Saturday, September 18, 2021

Dangerous Amish Showdown Blog Tour & Giveaway by Mary Alford

 

 


About the Book

 

Book: Dangerous Amish Showdown

Author: Mary Alford

Genre: Amish Suspense

Release date: August 24, 2021

Under siege in Amish country…

She must fight for their lives.

Gunshots shatter Willa Lambright’s placid Montana evening—and that’s before she discovers on-the-run lawman Mason Shetler on her doorstep. Willa hadn’t glimpsed her childhood friend since he’d turned his back on Amish country years before. Now the US marshal’s returned with an injured partner, a young witness he must protect at all costs…and vicious Mafia agents dead set on making sure none of them survive.


Click here to get your copy!

My Review
Dangerous Amish Showdown is a tale of suspense, courage, and great danger. The characters of Mason and Eric, U.S. Marshall's responsible for the safety of Samantha, a young child, find themselves in a run for their lives. Making a run from their vehicle, Eric & Mason find their way to Willa's house where the present coincides with his past Amish roots. Together they need put the past behind them and save the girl's life.

The storyline is fast-paced, fraught with danger and fear, but Willa and her mother never lose their faith. Their trust in God remains strong. The ending wrapped everything up nicely along with a few surprises. A must-read for fans of Amish and Suspense novels. I literally couldn't put it down.

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


About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Mary Alford loves giving her readers the unexpected. Her titles have appeared on the USA Today list, Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list, and have finaled in the Daphne Du Maurier award of excellence in mystery, The Beverly, The Maggie, and The Selah Awards.

Mary is an avid reader. She loves to cook, can’t face the day without coffee, and her three granddaughters are the apple of her eye. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two spoiled cats and a dog who thinks he owns the place.


More from Mary

When I first heard of the title for my latest Love Inspired Suspense, I smiled. Dangerous Amish Showdown reminds me of the old westerns where the good guys face off with the bad guys and always win. As a child I loved watching them, mostly because my dad loved them so much, and yes, a big draw for me besides sharing the time with him, was seeing the good guys win. It’s what I try to put into every single book I write, and it’s exactly what happens in Dangerous Amish Showdown.

Lately, I find myself reminiscing a lot about childhood things such as watching old westerns with my dad, and smiling at those simpler times.

In Dangerous Amish Showdown, it takes coming back to his simple childhood Amish community for Mason Shetler to realize how special that life once was for him. Through the courage found in a little girl who has lost everything and the strength of a woman whose future is uncertain, Mason discovered what he had been searching for all along.

I truly hope you enjoy Mason and Willa’s fight to protect young Samantha and the love they find along the way. And I hope their happy ending leaves you with a smile on your face and maybe takes you back to a simpler time in your life.

Blessings always,

Mary Alford

                               Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 22

Maureen’s Musings, September 22

Hebrews 12 Endurance, September 23

The Avid Reader, September 23

Genesis 5020, September 23

Texas Book-aholic, September 24

Vicarious Living, September 24

Inklings and notions, September 25

Blossoms and Blessings, September 25

Betti Mace, September 26

For Him and My Family, September 26

Lighthouse Academy Blog, September 27 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

deb’s Book Review, September 27

Older & Smarter?, September 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 28

Bizwings Blog, September 28

For the Love of Literature, September 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 29

Living the Good Life, September 29

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 30

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, September 30 (Author Interview)

She Lives To Read, October 1

Bigreadersite, October 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 3

Mary Hake, October 3

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 4

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

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 5

HookMeInABook, October 5

                                  Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon 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/11b56/dangerous-amish-showdown-celebration-tour-giveaway

Trail of Tears Blog Tour & Giveaway by Anne Greene

 

 


About the Book

Book: Trail of Tears

Author: Anne Greene

Genre: Historical with some romance

Release date: 2021
One man fights overwhelming odds to survive and protect. Caught between the love of two beautiful women, which one will he choose?

