First Line Fridays -- 12.09.16
12/9/2016
It is Friday and I am joining these lovely ladies in First Line Fridays: Carrie from Reading is My SuperPower Rachel from Bookworm Mama Beth from Faithfully Bookish Andi from Radiant Light Heather from Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen Sarah from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken Click the links above to be taken to their posts and... If you would like to join us, send Carrie a meassage and let her know! Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line! Today I am going to post lines from Ordinary Snowflakes by Jennifer Rodewald Don't you just love the cover of this novella! The blue, the snow, that almost kiss!! This is such a sweet and delightful holiday read. You will not want to miss it. Check out my review HERE. I almost stepped on it. A small brown box with a simple strip of burlap around it lay conspiciously on my tiny front porch. Okay so I just had to add the second line... :) What are you reading? What is your first line? Open the book nearest you and post the first line... Surround Me (Revolutionary Faith #2) by Marguerite Martin Gray -- Book Tour Review + Giveaway
12/8/2016
About the BookReturning to Charles Town, Louis faces obstacles surrounding his engagement to Elizabeth and a city questioning its role in a volatile resistance to British rule. As the dark curtain of the rumors of revolution threatens to descend, Louis Lestarjette pursues his relationship with Elizabeth even as the emotion and physical struggles set the course for a life of changes. Will his commitment to God stay firm or will the tide of change cause fear and flight? The chance of reconciliation with England moves further out to sea leaving Elizabeth Elliott on the shores of surrender to a greater challenge. Although others of unwavering courage give her strength, she must choose to allow God’s love to surround her. How can she enter into a marriage during a time of uncertainty? Will selfish, safer options take her away from Louis and his love? About the AuthorMarguerite Martin Gray is the author of Hold Me Close—Revolutionary Faith Book One. She enjoys the study of history and writing fiction. An avid traveler and reader, she teaches French and has degrees in French, Spanish, and Journalism from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a MA in English from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. Marguerite is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Abilene Writers Guild, and Daughters of the American Revolution. Originally from Louisiana, she currently lives in Abilene with her husband. Guest Post from Marguerite Martin GrayAbout ten years ago I stood in the front bedroom of my parent’s antebellum house listening to my father tell stories about his ancestors–my ancestors while waving around a silver candlestick–my eight times great-grandfather’s gift to his bride. A story was born and I was off to Charleston, S.C. ReviewSurround Me book two in Marguerite Martin Gray’s Revolutionary Faith series is another beautifully written and richly researched historical novel. Filled with countless historical details and delightful characters, Gray captivates readers, especially history buffs, with this wonderful story taking place during the pre-Revolutionary War in South Carolina; with stirrings from the Sons and Daughters of Liberty and mentioning of Britain’s Tea Act and the colonies rebellions against it. This story revolves around the romance of French-man Louis Lestarjette and colonist and British Elizabeth Elliott during this time of confusion and unrest. Gray beautifully brings to life historical events, as well as the stories of her characters, pulling readers in from the beginning all the way until the very end. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy historical fiction. Series: Revolutionary Faith Genre: historical, Christian, Womens Publisher: WestBow Press Publication date: September 19, 2016 Number of pages: 228 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 4 stars Other books in the series: 1-Hold Me Close A review copy of the book was provided by the author via CelebrateLit. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own. GiveawayTo celebrate their tour, Marguerite is giving away a print copy of Hold Me Close and Surround Me, a print copy of A Spy’s Devotion by Melanie Dickerson, a $10 Amazon Card, and a Yorkshire Gold Box of Tea! Click HERE to enter. Be sure to comment on this blog post to claim nine extra entries in the giveaway! Tour ScheduleDecember 1: Reading Is My SuperPower
December 2: A Reader’s Brain December 3: Moments Dipped in Ink December 4: Lane Hill House December 4: Karen Sue Hadley December 5: A Simple Life, really?! December 5: Through the Open Window December 6: A Greater Yes December 7: Proverbial Reads December 8: Singing Librarian Books December 9: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations December 10: Bigreadersite December 10: Bibliophile Reviews December 11: His Grace is Sufficient December 12: Pause for Tales December 12: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses December 13: A Path of Joy December 14: A Baker’s Perspective About the Book
Heiress Ariana Christmas is in trouble. Fed up with her wastrel life full of parties, hot spot appearances and Internet scandals, her parents cut her allowance, her cell phone access and her car. Then they send her to the back of beyond…Hope Springs, Tennessee. Her aunt has suffered a mild heart attack and needs help restoring Christmas Inn to its past glory. All Ariana wants is to get the job done and get back to her life. What she doesn’t count on is the famous old inn weaving its way into her soul…not to mention the handsome young contractor who sees the Inn as it could be, not what it is. Can he do the same for Ariana?
