Robin E. Mason's Blog: Robin's Book Shelf, page 97

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 7 August 2019 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK– HOPE FOR TOMORROW by MICHELLE DE BRUIN

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 7 August 2019 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK– HOPE FOR TOMORROW by MICHELLE DE BRUIN
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WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK – HOPE FOR TOMORROW by MICHELLE DE BRUIN

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Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour (and Giveaway!) for Hope for Tomorrow by Michelle De Bruin, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

 

[image error]Title: Hope for Tomorrow

Author:Michelle De Bruin

Publisher: Mantle Rock Publishing

Release Date:October 23, 2018

Genre: Inspirational Historical Fiction

 

THE BLURB

When Logan De Witt learns of his father’s sudden death, he returns home to the family’s dairy farm. During his stay, he discovers his mother’s struggle with finances and his younger sister’s struggle with grief. Concern for his family presses Logan to make the difficult decision to leave his career as a pastor and stay on the farm. As a way to make some extra money, he agrees to board the teacher for their local school.

Karen Millerson arrives from Chicago ready to teach high school but her position is eliminated so she accepts the role of country school teacher. Eager to put her family’s ugly past behind her, Karen begins a new career to replace the trust she lost in her own father who had been in ministry when she was a child.

Logan and Karen both sense a call from the Lord to serve him, but neither of them expected that one day they would do it together.

Can Karen learn to trust again? Will Logan lay aside his grief in exchange for God’s purpose for his life?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

 

EXCERPT

Following God’s leading would jeopardize her teaching career. Karen hadn’t been at teacher’s college for long before she learned that married women weren’t allowed to teach. Saying “yes” to God would mean saying “no” to everything she’d worked for, everything she hoped would bring her security.

Maybe she could let her pain and her fears go. If she did, God’s way might be better. He could have her teaching career. She’d also give Him those places that were still hurt and searching. The Lord could bring healing and peace in the way He chose.

 

THE AUTHOR

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Michelle De Bruin is a worship leader and spiritual services provider. She lives in Iowa with her husband and two teenage sons. A romantic at heart, Michelle is always looking for glimpses of God’s love through the window of a good story.

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE:  Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOUR GIVEAWAY

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(1) winner will receive a prize pack that includes a print copy of Hope for Tomorrow and a $25 gift card plus a set of handmade quilted hot pads and Dutch chocolate.

Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight August 5, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on August 12, 2019. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

 

 

#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday, Featured Book, Hope for Tomorrow, Michelle de Bruin

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 6 August 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – JESSIE’S HOPE by JENNIFER HALLMARK

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 6 August 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – JESSIE’S HOPE by JENNIFER HALLMARK
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TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – JESSIE’S HOPE by JENNIFER HALLMARK

 

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THE BLURB

Can a sliver of hope lead to everlasting love?

Years ago, an accident robbed Jessie Smith’s mobility. It also stole her mother and alienated her from her father. When Jessie’s high school sweetheart Matt Jansen proposes, her parents’ absence intensifies her worry that she cannot hold on to those she loves.

With a wedding fast approaching, Jessie’s grandfather Homer has a goal to find the perfect dress for “his Jessie,” one that would allow her to forget, even if for a moment, the boundaries of her wheelchair. But financial setbacks and unexpected sabotage hinder his plans.

Determined to heal from her past, Jessie initiates a search for her father. Can a sliver of hope lead to everlasting love when additional obstacles—including a spurned woman and unpredictable weather—highjack Jessie’s dream wedding?

 

THE AUTHOR

[image error]Jennifer Hallmark is a writer of Southern fiction and has published over 200 articles and interviews on the internet, short stories in several magazines, and been part of three book compilations. She is looking forward to the release on June 17th of her debut novel, Jessie’s Hope.

Jennifer’s website, Alabama-Inspired Fiction, and the group blog she co-founded, focus on her books, love of the South, and helping writers. She sends out a monthly newsletter, which you can subscribe to at her author page.

Jennifer and her husband, Danny, have spent their married life in Alabama and have a basset hound, Max. She loves to read detective fiction from the Golden Age, watch movies like LOTR, and play with her grandchildren. At times, she writes.

When she’s not working in the garden or keeping the grandkids, you can find her at:

http://www.jenniferhallmark.com

https://www.inspiredprompt.com

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferhallmark

https://www.facebook.com/authorjenniferhallmark

https://twitter.com/JenHwrites

https://www.pinterest.com/jenlhallmark989/

 

MY REVIEW

Ms. Hallmark drew this reader right into her story world, country living at its finest. A very real, down to earth, honest story, people dealing with the hand life has dealt them.

