Heather Greer's Blog, page 20

On Tour with Celebrate Lit: A Promise for Faith Review

About the Book

Book: A Promise for Faith

Author: Stacy T. Simmons

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release date: January 18, 2022

Secrets have the power to ruin lives. Faith and love have the power to disarm those secrets.

Failure isn’t an option for Faith Fuller, She wants to prove to herself and her very successful parents she can stand on her own, even if it means accepting a job offer from someone she wanted to forget. To add to the problem, that job means facing her biggest fear.

Caleb Gaines is looking for a manager for his coffee shop. He’s in over his head running his successful river outfitters business, and being a single dad to a preschooler. But the perfect candidate wants nothing to do with him. Risk-taker Caleb is up for  a challenge and wants to convince Faith to help him.

If neither one relies on faith and learns to trust, any chance at love will be washed downstream.

An out-of-work chef and successful river outfitter are both hiding secret tragedies. How much faith will it take to learn to trust in each other, overcome obstacles, and find love?

MY THOUGHTS: I love the cover. It. gives the perfect feeling for this contemporary romance. And you can’t really go wrong with a story that involves a baker, though this particular one starts the story with a bit of a problem. Throw in a single dad and a cute kid, and you’ve got all the right ingredients for an enjoyable story. Facing fears, both physical and emotional, is a key theme of the story, but the tone never veers too far into the heaviness of the fears the characters deal with which makes the story an easier read.

I enjoyed the story, though, to me, there were a few plot elements that seemed a bit rushed to their conclusion. I would like to have seen a little more wrestling with the issues before the characters embrace the answers to their problems.

A Promise for Faith is an enjoyable debut novel. It’s a fairly quick read that is as sweet as the recipes Faith whips up in the kitchen. I give it three stars.

 

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Stacy T. Simmons writes uplifting fiction that delights the reader’s romantic sensibilities. Thirty-four years of marital bliss is a great contributor. She is a mom of two grown children, and she and her family have a menagerie of pets she likes to call “Noah’s Ark.” You can find her working on her next manuscript with a piece of dark chocolate and a cup of coffee nearby. She loves to connect with her readers via her website at www.stacytsimmonsauthor.com
More from Stacy

Why did I write this novel? I’ve had both friends and family members ask me this question over the years it’s taken to craft this story. The reason I decided to write it was my family has experienced some job transitions in the past.

 

A Promise for Faith Briar Creek Love Book One has a talented chef Faith, who undergoes some of the similar things my family faced. When you dive deep into your faith, it makes you stronger as you head toward the “water’s surface.” This novel has some romance, heart-tugging moments, a few cups of coffee and delicious baked goods woven into the storyline.

 

Like Faith, I enjoy baking, and trying new recipes. As a trained chef the treats mentioned in the novel are a bit more time-consuming than I usually make. I’ve included one below from “Faith’s kitchen.” It’s raspberry twists, and you can make your own puff pastry or purchase it. That’s half the fun of baking, you’re able to do what you’d like to do with the recipes.

 

I hope you enjoy both my upcoming novel, and this recipe. Soon I’ll have two more novels which will release that are nestled in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina as well  in a cozy little town named Briar Creek.

 

Below is the promised recipe.

 

(Makes eight twists)

 

Puff Pastry Directions:

 

You will need:

Large mixing bowl

Pastry blender

Rolling pin

Whisk

 

Ingredients:

2 ½ sticks unsalted butter cold (cubed into ¼ in squares)

2 c all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup cold water

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour and cubed, cold, butter, and salt, work with a pastry blender to cut in the butter. It should end up being pea-sized and the mixture blended enough to press with a hand into a clump. (About 8 minutes total).

Make a well in the middle, and pour in the cold water, mix with a whisk gently until the ingredients become combined with the water. (6 minutes). Shape into a ½ inch thick square and place in plastic wrap. Chill dough for an hour.

Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out to a rectangle that is ten inches in length.

Fold over the bottom third of the dough to the middle, fold the remaining top portion to the middle. Then, fold it lengthwise in half. Turn 1/3 of the way and roll out again to another ten inches in length. Fold bottom and top and in half lengthwise. Turn another ¼ and roll out. Repeat process five more times. Shape the dough into a round and put in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. (Dough can be kept for three days in the refrigerator before use).

