Pretending to Wed Blog Tour & Giveaway by Melissa Jagears

 

 

About the Book

 

Book: Pretending to Wed

Author: Melissa Jagears

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: May 28, 2020

It’s a match made in heaven…as long as they don’t fall in love!

The ranch Nolan Key has spent decades working for, even lost a leg for, is now his—or at least it should be. But an absurd clause in his father’s will means he’s in danger of losing the place to his lazy, undeserving cousin. Nolan finds himself scrambling to save his home—by proposing marriage to the town laundress.

Corinne Stillwater’s hands have betrayed her. Numb from hours of doing the same work over and over, her hands will only heal, according to the town doctor, if she gives up the laundry and marries. But she’s been stung repeatedly by love before, so that is one remedy she can’t swallow.

When Nolan offers Corinne a marriage in name only, how can she refuse? Such a partnership could give them the security they seek, but what if the ranch isn’t as secure as they believe, and their lives—and dreams—aren’t quite as compatible as they thought?

Pretending to Wed is the second book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like marriage-of-convenience stories that deal with the nitty-gritty of making a relationship work, you’ll love this authentic romance set in a time gone by that tackles issues still relevant for today.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author, Melissa Jagears, is a homeschooling mom who writes Christian Historical Romance into the wee hours of the night. She lives in Kansas with her husband and three children. Her ebook novella, Love by the Letter, is her ACFW Carol Award-winning novella and free to try. You can learn more about her, her books, and where she hangs out online at www.melissajagears.com

 

More from Melissa

The Elusive Electrical Spark to Awaken Frankenstein’s Monster

The plot of Pretending to Wed just wasn’t coming together for me. I had a romantic dilemma, but I didn’t love the characters. They were boring. And if I’m going to write a book, a.k.a. read it a bazillion times, I have to really want to read the book myself. I decided to take a break from the weeks of struggle and read. I was recommended a book because of the author’s great voice (I can’t recommend it because it’s not a clean novel), but I loved the fact that the heroine was a scientific illustrator. I wondered if I could give my heroine a scientific hobby and came up with inventing. That single character tidbit was the jolt that awakened Frankenstein’s Monster. She came alive! The research into what she could have patented at the time led my imagination to the egg hatching romance scene in the middle of the story and I was hooked! I couldn’t wait to read my book that didn’t yet exist.

MY REVIEW

Set in 1884, Wyoming Territory, the author combines the western flavor with the historical aspects well.

Nolan, a rancher, living alone after his father dies, and dealing with the loss of his leg, is not adjusting as well as he thinks. He's never felt he measured up to what his father wanted and his will confirms it. Now, he is forced to do something he doesn't want to keep the ranch from the clutches of his cousin, Matt.

Corinne, a laundress, struggling with her own demons from the mistakes of her past, tries to fit into the town she fled to.

The story is one of redemption, a second chance at love; even though it doesn't come easy. The characters were likable and the tension in the story made it exciting and unpredictable. A very good read.

I received an ARC and voluntarily choose to review it.

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BLOG STOPS

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 17

Writing from the Heart Land, September 17

Through the Lens of Scripture, September 17

Texas Book-aholic, September 18

Inklings and notions, September 18

For Him and My Family, September 19

Connie’s History Classroom, September 19

deb’s Book Review, September 19

Batya’s Bits, September 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 20

lakesidelivingsite, September 21

Genesis 5020, September 21

The Book Chic Blog, September 21

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, September 22

The Collaborative Press, September 22

Betti Mace, September 22

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 23

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, September 23

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, September 24

Remembrancy, September 24

Wishful Endings, September 24

Life of Literature, September 25

Book Love, September 25 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Bizwings Blog, September 25

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 26

Bigreadersite, September 26

Labor Not in Vain, September 26

CarpeDiem, September 27

Hookmeinabook, September 27

Splashes of Joy , September 27

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 28

Artistic Nobody, September 28 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 29

Adventures Of A Travelers Wife, September 29

Blessed & Bookish, September 29

Simple Harvest Reads, September 30 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Maureen’s Musings, September 30

NovelsCorner, September 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Melissa is giving away the grand prize package of a Gift Certificate for the winner’s Choice of Book (up to 16.99 plus S&H) from Melissa’s Local Christian Bookstore, Faith & Life Bookstore, and a signed copy of Pretending to Wed!!