Add to the mix Jessie’s perspective from her wheelchair and one financial setback after another, and it seems she is without hope.

But God.

Ms. Hallmark wove threads of faith and providence so neatly into the fabric of this story. I so longed for Jessie to have her dream wedding, for the obstacles to fade away—and my heart cringed for her every time she settled for what would make do—‘cause this reviewer has been there.

I fell in love a little bit with Matt, too, for his true-blue heart and utter devotion to Jessie. I wept, I raged, and I rejoiced, and I gasped a few times at unexpected twists in the story.

A beautifully told story that drew me in from the beginning and didn’t let go till the last page.

 

ROBIN’S FEATHERS

[image error]ALL | THE | FEATHERS!

 

 

I purchased this book, and offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my own honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

 

#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, Jessie’s Hope, Jennifer Hallmark

BLOGWORDS – Monday 5 August 2019 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – TONI SHILOH

BLOGWORDS – Monday 5 August 2019 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – TONI SHILOH
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NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – TONI SHILOH
 
Street Team Blessings

 

One of the blessings in my writing journey has come from my street team. My awesome group of reader friends bless me every day. They pray for me, create memes for me, read my books, and share about them to people they know. All of that blesses me, but honestly, the moment they requested to be on my team blessed me.

 

There are tons of writers out there. Great writers! I should know, I eagerly read their books and wait for the next one. That there are readers who wish to join my team is huge!

 

In the past, I’ve had a street team that I stick with on a year basis. In November, I share the signup form with my current street team in case they wish to remain the following year. After that, I share with the public. In December I notify those I chose to add to my team and say goodbye to those who had to leave for various reasons.

 

However, next year, I’m thinking of revamping my team to be a book by book basis. The reason is so I can get the most impact for each book. That gives people who have the time to influence for me and those who don’t have the time, to step aside guilt free.

 

I plan on having daily interaction that will focus on the current book, talking about our favorite scenes/lines, and even giveaways.

 

If you’re a reader, what do you like about street teams? What don’t you like? Your comments will help me ensure I do a good job in the future.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Virginia Chapter.

 

http://tonishiloh.com.  

www.facebook.com/authortonishiloh  

www.twitter.com/tonishilohwrite  

www.pinterest.com/tonishiloh 

www.instagram.com/tonishiloh 

www.goodreads.com/tonishiloh  

www.bookbub.com/authors/toni-shiloh  

and newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/cmNFKD 

 

GIVEAWAY

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Toni is offering an eBook copy of Risking Love.

Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway will begin at 12:00 A.M. on Monday 5 August and end at 12:00 A.M. on Monday 12 August. Giveaway is subject to the policies found on Robin’s Nest.

 

RAFFLECOPTER
ENTER HERE

 

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#Blogwords, New Week New Face, #NWNF, Guest Post, Toni Shiloh

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 3 August 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY-on-SATURDAY – BOOK REVIEW – ECHOES OF EDISTO by C. HOPE CLARK

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 3 August 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY-on-SATURDAY – BOOK REVIEW – ECHOES OF EDISTO by C. HOPE CLARK
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TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – ECHOES OF EDISTO by C. HOPE CLARK
 

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THE BLURB

Murder came in with the tide . . .

Edisto Island is a paradise where people escape from the mainstream world. Yet for newly sworn-in Edisto Police Chief Callie Jean Morgan, the trouble has just begun . . .

When a rookie officer drowns in a freak crash in the marsh, Callie’s instincts tell her it wasn’t an accident. As suspects and clues mount, Callie’s outlandish mother complicates the investigation, and Callie’s long-time friendship with Officer Mike Seabrook takes a turn toward something new–but is shadowed by the unsolved mystery of his wife’s death. Everyone’s past rises to the surface, entangling with death that cuts to the bone.

The roar of the surf made Callie’s steps soundless, her thoughts louder. Two and a half weeks on the job, and she’d lost an officer. Edisto hadn’t sacrificed an officer in its entire history, and the first female chief had to be the one to break the record.

THE AUTHOR

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Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters.com , a writer’s resource awarded 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer’s Digest Magazine each year for over a decade. Her weekly publications reach 40,000 readers. She works from her study overlooking Lake Murray in beautiful central South Carolina.

Hope comes alive at conferences across the country, from Mississippi to Oklahoma, from Pennsylvania to Florida, South Carolina to Iowa. She motivates and educates writers to step up, take charge, and create their careers. Her latest FFW release often discussed at conferences is The Shy Writer Reborn: An Introverted Writer’s Wake-up Call.

