Julie Arduini's Blog, page 46

Fiction Finder: January 2020 New Releases

January 2020 New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Contemporary Romance:

A Rancher to Trust by Laurel Blount — After learning his ex-wife isn’t so ex after all, rebel turned rancher Dan Whitlock is determined to prove he’s a changed man…but Bailey Quinn is just as set on finally ending their marriage. When tragedy makes Dan the guardian of little orphaned twins, he and Bailey are drawn back together. But can she forgive the past and open her heart to the family she’s always wanted? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired (Harlequin))

Star Rising by Janet W. Ferguson — Star Youngblood tries to protect her employer, Mrs. Priscilla Kelly, from the woman’s neglectful son, an aspiring flight instructor who has issues with religion, but finds her own heart is at the greatest risk. (Contemporary Romanc, Independently Published)

A Promise to Keep by Melony Teague — Savannah, a widowed research librarian, goes to her twenty year class reunion and gets reacquainted with Michael, a former troublemaker who is now a professional technical rescuer. Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero? (Contemporary Romance from Anaiah Press)

General Contemporary:

A Long Time Comin by Robin W. Pearson — To hear Beatrice Agnew tell it, she entered the world with her mouth tightly shut. Just because she finds out she’s dying doesn’t mean she can’t keep it that way. If any of her children have questions about their daddy and the choices she made after he abandoned them, they’d best take it up with Jesus. There’s no room in Granny B’s house for regrets or hand-holding. Or so she thinks. Her granddaughter, Evelyn Lester, shows up on Beatrice’s doorstep anyway, burdened with her own secret baggage. Determined to help her Granny B mend fences with her far-flung brood, Evelyn turns her grandmother’s heart and home inside out. Evelyn’s meddling uncovers a tucked-away box of old letters, forcing the two women to wrestle with their past and present pain as they confront the truth Beatrice has worked a lifetime to hide. (General Contemporary from Tyndale House)

Historical Romance:

Freedom in the Mountain Wind by Misty M. Beller — A young woman faces overwhelming odds to make her father’s dream come true before he dies of lung cancer, but paddling upriver through fierce rapids and fighting hungry grizzlies to follow the Lewis and Clark trail isn’t what terrifies her the most. Beaver Tail endured more than he can stand from the women in his Blackfoot camp, but the last disaster gave him the final shove he needed to join this band of brothers searching for one of their group who’s gone missing. The last thing he expected was to find a white woman and her sick father stranded at the base of a massive waterfall. His plan is to help them carry their oversize canoe and supplies, then leave them to their strange mission. Yet, the more he learns about the pair, the more he realizes his life is about to be derailed—again. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Uncharted Promises by Keely Brooke Keith — Sybil Roberts uses the warmth of delicious meals to lift the spirits of road-weary travelers at The Inn at Falls Creek. Her life at the inn would be perfect if she could just get her brothers and mother to move back home. And if she could see Isaac Owens again. He visited the inn once when he interviewed for the farm manager job, and she’s dreamed of his return to Falls Creek ever since. Isaac Owens knows how to run a farm. His family might not have faith in him, but if he succeeds at Falls Creek, he’ll prove them wrong. He arrives at the inn thinking the job is his, but the inn’s senile owner offered the position to another man too. Isaac must spend the winter competing if he wants to win the job… and Sybil’s heart. It will take more than warm meals on cold nights for Sybil and Isaac to find love while working at the isolated inn. (Historical Romance from Edenbrooke Press)

Forever Hidden by Kimberley Woodhouse, Tracie Peterson — Sybil Roberts uses the warmth of delicious meals to lift the spirits of road-weary travelers at The Inn at Falls Creek. Her life at the inn would be perfect if she could just get her brothers and mother to move back home. And if she could see Isaac Owens again. He visited the inn once when he interviewed for the farm manager job, and she’s dreamed of his return to Falls Creek ever since. Isaac Owens knows how to run a farm. His family might not have faith in him, but if he succeeds at Falls Creek, he’ll prove them wrong. He arrives at the inn thinking the job is his, but the inn’s senile owner offered the position to another man too. Isaac must spend the winter competing if he wants to win the job… and Sybil’s heart. It will take more than warm meals on cold nights for Sybil and Isaac to find love while working at the isolated inn. (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])