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/100e6/pretending-to-wed-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Secret Place of Thunder Blog Tour & Giveaway by Alicia G. Ruggieri

 

About the Novella

The mountains have imprisoned her long enough...Edna Sue O’Connell came back to the Kentucky hills out of duty and can’t wait for the chance to escape again. Her work as a horseback librarian in rural Appalachia provides enough income for her invalid father to survive in the midst of the Great Depression, but it affords her with little else.

When an opportunity arises for Edna to take on an additional book delivery area, she spies a glimmer of hope that she might find a way out of Willow Hollow after all… and that she might actually make something of her life apart from the tragedy that has filled it thus far.

But the new routes give Edna more than she ever bargained for. Slowly, she finds that the mountains contain many valuable secrets – if she has the grit to meet them.

MY REVIEW

Edna Sue, a horseback librarian at Willow Hollow is confused, feeling trapped, and has lost her faith.

God uses the head librarian to try to bring her back to him, but she isn't convinced or ready.

The story is about how God uses others to get his message of acceptance, redemption, and love to those who are bitter and hurt.

The character of Edna Sue is courageous, stubborn, yet giving of herself. The writing style is easy to read, the characters well-developed, and the story is inspirational and uplifting.

I received an ARC from the author and choose to review it. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Alicia G. Ruggieri grew up breathing in the salty air of coastal New England. She now writes grace-filled, Christ-centered fiction from her home in Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband and sweet second-hand mutt. She loves old graveyards, dusty libraries, and excellent cannolis ~ not necessarily in that order.

About the Series

The Secret Place of Thunder is part of the Librarians of Willow Hollow multi-author novella collection. Each novella stands on its own but is connected to the others in this historical Christian fiction series set in 1930s Appalachia.

Other books in the Librarians of Willow Hollow series:

A Strand of Hope by Amanda Tero

I Love to Tell the Story by Faith Blum

Hearts on Lonely Mountain by A.M. Heath

Come along as four packhorse librarians find adventures outside the books they carry!

Links

Purchase the Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BFBF93T -- Available in e-book and softcover

Author’s Website: http://www.aliciagruggieri.com

Author’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AliciaGRuggieri

Author’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliciagruggieri

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find The Secret Place of Thunder on Goodreads: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54151965-the-secret-place-of-thunder

Welcome Barbara Goss to Bizwings Blog

Amazon best-selling author, Barbara Goss, lives in Western New York and to date has written 42 Christian/Clean Romance books, mostly westerns. She enjoys crossword puzzles, penny slots, reading, swimming, and her two cats, but not necessarily in that order. She writes exciting stories with a bit of God's word spread within, without dominating the story.

Barbara began writing in 1988 and her first book, Forbidden Legacy, won first prize for fiction at a Christian Writers Convention in Titusville, Florida in 1989. This won her a book contract with Publishers: Fleming Revell and later Baker Books. She wrote four books for them under contract. She then took a few years off to work full time as a secretary to the county hospital and the local school system.

Barbara's greatest influence in writing is the 100 books written by Grace Livingston Hill. As a Christian writer, she weaves some godliness into the romance and adventure yet her books are always clean. Barbara is well on her way to catching up to Ms. Livingston.

She is now turning her wonderful Ebooks into Audiobooks. Look for them on Amazon.

My website

http://www.barbaragossbooks.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraGossBooks?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Twitter

https://twitter.com/Barbee44

Dr. Connor Beauregard Van Gates the IV, and Elsie Crenshaw use a successful matchmaker to bring them together by using questionnaires to sort out their likes and dislikes. However, a Catastrophe occurs, and things get very mixed up.