Hope, however, is most excited in her mystery fiction. She’s the author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series, published by Bell Bridge Books, Memphis, TN. With an agriculture degree from Clemson University and a two-decade history of working with US Dept of Agriculture, Hope can walk the walk of protagonist Carolina Slade who reviewers are falling in love with per the long list of five-star reviews at Amazon.

However, Hope branched out with The Edisto Island Mysteries in 2014 with Murder on Edisto, Edisto Jinx in 2015, and Echoes of Edisto in summer 2016. Her writing voice now well seasoned, she dives into a coastal world with Callie Jean Morgan, who finds that the beach isn’t all that relaxing. The series is set on Edisto Beach, South Carolina, Hope’s second home.

 

MY REVIEW

Highly recommend this book, this series. What I don’t recommend—reading them in reverse order! LOL

This book jerks the reader in and doesn’t let go! A tragedy in the first pages, this story keeps building, twist after unexpected twist to the last page.

Callie Morgan has become a favorite character, clawing her way through personal tragedy—tragedies—and tumult. And she rises above every time. This reviewer is all too familiar with Callie’s urge to give up—and her drive to keep going.

If I had a list of handsome hunky characters I’d like to step off the page, Mike Seabrook would be one. His commanding stature and his gentle manner wins every time.

The dynamic between Callie and Mike, the tension in this story, the setting—I could almost smell the briny marsh as I read. All too typical stereotyping, a control freak mother, and a quirky neighbor make this story real and genuine.

 

NOTE: To my readers who are off put by cuss words, there is some vulgar language in this book, and one particularly steamy scene.

 

ROBIN’S FEATHERS

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I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

 

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Sarah lived. Francis died. And somebody had to be disappointed at that freakish turn of events, because she suspected it was meant to be the other way around. Crime was for people who lived across the big bridge on the mainland. But whether the natives liked it or not, the brake lines were cut on Edisto. She didn’t want to go down that path, but one of them might be a frustrated, unfulfilled killer.

 

#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Saturday, #TRD, Book Review, Echoes of Edisto, C. Hope Clark

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 1 August 2019 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – JENNIFER MAJOR

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 1 August 2019 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – JENNIFER MAJOR
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CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – JENNIFER MAJOR

“Redeeming History. Restoring mercy.”

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“I write about grace, history, justice, and what happens when you put all three together.”

 

Please join me in giving a feathered welcome to Jennifer Major.

FAST FAVES

Eggs or Pancakes  CARBS, BABY!!  (rem: YESSS!)

Paperback or Kindle  Kindle, I have arthritic hands and books are hard to hold

Thornton or Darcy  Darcy

 

rem:  Hullo, Jennifer, and welcome to my little nest. Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?

JENNIFER :  I was raised in Vancouver, BC, which is the most beautiful city in the world. It’s also the most expensive! We left years ago! Now my husband and I live in a little ‘burb outside Fredericton, New Brunswick.

rem:  Oh! Vancouver is gorgeous country! Tell us three random things about yourself no one knows.

JENNIFER :  I despise pepper. I never wear polyester shirts. I think red looks ridiculous on redheads.

rem:  Ya, I’m not a fan of polyester, either. But I do like red… Do you have a favorite Bible verse? And why is it a favorite?

JENNIFER :  Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” It lays out how one should live and leaves no room for the “Yeah, but” role of humans trying to add their own spin.

rem:  Yes! Yes! Yes! Essentially a concise image of God Himself, and how we are to imitate that. (sounds so easy, doesn’t it?) What is your favourite quotation and why?

JENNIFER :  “Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.” It teaches us to strive and stay steady when giving up, or in, is so tempting.

rem:  I’ve also heard that called “the tyranny of the urgent.” Such a valuable lesson to keep our focus and not be distracted by all.the.noise around us. What’s the most random thing in your bag or on your desk?

JENNIFER :  My book of Navajo medicinal plants.

rem:  Now, that sounds fascinating. If you could spend an evening with a fictional character, who would it be and why?

JENNIFER : Ohhh, great question!! Anne Shirley would be a fine conversationalist. I’d interrupt her and suggest that she accept her beautiful hair, and go easy on poor Marilla, and keep Matthew close to the house on that fateful day.

 

rem:  Great choice! What do you think is significant about Christian fiction?  How has being a novelist impacted your relationship with Christ?

JENNIFER :  In its essence, Christian fiction picks up the use of parables (rem: YESSS!)

and continues the importance that Jesus placed on a good story that had an impact and taught without heavy-handed preaching and guilt-tripping. Writing has made me so much more aware of how smart readers are, and how deep they will go with a character. It’s also made me lean fully on Him, because this is a hard gig.

rem:  So true, Jennifer. Readers are smart creatures. I know I don’t appreciate it when I’m reading to have the author oversimplify or overstate something—like I’m / we’re too dumb to get it.  When reading, what makes or breaks a story for you? Your fiction pet peeve?