What if you are a twenty-year-old about to attend college, and your whole world collapses? Your mother and sister are missing, and soldiers murder your father, burn your mansion, and take you prisoner.

Trail of Tears relives one of the most heartrending chapters in American history as the US Government transports the self-governing, wealthy Cherokee nation from their ancestral homeland to relocate in hostile Indian Territory.

The Georgia militia force John Ross, with only a trickle of Indian blood flowing in his veins, to walk the thousand-mile Trail of Tears.

After John protects a full-blood Indian girl from the lustful wagon master, the cruel soldier targets John for retribution—until John’s shoved too far.

Bitter animosity explodes from a jealous Army Captain as John pushes and pulls his Conestoga wagon over mountain roads made muddy by rain and slippery by snow. Yet the persuasive voices of the preacher and his daughter have an impact.

A new destiny awaits John at the end of the trail—if he survives. Four thousand Cherokee do not.


Click here to get your copy!

My Review
Trail of Tears is a story fraught with danger, illness, and a march from the Cherokee homeland.

Even though there were lots of moments of suffering, pain, and death, there were also times of hope and inspiration when the Cherokee were saved and became Christians due to the efforts of a pastor and newly converted Christian, John Ross.

John Ross fought with feelings of revenge and hatred for being removed from his land. He dealt with great loss and mistreatment by the soldiers.

The historical aspects of the story came to life due to the descriptions written by the author and made me feel as though I was there watching. The ending wrapped up the story well and ended on a positive note. Can't wait to read the next one. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily choose to review it. All opinons are my own.


About the Author

Anne’s home is in the quaint antiquing town of McKinney, Texas, just a few miles north of Dallas. Her husband is a retired Colonel, Army Special Forces. Her little gold and white Shih Tzu, Lily Valentine, shares her writing space, curled at her feet. She has four beautiful, talented children, and eight grandchildren who keep her on her toes and running.

Besides her first love, writing, she enjoys travel, art, reading, and way too many other things to mention. Life is good. Whether writing contemporary or historical, her books celebrate the abundant life.

Anne is a multi-award-winning author. This latest book, TRAIL OF TEARS, makes her thirtieth published book.

Anne loves writing about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and about gutsy heroines. Her suspense novel, Shadow of the Dagger, is the first book in her CIA Series. Her Women of Courage series spotlights heroic women of World War II, first book, Angel with Steel Wings. Her Holly Garden Private Investigating series blasts off with Red is for Rookie. Enjoy her award-winning Scottish historical romances, Masquerade Marriage and Marriage by Arrangement. Anne hopes her stories transport you to awesome new worlds and touch your heart.

If you enjoy a short read, you’ll love her novellas: A Small Voice, Love At Christmas, Brides of The Wild West, A Crazy Optimist, Recipe For A Husband, Lacy and The Law, A Williamsburg Christmas, Her Reluctant Hero, Mystery At Dead Broke Ranch, Avoiding The Mistletoe, Lord Bentley Needs A Bride, Keara’s Escape, Daredevils, Spur of the Moment Bride, A Christmas Belle, A Texas Christmas Mystery, Texas Law, Hatteras Lighthouse Mystery, and A Time to Stand which will release in September.

Buy Anne’s books at https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Greene/e/B004ECUWMG. To learn more of Anne and to view her art and pictures of her extensive travel, visit her at www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor. To view Anne’s books go to www.annegreeneauthor.com/anne-s-books.html. Join her newsletter for fun, events, and give-aways at www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.


More from Anne

During our Fellowship Class one Sunday morning, a visiting missionary told the bare basics of the historic Trail of Tears, or Trail Where They Cried. I had lived, up to that time, all my life in the northern states, so I had never heard of what happened to the Cherokee Nation and those of mostly Caucasian blood who lived in Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky. The true story captivated me, and I felt this history needed to be told in a fascinating story context.