 

To make Raspberry filling:

 

You will need:

Greased baking pan

Pizza cutter

Rolling Pin

 

Ingredients:

2 pints fresh raspberries

½ c sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

Powdered sugar (optional)

 

Filling cooking directions:

Place ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for about eight minutes, set aside to cool.

 

To prepare twists:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place cold dough on floured surface and roll to ¼ inch thickness and ten inches in length.

Cut the dough into 1 ¼ inch strips, place a thin layer of raspberry filling along one side, filling one-half of the strip. Then, fold the other part of the dough strip over the side covered with raspberry filling. Twist three times and place on the greased pan.

Put the remaining filling in a container to enjoy later. It lasts five days in the refrigerator.

 

Bake the twists for 28 minutes and cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the twists and serve. Enjoy!

Blog Stops

An Author’s Take, February 16

Back Porch Reads, February 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 18

By the Book, February 18

Texas Book-aholic, February 19

Inklings and notions, February 20

For Him and My Family, February 21

Through the fire Blogs, February 22

deb’s Book Review, February 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 24

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 25

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 26 (Spotlight)

CarpeDiem, February 26

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 28

 Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Stacy 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1ab29/a-promise-for-faith-celebration-tour-giveaway

The post On Tour with Celebrate Lit: A Promise for Faith Review appeared first on Heather Greer.

Managing the Time: Wednesday in the Word

Managing the time takes on a whole new meaning with kids. My friend’s baby starts kindergarten this fall. My baby is hoping to start SEMO this fall and move into the dorms. His first taste of living on his own.

But I remember his kindergarten year. I was just looking at pictures of one his first field trips a couple of days ago. Raising four kids, I’ve experienced my share of firsts along with them. On the other hand, I’ve also had my share of lasts. Last fist day of school, lost tooth, Nerf gun battle birthday party, time making costumes for trick or treating, and last high school graduation.

James is right. Life is like a vapor. It passes by so quickly. My twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is this month. Most days it doesn’t seem possible that I’m old enough for twenty-five years of marriage. Where have those years gone? What have I done with them?

Since I can’t do anything about the past, I guess the better question might be what am I going to do with the ones I have left? How will I manage the time from this day forward?

Five year plans are great. Everyone should have goals. But what about the day to day?

If God knows the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11), if I’m created for good works (Ephesians 2:10), and if Jesus went about His Father’s business as an example to me (Luke 2:49) shouldn’t I seek those things in my life each day? Shouldn’t I be seeking out God to allow Him to manage my time?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t ever take breaks. God gave us the example of work/rest balance in taking a day of rest after creation. Whether your rest is hiking, gardening, crafting, or napping, we all need to take care of our physical bodies to be able to be about our Father’s business.

But in what I do each day, am I being a good caretaker of the life God’s given me? Do I consider the ministries He’s blessed me with and how I might best use my day to serve Him by serving others in this way? Do I allow the Spirit inside me to guide me in how I spend my days?

Managing the time I’m given in the best way is important to me. Sometimes that’s easy. Other times, it’s a fight against my worst personality traits to stay on task. When I notice this happening, I can take a moment to consider the business God has asked me to be about, pray for His strength and guidance, and refocus on the task at hand. As long as He gives us days, we have the opportunity to give each one to Him with a little more diligence than the one before.

Do you consider God’s business for you in managing the time you’re given? What practical steps do you take to make sure you’re being a good steward of your time?

 

 

The post Managing the Time: Wednesday in the Word appeared first on Heather Greer.

On Tour with Celebrate Lit: The Gatekeeper’s Descendants

About the Book

Book: The Gatekeeper’s Descendants

Author: Johanna Frank

Genre: Christian/Fiction/Fantasy

Release date: September 2021

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A CURSE

Hesitant to enter the kingdom, spirited and stubborn Pipiera grudgingly accepts a task to save a fledgling earth-dwelling boy, Matthew, from sabotaging his own future. Challenged with the pull of an obsessive emotion from her past life, she’s unequipped to handle the mission, let alone discern the perplexing interference from a rebel–an unearthly soul who takes great interest in both she and the boy and who relentlessly seeks to capture their affection.

As Matthew’s world spins throughout the cosmos, his mother’s world churns at his bedside while she awaits an unknowing outcome.

Who overcomes?

Who ends up cursed forever?

The Gatekeeper’s Descendants is an easy-to-read, thought-inspiring fantasy. The story weaves together adventure in the afterlife with growing faith and family drama.

