April Erwin's Blog, page 3

WIN FREE EBook - Justice Redeemed Giveaway!

The single release is here and to celebrate I'm giving three lucky winners a copy of Justice Redeemed the eBook! This is the latest entry in my Heroes in Justice series, but reads well as a stand alone short story if you're new to the series. Take a chance and find a Hero!

Simply complete at least ONE of the options listed to enter. Complete extra option for additional entries. 

Be sure to share this with all your friends and loved ones too, this contest ends Friday, April 22, 2017 at 12:00 a.m.  Good Luck!!



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Check out the rest of the Heroes in Just series shown below  http://viewauthor.at/AmazonAprilErwin

Cover Reveal! Justice Redeemed goes Solo

If you purchased the Renewal of Faith vol. 1 to read Justice Redeemed - thank you!  If you were waiting for the single, then wait no more! It's ready for purchase in eBook and paperback. :)


I love this cover, it tugs on my heart strings and I hope that it gives you a peek into what Carl feels when he finds that precious baby on his doorstep.


Have you ever wondered what you would do if it happened to you? It's a big question and for Carl it brings up a past he'd put behind him. I can't wait for you all to read Carl and Alison's story. Redemption is a powerful thing.

getBook.at/JusticeRedeemed
Click here to get your copy today and thank you so much for your support. If you enjoy the story, please let others now by spreading the word. :)

Solstice Publishing: Stories of Faith that Will Touch Your Soul

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ; a renewal of the faith so many hold so close. Those who believe take the time to reflect on their blessings and honor their Lord. These stories show faith tested and renewed during this special season. Will they hold dear to that faith or stumble?


https://bookgoodies.com/a/B06XY6ZZHX
Old friends… New danger
Pioneer Easter, new beginnings
A Heaven sent smile to believe
Bereft of faith Anton returns home
The Story of Faith and Courage
Some things can be changed
Will Melinda discover her inner strength?



Faith tested and renewed in many different ways. An abandoned child; two people must trust all will turn out right. A family moving west following bigotry. Hope lost; a yearning to believe. A return home to discover faith. Faith and renewal versus loss and grief. Her rocky path leads her home. A teen struggles for answers.
April Erwin, Eden S. Clark, Donna Patton, E.B. Sullivan, J.E. & Carla Holling and Jeannie Anderson, Leah Hamrick, and K.C. Sprayberry present stories of strength and hope, of struggle and desolation, of returning to what has always sustained them.
BONUS!

As an extra special added bonus, we also present Notes On A Cowslip Flower by Solstice Publishing author Chrystal Vaughan.

https://bookgoodies.com/a/B06XXZYN3R
Where do you put your faith?
When ChrissyBell loses the only father she has ever known, will his teachings and faith sustain her? Childhood can be such a confusing time, especially when your biological father is absent. Christina (ChrissyBell to her closest friend) never knew hers, but Universe sent a replacement in the form of Indian Jim, who taught her the ways of his people. Her life path, and spirituality, were written in the lines of his hands and the words on the petals of flowers.

New Release! Justice Redeemed by April Erwin

Good news! A new Heroes in Justice short story is releasing on March 31, 2017! Justice Redeemed is releasing initially as part of A Renewal of Faith vol. 1, a collection of faith renewing short stories published by Solstice Publishing. (It will release as a single at a later date.)


I'm so excited to share this story with you. Carl is a Justice Fire Department paramedic. (He was briefly mentioned in Justice Burning, book 1.) Carl lived a complicated life until he met Jesus and made a covenant with his Savior. Now, just as life is going so well, a chapter from his past has returned to turn his life upside down. 

Alison and Carl's relationship and personal journeys were so important to me to share. It's easy to point to Carl as the Hero in this story, but I love that the title Hero can be shared with Alison as well. She's a different type of hero, but just as important. I think that's true of all the stories in the series so far. Aidan and Morgan in Justice Burning, Cam and Trix in A Volunteer Christmas, and Keegan and Emily in The Power of Love. Each show that being a hero comes in many forms and identities. It's a matter of asking God, "What's your plan for me? How can I serve you in the lives of those around me?" Just be prepared - the answer is often not what you anticipated! LOL. 

That is where the adventure and suspense comes in. It's exciting, a bit scary, and completely eye opening. I hope that as you read Justice Redeemed and the other books in the Heroes in Justice series, you find a reflection of that journey with the Savior.

Be sure to check out all the inspiring stories this Easter. Available March 31, 2017 at Amazon.com.