The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock — On Blackwell Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving. With her late father’s fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. Do any of Edyth’s friends care that she disappeared? At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Romantic Suspense:

Secret Mountain Hideout by Terri Reed — Staying hidden has kept her alive… But now she’s been found. A remote Colorado mountain town and a fake identity have been Ashley Willis’s safe haven since fleeing after she witnessed a murder—but now the killer has found her trail. Desperate and terrified, she’s prepared to run again…but Deputy Sheriff Chase Fredrick won’t let her. With the lawman by her side, can she face danger head-on…and live long enough to bring a murderer to justice? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

50-50 by Roger Bruner, Contemporary

Shattered Treasure by Cindy Patterson, Romantic Suspense

The Contessa Is Missing by Linda Siebold, Romantic Suspense

The Forever Sky by Janalyn Voigt, Western Romance

Northern Hearts by Laurie Wood, Romantic Suspense

2010 vs 2020

Years ago I remember talking with my in-laws about when 2000 would happen. My sister-in-law said she was already creating official paperwork at her job where the dates were already in the 2000’s. Not only did that fly by, Y2K was two decades ago.

I can’t believe it’s 2020!

I thought I’d look back at the last ten years. So much has happened!

For one, these two on my left are now 21 and 16.

My father and mother-in-law are no longer with us.

Both of our older children in Wisconsin are in their 30’s, married, and with children.

We live in a different suburb.

I’m a published author.

We have a five year old, 70 pound chow lab.

We also have our father-in-law’s cat.

Our son drums for our church’s praise team.

Our daughter overcame the need for one specialist, but took on another, as well as another diagnosis we’ve navigated.

My husband had his 15 year anniversary at work, unheard of these days.

We were able to celebrate our anniversary with his first non-Navy cruise, and then take the kids on our first Disney cruise.

Our son went on a couple missions trip to NYC and served with the Dream Center.

Our son had graduation, first jobs, heartbreak, first car, and start of college.

Our daughter had elementary, middle, and the start of high school.

We gained friends. We lost friends. We re-gained friends. We grieved change.

I discovered the power of lament.

I realized yoga is helpful and I need to stop making fun of it.

I made the change from Samsung to Apple.

I learned how sensitive the adrenals are.

I spent my 40’s in learning mode. I don’t know as much as I thought I did in my 20’s and 30’s.

My hair was wavy. Then straight. Then wavy. Then curly. Red. Brown. Blondeish. Auburn. Now Graying.

I learned relying on the Holy Spirit instead of opening my mouth in marriage is soooooo wise and worth it.

I learned God can take a set of circumstances that threaten to shatter my heart, help me forgive, and actually give me the tools to enjoy life on the other side.

I still have a great set of friends in NY, and have grown closer to some in Ohio.

I’m finally embracing being an introvert.

It rarely takes me time to do what God asks. Sometimes, but not often.

I still love chocolate. And justice. And Bible studies.

I drink bulletproof coffee.

I discovered The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

I still miss Smallville.

And my dad.

That’s a snapshot of what the decade held.

What about you? Is there anything that’s familiar? Share a comment below.

Christmas According to Kids

Sometimes the Christmas season can be stressful. Let this video give you a smile and a reminder that it’s about Jesus

Give the Gift of Adventures in Odyssey Club

With the purchase of a new 12-month membership in the Adventures in Odyssey Club, you will receive the NIrV® Adventures in Odyssey Bible. This special limited time offer provides more than $140 value for just $107.88. Offer available through December 31, 2019.

Once you complete the purchase a new 12-month membership in the Adventures in Odyssey Club, you will receive an email in 3-4 business days with a special promo code and link to the online store where you will give shipping instructions for delivery of the Bible. Free standard shipping is included with the purchase of the gift set. Order by December 10th to ensure delivery of the Bible by Christmas.

Loaded with lasting value for you and tons of fun for the kids you love, click on the buttons below to purchase a 12-month membership. You will be charged $107.88 for an entire year in the Adventures in Odyssey Club, the membership will auto-renew on the anniversary date of this purchase.