The couple has so many oppositions that Connor is caught rolling his eyes often. What has he done?

Will it take a band of heartless bank robbers and a lecherous stepfather to finally bring them together?

Purchase

Grand Finale Blitz- For the Love of Fiber by Kate Bowman- Prism Book Tours

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops

you'll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Author Interview

What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read the series?

I hope readers will realize the strength we women can gather from each other and always from family. Plus, a little humor goes a long way to putting joy in life.

Kimber Li  - Excerpt from The Spin I'm In

My eyes snapped open. The Wool Gatherers were meeting tonight. Here. I vaulted out of bed.

What was I thinking when I offered to host the meeting? I was the outsider, new not only to the area but to this whole way of country life. I hadn’t just stepped out of my comfort zone; I was about to leap into shark-filled waters.

E-Romance News  - Excerpt from The Spin I'm In

We wandered through the craft section first.

It seemed Carol knew everyone, and everyone knew her. Before we’d covered half of the booths, I’d been introduced to at least a dozen people, vendors and customers, and even saw a few faces familiar to me.

Joan was there, manning a booth with her spinning wheel at her side. I was amazed at the progress she’d made with her physical therapy. She swore it was due to her determination not to give up on spinning and knitting.

Jorie Loves A Story  - Excerpt from The Spin I'm In

“Who can I get to shear?”

“Riley, of course.” Carol looked at me like I was slipping into dementia.

“Anyone but Riley.” The less I saw of that man, the happier I’d be. He may be good at shearing sheep, but he was lousy at personal relationships.

“Are you crazy? He’s the best there is,” Lila said.

“We didn’t hit it off too well the few times we’ve met.”

All activity stopped. You would’ve thought I’d said I had a fight with the Pope.

Nicole's Book Musings - Review of The Spin I'm In

"I really enjoyed this book. . . . This book had plenty of heart and feels. It's a make you feel good book. It shows you real life problems and life in general. Watching Martha go on this journey of self discovery while forging the change in her relationship with her daughters was inspiring. . . . It also revolved around knitting and spinning. I'm a knitter so those parts were intriguing to me. Over all a great book that will leave your heart happy sighing at the end."

Remembrancy  - Excerpt from The Spin I'm In

When Riley came into the house later, he looked frustrated, torn between his son and his duties as host. His expression changed to surprise when he saw Jake in his pajamas, sitting next to me on the loveseat. I knew he wasn’t used to letting anyone else take over the handling of Jake, and the mixed emotions of relief and anxiety flitted across his face in rapid succession.

“Could you stay until I get Jake settled in his bed?”

“Sure.” I watched him take his son upstairs with mixed emotions of my own. Should I have left? I’d felt his resentment when I tried to work with Jake on other occasions. Why did he want me around tonight?

underneath the covers - Excerpt from It Never Felt So Good

The town hadn’t changed much since my childhood. My old high school looked the same—imposing red brick and a double set of stainless-steel doors, surrounded by student cars parked up and down the narrow streets. The golden spire of St. Anthony’s church remained visible above the houses in the distance. The yellow Victorian bed-and-breakfast, with its white gingerbread trim, nestled off on a side street still looked comfortable among the ageless homes surrounding it. And serving as a backdrop to it all was the gleaming harbor in the distance.

Rockin' Book Reviews - Reviews

"This is a great story. I love the way Martha and Riley each get a second chance. . . . I highly recommend this story to others who enjoy a really good read." - The Spin I'm In

"I love this story. The struggles the characters all have seem so overwhelming but with family and friends, they seem to work through them. I really like the small town of Shoreview. . . . I highly recommend this story to others who enjoy a really good read." - It Never Felt So Good

Adventures of a Travelers Wife - Excerpt from It Never Felt So Good

Glancing back at Lila, I asked, “What are you working on?”