Giveaway and Guest Author at Rebecca's Write Inspirations

Author Rebecca Reddell hosted me on her blog Rebecca's Write Inspirations . I had a blast chatting with her and now we're giving away a FREE copy of my e-book Justice Burning. Hop on over to Rebecca's to read all the fun and don't forget to enter to win! :)

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Netgalley: No Way Up by Mary Connealy

Song Stuck on the Brain: The Ants Go Marching... I was singing it with my great-nephew and niece this morning and I'm still singing about those militant ants. :)


No Way Up 
by 
Mary Connealy


MY TAKE: 
I signed on early with Netgalley.com to get the opportunity to read and review Mary's latest adventure/laugh riot cowboy romance. Love her books. Unfortunately, there were technical issues and although I was able to download the e-book, pages were missing. A LOT of pages. This was a prerelease file so I decided if I wanted to read the story and not guess at what 5 missing pages had said, I should buy the eBook. So I did. BEST choice ever. Supported the author's sales AND I got a perfect file. YES!!

So, how did I like the Cimarron Ranch, you ask? It was awesome. Mary weaves her settings flawlessly. It's great to see the appearance of Heath Kincaid and follow his story arc not only to romance, but love and understanding in several different relationships. The story has depth and heart that isn't always obvious in the moment because your too busy slapping your knee with laughter, but that heart and strength is what proves them all wrong when they're sure there is No Way Up.

Loved it and the prequel The Boden Birthright. Great new adventure for long time Connealy fans or for those just discovering her. 

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Fight for the Cimarron Ranch Has Just Begun!
When Cimarron ranch patriarch Chance Boden is caught in an avalanche, only the quick actions of hired hand Heath Kincaid save him. Before leaving by train to receive treatment to save his leg--and possibly his life--Chance demands that Heath read the patriarch's will and see its conditions enforced immediately. If Chance's three bickering adult children, Justin, Sadie, and Cole, don't live and work at the home for an entire year, ownership of the ranch will pass to a despised distant relative. 

Before long, however, Heath discovers that the avalanche may have been intentionally set--and that more danger lurks ominously. Finding his own future--and a desired future with Sadie--locked up in saving the Cimarron Ranch, Heath and the Boden siblings must work together against outside forces that threaten them all.

Don't forget to read the prequel novella The Boden Birthright. (Easily read after, but better read first.)

After the death of his wife, prosperous businessman Chance Boden heads west along the Santa Fe Trail with his son to escape the powerful, controlling hands of his in-laws. He has plans to establish his own ranch, but instead he finds work with Frank Chastain, owner of a vast amount of land.

Chance doesn't want to work for anyone, but Frank's beautiful daughter gives him reason to delay buying his own holdings. With winter coming, no home in which to live, and Veronica's offer to care for young Cole while Chance learns the ways of successful ranching in the desert, Chance has little choice but to accept the Chastains' offer to stay on.

When Frank is attacked, his dying wish is that Chance marry his daughter, but after dealing with his in-laws, Chance isn't going to let anyone come between him and his son. Then Frank's precarious hold on the land he received as part of an old Spanish Land Grant forces Frank to make a desperate choice to save Veronica's inheritance--and also gives the men who attacked Frank reason to come after him.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Mary Connealy is the bestselling author of romantic comedy with cowboys. She is a Carol Award winner and a Rita and Christy and IRCC Award Finalist.She is the author of The Cimarron Legacy series, Trouble in Texas series, Swept Away, Fired Up and Stuck Together, The Kincaid Brides Series, Out of Control, In Too Deep and Over the Edge.
The Sophie’s Daughters Series, Doctor in Petticoats, a Rita Award finalist,Wrangler in Petticoats and Sharpshooter in Petticoats. These three books are now contained in the single volume Sophie’s Daughters Trilogy. The Montana Marriages Series, Montana Rose, The Husband Tree and Wildflower Bride. Montana Rose was a Carol Award Finalist. These three books are now available in the single volume Montana Marriages Trilogy. The Wild West Wedding series Cowboy Christmas—the 2010 Carol Award for Best Long Historical Romance, and an Inspirational Readers Choice Contest Finalist, and In Too Deep. The Lassoed in Texas Series, Petticoat Ranch, Calico Canyon and Gingham Mountain. Petticoat Ranch was a Carol Award Finalist. Calico Canyon was a Christy Award Finalist and a Carol Award Finalist. These three books are now contained in one large volume called Lassoed in Texas Trilogy.
She is also the author of; Black Hills Blessing, a 3-in-1 collection of sweet contemporary romances. She is one of the four authors contributing to Alaska Brides Collection with her Carol Award Winning historical romance
Golden Days along with Tracie Peterson, Cathy Marie Hake and Kathleen Y’Barbo.She had published two ebook Christmas novella collections. A Home for Christmas with Robin Lee Hatcher and Candlelight Christmas with Linda Goodnight. And with a pseudonym she has published the romantic thriller Ten Plagues and she has republished three out of print books Bury the Lead, Fright at the Museum
and Trial and Terror, three lighthearted cozy mysteries formerly published as the Nosy in Nebraska series under the titles Of Mice…and Murder, Pride and Pestilence and The Miceman Cometh.Find Mary online at:Seekerville
Petticoats & Pistols
My Blog 
My Website
I initially received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. 