BEAUTIFUL…   TWISTED…   LIVELY…

MY THOUGHTS: I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in the story and the way their seemingly separate lives intersected and impacted the others. It’s a great reminder that what we say and do has consequences we may not begin to imagine. Each character was unique in their personality and how their experiences helped shape their decisions. The author also did a wonderful job describing the various places in a way that makes them real to the reader.

While it doesn’t affect my rating, I do want to point out this is a fantasy story with a faith element. There are strong principles presented that coincide wonderfully with scriptural faith, and I mentioned some of those above. However, the ideas that one can change their eternal fate after their death and that babies are heavenly beings that have accepted earth assignments are presented in the story. The only reason I mention this is so parents can wisely choose whether their reader is able to understand these types of fantasy story elements are not necessarily truths you can glean from the story for an understanding of how faith and salvation work in real life.

I enjoyed the story, though there were times we jumped from one person’s point of view to another and back again without a scene or chapter break and only for the space of a paragraph or sentence. These quick changes interrupted the flow and made it a little hard to follow at times. Still, it was an imaginative story with characters and settings I enjoyed. I give The Gatekeeper’s Descendants three stars.

 

Click here to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Author

To Johanna Frank, retirement means the freedom to do what she simply loves—bringing family and friends together with good food. But even better is the space to pen creative, inspirational fiction; stories she hopes will touch the lives of her readers.

Johanna lives in the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Canada with husband, Joe, cherishing and watching their children and their families as they churn through life and develop into their own wonderful characters.

At the time of publishing, Johanna’s The Gatekeeper’s Descendants was declared a Winner of The Word Guild’s 2021 Word Awards.

The Gatekeeper’s Descendants is Johanna Frank’s debut novel.

 

More from Johanna

Hey, hello! It sure is a pleasure to be here .

I’ve always believed it’s a gift when others just happen to come into our lives. Sometimes it’s like a drift and ever so brief, maybe even digital. But always, I like to think anyway; it is for a reason. Sadly, we simply don’t see it that way.

That was just one premise for The Gatekeeper’s Descendants. There is so much more to our life journey than what we see and, therefore, what we could possibly appreciate.

According to some translators of ancient Greek (yes, I google the internet a great deal), the term we so often use today to explain chance happenings, coincidence, is derived from the word synkyrian – a combination of two words: sun and kurios. Sun reported as meaning “together with” and kurios reported as meaning “supreme in authority.” So, a chance happening, meeting someone along one’s path in life? …not an accident. The question becomes why.

As far as the story in The Gatekeeper’s Descendants goes, sure, I had a plot in mind. But those wonderful fictional characters came first, and I quickly discovered they had much to say about their own decisions and paths. Important to me was to incorporate realisms: personality traits, emotional challenges, tough situations and simply, life in general. And then place all such realities alongside characters from an ethereal and lively kingdom. Of course, what would a kingdom be without its rebels? This fantasized world in charge of intervening to make chance happenings actually happen, or, interfering to disrupt the course of one’s path? Well, what fun! I totally loved the adventure of writing this novel. But please, be rest assured. Faith is central in my life, and I did my utmost to treat it with great and utter respect.

And you are part of this equation. That is the most exciting part for me: your experience with the read. One reader told me how grateful she was after reading The Gatekeeper’s Descendants for the hope it gave, particularly as it came at such a perfect time—weeks following the loss of a parent. Another said it brought to her imagination the child she lost at infancy and the absolute joyous wonder of her lively existence now. Yet another felt the appreciation of having a chance at feeling a troubled teen’s point of view and the potential of very real battles that are not always visible. As one reviewer put it, “this is a story that has something to impart to even the most cynical among us.”

Without readers, writers simply wouldn’t have much purpose. So, a heartfelt thank you. I hope you will give The Gatekeeper’s Descendants a chance even if it is a diversion from your normal genre.

I would absolutely love to connect and hear your experience with the story!

And may you journey well!

Johanna Frank

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 11

Texas Book-aholic, February 12

By the Book, February 12

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 14

For Him and My Family, February 15

Inklings and notions, February 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 17

deb’s Book Review, February 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 19

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 20

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 21

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 22 (Spotlight)

Through the Fire Blogs, February 22

Blogging With Carol, February 23

Wishful Endings, February 24 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Johanna is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed hardcover 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/1a459/the-gatekeeper-s-descendants-celebration-tour-giveaway

The post On Tour with Celebrate Lit: The Gatekeeper’s Descendants appeared first on Heather Greer.