“I’m spinning this wool for a sweater I plan to knit for my husband.” She picked up the ball of wool sitting at her feet and handed it to me. “Did Lucy mention that I raise sheep? This wool is homegrown merino. I’m the one who got Martha involved in raising her own wool.” She smiled devilishly. “Which, of course, led her to meeting the local sheep shearer, who is now her husband.”

Splashes of Joy - Review of The Spin I'm In

"This is a new author for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The characters are loveable and realistic. I love Martha and Riley his son. This is a small community so everyone knows everyone else. . . . Overall it is a pretty good story to keep you entertained for a few hours."

reviewingbooksplusmore - Review of It Never Felt So Good

"It Never Felt so Good is a very inspiring book. . . . I loved how Cara cared so much about her grandmother. I loved Gram and how independent she was. . . . The author of It Never Felt so Good is new to me. I look forward to reading more from her. I enjoyed the book very much."

Among the Reads - Review of The Spin I'm In

"The Spin I’m In is an interesting story knitting elements of Woman’s Fiction, mystery, and romance together. It was quite fascinating to read about the process of spinning. . . . The community was described in enough detail that I could picture it; the closely-knit women who loved fiber, the the farmer neighbors who brought her meals and laughed at Martha’s attempts at caring for her lambs."

Christy's Cozy Corners - Excerpt from It Never Felt So Good

“Hand felted? I never heard the term before.”

“It’s when you make felt out of carded wool—using soap, warm water, and friction. It’s actually a lot of fun, and you can come up with some amazing designs.”

“Have you been doing this for a long time?” It looked pretty complicated to me. In fact, all the projects I’d seen that evening looked like the women had put a lot of thought and effort into them. Even Nancy, busily knitting on what looked like an intricate Nordic ski pattern.

Teatime and Books - Excerpt from It Never Felt So Good

Tiny violets had appeared almost overnight among the dead leaves on the forest ground, poking their heads up in defiance of the long winter that had buried them deep in the cold and snow. Where did they get their strength? Even though all around me the earth had come alive, I felt a part of me had died along with my desire to paint, and I was at a loss on how to resurrect it.

I squatted to the level of the violets. Rebirth after death. So delicate looking, yet so strong. Why couldn’t I be like them? Something inside of me wanted desperately to believe I could mimic the strength of the forest wildflowers. The thought carried on the whisper of the evening breeze, and I breathed the scent in deeply, needing to believe it.

Bri's Book Nook - Spotlight

Hearts & Scribbles - Excerpt from It Never Felt So Good

I studied her closely. “You didn’t seem to be suffering from old age when you chased Zeke out of the barn earlier.”

“Well, maybe that’s why I’m so tired now. My head’s feeling all muddled. Guess it’s time I started acting my age.” She raised both eyebrows, daring me to contradict her. “You go on ahead. I’ll call Peter and explain. We can’t both bail on him, not after he’s prepared things.”

I huffed. “Fine, Gram. Go up and rest. I’ll check on you when I get back.”

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post...

The Spin I'm In

(For the Love of Fiber #1)

By Kate Bowman

Women's Fiction, Romance

Paperback & ebook, 293 Pages

August 26, 2019

A determined widow faces the challenge of a new life to regain the confidence and independence of her youth, but finds that life, unlike knitting, doesn’t always follow a pattern.

After twenty-five years of being the perfect wife and mother, Martha LeBeau finds herself unexpectedly widowed and shocked to discover her husband had been living a double life, leaving her penniless and in debt. Determined to regain her lost confidence and independence, she sells her suburban Chicago home and moves to the Wisconsin countryside to forge a new life away from cheating men and smothering children. There she meets the Wool Gatherers, a group of fiber artists who teach her the art of spinning wool and raising sheep. Along with one determined Border Collie, she begins on the path to self-growth and healing.

Riley O’Connor is the single father of a child with Asperger Syndrome. The child’s mother walked out on them because she found that life too difficult to handle. Since then, he has dedicated himself to protecting his son from any further emotional damage.

