Wash has broken things off. She’s just mad enough to walk away, but then she realizes that Wash needs her love now more than ever. She can’t simply abandon him! But he’s not going to like it when she brings the parson—and her valise—to his porch. She’s prepared for his resistance. But what she’s not prepared for is his acquiescence—nor the storm she’s about to walk through because of it.

Together they must learn to trust the One who leads beside still waters.

My Thoughts

Beside Still Waters is a Historical Christian Western Romance that is written by Lynnette Bonner. This is the first book that I have read by this author. Zoe Kastain and Washington Nolan have a history. However Washington sustains an injury that has taken away his ability to provide for a family. Both see each other at a wedding - and both are still hurt to the core.

This is a story of second chances, forgiveness and there is even some bad guys thrown in there. The author wrote some realistic characters and an intriguing story line. 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

Alena Mentink, August 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 5

Connie’s History Classroom, August 6

Texas Book-aholic, August 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 9

For Him and My Family, August 10

The Book Club Network, August 11

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 12 (Author Interview)

Karen Baney Reviews, August 12

Holly’s Book Corner, August 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 14

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 15

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 16 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 16

Lily’s Book Reviews, August 17

Giveaway

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

One first place winner will receive a paperback copy of the book!

Five winners will receive an eBook 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/272f5/beside-still-waters-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, July 30, 2023

My Thoughts -The Laws of Attraction Author: Mary Connealy

About the Book

Book: The Laws of Attraction

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: June 20, 2023

Can they risk giving in to the attraction between them while their lives are on the line?

If widowed seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might just quit the business altogether! So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower struggling to raise three girls on his own, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls properly, and Nell finally has a chance to create beautiful outfits while also teaching the girls to sew.

But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover who has a target trained on them before it’s too late.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books. She is the author of the popular series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

More from Mary

The Laws of Attraction, the idea of it, was what kicked off the whole Wyoming Sunrise series.

A woman justice of the peace.

Wyoming, oddly enough, was the first state in the union to give women the right to vote. And it wasn’t just voting, it was suffrage. That meant so much more than just voting. There were property rights involved, the right to serve on juries, and the right to run for office or be appointed to political offices.

Wyoming was the first state to have a woman justice of the peace. I read about Esther Hobart Morris and thought, hey, my heroine could be the second justice of the peace.

My heroine is a seamstress. Of the three heroines in the Wyoming Sunrise series, Nell, the heroine of book #2, is the one who is not in a traditionally masculine role. In book #1 Mariah is a blacksmith. In book #3 Becky is a lady rancher.

Nell just wants to sew pretty dresses and make beautiful bonnets. She likes to tat her own lace. She likes flowery fabric and lots of ruffles.

And then she moved to Wyoming. Nine thousand total residence and five men for every one woman. And the few women who are there all sew their own dresses.

To add to that, Nell, a widow, didn’t have a happy first marriage. She has no interest in marrying again. Staying single in a state like Wyoming isn’t easy, but she’s managed it. Her first husband was a lawman, and when a band of stagecoach robbers are plaguing the area, Nell finds she’s got skills to investigate these crimes that far exceed the local sheriff.

The sheriff is impressed, and when the town’s justice of the peace resigns, the sheriff appoints Nell.

I just had so much fun with this book. Nell is frustrated because she isn’t getting to make dresses. She does discover a talent for working with leather and making chaps. She hates it, but the orders just keep pouring in and she’s making a tidy living. Not having a lot of fun but definitely prospering.

And then a local homesteader with three half-grown daughters, all of whom desperately need a new dress, runs across Nell, and she wheels and deals him into letting her make them in exchange for his daughters working for her, making chaps.

Nell’s talent for investigating crimes soon puts her in danger. And Brandon Nolte, her best customer, finds himself, Nell, and his girls all surrounded by danger.

The Laws of Attraction—fun, fast-paced, and love is the most fundamental law of all.

My Thoughts

The Laws of Attraction is written by Mary Connealy. This is book two in the Wyoming Sunrise series. I am absolutely loving this series. The author has done such amazing research and created some strong female characters.

Nell Armstrong is a widowed seamstress. She desires to make more then just chaps. She gets caught up in the drama with the Dead-Eye Gang - she wants more. She finds out Brand Nolte is struggling to raise his three girls. They are in desperate need of a woman's touch. However, Brand will not take charity - so they come to a workable arrangement.

I loved the banter between Nell and Brand. I loved seeing how they adjust to their circumstances. I love that he listens to her opinions. One of the things that I have loved in this series is how progressive Wyoming was back in the day.

