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Friday, May 31, 2019

A Day in My Life

On Monday (May 27), I decided to do a snapshot of my life (literally) on Instagram. Since many of my blog followers aren't on IG, I thought I'd share it here.

Of course, each day is different for me, but right now (as in, this week--not last week, and not next week), this is kind of how a normal day looks.

What does a day in your life look like?



































Have you ever done a "day in my life" post?

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Living Lies | Book Review



I enjoy trying new authors. It is almost a game—to see if they’re ones I’ll read again or if one book is enough. When it comes to Natalie Walters, I’ll be looking out for another book from her.

Natalie deals with such a difficult topic in Living Lies: depression, suicidal thoughts, self-blame, and PTSD. And all of that is mixed up in a murder investigation of a teen girl that just doesn’t make sense. The mystery was veiled and gave me the challenge of not knowing off hand who was involved—or why. I thought the mystery was done in a very good way.

Lane was a very real and relatable character. She was flawed and needy. I can’t say so much about Charlie. He was just a little too perfect and understanding. Don’t get me wrong—he seemed like a fantastic guy, but beyond his little disagreement with his dad, he really was the perfect guy. I absolutely loved how Lane’s and Meagen’s sister-relationship strengthened throughout the novel. It gave greater emphasis on the family life of Lane. And Miguel! Personally, I think he was the best character in the book—so very well done. My heart went out to him (knowing that there are so many real veterans like him).

Personally, I like a stronger Christian thread. The strong Christians in this novel were not the main characters, but an older couple. It left me wondering if Lane and Charlie had personal relationships with Jesus or if they were just good people who prayed when they needed help. I know… one of my pet peeves is when I can’t clearly tell if a character became a Christian during the novel or they just turned over a new leaf. That was this novel. Lane started the novel almost doubting God’s existence and somewhere there was a turning point in her thought process, but no point of her actually coming to Christ for salvation. And I guess I’ll go ahead and mention it here… I do realize the difficulties and struggles of depression and how very important it is to have people there for you, but Lane found her hope and recovery in a person rather than turning to God. This was all wonderful for her, but what about people who don’t have a strong person who accepts them how they are? That void can only be filled through Jesus Christ. There were also some hints that people with chronic depression were “made that way by God.” I personally believe that it’s due to sin entering the world, not God’s handiwork. So yeah, I’m being ultra sensitive here, I realize. I just can’t stop my brain from analyzing while I read a fictional book.

I do admire Natalie for tackling the difficult topic of depression and its repercussions. I thought she presented it well and showed the importance of an individual making the choices that either help or hurt their journey with depression.

The romance was constant thread in the book almost from page one and yeah… I’m not a romantic. There was one scene where she was drawn to Charlie’s shirtless body and then some kisses. Nothing explicitly inappropriate was in the novel. Just some subtle hints.

As far as mystery goes, as I already mentioned, this one was very well done. I’ll not give a spoiler, but when they finally linked Sydney to the “bad guys,” it was like, “Wow—but that makes perfect sense.” I learned something new about a certain process about a certain thing (yeah, no spoilers).

This book has left me hoping that book two is about Deputy Frost. Just sayin’. (okay, so I had to look it up and yay!!!!)

*I received this book from Revell and happily provided my honest review*

About the Book
In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name--but no one knows your secret. At least that's what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.

Find on Amazon

Follow Natalie on Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram

Monday, May 27, 2019

Hymns in the Hills | Book Spotlight



One of my author friends, Rebekah, is releasing a new book! Isn't the cover lovely? I haven't read it, but I know Rebekah and that her work is something you can trust to have solid, clean content, suitable for the entire family.

Excerpt
     "God can’t lie.”
     “How da ya know that?”
     “Because God is truth. He can’t do wrong, and when He tells us in the Bible that something is so, then we know it is so. And He said the Jesus loves us.”
     “Where’d He say that? I ain’t never heard it.”
     Carefully Belle opened her small Bible and turned a few pages. “Right here,” she pointed to the printed words. “I’ll read it to you. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.’ And in another verse,” she turned the pages rapidly, “it says, ‘God loved us and sent His Son.’ So, you see it says that Jesus loves us, just like the song says.”
     “No, it ain’t neither,” Kade declared, folding his arms.