Meeting Riley and his son through her new job brings love and challenges to Martha’s newly found independence. Romance blooms like a finely knit cable, entwining their lives.

Can either of them learn to trust again?

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Apple Books | Kobo

It Never Felt So Good

(For the Love of Fiber #2)

By Kate Bowman

Women's Fiction, Romance

Paperback & ebook, 268 Pages

May 9, 2020

Cara Olson is forced to put aside her struggling art career in Chicago to care for her ailing grandmother in Wisconsin. While journeying with her beloved Gram through the diagnosis of possible Alzheimer’s disease, she loses and then rediscovers her passion for art and experiences the resurrection of a past love.

Struggling artist Cara Olson is called home to Wisconsin to care for her ailing grandmother who is showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Leaving behind her mentor//boyfriend, Stefan, she begins to look at her unsuccessful career and relationship in a new light.

Surprised to find her Gram’s doctor is her high-school crush, Peter Andreson, she fights her reignited feelings. When Chicago critics dismiss her artwork as a poor imitation of Stefan’s, she is devastated and vows to give up art.

While caring for Gram and running her small Scandinavian gift shop, the Wool Gatherers, a local group of fiber artists, help her find new outlets for her creativity, designing works of art with hand-made felt and her re-emerging love of landscape and portrait painting.

Along the way, her feelings for Peter grow, and she realizes she has once again fallen for a man only dedicated to his career. When the opportunity arises for her to return to Chicago with the promise of a new career, she seizes it. But even her success can’t fill the void she experiences without Gram, her new friends, and Peter.

Can she return to Shoreview, the place that inspires her art, and be satisfied with a life that doesn’t include him?

(Affiliate link included.)

BookBub | Amazon | B&N | Apple Books | Kobo

About the Author

Born in Wisconsin to an original Brady Bunch, I had the dubious honor of being #14 in the family. As a result, I’ll never run out of characters. The early years of my marriage were spent moving around the country with my engineer husband, collecting interesting stories and characters along the way. I picked up my first romance after a particularly stressful shift at a suburban Chicago hospital where I worked as an RN. Hours later, bleary-eyed and exhausted, but able to sleep because the story affirmed that good things can happen to good people, I was hooked.

After seventeen years in the Chicago suburbs we returned to Wisconsin and a new life of country living. After a local class in spinning, I decided it would be fun to have my own source of wool. Several years and many animals later, I found a new source of humor for my stories. I’ve always loved animals and you’ll find many of them populate my books. My stories are about real people trying to make it in this crazy, sometimes funny, sometimes sad world—but always with an ending that will renew your faith in love and life.

When I’m not writing, you’ll find me with my family or out walking in my fields, spinning wool, knitting or weaving, but always listening to the interesting stories of those characters living in my head.

For more information about me and my books, visit www.KateBowmanAuthor.com.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a $25 Etsy eGift Card

US Only
Ends September 9, 2020

ENTER HERE

Silver Moon Blog Tour & Giveaway by Jenny Knipfer

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Silver Moon

(By the Light of the Moon #3)

By Jenny Knipfer

Christian Historical Fiction

Paperback & ebook, 411 Pages

June 30, 2020

A tale of courage and hope in the darkest of times...

Silver Moon, the third book in the series: By the Light of the Moon, paints a stunning and poignant picture of life on the home front in Webaashi Bay, Ontario, and of three men who are a part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WWI.

Shamed into joining the war, the tide turns for Luis Wilson when he is steered into the depths of espionage. Injured and presumed missing, will he lose his heart to the very woman who presented him with a white feather?

Oshki and Jimmy offer a grim perspective on life in the trenches. They despair of ever returning home to the women who hold their hearts.

Meanwhile, Lily fights for the cause in her own way and rallies the female troops at home as prejudices run high and the local cafe owner is accused of being a spy.

Will the women of Webaashi Bay receive their men back unscathed? Can the power of love win out over insurmountable odds? All this drama and more plays out under the light of a silver moon.