JENNIFER :  Preachy characters who turn every, single, solitary conversation into a sermon and deeply profound theological life lesson. (rem: YESSSS!!!! UGH!!!)  Seriously, most 20-somethings do not have the levels of seminary knowledge that I’ve seen some characters display in some books. That, and fictional homesteading men who smell like fresh-mown hay. Come on. They smell, all right…

rem:  Exactly! What are you reading right now?

JENNIFER :  A pile of books (opens arms wide) that thick!

rem:  Bahahahah!! Looks like my TRB, um, pile, list, catalogue…  Borrowing a question from your website, “What exactly is a Canadian doing writing about Navajo history?”

JENNIFER :  Well, that’s a really good question! When I made the choice to finally start writing fiction (after decades of my husband telling me to give it a try) I looked up ‘New Mexico history’. The first story was on The Long Walk of the Navajo and the prison camp known as Bosque Redondo. I could not fathom how such a horrible event could happen, and then I had fiction writer’s light bulb moment of “what if…” . I’ve done years and years of research, and interviewed all kinds of people, including the grandchildren of survivors. This is their story, I just wrote it down.

rem:  Now, that’s dedication! What is the most fascinating bit of Navajo history have you discovered?

JENNIFER :  That they traded knowledge and plants with a Spanish noblewoman in the early 1600s and up until 1864, Canyon de Chelly had vast peach orchards.

rem:  That is fascinating, indeed.  You had a bit of an upset in your writing career last year. What happened in 2013 to make you never doubt your calling?

JENNIFER :  Oh my, yes! After an intense week of research (conversation and exploration) in November, I’d been praying for God to let me know if I was doing the right thing, and on the right path. I said goodbye to my hosts and boarded a train from Gallup to Albuquerque. My seat mate was a man named Max Perez. I initially didn’t want to talk to anyone, and he was having none of my exhausted introvert behavior. So, when he asked me what I was doing in New Mexico, I said “well, Max. I’m on a research trip for my writing. But today, I’ve been praying that God would tell me if I’m doing what He wants me to do” thinking that the mention of God would send him running. Nope. Max was a kind and gregarious man, and knew how to draw me out, and long story short, he wanted to hear the about the book. I tried to give him the standard elevator pitch, but noooo…he wanted names, locations, the whole thing. So, first, I told him that the main character was named Nez and had changed his name to Natanii. He blinked, then said “when we’re done, ask me the name of my first school.” I thought, Lord, how is this relevant? What kind of request is that? Anyway, over the time it took to tell the story, yes he’d interrupted and asked a few hundred questions, then he looked me in the eyes and said “Okay, now ask me the name of my first school.”

Okay, whatever, talk about self-absorbed, eh?

I said “Max, what is the name of your first school?”

He got all serious and stoic and said “Jennifer, the name of my first school is Natanii Nez Elementary School. You’re where God wants you to be, and you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”

BOOM. My heart stopped and I had chills so bad that I needed a sweater!

Yes, I repeat that moment to myself A LOT.

rem:  Jennifer, I love this story! Gives me chills! Do you have a new direction?

JENNIFER :  Yes, since the Navajo books are hard to sell, and getting a new agent is proving to be just as hard. I’m currently working on some contemporaries, and a World War Two novel.

rem:  Hard call to make, to put your passion aside, but I can’t wait to see where your stories go. (and I suspect, perhaps, a contemporary Navajo might pop up in a story somewhere.  #winkwink)  Tell us a little about your writing journey.

JENNIFER :  I started out thinking I knew what to do. I did not have a CLUE!! So I wrote, and studied craft and history books and rewrote everything I’d written. That only took a few years.

rem:  GURL! Didn’t we all! What are your top 3 recommendations for a new writer? What 3 things would recommend not doing?

JENNIFER :

3 recommendations: 1) Study the craft. 2)Be humble. 3) Learn that good critiques are not about you, they’re about your work, and listen to what your more experienced mentors are saying.

3 Nos: Never think you’re the one to break the rules and get away with it, only the big names can do that and they earned the right to do stuff a newb couldn’t do. 2) Never ever think that your work is unlike anything ever written and is the next (insert blockbuster here) 3) Do not friend a writer and then 30 seconds later ask them for something. Ever. That is beyond tactless and will get you nowhere fast.

rem:  100% agree, especially that last bit! Beyond rude!!  #petpeeve  How do you choose your characters’ names?