Taylor Knox is a man with a plan. After years of handling the family’s construction business everything is set for his brother to take over. Taylor is determined to finish his education and complete his dream to become an architect. But first, Knox Construction has to complete renovations of Christmas Inn…a task made more difficult by the arrival of Little Miss Entitled. Ariana Christmas throws Taylor’s plans and schedule into complete disarray, threatening the completion of the work and his future. That doesn’t even begin to cover what she does to his heart. Books in the SeriesAbout the Author
Novelist Tanya Stowe has had eclectic career. Working as a freelance writer, her profiles have featured celebrities such as Fabio and New York Times Bestselling authors LaVyrle Spencer, Shirlee Busbee, and Heather Graham. Excerpts from Tanya’s reviews appeared on the book covers and the promotional material of publishers, and her articles have appeared in diverse national publications. She also worked as a marketing assistant, and an event coordinator doing a stint with the American Cancer Society.
Tanya has been married to her high school sweetheart for forty-three years. They have four children and twenty…soon to be twenty-one…grandchildren. Recently they returned from living in the Middle East after her husband retired from government work. Now they’ve started a new adventure…traveling the U.S. in a motorhome. Guest Post from Tanya Stowe: Writing as a Team
Christmas Bells are Ringing has been an absolute joy to write. My co-authors and I have already written a collection together. We enjoyed the process so much we created four collections of our Heart’s Haven series set in a community with an angelic environment!
We wondered what it would be like to start a new collection with a new theme and so we jumped in with both feet. Working together again was a blessing. Ideas flowed and built upon each other so well, we knew there was a master plan behind it. The most important thing about the process was there were no disagreements. That is not always the case when writers get together and I really have to say that’s one of the key components of working together as authors. You must put your ego in check. If you do, the finished product will be something unique, something you would never have created on your own. That’s an incredible feeling and I love and appreciate my Love at Christmas Inn sisters all the more for it! Not to mention the fact that they are awesome writers! So be sure to check out their stories and their websites. Marianne Evans—Love at Christmas Inn: Bells at Midnigh
Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create.
Readers laude her work as “Riveting,” “Realistic and true to heart,” “Compelling.” Her Christian women’s fiction debut, Devotion, earned the Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence Award. Hearts Communion earned a win for Best Romance from the Christian Small Publisher's Association. She is also a two-time recipient of the Selah Award for her books Then & Now and Finding Home. Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. Mary Manners—Love at Christmas Inn: With Bells On
Mary Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime sharing her joy of writing. She has two sons and a daughter, as well as three beautiful grandchildren. She currently lives along the sunny shores of Jacksonville Beach with her husband Tim.
A former teacher as well an intermediate school principal, Mary spent three decades teaching math and English to students from kindergarten through middle grades. While growing up in Chicago and as a student at the University of Illinois, Mary worked her way through a variety of jobs including paper girl, figure skating instructor, pizza chef, and nanny. Many of these experiences led to adventures that may be found between the pages of her stories. Mary loves long sunrise runs—she’s completed three marathons—ocean sunsets and flavored coffee.
Find out more about Mary on her website: . “Like” her author page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
Delia Latham—Love at Christmas Inn: Bells on Her Toe
Writing Heaven’s touch into earthly tales, Delia Latham puts her characters through the fire of earthly trials to bring them out victorious by the hand of God, His heavenly messengers, and good, old-fashioned love. You’ll always find a touch of the divine in this author’s sweet tales of romance.
Delia lives in East Texas with her husband Johnny. She’s a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and author of inspirational romance…with a finger or two immersed in the design pool, where she creates beautiful marketing material for other authors. Delia treasures her role as child of the King and heir to the throne of God. She’s got a “thing” for Dr. Pepper and loves hearing from readers. Giveaway
surprising bond drawing him toward the independent and beautiful woman. Displaced by a war and a painful history, he finds Hot Springs and the intriguing Jessica Ross a tempting place to start over. Determined to scale the heights of her bitterness and show her the power of love, August faces more than just Jessica's resistance but a more devious design to harm the civilian sailors housed in Hot Springs.
Will August's tender pursuit bring Jessica the healing and hope she needs, or will bitterness force her into the hands of a "true" enemy waiting to destroy much more than her heart?
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus. Her debut historical novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015 and has garnered awards such as Reader's Favorites Award, finalist in the Grace Awards, shortlisted for the Inspy Awards, and a finalist in ACFW’s Carol Awards. Her second historical novel, The Thorn Keeper, released in Feb 2016 and her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, released in April 2016 with a 4 star review from Romantic Times. You can get to know Pepper on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or over at her group blog, The Writer's Alley.
Check out the interview HERE.
1. Holiday - Christmas
2. Cookie – Preacher Cookies (aka chocolate/oatmeal no bakes) 3. Date option – Nice dinner and then the local bookstore…maybe ending with a stroll through the park or drive through the mountains 4. Tea – sweet, warm or cool 5. Vacation location – UK….EVERY time! 6. Animal – wolf, followed quickly by labs 7. Scripture – (One of my favorites) Ephesians 3:14-19 8. Chocolate – ALL, but I guess my favorite is dark 9. Restaurant – I really like Carrabas, but I’m open for a new favorite 10. Book genre – romance…all kinds
He’d learned hard lessons on patience—lessons, no doubt, she’d push to the edge if his first few days with her proved typical. But he’d found his home in Hot Springs. He’d never known what it meant to belong somewhere until he’d run to the assistance of Dr. Carter when a woman collapsed at the train depot a few months after his arrival to the camp. From that moment, the gentleness and forbearance, the trust, offered by Dr. and Mrs. Carter began the long and sweet healing August’s heart needed.