Fans of WWI historical fiction, Christian historical fiction, and literary fiction will find Silver Moon a moving, powerful read!

Praise for the Book

Taking an original angle on a tumultuous time in history, Silver Moon by Jenny Knipfer is a sparkling slice of historical fiction. Ambitiously detailing a diverse collection of characters, this World War I story bounces across space and time, delicately filled with vivid descriptions, nuanced moral dilemmas, and authentic relationships..." --Self-publishing Review

"Silver Moon is a highly recommended read for fans of historical wartime fiction, powerful emotive drama, and excellent atmospheric writing." --Readers' Favorite

"I am stunned by the amount of detail the author gave in this single story. On one hand, we have powerful characters... and on the other, we have a plot that demands all our attention. Jenny Knipfer pulls no punches and holds nothing back." --Readers' Favorite

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to Amazon affiliate links.)

About the Author

Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.

Jenny’s educational background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions. She spent many years as a librarian in a local public library but recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability.

She authored and performed a self-published musical CD entitled, Scrapbook of a Closet Poet.

Jenny’s books, Ruby Moon, Blue Moon, and Silver Moon earned five-star reviews from Reader’s Favorite, a book review and award contest company. Their praise: “Ruby Moon is entertaining, fast-paced, and features characters that are real. Blue Moon continues a well-written and highly engaging saga of family ties, betrayals, and heartaches… Silver Moon is a highly recommended read for fans of historical wartime fiction, powerful emotive drama, and excellent atmospheric writing.”

She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Historical Novel Society, Wisconsin Writers Association, Christian Indie Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.

Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set. She has self-published the first three books, Ruby Moon, Blue Moon, and Silver Moon, in her four-part series. One more novel to complete the series is planned for 2020. She is currently writing a new historical fiction series called, Sheltering Trees.

Photo Credit: Craig Jentink

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

My Review

This was my first read by this author. I was very impressed with her writing style and the descriptive way she related the war and times in Webaashi Bay.

The characters are interesting, as was the story. The only problem I had at first was the time period jump back and forth, but once I got further into the story I got used to it. Her story is one of survival, the dramatic way that each of the male characters looked at war, how the families coped with the loneliness and worry.

The Christian elements within the story were impactful and inspirational. Silver Moon, was an emotional read and one that ran the gamut of forgiveness, heartbreak, redemption, loss, and second chances. Everything wrapped up nicely and I enjoyed the story very much. Even as this was Book 3 in the series, it still worked well as a standalone.

 I received a copy from the author and voluntarily choose to review it.

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive ebooks of all three books in the By the Light of the Moon series by Jenny Knipfer (Ruby Moon, Blue Moon, and Silver Moon) and a $25 Amazon eGift Card

Open internationally to those who can use one of Amazon's branches
Ends September 9, 2020

ENTER HERE

Hearts on Lonely Mountain Blog Tour & Give Away by A.M. Heath

Can two lonely people find more than a fleeting friendship or will a prejudiced town keep them apart?

When Ivory Bledsoe left the city to minister to the people of the rural mountain town of Willow Hollow, she never expected to be shunned rather than welcomed. Seeing the town as a lost cause, she’s eager to return home, but when the bridge leading out of town is washed away during a flood, she finds herself stranded in the last place she wants to be.

Ben Thrasher was content with his quiet life until he met the new librarian. He can’t help but be drawn to the friendly and lively Ivory Bledsoe, despite her being at the center of the town’s latest superstition. It’s only a matter of time until she captures his heart, turning his world upside down in the process.

Has Ivory gotten God’s plan for her all wrong or is there still a way she can serve these people? And can Ben ask her to stay in a place where so few are willing to embrace her?

Purchase


My Review

Ivory Bledsoe goes to Willow Hollow, Kentucky, with the anticipation of becoming a horseback librarian delivery books to the people. Her dreams are dashed once she arrives, to find she is assigned to the library building.