So, John Ross was born. For research, I travelled the Trail, though in far more comfort than the Conestoga wagons issued to the Cherokee men, women, children, and those with even small amounts of Cherokee blood. Under orders from President Andrew Jackson, the Georgia militia stripped the Nation of their land, their wealth, and their lives and transported them to hostile Indian land in the untamed Oklahoma Territory. At the time, the Cherokees were a civilized nation with a constitution, plantations, schools, and a newspaper. They considered themselves Americans.

The story sounds as if it might be sad … and there are tragic events portrayed, but my Trail of Tears is about hope, overcoming, and finding a new way of life. I think from the first page to the last, you will find Trail of Tears difficult to put down. It’s one of my favorite books!


                                Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, September 20

Bizwings Blog, September 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 21

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 21

Inklings and notions, September 22

Texas Book-aholic, September 23

Betti Mace, September 23

deb’s Book Review, September 24

For Him and My Family, September 25

Reviewingbooksplusmore, September 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 27

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 28

Connie’s History Classroom, September 29

Simple Harvest Reads, September 29 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 30

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 1

Jeanette’s Thoughts , October 1

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 3

Pause for Tales, October 3

                                  Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Anne is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon 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/119f7/trail-of-tears-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

New Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original- "Finding Love in Mountain View" Review




Finding Love in Mountain View
Premiering on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on September 19th at 9 p.m. ET/PT!

Inspired by the book, Finding Love in Bridal Veil, Oregon, by Miralee Ferrell

After learning she’s been entrusted to take care of her deceased cousin’s children, an architect is torn between focusing on her career and honoring her cousin’s wish.

Website with Trailer:  https://aci-americancinema.com/screener/finding-love-in-mountain-view



MY  REVIEW

Finding Love in Mountain View is an uplifting and inspirational movie about learning what's most important in life.  In times of tragedy when we don't understand, God always has an end plan that is best for us.  HE takes broken hearts and mends them to bring them joy again.

The actors were excellent in the films and really brought life to the story. I was engaged from the beginning. There was a wonderful ending to the story that wrapped up everything nicely.  I hated for it to end.  Highly recommended.



https://www.blessedfreebies.com/finding-love-in-bridal-veil-oregon-book-giveaway.html





Sunday, September 5, 2021

Lucinda's Defender Blog Tour & Giveaway by Blossom Turner

 



About the Book

 


Book:  Lucinda’s Defender

Author: Blossom Turner

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: September 7, 2021

Life hasn’t turned out at all like Lucinda expected, but neither is the depth of love one man has for her.

The young and impetuous Lucinda Williams, through a series of bad decisions, is now in a situation she never dreamed conceivable—an unplanned baby and marriage to a man who proves to be far darker than she ever imagined. Pain is a cruel teacher but brings instant maturity.

Joseph Manning, a childhood friend who watched the love of his life leave, is heartbroken to find the bruised waif of a girl he rescues less than a year later. What atrocities did she experience to change the vivacious, bubbly soul into this shell of hopelessness? Broken. Bruised. Beaten. Does love really have the power to heal all wounds?

Lucinda marvels at how Joseph effortlessly whittles his way back into her heart and that of her child with kindness and respect. But she has a secret far too dark to allow the kind Joseph into her life. He deserves so much better than the likes of her. Is love strong enough to break down the barriers of bad choices? Can a second chance at happiness really be possible?

 

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW
I related to Lucinda's struggle with God's forgiveness and the ability to forgive Nate. The character of Joseph, I admired and he seemed very real as he struggled also with hate issues regarding Nate.  
The dark theme of the novel hit home for me, being an abused wife myself in the past.
The story is steeped in faith, forgiveness, second chances, and miracles. It was a good story but very emotional for me.  I was a little surprised at the descriptions of the love scenes in the story, as they were more than I expected from a Christian novel. Nothing explicit though.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily choose to review it. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Blossom Turner is a free-lance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, an avid blogger, and published novelist. Her authentic understanding of the power of love in the darkest of circumstances is woven masterfully through her first novel Anna’s Secret (a contemporary romance), in book one of the Shenandoah Brides series, Katherine’s Arrangement and again in this second book, Amelia’s Heartsong. Being a hopeless romantic, Blossom, endeavors to give you, the reader, entertainment value with an inspirational twist. She and her husband, David, have two grown children and live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Read more at blossomturner.com.