Best Laid Plans: Wednesday in the Word

It’s fitting that today’s Wednesday in the Word is about best laid plans. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the posting date on this one is Thursday. And that’s how planning goes at my house!

I didn’t plan for it, but it happened. My renewal fees for an author program I participate in were due at the end of January. No problem. I do some side work for other people as needed, and I would simply use what I earned in January to pay my fees. Problem solved.

Until my best laid plans fell apart. I did’t receive side work for January. And I quit my 9-5 several months ago to focus on writing full-time. Zero funds were going to come in to pay my renewal fee for the Blue Ridge Reader Connections. (By the way, if you’re a reader, you should check out this amazing group. Just search it on Facebook and ask to join. It’s free for readers.)

My financial short-comings were a surprise to me. I had no way to adjust my plan to make up for it. But the issue wasn’t a surprise to God.

While I was trying, without success, to figure out a new plan, God was working in the heart of a friend to gift me with the renewal fee. I could have refused the gift, because it’s never easy to accept help like that. At least it isn’t for me.

But God expected my unexpected, and He provided for it. I accepted with thanks and a grateful heart. I’m excited to see how God is going to use this opportunity for His glory throughout the coming year.

My plan failed. But isn’t it comforting to know God’s plans for us will never fail? He has a purpose for each of us, and He’s planned perfectly how to provide all we need to see His purpose for us through to completion.

The post Best Laid Plans: Wednesday in the Word appeared first on Heather Greer.

On Tour with Celebrate Lit: Everyday Prayers for Joy Review

About the Book

Book: Everyday Prayers for Joy

Author: Gina L. Smith

Genre: RELIGION / Christian Living/Devotional Journal

Release date: January 4, 2022

Jesus promises us that the world will give us trials and tribulations, but our hearts should not be troubled. James urges us to “count it all joy…when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

In Everyday Prayers for Joy, author Gina L. Smith shares the life-changing lesson she learned to lament in prayer in order to find joy during hard times and changing circumstances.

When she found herself in a difficult season and cried out to God, “He opened my eyes to the fact that often I find joy in the blessings He has provided for me more than I find joy in Him, the provider of the blessings. I needed to begin the process of learning what it meant to find joy in Christ alone.”

Biblical joy, Gina explains, “is something that exists even when we are suffering or going through a heavy trial because it’s based on the knowledge that God is present, walking with us in our trials, and is producing good fruit in us as we go through them.”

In this thirty-day devotional, Gina offers powerful prayers of lament to move past our problems and focus on the source of all love and goodness.

“The prayer of lament is the prayer for a suffering soul,” she says. “It is our fight with our soul to remember there is a future.…God gave us the prayers of lament to help us process the suffering we face in this life. When we don’t use or understand them, we’re actually missing out on the experience of going to the One who loves us most and can actually heal our hearts and help us to get to the point where our gaze breaks through to eternity. Lamenting is the way we come to God when life is overwhelming.”

Each daily entry includes something to think about, space for journaling thoughts, prayer, and praise, and questions for deeper reflection.

MY THOUGHTS: Who doesn’t need more joy in their life? Not fleeting happiness that relies on circumstances to provide the feeling. Real joy that remains no matter the situation.

Everyday Prayers for Joy does a great job of reminding readers to look beyond the circumstances to see God’s love and faithfulness to us no matter what we’re going through.

I suggest purchasing the book in paperback due to the journaling nature of each day’s devotion. Of course, you could have a separate notebook to take advantage of that feature if you’re reading an ebook. I enjoyed the devotions and scriptures.

Before the first devotion there is a section explaining the think, pray, praise concept the author would like readers to use in personalizing the experience. At the end of each devotion are journaling areas divided into think, pray, praise, to do, and prayer list.

Not having experience with this system, I found myself having to flip back to the instructions to know exactly what the author wanted in each section until I got used to it. I would also have liked a bit of journaling space after the questions for deeper reflection.

Overall, I enjoyed this devotional. And I give it four stars.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Gina L. Smith is an author, podcaster, and a prayer mentor for Million Praying Moms.