About the Book
“Could you not teach them what you do know?”

Separated from her parents and sent to live with unknown relatives for the summer, Belle Standish clings hard to the promises found in her dear Bible and her beloved hymns. As she grows to love her newly discovered family, she finds much work to be done for her Lord in this neglected field.

But when danger threatens those she loves, Belle's faith and courage are tested in ways she never imagined. Will God's promises hold true even in the midst of the storm? And what can she possibly accomplish with just her one little light?


Links


Giveaway
Rebekah is giving away an eBook of "Hymns in the Hills." To enter, you must use a secret word from each blogger. :) My word is "HE."

About the Author
Rebekah A. Morris is a homeschool graduate, an enthusiastic freelance author and a passionate writing teacher. Her books include, among others, Home Fires of the Great WarThe Unexpected RequestGift from the Storm and her best-selling Triple Creek Ranch series. Some of her favorite pastimes, when she isn’t writing, include reading and coming up with dramatic and original things to do. The Show-Me state is where she calls home. 







Blog Tour
Monday, May 27th
Rebekah – Introduction post – www.readanotherpage.com/blog
Leona – Review and Author interview –https://www.greatbooksforGodsgirls.wordpress.com 
Amanda – Book Spotlight – http://withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com/ 

Tuesday, May 28
Kaitlyn S. – Review and Author Interview – https://www.maidensformodesty.com 
Rebekah Ashley – Book Spotlight – http://rebekahashleigh.blogspot.com 
Rebekah – Something :) – www.readanotherpage.com/blog

Wednesday, May 29
Erika – Review – https://www.writtenrest.wordpress.com 
Sarah – Book Spotlight – http://www.thedestinyofone.com/ 
Rebekah – Interesting facts – www.readanotherpage.com/blog

Thursday, May 30
Kaylee – Review – https://kayleeskindofwrites20.com/ 
Rachel – Review – https://musingsofagodgirl.blogspot.com 
Rebekah – More fun – www.readanotherpage.com/blog

Friday, May 31
Esther – Author Interview – https://wevegotpockets.wordpress.com/ 
Jessica – Book Spotlight – https://www.jessicagreyson.com/ 
Rebekah – Something Else – www.readanotherpage.com/blog

Saturday, June 1
Kassie – Review and Author Interview – https://soldiergirlstories.com 
Rosalyn – Book Spotlight/Review – https://www.instagram.com/rosysbookishcorner/ 
Rebekah – Ending post – www.readanotherpage.com/blog 

Friday, May 24, 2019

No Ocean Too Wide | Book Review



After reading several mysteries and suspense, I enjoyed this little genre break. Because of the aforementioned books, it seemed that this one started off slow, but once I got into it, I really didn’t want to put it down—and then when I finally finished it, I still wanted to be reading it the next few days. I am definitely looking forward to book two!

This is one of those sweet historical fictions. Being that I’ve done a bit of research into the American “Orphan Train,” I was very interested in the British side of displacing street orphans. I thought Turansky did a very fluent job of portraying an angle from orphans who were definitely going to something better as well as mistaken orphans and the legal side of things. I can honestly say that I enjoyed this story from every character’s point of view. Andrew was probably my favorite character, though I did like the sisters, Kate and Laura, as well.

Though there is romance in it, it is more about a family than about a love interest. I found it to be fairly chaste in its portrayal of relationships. There is one orphan situation that mentions a girl who was taken advantage of. While it is not expounded (and it’s not part of the storyline—it is just a side character), Laura thinks about it several times afterwards. That would be the only part that keeps me from handing it to my younger teen sisters.

The spiritual thread is thoroughly woven through the book—there isn’t just the main climax in which the characters turn to God, but rather, they are very often seeking Him and trying to follow Him. I appreciated that. There is one character who is portrayed as a strong Christian character that the MC’s look up to, and I found that to be a very nice touch.

This is definitely a book I enjoyed and can recommend without any qualms.

*I received this book from WaterBrook & Multnomah and happily provided my honest review*




About No Ocean Too Wide

Between the years of 1869 to 1939 more than 100,000 poor British children were sent across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told they were orphans--but was that the truth?

After the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of the poorhouse in London in 1908, leaving their mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while oldest daughter, Laura, works on a large estate more than an hour away. When Edna McAlister falls gravely ill and is hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and eight-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans' home before Laura is notified about her family's unfortunate turn of events in London. With hundreds of British children sent on ships to Canada, whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.