JENNIFER :  I had to learn that Navajo names are different from the names given in other Indigenous cultures, then choose from a list, and then I had to get approval from my Navajo mentor. Oh, there’s another extremely important point. When crossing into a culture not your own, study, study, study, and find a mentor willing to help you. And be ready for correction and always be humble about it.

rem:  Learnt something new! I love learning details like that. (and have a particular fondness for Indigenous cultures—because of a fictional story! Which happened to be set in Navajo territory and culture. #winkwink )  Do you think of the entire story before you start writing?

JENNIFER :  I have an outline of how I want the story to go, but occasionally things change.

rem:  Tell us a little about your latest book? What is your current project?

JENNIFER :  I have a few on the stove, but I’ll tell you about one…it’s a contemporary about an African-American NFL player/social media bad-boy named Carter Trane who falls for a white woman named Maisie Owens who’s in Witness Protection… because her father led a Klan murder.

rem:  Holy oy! Might be a teeny bit of conflict there! What is YOUR favorite part about the book or why do you love this book? Why should we read it?

JENNIFER :  Maisie falls hard for Carter, but knows that one photo of the two of them could bring her father’s wrath down on them both, so after a short romance, Maisie leaves a note for Carter and tells him that she can’t stand that he’s black and he makes her sick. Then she tries to escape to New Zealand. His father is with the FBI and helps Carter, who is livid and heart-broken, catch her before she gets on a plane. When Carter finds out who she is, and that the hate-filled note was a lie, and that Maisie tried to sacrifice to her father to keep Carter alive, Carter realizes just how deeply she loves him. I think readers are more than ready to go to hard places and meet people for whom love is about where we go as a person, to laugh and swoon a lot, and to come away from the story ready to go back to page 1.

rem:  #swoons!! And I agree, Jennifer—at least I know I would rather read stories with real issues, tough things we deal with in real life. (It’s what I write, too.) Please give us the first page of the book.

JENNIFER :

Monday, January 13th.

Vancouver, BC.

7:14am

Maisie hit the snooze button before the familiar tinny shrill could blast into her brain again.

She hauled her pillow back over her head and snuggled in the warmth of her bed to wait out the six minutes of peace.

When the ringtone version of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera chorus Va’, pensiero once more trilled beside her head, Maisie sat up, shoved aside the pile of crumpled tissues from last night’s marathon crying-jag, and picked up her phone. She stared at the screen shot of a seagull in flight over Spanish Banks. It’d been a gorgeous day in July and she and Libby were tossing French fries up into the air for the birds.

Va’, pensiero, sull’ali dorate. Italian for ‘fly thoughts, on wings of gold’.

Such a beautiful choral piece and so perfectly suited to her life. Loss, pain, heartbreak, and the undying will to survive. If that was on a t-shirt, Maisie would buy ten of them. Which wasn’t pathetic or maudlin at all.

Maisie balled her fists and punched the covers. She seriously needed to suck it up.

Then again, what did her dear departed foster mother say whenever Maisie tried way too hard to prove that she had titanium nerves and a Kevlar spine? “Maisie, I know you’re strong, but even the bravest soldiers know when to seek cover and wait for reinforcements.”

The chorus trilled again.

 Ah, if only she could fly like thoughts on wings of gold and escape, like the captive Hebrew slaves in the Verdi opera, if only just for a day.

One day—one lousy day—far away from the wet, oppressive chill that was Vancouver in January. Maybe somewhere exotic, with a warm husband who wouldn’t know about her skeletons. Then again, if that were to happen? There’d be some real ones. Starting with hers.

“Get a grip. Just where would you go, huh? You can barely handle life now, running away again won’t solve anything. Be the strong woman you always are. Take life by the horns and live.”

Sure.

Suuuuure.

Live? As if.

“Or? Maybe just get up.”

There was no need to turn on her bedside lamp because it had been on since she’d crawled into bed the night before at the wild and crazy hour of 9pm. She didn’t need to go to bed at such an early hour, but her options last night were to either keep crying or go to sleep. Either way, the pain in her chest was the same, the echoes throughout her big apartment were the same, and as it had been since she watched her foster parent’s ashes float away in the wind off Lighthouse Point, the crippling, soul-gutting loneliness was the same.

If loneliness was crippling, then regret was what kicked away the crutches. The regret of following the Bennett’s s wishes and setting their ashes into the wind over the ocean knocked Maisie to the ground. Oh, to have an actual grave to visit. Somewhere to sit and talk to the only loving parents she’d ever had. But that decision, like most of the other choices in her life, was non-negotiable and out of her hands, at least that what the Bennett’s s lawyers said.