Gina and her husband Brian have been married for more than three decades. They served as the on-campus parents at a Christian college for more than twenty years while Brian was a professor and dean of students. They mentored hundreds of college and seminary students as well as young couples over the years.

Gina has a degree in Bible studies from Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary. She has written for several organizations, including Million Praying Moms. She is also the author of Grace Gifts: Practical Ways to Help Your Children Understand God’s Grace.

Gina and Brian have two grown children and reside in the metro area of Washington, D.C. To connect with Gina, visit www.ginalsmith.com.

 

More from Gina

I am excited about what God has been teaching me and am looking forward to what He has in store as I move forward, one day at a time, following His leading in the most amazing calling I could ever imagine! Won’t you join me?

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-5

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 31

For Him and My Family, February 1

Texas Book-aholic, February 2

Inklings and notions, February 3

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, February 3

deb’s Book Review, February 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 5

By the Book, February 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 6

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 7

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 8 (Spotlight)

Mary Hake, February 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 10

Cats in the Cradle Blog, February 11

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 12

Splashes of Joy, February 13

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, February 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Gina is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks 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/193d0/everyday-prayers-for-joy-celebration-tour-giveaway

The post On Tour with Celebrate Lit: Everyday Prayers for Joy Review appeared first on Heather Greer.

Put on Love: Wednesday in the Word

Almost before my day began, I had to choose whether or not to put on love. My adult son asked me to pick up a generator for him. We’re expecting bad weather, and his reptiles cannot survive a power outage. We found one, and I was supposed to make the purchase while he was at work.

Too bad the one we found was too small. It wouldn’t run the heater and lights his animals need.

I had a choice. Put on love and spend my morning scouring the internet and calling local places to see if I could find a reasonably priced generator large enough to handle their needs, or I could tell my son he was out of luck.

I put on love. After searching every store within an hour from our house, I finally found one. It was more than they wanted to spend initially, but his wife approved it. They wouldn’t hold it for me, let me pay over the phone, or allow an online purchase. If I wanted the generator, I had to drive almost an hour and hope it was still in stock when I arrived.

I had a choice. Put on love and get in the car, or tell my son he’d have to figure it out himself. I chose love, even though the rain had already started and the cold air caused my earache from the previous night to worsen.

I got the generator and even managed to get home before the rain turned to freezing rain. It cost me my morning, time to work on my latest book, and a bit of comfort and relaxation.

But I helped my son. I showed him he and his interests are important to me. And I did it by being willing to put on love.

How have you put on love for others? How have they put on love to minister to you?

The post Put on Love: Wednesday in the Word appeared first on Heather Greer.

On Tour With Celebrate Lit: The Sword and The Song Review

Welcome back to another On Tour with Celebrate Lit book review. Today we’re talking about The Sword and The Song.

About the Book

Book: The Sword and the Song

Author: Carla Laureano

Genre: Fantasy (Celtic Fantasy – adult)

Release date: January 11, 2022

THE SHADOW OF WAR

Seare is at war. The Red Druid has continued to gain strength and power, and the people of Seare suffer beneath the ravages of the isle’s unbound spirits. The Fíréin are all that stand between the land and certain disaster. But there is strife within the Brotherhood as well: Eoghan still refuses to claim his rightful throne, leaving the responsibilities of rule to Conor and creating an uncomfortable distance between the sworn brothers.

When Conor leaves Ard Dhaimin to find the key to defeating the Red Druid, he delves into a world of shadows and danger which will bring him to the brink of madness and back. All the while Eoghan and Aine are left to pursue their own mission to defeat their adversary through her magical gifts.

But as the final battle looms ever closer, they realize that the cost of defeating the Red Druid may be greater than they’re willing to pay… and that nothing—and no one—is as it seems.

MY THOUGHTS: Wow! This book just stole the award for my favorite book of 2022 so far, and it’s going to be so tough to beat. I’ve read the author’s contemporary romance MacDonald Family Trilogy, and I enjoyed them. So, when I had opportunity to check out this fantasy offering, I jumped at it. I was far from disappointed.

This is the third in the series, and I hadn’t read the others. While I followed the story just fine, I do encourage you to read all of them. Not because you have to, but because I know you’re going to want to.

Everything about this story is so richly done. The setting, the characters, and the themes. All are woven together in a beautiful way to create an amazing story. I love the relationships, and I look forward to reading the other two books in the series to give them even more depth through their backstory.