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Access to more than 850 audio dramas (a $1,500 value)Videos, devotions and members-only contentSubscription to Focus on the Family Clubhouse magazine







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Explore God’s word with Whit, Connie, Eugene and Wooton.

Nearly 300 audio dramas highlightedEight illustrated comic adventures200 devotionals and 52 key verses



Wow! So much for so little! Whether you want to gift your family with a club subscription, or someone else, you only need to click HERE to learn more.

I’m a street blogger for Adventures in Odyssey. I post regular content from them in exchange for a club membership.

Adventures in Odyssey: Christmas Fun Pack

It’s Focus on the Family’s Free Resource of the Month!

Join your friends from the town of Odyssey as they go room to room at Whit’s End getting everything ready for the big Christmas celebration! Follow the story and enjoy:

Printable activitiesGamesFamily devotionsRecipes (including a Christmas-y Wod Fam Choc Sod!)Ornaments to colorStocking stuffer cards to give as gifts

How fun! I love how creative Focus on the Family and Adventures in Odyssey gets when it comes to creating products for family time and Christmas.

You don’t want to miss this. Click on the image or HERE.

I am a street blogger for Adventures in Odyssey. I receive a membership in exchange for telling you about the great things they have going on.

Give a Fresh Gift this Christmas with Lume

A few months ago I told you that I signed on as an affiliate for Lume because I finalllllllyyyy found a product that helped my over-producing hormone self. Their deodorant has been a life-saver as I sweat so much it was nothing for me to change clothes three times a day. I rubbed potato on me because I read it soaked up sweat.

I was that desperate before Lume.

Lume deodorant has proven 72-hour protection and is doctor developed for “stinky pits and private bits.”

But Lume has more, and this Christmas, I think any of their products make for great stocking stuffers. I’ve peeked at the website and they have been offering amazing deals all season. If you’re looking for soaps or creams, I encourage you to try Lume.

Julie Arduini

To look around or shop, click on the image above, or HERE.

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission for any products ordered from my link, and you’re automatically entered into a drawing to win FREE Lume products every week!

Emotional Triggers from Christmas Past

Before I share my proverbial heart on my sleeve, I have to ask—have you finished the Christmas Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt? There are 26 of us participating, and the prizes total over $500 in Amazon gift cards. You do NOT want to miss out. CLICK HERE to START.

You only need to watch the news or scroll your social media feed to see Christmas is not always the most wonderful time of the year. I was listening to my Pandora Christmas station when a song came on and it took me back not only to the movie, but the broken place I was in.

It was the year everything bottomed out. We had a chronically ill baby we’ nearly lost. My dad passed away, and it happened right when my husband got a job 300 miles away from everything and everyone I knew. During the holidays we returned for a visit, and it was beyond surreal. The grief choked everything out of us.

The movies are an escape for me, and that year I wanted to find a theater and disappear into the seat. I was numb. There were two movies that released that year that not only let me disappear, but gave me a bit of healing and hope I was going to make it.

Julie

Elf was the first movie and I completely fell for Buddy’s charms as he sought his dad and a place to belong. For an hour and a half I forgot my grief, the fact I lived in a new state and didn’t know anyone, and that most of my awake moments were wishing I was asleep, and when I should have been asleep, I was awake. I felt joy. I was lost in the story and tine innocence that was Buddy’s story.

Every time I see the movie, which you know is often because it plays all the time, I’m taken back to that year. And the movie holds up. I still love the music, the quotable quotes, the outfits, all of it. When Santa’s sleigh flies over the Big Apple, I tear up. This time, because my heart is full of whimsy.

The second movie was The Polar Express. Again, I entered the theater absolutely broken. My heart was heavy that I started crying pretty much from the opening scene. The visuals were stunning. I remember everything on that screen was just a masterpiece It was so beautiful. When the kids received their hot chocolate, I sat in my seat and sobbed. Thankfully, the screening was during the day when most people were at work, so the theater was empty. It wouldn’t have mattered. When they reached the North Pole, I was transported, mesmerized, and my eyes were puffy from crying not tears of pain, but the fact I was part of something beautiful.