The storyline was an interesting one filled with loneliness and despair from not being accepted. The romantic part of the story evolved at a good pace and brought the story together nicely.

Forgiveness and acceptance into the community was an underlying theme. The book was easy to read with just the right amount of tension to keep me engaged.

I received an ARC copy from the author and willingly choose to review it.

Tour Stops

Aug. 31:
Becky @ Blossoms and Blessings: Review and Ivory’s Romantic Fiction Recommendations
Anne @ The Naptime Author: Review and Overview of the WPA

Sept. 1:
Amanda @ Amanda Tero Blog: Review and Character Interview: Curt Armstrong

Sept 2:
Nyla @ Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess: Review and More Horseback Librarian Reads
Julie @ Bizwings Blog: Review and Historical Note on the Horseback Librarians

Sept 3:
Tarissa @ In the Bookcase: Review and Common Great Depression Sandwiches

Sept 4:
Hannah: Nook of Grace: Review and Hearts on Lonely Mountain Inspiration Picture
Deana: Texas Book-aholic: Review and Ben’s Love Song to Ivory

Sept 5:
Kaitlyn: Maidens for Modesty: Review and My Inspiration for Ivory

Sept 6:
Debbie: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations: Review and Ivory’s Children’s Book Recommendations

Sept 7:
Tara @ Tower in the Plains: Review and More Great Depression and Appalachian Reads
Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks: Review and Authentic Horseback Librarian Audio Clip

Sept 8:
Vicky @ Vicky Sluiter: Review and Character Interview: Gerrit Callon

Sept 9:
Connie @ Older and Smarter: Review and Interview with a REAL Mobile Librarian from Kentucky
Loretta @ Just Writing: Review and 1930’s Music

Sept 10:
A.M. Heath @ A.M. Heath Blog: 1930’s Slang
Abigail @ Read Review Rejoice: Review and Character Interview: Ivory Bledsoe

Sept 11:
Virginia: Bigreadersite: Review and Character Interview: Ben Thrasher
Karen: Karen Sue Hadley: Review and Common Great Depression Desserts

I’m so excited to offer this tote from ParLaGrace. Be sure to visit her Esty page and enter the giveaway.

 Hearts on Lonely Mountain is still .99, but it won’t be for much longer!

                                Historical Note on Librarians 

The Pack Horse Library Project was a WPA program during the Great Depression. The goal was to deliver books to remote regions in the Appalachian Mountains and to provide jobs. Here are some interesting facts:

The horseback libraries weren’t the brainchild of the WPA. The first pack horse library was created by the Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs starting in 1896 but lack of roads and populated areas made it rather difficult to succeed in eastern Kentucky.

There was another pack horse library in Paintsville, KY in 1913 but ended in 1914 due to lack of funding.

The first pack horse library during the Great Depression was started in Leslie County.

Women were the primary employees for this project.

The project eventually had 30 libraries, serving 100,000 and employing nearly 200 people.

The horseback librarians were often referred to as “book ladies” or “book women.”

When the material became too worn to circulate, they glued pictures and articles into scrapbooks and circulated scrapbooks. Recipes and quilt designs were very popular.

Even though local women were employed, they were visiting areas much more remote and weren’t often trusted right away by the people they served.

One of their solutions for gaining the trust of the people was to read passages from the Bible out loud as they traveled. Many of the people had heard about the Bible through oral stories and would recognize what was being read and consider the librarian and her books as trustworthy.

Even though the books were free, the people often gifted the librarians with something in exchange for the loan.

There are so many more things that can be shared about this fascinating job. I encourage you to read the Librarians of Willow Hollow novellas and other horseback librarian books or articles.

Secret Code #5: out

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Besides being an Indie Author, I’m a wife, mother of four, Sunday School teacher, sweet tea drinker, history fanatic, romantic, bubbly, lover of broccoli, and a retired cake decorator who has a soft spot for Christmas trees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. What I’m not is a laundress (or at least not one who keeps up very well), a duster, tall, or patient in a doctor’s office.

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