One thing that was in her hands, so to speak, was remaining safely alone. No one could tell her what to do, or when to do it. Which was just an excuse the lonely told themselves in order to stay sane

Although, it might be nice to share a couch on a rainy night and watch a movie with someone special. Or play a game of checkers. Or even learn chess. But the downside to that was always the truth. The truth could set you free. Or it could kill you.

Mostly kill you.

Maisie slammed her palms on the bed. “All right. That’s it. Get off the Pity Train and get it together. Besides, if I’m lucky, maybe Bardon will come by and make me nauseous with his fishy handshake.”

Ugh, maybe a long hot shower would do her good.

So would staying as quiet as a mouse, as solitary as a lone wolf, and as invisible as a faded beige wallflower.

If she could do that? Maisie would stay alive.

Too bad that quiet, solitary, and invisible were already killing her.

rem:  There’s a lot in them there words! Jennifer, I do like your style. (no surprise there, eh!)  What is one take-away from your book(s) that you hope readers identify with?

JENNIFER :  Love takes sacrifice. Sometimes we have to be that sacrifice.

rem:  Not easy, but oh! so true! And so worth it. Anything you’d like to add?

JENNIFER :  Thank you so much for this, it’s been great!!

rem:  So glad to have you visit my little nest, Jennifer. Thank you so much for chatting with us today!

 

www.jennifermajorbooks.com

https://www.facebook.com/JenniferMajorWriter

https://twitter.com/JJumping

https://www.instagram.com/jennifermajor1989/

 

 

“Sometimes when the crowd has left, or never showed up, but you believe in your skills and talents, and you’re standing on the stage, you have to choose to keep the show going because someday the lights will come on. When they do, you have to be ready.”

 

 

 

#Blogwords, Chat Thursday, Author Interview, Jennifer Major

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 31 July 2019 – GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY – CREATING AN ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL BLOG – KRISTENA MEARS – GIVEAWAY WINNER

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 31 July 2019 – GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY – CREATING AN ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL BLOG – KRISTENA MEARS – GIVEAWAY WINNER

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BLOGWORDS – GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY – CREATING AN ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL BLOG – KRISTENA MEARS – GIVEAWAY WINNER

“Maybe you have to know the darkness to truly appreciate the light.”— Madeleine L’Engle

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“God whispers to our hearts and our hearts whisper back in stories.” – Karen Ball

 

 

WINNER! WINNER!

 

Congratulations to

LES M.

Kristena will be in touch with you to send your gift!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“I’ve always had voices—er, stories in my head. I once said I should write them all down so someone could write them someday. I had no idea at the time that someone was me!”

 

Ms. Mason has been writing since 1995.  She lived with depression for many years, and the inherent feelings of worthlessness and invisibility; she didn’t want to be who she was and struggled with her own identity for many years.  Her characters face many of these same demons. They encounter situations that force the question, “Who am I really?”

For all who have ever wondered who you are or why you’re here, Mason’s stories will touch you in a very real—maybe too real—and a very deep way. “I know, I write from experience.”

 

Ms. Mason is a Christian and writes from a Christian world view, but some of her characters are not believers and therefore do not abide by the Bible and the guidelines for life that we take for granted. Her books contain some mild swear language in a few places—and demonstrate the difference when the grace of God prevails.

 

https://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Author.Robin.E.Mason/

http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/e/B00MR5IQ9S

https://twitter.com/amythyst212

http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/

https://www.instagram.com/robinemason212/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-e-mason-a323b142/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7808042.Robin_E_Mason

 

GIVEAWAY

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Robin is offering an e-copy of one of her books, winner’s choice.

 

“There is freedom waiting for you on the breezes of the sky. And you ask, What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?” —Erin Hanson

 

 

#Blogwords, Guest Post and Giveaway, Creating an Active and Successful Blog, Giveaway Winner, #WINNER

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 30 July 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – REFUGE AT PINE LAKE by ROSE CHANDLER JOHNSON

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 30 July 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – REFUGE AT PINE LAKE by ROSE CHANDLER JOHNSON
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TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – REFUGE AT PINE LAKE by ROSE CHANDLER JOHNSON

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Review tour with Singing Librarian Books Tours.

 

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THE BLURB

Robin Lancaster, a twenty-six-year-old former kindergarten teacher, has her summer and her life all figured out. She’s ready to be on her own, writing and illustrating her children’s stories at her family’s beloved lake house. Once there, she intends to rekindle a romance with Caleb Jackson, the area’s top hunting and fishing guide, and bag him for herself. Complications arise from the start when Robin finds out her mother has rented the lake house to a man they know nothing about.