 

More from Blossom

Do You Enjoy Romance That Keeps You Thinking Days Later?

Long before I even knew I could write, I loved to read. Being a hopeless romantic I gravitated to all romance stories either contemporary or historical. I soon realized that finding clean fiction but still written with the passion God created us to experience, was hard to find. (Song of Solomon is a good example of the expression of passion and love between a man and woman without being explicit.)

Given the gift of a writing career later in life one thing was for sure…I wanted to write what I like to read. Clean romance does not need to be boring. As each story pours out, I realize that writing historical fiction is my new passion. I finally know what I was born to do. My favorite theme was an arranged marriage…so birthed the first book of the Shenandoah Brides that has now morphed into a series of 5 sisters and their 5 love stories. September 6th 2021 is launch day for book three called Lucinda’s Defender.

Where-as book one was set in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, post-civil war, the second book Amelia’s Heartsong took place in the big city of Richmond Virginia where balls, debutants, pomp and circumstance matter. This third book, Lucinda’s Defender is back in the valley once again.

Have you ever made decisions that you wish you could unwind? If that is a yes, then you will relate to young, beautiful, sassy Lucinda who at the age of sixteen is forced to live with her adult choices. By seventeen her world crashes in doling out a future no woman deserves. But God is a God of second chances, and handsome Joseph a worthy life-long friend and hero. Passion, love, and undying devotion make this read a romantic page turner sure to keep you awake into the wee hours of the morning.

Although this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, enjoying the whole series as the family saga unfolds will deepen the experience.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed the write. I love to hear from my readers. Contact me at http://blossomturner.com

 

                              Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 7

Texas Book-aholic, September 8

Cats in the Cradle Blog, September 8

lakesidelivingsite, September 9

Inklings and notions, September 10

Bizwings Blog, September 10

For Him and My Family, September 11

deb’s Book Review, September 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 13

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 14

Simple Harvest Reads, September 14 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Connie’s History Classroom, September 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 16

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 18

Reviewingbooksplusmore, September 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 19

Splashes of Joy, September 20 


                                 Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Blossom 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/116c6/lucinda-s-defender-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, August 28, 2021

The Cryptographer's Dilemma Blog Tour & Giveaway by Johnnie Alexander

 

 


About the Book

 


Book:  The Cryptographer’s Dilemma

Author: Johnnie Alexander

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release date: August, 2021

A Code Developer Uncovers a Japanese Spy Ring

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

FBI cryptographer Eloise Marshall is grieving the death of her brother, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she is assigned to investigate a seemingly innocent letter about dolls. Agent Phillip Clayton is ready to enlist and head oversees when asked to work one more FBI job. A case of coded defense coordinates related to dolls should be easy, but not so when the Japanese Consulate gets involved, hearts get entangled, and Phillip goes missing. Can Eloise risk loving and losing again?

 

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

The Cryptographer's Dilemma is an intense cat and mouse read to catch the person who is writing in code, giving information to the Japanese.

The author did an excellent job of combining historical information with a cast of characters that are engaging. I really enjoyed watching Eloise's growth throughout the story and her ability to adapt to unusual circumstances.

A touch of espionage and romance kept me guessing about the players in the story until the end, and the spiritual reflections were inspirational. It is a very enjoyable and exciting read. Highly recommended.

I received a copy from the author and voluntarily choose to review it. All opinions are my own.