God Made You Just Right!

Song Stuck on the Brain: You Are My Sunshine - the song I sing to all my babies. :)

God Made You Just Right Board bookby 
Jill Roman Lord, Author & Amy Wummer, Illustrator

MY TAKE:
Small but a Fighter!When my niece told me her baby boy would be born with physical complications I felt my heart catch. Then I told her what I knew was true in my heart. Jesus was holding her baby in the palm of His hand. However he was born, God had a plan for this little boys life. Numerous conditions were presented and ruled out. The final diagnosis, Tetralogy of Fallot. This beautiful little premie boy had a hole in his heart that would not close on it's own, he would need open heart surgery. Possibly more than one. In addition, he also has dextrocardia - his heart grew in on the wrong side of his chest. (I tell him that means his heart will always be in the 'right' place.) He also has scoliosis. He is the most beautiful and precious baby I've held in years (beside his cousin of course!)
Because of his heart conditions his breathing is labored and he struggles to keep fluid off his lungs. Eating is a challenge and a feeding tube has to load him with calories to help him grow big and strong so he can handle surgery. It hasn't been enough. So in just a few days they will perform his first surgery - a band on his pulmonary artery to ease his labored breathing so eating is not such a challenge.  Cousins only one month apart in age. No matter how
big or small - God made you JUST right!
When I was offered the chance to review God Made You Just Right by Jill Roman Lord, I immediately thought of my tiny heart baby. What a perfect book to reinforce the message I wanted him to grow up with. Despite your differences physically - God made you just right and you are loved. I signed up immediately. When the book arrived, I held 2 month old Max in my arms and read him the simple story, showing him the pictures as I went. He was enthralled. He SMILED! And my heart soared! A sweet, simple message with colorful images. It was perfect. 
They don't use the term "half-sibling".
God made them just right as brother
and sister this way. After reading it the youngest I began to think how this very simple message is important to all of us. Max's cousin Ryan is a month older but double in size. He's a large strong baby. At 3 months his head measured 17.5 inches - only 2 inches smaller than his four year old big sister! Large heads and tall frames run in his family. He will most likely always be much bigger than his friends for many years. He'll get teased for his big head (despite him being adorable) and he needs the reminder that God made him large for a purpose too. 
Our family is one built of love more than blood. There are adopted siblings, half siblings, foster siblings and family that's family because we chose to make them that way. That is becoming more common every day and I'm glad to see God's message being shared in such a sweet way. 


ABOUT THE BOOK:
A bright and cheerful reminder that God made each of us special and uniqueHere is a message that every parent will want to share with his or her child: You're brilliantly created and there s no one else like you! With easy-to-understand descriptions and simple, rhyming text, Jill Roman Lord shares the message that God created each of us in just the right way in a manner that even the youngest child will understand. Bright and engaging illustrations from Amy Wummer pair perfectly with the text and enhance the appeal of the book. Ages 2-5.
Jill Roman LordABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jill Roman Lord is an author, a freelance writer, and nurse anesthetist. She enjoys running with her golden Retriever, Poppie, in Charlotte, NC, golfing with her hubby and son, sipping coffee, shopping with her girls when they’re around, traveling, and hanging on the back porch with family and friends
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Amy WummerAmy Wummer is an award-winning children’s book illustrator of over fifty titles. She received the Highlights for Children Cover of the Year award in 1998 and 2007, the 2006 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Highlights for Children Illustrator of the Month award in October 2003 and November 2007, and was a 2002 Gold Medallion Book Award finalist.








I received a free copy of this book from Wothry Kids/Ideals in exchange for my honest review.

NEW Release:The Power of Love, a Heroes in Justice story

The sun shines longer on this day—the Summer Solstice. People gather for picnics, fun in the sun, and all kinds of celebrations. What can be more fun than checking out the fabulous stories in Let’s Have Fun Volume 1!
Featuring The Power of Love, a Heroes in Justice story. Keegan McLeod has is finally ready to propose to long time girlfriend Emily Jansen, but they'll have to survive the day first! Join these heroes in a crazy ride through mayhem to discover the power of love. 