Matthew McLaughlin, forty-year-old widowed university professor and author from California, shows up at Pine Lake in crisis. A sabbatical might be his only hope to save much more than his career. He needs a place of refuge. Sharing the lake house with a lighthearted young woman and her dog is the last thing on his mind.

Caleb Jackson has his own plans. He’s used to things going his way, but a man staying in Robin’s house presents unforeseen challenges. When paths unavoidably entangle for these three, hearts are on the line.

 

THE AUTHOR

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Rose Chandler Johnson’s award-winning devotional journal, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments released in July 2013. Her devotions, poems, short stories and articles have appeared in numerous publications over the years. My Father’ House is Rose’s first novel. Rose has lived near Augusta, GA for the last thirty-two years. For the last twenty plus years, Rose has been a French and English teacher. Currently she is an adjunct English instructor at a technical college. Rose enjoys baking, gardening, and spending time with her six children and their growing families. Another devotional is in the works and another Southern lit novel, coming March 2019.

 

 

MY REVIEW

Delicious prose wrapped this reader from the first pages. I was drawn to Robin (and not just because of her name!) because she’s an artist and a writer, and because she has an overbearing mother. While I admire her tenacity, I wanted to throttle her for her obstinate attraction to the wrong guy!

Though not for the same reasons, I felt Matthew’s crushed spirit, his lack of motivation. And though I’ve not been there, I understood his resentment at his friend’s intervention.

The setting was vivid, the telling captivating, and I felt as though I was right in the scenes, a silent witness to the secrets and twists in this story.

Ms. Johnson peeled back this story, bit by bit and layer at a time, as both Robin and Matt worked through their issues, and faced the future—and grappled with their growing attraction to each other—and kept this reader turning page after page.

 

ROBIN’S FEATHERS

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I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

 

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#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, Refuge at Pine Lake, Rose Chandler Johnson, Singing Librarian Books Tours

BLOGWORDS – Monday 29 July 2019 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – DAVID RAWLINGS

BLOGWORDS – Monday 29 July 2019 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – DAVID RAWLINGS
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NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – DAVID RAWLINGS
 
What is the best option for an international author – traditional or indie?

 

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When I started this writing journey, one of my first considerations was not what to write or how to write it. It was this: which path will I go down? Do it myself or follow a more traditional route? But ultimately, how am I going to get this story out to readers and share it with the world?

 

All writers face that decision – some early in the piece, some later when one option hasn’t worked out.  But for me, there was another wrinkle to complicate things. I’m an Australian writer, looking longingly at a marketplace in America, where I feel compelled to launch my story.

 

This raised the question – which is better for a writer hoping to break into an international market? There are a number of considerations that I went through to find the answer for me, and I thought I’d raise them here for you if you’re wondering about the best path for you to take.

 

So, what are the pros and cons of indie publishing v traditional publishing if you’re an international author? There is no “one size fits all” – you need to identify the best fit you

 

Considerations: Indie publishing

Getting into the market is hard enough, getting into a marketplace that is far removed from your own location is even harder. Indie publishing removes that – it gives you the chance to publish anyway, and notify this new market that you’re around.

BUT …

When you’re removed from the marketplace, you probably don’t have any presence that you can trade on. This will take time to build
If you’re marketing, you have control over what you do. (You have to – there is no-one else to do it ). And you’re not limited to other’s timings or their priorities.

BUT …

You’re now drawing from your own resources – time and money. It’s worth considering both, but particularly the time element. We tend to focus on the money side of things easily, but your time is also finite. What can you afford to take time to invest in?

 

Considerations: Traditional publishing

If you are removed from a marketplace, a traditional publisher will help you break into it faster. If you don’t have contacts in that market, you’ll need time to build up your profile. While it will still take time with a traditional publisher, it will help speed things up.

BUT …

It’s hard. You don’t need me to tell you that, but you’re now in the mix with all other aspiring authors who are trying to get in front of a traditional publisher as well.
A traditional publisher will allow you to work with a team of people who will partner with you as you develop your novel.

BUT …

You will need to get used to working remotely, and not talking to them easily on the phone or even in face-to-face meetings. You can’t just drop in, or seek support and comfort over a coffee. My publisher is in Nashville, and there is a 14.5 hour time difference. So scheduling meetings requires a constant thinking across a handful of time zones. And all of my emails from them come in overnight. That might not sound much, but it can slow things down and change the way you work.

 

So which way did I go? In the end, I pursued a traditional path, pitching agents and publishers with an award-nominated manuscript. It took a while – see above – but I’m now with the Steve Laube Agency, and my debut novel – The Baggage Handler – was published in March by 2019.