If I could, I would give this story more than five stars.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA® award-winning author of over a dozen books, spanning the genres of contemporary romance and Celtic fantasy. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked in sales and marketing for more than a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write full-time. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two sons, and an opinionated tortoiseshell cat named Willow.

 

More from Carla

Why We Should Read About Difficult Things

I’m not going to lie—a lot of my past reading has fallen into the feel-good category. Don’t get me wrong—I like my stories to have some depth, but there’s generally enough turmoil in everyday life that I often feel the need stories with predictably happy endings and not a lot of angst.

But I don’t necessarily think that’s the best approach in times of trouble. Which is why ever since the pandemic hit, I find myself gravitating toward messy, intense reads. Stories where everything goes wrong and it seems like nothing is going to ever work out in the end… until it does. I think it’s a way to work through my own feelings about the state of the world while still being assured that justice will be done, that hope is within reach, that the dawn will still come.

The Sword and the Song is that kind of book. As the third and final volume in the Song of Seare trilogy, things have come to a dangerous tipping point: the rightful High King has been revealed, tensions within the Brotherhood have reached their boiling point, and the Red Druid is slowly but surely moving toward his deadly endgame. Meanwhile, Conor finds his good heart and gentle nature becoming strained by the demands of leadership and the memory of the things that he’s seen and done to survive. It seems that even if victory is still possible—however distantly—it may come at a high personal cost for everyone involved.

There is no doubt that this is the darkest, most dangerous, and most exciting book of the Song of Seare trilogy: on every page, alliances are tested, friendships are shattered, and resolve is stretched to the breaking point. But I would argue that this is the kind of book we need right now. We may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s no arguing that we’ve emerged from it changed in unexpected ways. Some of us may not yet see the light through the darkness. That’s why we find catharsis in reading about difficult things and take hope in their final resolution.

In both this book and in real life, we can be assured that hard times are all part of a bigger plan in the hands of our Creator…and while we may still need to walk through them, there is always One who stays by our side to the very end.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 28

Worthy2Read, January 29

By the Book, January 29

A Reader’s Brain, January 30

Inklings and notions, January 31

Texas Book-aholic, February 1

deb’s Book Review, February 2

Blossoms and Blessings, February 2

For Him and My Family, February 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 6

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 7 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, February 7

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 9

Simple Harvest Reads, February 10 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away the grand prize package of a hardcover set of the series (Oath of the Brotherhood, Beneath the Forsaken City, The Sword and the Song) and a $25 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/193c8/the-sword-and-the-song-celebration-tour-giveaway

The post On Tour With Celebrate Lit: The Sword and The Song Review appeared first on Heather Greer.

On Tour with Celebrate Lit: Searching for Home Review

About the Book

Book: Searching for Home

Author: Jill Weatherholt

Genre: Inspirational Romance

Release date: December 28, 2021

Can three little matchmakers lasso a cowboy father?
When injured professional bull rider Luke Beckett returns to his hometown to recover, he doesn’t expect his B and B host and physical therapist to be his first and only love, Meg Brennan. He’s also unprepared for Meg’s adorable triplets to steal his heart. Luke’s past has him doubting he’s good enough for Meg and the children, but they might be just what the doctor ordered to help him heal…

MY THOUGHTS: This is a sweet, enjoyable story. The addition of the triplets give a fresh take on the second chance at romance theme. And I love the way the author gave each of the triplets their own personality and ways of dealing with the hurtful things that have come into their young lives. I feel this added more realism to the story.

The story was a quick, easy read I believe anyone can enjoy. I give Searching for Home four out of five stars.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired.

Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia.

She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University.

She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.

Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

 

More from Jill

It happened in slow motion.

I was traveling on the interstate at 65 mph, in the far-left lane. The traffic was heavy but moving.

Then the unthinkable happened. A wheelbarrow fell off the back of a pickup truck in front of my car.

Swerving to my right lane wasn’t an option, it was full of cars. The left shoulder was narrow and led to a steep drop off.

I gripped the wheel and had a split second to weigh my options. If I maintained my course, the wheelbarrow would burst through my windshield. If I went to the right, I could cause a multi-car pileup. There was a tractor trailer close behind me, so I couldn’t hit my brakes.

I prepared myself for the worst. Then I prayed to God to help me.