A place of belonging. And Jessica’s entrance, along with the three-inch block of resentment on her shoulder, threatened to wedge distance between August and his beloved Carters. If nothing else, he had to win her indifference, but he wanted much more. “You have had a busy entrance, no?” She slid him a glance from her periphery and continued moving forward without a response. “It must be difficult returning after so long. Much has changed for you but stayed the same for your small town.” Her sudden exhalation of air broke the quiet and she shot him a heated look. “My small town hasn’t stayed the same from where I’m standing, Mr. Reinhold. The flood. The camp.” She focused ahead. “Not the same at all.” “The spirit of your town is the same. Kind people, like your grandparents, and the beauty of the —” “You need to understand something.” She stopped on the trail, her palms planted on her hips as she turned the full brunt of her fiery gaze on him. “We are not going to be friends.” He combatted her statement with a shrug. “I am an optimist.” She groaned and resumed her frantic pace up the hillside, slowed only by the limp in her stride. Silence moved between them like a wall. August glanced up at the afternoon sky, awash with a mixture of clouds and sun. He had to return to camp by dusk or he would endanger the freedom his good name allowed. “Just because you think you know my grandparents doesn't mean you know me.” Jessica’s words erupted in a harsh whisper, fueling her steps to an even faster rhythm. He kept the pace. “No. But knowing the kindness and the welcome from your grandparents has made me wish to know you as well. They assure me you can be kind.” She turned the power of those emerald eyes on him, her mouth dropped wide. “Of course I can be kind. I’m a nurse, for heaven sakes.” “I would not see the two as related.” August shoved his hands in his pockets, holding his grin in check. At least he had her talking. “Nurses have always brought needles and stings to me.” Her brow tilted skyward. “Perhaps you deserved the needles and stings.” The grip on his smile loosed completely. “No doubt, Nurse Ross. No doubt.” Her gaze hesitated in his before she jerked her attention back to the path ahead and tightened her jaw into a line of defense. The fiery glint in those large eyes fascinated him. He knew the gentleness and longing braided through her letters, the dry humor and compassion infused onto the pages. But those eyes added a dimension of depth he’d failed to anticipate. Fascinating. Challenging.
Pepper Basham has written a captivatingly emotional and enthralling novel in her third book in the Penned in Time Series, The Thorn Healer. Basham has an exquisite way of capturing her readers’ attention from page one and keeping them enraptured until the very end. This beautifully written WWI story will enthrall readers and draw them in with raw emotions that will touch and fill the heart. Basham has a powerful way of expressing her characters and their stories, causing readers to become attached to both, as well as teaching and expressing truths, terrors, passions, and other emotions that will stir the soul. I would recommend this fantastic novel to readers that enjoy Basham’s other Penned in Time Series novels, as well as historical romance.
Series: Penned in Time Genre: historical, romance, WWI, Christian Publisher: Vinspire Publishing Publication date: November 6, 2016 Number of pages: 327 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by the author via SLB Tours and the author's review team. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
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a shopping trip to Neiman-Marcus. Because something certainly seems amiss with the blonde, given the way she covertly tries to snare men into her lair, and considering the way she suddenly ceases all flirtations when a Humphrey Bogart look-alike appears . . . complete with a mysterious package wrapped up in newspaper and twine. Then days later, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, and just a few days after that, Germany declares war against the U.S. Rightly so, President Roosevelt returns the favor. Of course, Tracy immediately finds herself caught up in the War, just like the rest of the nation. But it's her curiosity that leads her on a collision course with a killer, and she arrives at the bombshell's apartment only moments after the blonde has been murdered. Though Tracy is accused of the crime at first, she quickly finds herself working as an Apprentice P.I., under the tutelage of a real private investigator. Soon, they're hot on the trail of the bombshell's murderer. Then from singing at the hottest nightclub around, to a car chase in her 1940 Packard, Tracy's investigation takes her far from her blue-blood upbringing. And it isn't long before she finds the War is hitting a lot closer to home. Cindy Vincent, M.A. Ed., is the award-winning author of the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers, a mystery series for kids and cat-lovers that features the adventures of two black cat detectives. And yes, as she is often asked, Cindy used her own black cats, Buckley and Bogey, as the inspiration for the series, since they seem to run surveillance on her house each and every night. Cindy is also the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls, along with the Daisy Diamond Detective novels, which are a spin-off from the games. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines. Cindy is a self-professed “Christmas-a-holic,” and usually starts planning and preparing in March for her ever-expanding, “extreme” Christmas lights display every year . . . She is also looking forward to the release of the first book in her new Tracy Truworth, Apprentice P.I., 1940s Homefront Mystery series, which is due out in the Fall of 2016. Check out the interview HERE. Why I am Fascinated with the Forties |
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