 

That’s not to say traditional is better. It was for me in the early stages of my fiction career, but it’s important to evaluate the best option for you, considering all that’s required so that your fiction writing journey isn’t just productive, but also enjoyable.

 

 

 

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David Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father-of-three who loves humor and a clever turn-of-phrase. Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication. Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face.

 

His debut novel, The Baggage Handler, is available from a range of book stories and online via http://books2read.com/baggage.

 

His second novel, The Camera Never Lies, will be available from December 3.

 

www.davidrawlings.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/DavidRawlingsAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/davidrawlingsauthor/

https://twitter.com/DavidJRawlings

 

 

#Blogwords, New Week New Face, #NWNF, Guest Post, David Rawlings

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 27 July 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY-on-SATURDAY – BOOK REVIEW – AFTER A FASHION by JEN TURANO

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 27 July 2019 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY-on-SATURDAY – BOOK REVIEW – AFTER A FASHION by JEN TURANO
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TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY-on-SATURDAY – BOOK REVIEW – AFTER A FASHION by JEN TURANO

                                                                             

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THE BLURB

Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself out of an income.

Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiance cause the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.

Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can’t make her fashionable. She’ll never truly fit into Oliver’s world, but just as she’s ready to call off the fake relationship, fancy dinners, and elegant balls, a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.

 

THE AUTHOR

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Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/  or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com  She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

 

 

 

 

 

MY REVIEW

Oh! the quirkiness of this story!! I adore reading Ms. Turano’s books for the snarky and sparkling dialogue, and the witty and loveable characters.

A quirky story is, entertaining characters are, this story is cute and entertaining.

Harriet Peabody was a spunky lady, a survivor in a string of cruelties life had dealt her. Behavior and attitude not conforming to the social norms of the day, Harriet landed herself in one predicament after another.

Oliver Addleshaw (love these names!) was intent on business, and besting Cornelius Vanderbilt in amassing wealth.

Thrown together by quirky circumstances, Harriet and Oliver have no intention of crossing paths again. Ms. Turano tosses more quirky situations, throwing them together in one twist after another.

I laughed and I gasped and I cheered them on to the final twist and the last page.

 

ROBIN’S FEATHERS

[image error]ALL | THE | FEATHERS!

 

 

I purchased this book, and offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my own honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

 

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#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day-on-Saturday, #TRD, Book Review, After a Fashion, Jen Turano

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 25 July 2019 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DAVID CORBETT – GIVEAWAY WINNER

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 25 July 2019 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DAVID CORBETT – GIVEAWAY WINNER

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CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DAVID CORBETT – GIVEAWAY WINNER

 

“What can you learn from a murderer? How one moment of your life can change it for the worst forever. How some mistakes can’t be corrected.”

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“What I discover as I’m writing a given scene or chapter is that the first couple of drafts only descend so far into the emotional, dramatic, and experiential truth of the situation. I sometimes describe the process as working out a preliminary sketch then gradually, slowly, layering on the color.”

 

WINNER! WINNER!

 

Congratulations to

TRACY URSCHLER

and

JODI HASSELL

David will be in touch with you to send your gift!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Corbett is the award-winning author of the writing guides The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible” – Elizabeth Brundage) and The Compass of Character, which Writer’s Digest will publish in October 2019.  He has published six novels, including 2018’s The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday, nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery. His short fiction has been selected twice for Best American Mystery Stories, and his non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Narrative, Bright Ideas, and Writer’s Digest, where he is a contributing editor. He has taught at the UCLA Writer’s Program, Litreactor, Book Passage, and at writing conferences across North America and Mexico, and is a monthly contributor to Writer Unboxed, an award-winning blog dedicated to the craft and business of fiction.

 

http://www.davidcorbett.com/

https://www.amazon.com/David-Corbett/e/B001HD3GQY?

https://writerunboxed.com/

https://www.facebook.com/David-Corbett-157804457579661/

https://twitter.com/DavidCorbett_CA

https://www.instagram.com/davidroguedogcorbett/

 

“Those of us who have made major changes in our lives can most likely point to a moment when death or mortality made an indelible, inescapable impression on how we thought about ourselves and our lives. Basically, we found ourselves saying, “I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to be this person anymore… whether you rise up or give up, it’s your choice.”

 

GIVEAWAY

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David is offering a print copy of The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday to two winners.

 

…what makes a journey truly memorable is defined largely if not entirely by what happens that wasn’t or couldn’t be planned.

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#Blogwords, Chat Thursday, Author Interview, David Corbett, Giveaway Winner, #WINNER