Moments later, when I was safely off the interstate, I burst into tears. I was still alive. No one was injured. But how? I couldn’t recall how I got to the exit ramp. How was I able to guide my car around the wheelbarrow?

Later, I realized that God was truly in control of my life. Growing up in the church and listening to my grandmother, I had always known God loved me. But that day, I felt His love more than I ever had my life. He wanted me to live. But why?

I’d like to think that He wasn’t quite finished with me. That maybe He had better things in store for me. Perhaps He blessed me with a gift to weave together a story that can give a person hope. A story that can bring a little light into what is sometimes a dark and scary world. After all, I didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer. Like that day on the interstate, it’s all God’s goodness.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 20

Labor Not in Vain, January 20

Texas Book-aholic, January 21

By the Book, January 21

Inklings and notions, January 22

For Him and My Family, January 23

Splashes of Joy, January 23

deb’s Book Review, January 24

Lighthouse Academy Blog, January 24 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 25

Through the Fire Blogs, January 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 26

Kayem Reads, January 26

Older & Smarter?, January 27

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 27

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, January 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 29 (Spotlight)

SusanLovesBooks, January 29

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 30

Blossoms and Blessings, January 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 1

Pause for Tales, February 1

She Lives To Read, February 2

Vicky Sluiter, February 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jill 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/186b9/searching-for-home-celebration-tour-giveaway

The post On Tour with Celebrate Lit: Searching for Home Review appeared first on Heather Greer.

Loving God More Than Tacos: Wednesday in the Word

Are we loving God more than tacos? I don’t know of many Christ claiming people who would hesitate to answer that yes they love God more than tacos. But maybe we should hesitate a little more and really look at the question objectively.

We love a lot of things in this life. Our favorite tv show gets our love. The new pair of shoes we purchased on sale gets a declaration of love. We love tacos. And we love God.

Love encompasses a wide range of feelings. I hope the way I love a pair of shoes is different than the love I have for my friend which should be different than the love I have for my spouse.

Knowing this, it should come as a no brainer that loving God should be more than loving tacos. But stick with me for a minute.

Though there are rare exceptions, everyone can agree on tacos. We may add different toppings, use different shells, and spoon on salsas with different levels of heat. But put a taco on our plate, and we’re going to eat it.

We even set aside one day a week specifically for tacos. Taco Tuesday. Great invention. One day out of every seven to make sure we get our recommended weekly allowance of tacos. Some are more diligent to keep taco Tuesday than others, but we all know about it.

We have a special holiday once a year, that while the theme of the day isn’t specifically tacos, we use it as an extra reason to have a taco. And if Cinco de Mayo falls on taco Tuesday, we know everyone is going to talk about it. And if everyone is talking, we know we’re going to have a craving by noon and a trip to our favorite Mexican restaurant to pick up dinner on the way home.

Yes, we don’t limit our taco intake to Tuesdays. If a coworker suggests ordering tacos for lunch, we’re game as long as our bank account has a few dollars in it. And if we have a craving for tacos, we’ll give in and have a taco before the day is done.

Now consider how we sometime live out loving God in our lives. We give God one day a week as His. Our weekly dose of God comes each Sunday at church. We may worship in slightly different ways. Some may be more diligent in keeping the Sabbath than others. But we recognize it as God’s day.

Twice a year, we have special holidays celebrating God. The Sundays surrounding Christmas and Easter have some of the most attended services of the year. Even those who don’t personally focus as much on  the real meanings of the days may find themselves in the seats of a church at Easter and Christmas.

And then there are those days we have a God craving. Either something so amazingly wonderful happens that we pause to thank God for the gift, or something happens that shakes us to our core. In desperation we cry out to God. We crave His help, His direction, His strength. And we turn to Him to satisfy these cravings before life returns to normal and the hunger for what He can give us fades away for a time.

This is not loving God more than tacos. It’s loving God the same way as a taco. We’re called to more. Matthew 22:37 NASB says, “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'” And we do it because God first loved us. The lengths God went to for us demonstrates His love for us. In light of His great love, how can we keep from loving Him back?

And not just with taco type love. With all-encompassing love. Love that gives Him our heart, soul, and mind. Love that says, “I am yours.” Love that allows the Holy Spirit inside us to change who we are, how we act, how we speak, and what we prioritize in our lives to reflect God in our lives.

I fall short of this so often, but I pray each day my love for God grows a little bit more. That when others look at me they see a person really loving God in how I live.