 










About the Author

Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget in a variety of genres. An award-winning, best-selling novelist, she serves on the executive boards of Serious Writer, Inc. and the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference, co-hosts Writers Chat, and interviews other inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. Johnnie lives in Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. Connect with her at www.johnnie-alexander.com and other social media sites via https://linktr.ee/johnniealexndr.

 

More from Johnnie

American Traitor in WWII

 

Not all secret messages involve substitution codes where random letters and numbers replace the original letters and numbers. Velvalee Dickinson, a doll collector who owned a doll shop on Madison Avenue in New York City, used jargon code to pass along information to the Japanese about the U.S. ships that had been damaged at Pearl Harbor.

Here’s an excerpt from one of the letters (as originally written):

The only new dolls I have are THREE LOVELY IRISH dolls. One of these three dolls is an old Fisherman with a Net over his back—another is an old woman with wood on her back and the third is a little boy….I can only think of our sick boy these days. You wrote me that you had sent a letter to Mr. Shaw, well I want to see MR. SHAW he distroyed Your letter, you know he has been Ill. His car was damaged but is being repaired now. I saw a few of his family about. They all say Mr. Shaw will be back to work soon. 

Velvalee, who the FBI nicknamed The Doll Woman, wrote this letter on her Underwood typewriter. She used the return address and forged the signature of one of her regular customers, Mary Wallace of Springfield, Ohio. Then Velvalee mailed the letter to an address in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Unknown to Velvalee, the Japanese had abandoned the Buenos Aires address as a drop point. The letter was marked “return to sender.” When Mrs. Wallace received it, she turned it in to the Post Office Director in Springfield who passed it along to the FBI.

Cryptographers determined that the letter was written in jargon code. To the casual reader, the letter is about dolls. But the intended recipient would have understood it’s about much more than that.

In this example, only one of five letters given to the FBI between February and August of 1942,

cryptographers decoded the message as follows:

 

  • Old Fisherman with a Net over his back ~ refers to an aircraft carrier which has anti-torpedo nettings on its sides.
  • Old woman with wood on her back ~ refers to an older battleship, one made of wood.
  • A little boy plus our sick boy ~ a damaged ship.

 

Cryptographers believed that the words Mr. Shaw and Your were purposely capitalized and that the word distroyed was purposely misspelled to draw attention to them. Mr. Shaw referred to the USS Shaw, a destroyer (destroy + your = destroyer).

The remainder of the letter says Mr. Shaw is ill but “will be back to work soon.”

The ship was in dry dock at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. As the heroine in The Cryptographer’s Dilemma explains, “About two weeks before this letter was written, it [the USS Shaw] was undergoing repairs in San Francisco.”

In the novel, Eloise Marshall is a naval cryptographer who teams up with FBI agent Phillip Clayton, to find the person responsible for forging the signatures on the letters. Their search takes them from Washington, DC to the Springfield, Ohio, to the west coast and back again. On their journey, Eloise will confront an unexpected specter from her past and Phillip will risk his life to save hers.  



                             Blog Stops

Life of Literature, August 25

Where Faith and Books Meet, August 25

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 26

Reflections From my Bookshelves, August 26

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 27

Bizwings Blog, August 27

Daysong Reflections, August 27

Texas Book-aholic, August 28

A Baker’s Perspective, August 28

Inklings and notions, August 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 29

For Him and My Family, August 30

Simple Harvest Reads, August 30 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Older & Smarter?, August 31

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, August 31

Aryn the Libraryan 📚, September 1

Rebecca Tews, September 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 2

deb’s Book Review, September 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 3

Blossoms and Blessings, September 3

Mary Hake, September 3

Connie’s History Classroom, September 4

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, September 4

Sodbusterliving, September 4

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 5

Labor Not in Vain, September 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 6

Moments, September 6

Splashes of Joy, September 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 7

Pause for Tales, September 7

                                 Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Johnnie is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon 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.

Giveaway