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

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 29

Texas Book-aholic, July 30

For Him and My Family, July 30

Connie’s History Classroom, July 31

Book Looks by Lisa, July 31

lakesidelivingsite, August 1

Lighthouse Academy Blog, August 1 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 2

Mary Hake, August 2

Betti Mace, August 3

Cover Lover Book Review, August 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 4

The Book Nook, August 4

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 5

She Lives To Read, August 6

Labor Not in Vain, August 6

Daysong Reflections, August 7

Holly’s Book Corner, August 7

Splashes of Joy, August 8

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, August 8

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 9

Pause for Tales, August 10

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 10

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 11

Wishful Endings, August 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback 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/26d5b/the-laws-of-attraction-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Thoughts -Rebecca Author: Shannon McNear

About the Book

Book: Rebecca

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Romance

Release Date: July, 2023

A Native Princess Follows Her Heart

Immerse yourself in the “what if” questions related to the Lost Colony of Roanoke when a native princess meets an English widower.

Born the daughter of a Powhatan chieftain and a woman of unknown origins, Matoaka enjoys a carefree life. When strange men from across the eastern waters appear near her home, she regards them at first as a mere curiosity. Soon, though, she finds herself torn between friendship with one of their leaders and the opinions and politics of her elders. Drawn to a young Englishman, John Rolfe, who has lost a wife and baby daughter, she shares his griefs. . .and perhaps something more. Could she have a future among the English of Jamestown, accepting their ways and even changing her name? Could her fate be a part of the lasting legacy of the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

Author Shannon McNear portrays history with vivid authenticity.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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

Daughters of the Lost Colony—how are we at book 3 already? I’m both excited and nervous about this one, which features Pocahontas and the original Jamestown. Why did I choose her, and this place, when the overall series is about the Lost Colony?

Among their various other aims, the Jamestown colonists were charged with finding the Roanoke Colony. John Smith’s own reports reference this, and one can sense his discouragement and frustration over their inability to find answers on the fate of those who came to the New World before them. William Strachey, early secretary to the colony, stated that Powhatan (that is, the paramount chieftain often called by the same name as his people group) had slain the last known survivors of the Roanoke Colony. But nowhere is that claim substantiated.

There were no solid historical connections between the Lost Colony and Pocahontas—so I created a plausible fictional one in the form of Emme Merrimoth, a historically documented member of the Roanoke Colony who in book 1, Elinor, experienced the fictional adventure of being carried captive to the Powhatan nation. Where Strachey lists the names of the paramount chieftain’s favored wives, I put Emme in the place of the real-life Winganuske.

I knew the research would be challenging on this one. What I didn’t expect was to find Emme’s aspect of this story so compelling—or to fall in love with Wahunsenecawh, the great Powhatan himself. The name alone is intimidating, but you can find sound clips of how to pronounce it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q_10PYf_0U and here: https://www.nameslook.com/wahunsenacawh/ (ignore the weird stuff and click on the little red arrows for different voices). There are at least five or six documented ways to spell it, and the one I picked is probably the most obscure. I had a year to get used to saying it, but repeat after me, slowly: wah-HUN-senacoh. Or wah-HOON-senacah, depending upon which rule you use for the U in Algonquian pronunciation, and how you interpret that “wh” at the end.

Names overall were an issue with this story. A few reviewers have already mentioned this difficulty. The thing is, in Native culture, especially what we know of the Eastern Algonquian-speaking peoples, a name wasn’t simply a casual identifier—it defined a person’s entire identity. We don’t know what most of the names recorded from that time meant, but we can be sure they weren’t chosen lightly, and they were valued by those who held them. Indeed, a change of name often accompanied a change of purpose. It has even been suggested that if the English had been paying attention, they’d have realized when Opechancanough changed his name shortly before the great attack of 1622, it signaled a critical shift in his attitude toward them.

So when you read this story, you may find it helpful to keep a finger in the cast list—or to place a bookmark on that page if you’re reading the Kindle version. Thank you so much, again, for taking this journey with me!

My Thoughts

Rebecca is written by Shannon McNear. This is book three in the Daughters of the Lost Colony series. I have really enjoyed this series and appreciate all the research that the author has put into the series to make it feel as real feeling as possible.

Matoaka was born the daughter of a Powhatan chieftain. She is intrigued when the strange men come from across the eastern waters. The author does a great job switching between the POV of the English and the Native Americans. Matoaka is intrigued by these men. She strikes up a friendship with one, and her elders are quite worried about it.

Since this is set in the 1600's things were so different back then. The author does such a great job portraying the struggles from both sides. Seeing as they would do anything to survive shows how far we have come. Seeing the friendship unfold despite the elder's protests was heartwarming. The author has done a wonderful job with this series.