Andrew Fraser, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom into something more?

Inspired by true events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words from Isaiah: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God".

Purchase here.

About Carrie Turansky

CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of twenty novels and novellas. She has won the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and was a finalist for the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence. A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women's fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband, Scott. They have five adult children and six grandchildren.

Friday, May 17, 2019

Things are Moving Forward!!! | Writing Update


I've loved being able to get back to writing this month! God has really blessed my time editing this month. I feel like I have a solid foundation for Dumphey's story (finally!) and it's almost edited and ready for my second batch of beta readers THEN it will be ready for reviewers!! If you're not already following me on Instagram and FaceBook, I post more regular updates on there (they're both public, so even if you don't have an account, you can see my updates :) ).

I'm so excited to be getting ready for the next stage of "Protecting the Poor" -- getting it into the hands of my readers!!!! Eek! I'm so excited! Lord willing, it will be ready for a late-August release.

How can you be a part?

I'm SO glad you asked! ;)

I've got three sign-ups floating around here... :)

Cover Reveal (June 1)
This is when everyone gets to see the new cover! If you'd like to be a part of the social media blast, sign up here. Sign-ups close on May 29.

Tales of Faith Tour (June/July/August)
Not everyone has read "Befriending the Beast" and "The Secret Slipper." Though "Protecting the Poor" can be read as a stand-alone, I do have an epilogue where I conclude everything from everyone in all three books. So yeah... I want to introduce Belle and Lia for those who haven't yet met them.

My plan is to have a three-month blog tour featuring individual posts on FaceBook, Instagram, and/or blogs--each person only needs to post once a month for me (and I'll be providing unique posts for each sign-up). I have only fourteen places, though! Sign up HERE.

"Protecting the Poor" Release (August 26-31)
And last but surely NOT least! We're all looking forward to this week: when Dumphey and Noel's story is open to the public! I'm looking for any forms of social media to be a part of the release. You can volunteer to review (and get a free eBook), spotlight, share a quote, etc. Sign up HERE.

So yeah, a busy book summer ahead for me! What are some things you're looking forward to this summer??


Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Are you ready to see "Protecting the Poor's" cover soon...?

Who wants to help share the cover of "Protecting the Poor" on June 1? I'm accepting sign-ups now! All forms of social media and blogs welcome :) Oh... and it will also come with a sneak-peek: the prologue!

Sign up here (until May 29): 
https://forms.gle/BDCbmLni5BREUE3q9

Saturday, May 11, 2019

10 Minutes in the Word, John | Book Review



This is the third "10 Minutes in the Word" book that I've reviewed and I love this series!! The devotionals are solid but short, so they are a good addition to whatever Bible plan you're already doing. I like that you can use your preferred translation for this study, as they assign the reading instead of printing the reading on the page. There is also very applicable insight in the prayers and questions at the end of each entry. The one thing I did notice, though, is that if you follow their reading plan to go along with the devotionals, you will skip some verses in John. This may not be a big deal to some people, but if I am to study through a book, I kind of like to hit all the verses.

As with the others I've revied, I love the format and compact style. It is cute and easy to read.

*I received this book from Book Look Bloggers and happily provided my honest review*

Purchase your copy here

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Writer Updates? What are Those? ;)

Yesterday I sat down and actually wrote a long email update for my lovely readers. If you'd like to see what's been going on, what I've learned from college (as in, life-skills... I'll save you from all the details like music theory algorithms and college algebra formulas...)... read on here!

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Now Accepting Cover Design and Formatting Jobs

Summer is almost here! I have a few slots available for cover design and/or interior book formatting.

COVER DESIGNS

I enjoy working with authors to capture their mental image in design. I offer 3-5 consultations and will send you a sample cover before you are required to pay me.

$55 per simple eBook cover (1-2 images, front only)
$75 per simple paperback cover (1-2 images, front, spine, back) plus $5 to convert into eBook.

(Note: I can do more than just book covers; just let me know the project and I'll work with you)

BOOK FORMATTING
I like to make the inside of your book look pristine and professional. If you want special chapter headings or other graphics, no problem!

$.0012/word (minimum $40)