 Ten Solstice Publishing authors present to you stories of events that happened on the Summer Solstice. From a couple facing a choice of a re-do of surfing to a proposal of marriage and many others, you will discover new authors who have a multitude of books available for your pleasure.

Let’s Have Fun Volume 1 features AJ Kohler, April Erwin, S@yr, Josie Montano, K.C. Sprayberry, Kristal McKerrington, M.A. Cortez, M.H. Newhouse, and W.H. Matlack with stories all about what happens one summer solstice day.


http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01HC2TOD2
Check out our authors and their stories with Let’s Have Volume 1 on June 21, 2016!

If you're new to the Heroes in Justice series, be sure to check out Justice Burning and A Volunteer Christmas. 

The Thin Gold Line - Guest Author Rachael Tamayo

I'm excited to welcome a brand new guest blogger today. One with an awesome job. A job I'm certainly not cut out for, but I have a ton of respect for those that do. But, why don't I let her tell you about it. 

My other job
Someone is breaking into my house.

I think she's dead.
I can't tell if he's breathing.
I need police, hurry, but I don't know where I am.
I've heard all of this, and then some, in my ten years as a 911 operator and police dispatcher. I've talked to distraught mothers and fathers, grown men that sob into the phone, scared children. I've also talked to numerous liars, criminals, mentally ill, and a few murderers.  I am that disembodied voice that you call for help, then forget about by the time the police, or maybe a fireman or ambulance come to your rescue. We are not remembered - destined to be called upon and then fade into the background.
They call us the thin gold line. It's a rare breed that can do this job and stick with it. It's said that less than two percent of the population can handle it. The turnover rate is astronomical. Honestly, I think you have to be just a touch crazy to want to do it, and even more so to be good at it. I can't tell you how many police officers I know that have stepped into my dispatch center and told me, "I don't know how you do this."
Those of us that do this, we do it because it's who we are. We love it. We're OK with being forgotten, yelled at, cussed out by strangers on a daily basis because they're just having a bad day. We all know that it's not about us, so we take the abuse and keep smiling. Why? Because we helped. 
There's no glory for us dispatchers. We don't need it. Just give us a Thank you from time to time and that's all we need. Glad to help. OK with being forgotten, as long as we were able to help you in your time of need.
I've been asked once or twice, how does doing this job help you in your writing? I've always been a writer, since I was a child. I suppose being submerged in such a wide range of human emotion on a daily basis gives me an insight that most people don't have. Like any other dispatcher, I have an ability to insert myself into the mind without losing my own in the process. This is the reason I can capture these feelings so well.
So what's my book about? It's book one in a series about good friends falling in love.  In book one, Adrienne Lawrence trips over her own big mouth when she lies to her mother about having a boyfriend when her mom's nasty comments about not having a date for a family wedding get to her.  Thank heavens for her close friend Clint. He steps in, agreeing to play the part of the devoted boyfriend at a week long venue wedding, saving her from embarrassment. After days of pretend kisses and smoldering looks, the lines between what's  pretend and what's real start to blur, and Adrienne has to fight her confusing feelings. The last thing she wants is to lose her friend, or become one of the women he leaves behind.
Author and Dispatcher Rachael TamayoMy name is Rachael Tamayo and I work for an agency in the Houston, Texas area.  I'm also a wife and mother, and a writer. My first book is in pre-publication with solstice publishing. 
Please follow me on Facebook here https://m.facebook.com/Rachael-Tamayo...
and 
Twitter here: https://twitter.com/rtamayo2004

For updated information regarding the release of my first book, Chase Me (title pending approval) book 1 in the Friend Zone series .  Check me out on the Web at http://www.rachaeltamayowrites.com

Thanks, Rachael for doing such an amazing job and being for guest blogging today. Be sure you check out her page and watch for her new release. I know I can't wait to read it. :)

Guess Who's Getting Married?

Good News! There's a marriage proposal in the air...


Keegan McLeod is finally ready to pop the question to longtime girlfriend Emily Jansen, but they have to survive the day first! 


I signed the contract with Solstice this morning for this latest Heroes in Justice series novella. I'm so excited to bring you this next chapter in the McLeod family's story. The release date is still to be determined, but it should be soon. I'll be sure to keep you all updated.

PLUS - Book 2 is in the works! Thank you all for supporting me and loving this community of heroes as much as I do. Be sure you let your friends know about them too. :)

In the meantime, if you haven't met the other Heroes in Justice, check out book one, Justice Burning and the holiday short story, A Volunteer Christmas . Links and book trailers are in the sidebar, or read a sample by clicking a tab at the top of the screen.