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

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 27

Texas Book-aholic, July 28

Cover Lover Book Review, July 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 31

Alena Mentink, July 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 1

Connie’s History Classroom , August 2

For Him and My Family, August 3

Mary Hake, August 3

Holly’s Book Corner, August 4

Sylvan Musings, August 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 5

Pause for Tales, August 6

Betti Mace, August 7

Books Less Travelled, August 7

To Everything There Is A Season, August 8

Lights in a Dark World, August 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon 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/26d59/rebecca-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, July 23, 2023

My Thoughts -Runaround Sue Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Runaround Sue Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book: Runaround Sue

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet and Wholesome Romance

Release Date: May 30, 2023

She gave away something precious…

…He lost a part of himself.

Can they find a way to help each other heal?

Sue is hiding out until she is sure her former reputation won’t destroy what she’s trying to rebuild. Unfortunately, that means this brilliant wordsmith turned semi-hermit is working beneath her potential and dealing with stress every time her office door opens.

The last thing she needs to do is greet some biker guy who sets her nerves to jumping just by being in the same room.

And if his hairy face isn’t enough to put her off, the mere fact that he’s male is.

So why does she keep ending up in his presence?

Mac is home from Viet Nam and if he never thinks about that place again, it will be too soon. Instead, he’s returned to his music that got him through his teen years, his exotic senior trip overseas (thanks to his Uncle Sam), and the deep wound that he brought home with him. Using his GI bill to further his music understanding has pushed him outside his comfort zone, but the leggy secretary at his professor’s office is tempting him with other ideas he thought he’d shelved for good.

Even if she gets flustered every time he runs into her.

What will it take for her to give him a chance? Or is she more wounded than he is?

Return to 1972 Kokomo, Indiana for the third installment of The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series—Runaround Sue—and what see happens when people discover who God has called them to be.

You will love Runaround Sue, inspired by Dion and the Belmonts’ 1960s hit song, because everyone understands about facing fears with a do-over.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal.

Runaround Sue is the third book of her spin-off series The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue.

More from Jennifer Lynn

One of the best parts of writing this series is that I get to relive lots of fun memories from my childhood. As my bio states, I am a direct descendant of Davy Crockett. This was a big deal to my father, and he made us memorize the generations back.

Well, my first real friend (we met when we were four but didn’t get to play together again until we were in first grade—long, funny story) had a famous last name, famous around Kokomo at least. Haynes. She mentioned she was related to this guy who was a big deal with cars and steel. That was about all my first grade mind could fathom.

I was able to connect that to a little side trip I took with my dad one day. He pulled up in front of an old white building on Apperson Way in Kokomo and led me to the front door. It was obvious the building was empty and had been for some time. But on the slab porch, in front of the entrance, he pointed out a tiled mosaic of a jack rabbit. Dad explained that this had been the factory where the Apperson brothers produced their car, the Jack Rabbit. They ran their factory for about twenty-five years producing one of the first sports cars ever made.

By fourth grade, where we learned about Indiana history, I also got a bit more information on Elwood Haynes (my friend’s ancestor) and the Apperson brothers. Aside from a converted horse cart, their Pioneer car from 1894 is considered the first automobile made in the USA and is now housed in the Smithsonian.

I don’t think I fully grasped Elwood Haynes’s contributions to science and industry, however, until I moved away and became an adult. (Getting older and learning how to surf the web helped too). I was able to use what I learned about the man and share it in Runaround Sue.

The auto industry left Kokomo in the dust when it became evident that Detroit was easier and less expensive to deliver raw products to. However, that didn’t stop Mr. Haynes from doing his experiments. One story has it that he invented stainless steel because his wife was tired of polishing the silver. And we can thank him for finding a use for that residue that was left after cleaning the oil captured from the drilling in the Kokomo area—a little thing called gasoline.

I love that I’m from Kokomo, that I had a wonderful childhood there, and that there are so many cool pieces of information about the place. (BTW, actor Strother Martin and author Norman Bridwell of Clifford the Big Red Dog series are both Kokomo famous sons).

If you’ve ever been to Kokomo, Indiana, I hope you will respond and let me know. If you haven’t, it’s a nice place to visit. I hope you will check it out.

My Thoughts

Runaround Sue is the third book in the The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series. The series is written by Jennifer Lynn Cary. I have had the pleasure of reading the whole series, but you can read them as stand alones. The author transports you back to 1972 to Kokomo, Indiana. I have loved getting to see real events unfold with this story.

Sue is trying to get a fresh start. She has a new job and she has built up walls so high noone dare cross them. Her character was real feeling. Someone trying to escape their past, find God in everything and trying to do better. Then she meets Mac. Mac is home from Vietnam. He has some deep dark wounds that he wants to forget about. He wants to focus on his music. When he encounters Sue - she always seems so flustered. He just does not understand why.

Seeing the pair evolve throughout the book was so heartwarming. The author wrote relatable characters. I love all the historical references in her stories. Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.