Maybe we should stop to consider it more often. Am I loving God with more than a taco type of love? Are you?

The post Loving God More Than Tacos: Wednesday in the Word appeared first on Heather Greer.

Main Character Monday Interview: Lavinia Lewis

Welcome to another Main Character Monday Interview with today’s guest, Lavinia Lewis, from Shenanigans by Heather Norman Smith. I hope you’ll stick around and have fun getting to know Lavinia a bit better. And keep reading after the interview for more on the author and Shenanigans.

Let’s get started. Lavinia, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m blessed to live in Southport, North Carolina—the Home of Salubrious breezes some call it. That fancy word means life-giving, and boy, is it the truth! My daughter, Amy Lynn, and her husband, Lee, live here also, and their two boys, Lucas and Dylan, are the light of my life, especially since my husband passed away. I’ve got wonderful friends in my retirement community, and I like the Director, too, even though he keeps threatening to kick me out.

Your family sounds wonderful. Of course, you do have me wondering why your director would threaten to kick you out, but I guess we probably need to read your story to find that out. So, tell me something about you that readers may find surprising.

Ha ha. Well, most people say I don’t look like a prankster. I guess because I’m almost eighty, and because I try to be a proper Southern lady most of the time. But a good chuckle at a well-timed whoopie cushion never hurt anybody. I like making people laugh.

I’m beginning to think I may know why your director keeps threatening you! But really, laughter is good for a person. You’re doing them a service making them laugh. Okay, next question. What is your favorite book of the Old Testament?

Proverbs. I may be getting older, but I still need all the wisdom I can get.

Don’t we all! Is there a book of the Bible you have trouble getting through?

Revelation is a little tough for me, I guess. I trust that the Lord’s plan is perfect, but for somebody who looks on the bright side of everything…well, it’s nothing to laugh about.

No, I don’t think it is. And I don’t think you’re alone in finding that one a little bit difficult. If you could meet anyone from scripture, excluding Jesus, who would it be?

Hmmm…well, I love meeting new people, so it’s hard to choose. I’ll say Isaac since his name means laughter.

I’m getting the idea that you may be a fun woman to be around, Lavinia. You sound like someone people would want to have around. We all need people. Even Jesus had twelve disciples. Which one are you most like?

Thomas. I had my doubts for a long time, but the Lord set me straight.

Jesus says we are to be His light in the world. What does this mean to you?

Oh, that’s easy. We let ‘em see we have joy, even in the dark times. When I had my stroke, when my husband died, when I was arrested—there was still plenty of joy to be found.

There you go again, Lavinia. You dropped getting arrested in there like it was an everyday occurrence. You’ve definitely got me curious, but I’ll be polite and not ask. What I will ask though is,if you could leave readers with one message, what would it be?

Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.

Very good truth for each of us. And before I let you go, I’ve got two just for fun questions for you and then a few quick fire questions.  Just shout out the first answer that comes to mind. 

If you could have a superpower, what one would you choose?

Invisibility, to make it easier to play jokes on people. Harmless ones, of course.

If offered the opportunity would you choose to travel in space?

No, I’m afraid my vertigo would get the better of me. Unless my new friend, Neville, was going. Then I might try it.

Dark or Milk Chocolate?

Both

Roses or Daisies?

Daisies

Salad or Soup?

Soup

And one last question I’m always curious about. Lavinia, how would you describe Heather Norman Smith in only three words?

Sweet young lady

I don’t know, Lavinia. You may be a prankster, but you seem like you’re an awfully sweet lady yourself. I want to thank you for being my guest today. Readers, if you have any questions for Lavinia or Heather, just drop them in the comments below. And keep reading for more about Heather Norman Smith.

About the Author:

Heather Norman Smith is a Christian Fiction and devotions author. Her goal is to use the written word to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. She is proud to be a life-long North Carolinian and aims to present the beauty of the Tar Heel State in her fiction. Her home is just outside Winston-Salem, NC, where she lives with her husband, their four children, and several pets. Along with writing and spending time with family, Heather also enjoys singing about Jesus.Website: http://www.heathernormansmith.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/heathernormansmithInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/heathernormansmithTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZML1X4NXE/Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hnsblogPurchase your copy of Shenanigans here:https://www.amazon.com/Shenanigans-Heather-Smith-ebook/dp/B085QLZWVN/

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