Like Elf, the joy returns as soon as soon as the train engine starts in The Polar Express. Fifteen years later, I can recall that grief with little work. But I’m also on the other side of healing, and far removed from the gutted feeling I had those days. When I see these movies, I usually end up with a few tears. They trigger not the grief, but the sheer beauty they were in such a time of darkness.

I know the world considers these two movies contemporary classics, but for me, they are masterpieces. Beyond everything a movie critic would look for, they represent everything that stopped time and gave me what I desperately needed—hope.

How about you? Is there a song, movie, or even an object that takes you back to an emotional time?

Grief is the backdrop in Restoring Christmas, an inspy romance that is available for Kindle and print. It’s free for Kindle Unlimited, and all Julie Arduini December royalties for this book and my others will go toward supportful.com/foreverbeaustrong. Makes a great stocking stuffer!

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Round-Robin: Restoring Christmas

Merry Christmas! Welcome to the Christmas Round-Robin! At each author’s blog post, you will find a question that can be answered by checking out the free Amazon preview of their book. Provide the answer at this Google Form. Note: You must answer the questions for every author in the round-robin to be considered to win.

The prizes are amazing and are as follows:

(All Amazon gift cards):

1st place is $300

2nd place is $150

3rd place is $75

At the end of my post is a link to the next blog, who will provide a link to the next blog, etc., to the very end.

Restoring Christmas first appeared in the 2018 boxed set, A Christmas to Remember. One of my author goals was to participate in a boxed set, and even better, a Christmas one. I’m still pinching myself that I was able to be a part of it.

The premise for Restoring Christmas came about after I visited Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio. This is a huge attraction featuring every Christmas movie prop you can imagine. It’s a guided tour that lasts over an hour. It starts with a walk outdoors to see the infamous RV from Christmas Vacation and ends with a slide down the very slide Ralphie uses when he tells Santa he wants a Red Ryder BB gun in A Christmas Story. As I drove home completely in the Christmas mood, I started thinking.

What if someone worked at a Christmas tourist attraction and they hated Christmas?

It started as a what-if game driving, but once I joined the boxed set team, I was able to plot away. I had so much fun creating Holly, Kevin, and the sweet characters who complete Restoring Christmas. Like all my romances, I set it in Upstate NY. I based Geneseo Valley, fictional, after Geneseo (Jen-Uh-See-Oh,) the beautful village in the Finger Lakes Region where I graduated from college.

About Restoring Christmas:

Holly Christmas left Geneseo Valley and her family’s holiday tourist attraction, The Christmas Mansion, as soon as she graduated. Now both her parents have passed, and Holly returns when her uncle needs her help running the mansion. On Holly’s first day back, a blunt middle-schooler proclaims Holly hates Christmas. His comment forces her to reconcile the past while planning for the mansion’s future.

Kevin Holt is invested in offering hope to students with challenges. His best friend’s son is in Kevin’s class, and Nathan needs guidance. Their community project placement at The Christmas Mansion is an opportunity to make a positive difference. When Nathan blurts out his thoughts to the beautiful co-owner, Kevin wonders if he has what it takes to help restore the mansion to its former glory, mentor Noah, and convince Holly Christmas she’s exactly where she needs to be.

Let’s begin this scavenger hunt! Go to the book on Amazon at this link, or click below under Free Preview. What is the name of Holly’s uncle?  When you have the answer, fill out this form and head on to the next blog listed below!

Julie Arduini

Thank you so much for visiting! The next author on the tour is Rosey Lee, Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 2, http://www.roseyleebooks.com/Christmas-scavenger-hunt/. Remember that the round-robin will end on December 16th at 11:59 PM EST!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Overcomer Now Available for Digital & Pre-Order for DVD

Overcomer is now available for Digital Purchase and DVD on 12/17!

Overcomer, the #1 Inspirational movie in America by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, is now available for Digital Purchase. On December 17, you can also purchase it for DVD. Both feature over an hour of extras including “The Making of Overcomer” featurette, audio commentary, bloopers, and other content that wasn’t shown in the theaters.

ABOUT OVERCOMER:

Life changes overnight for coach John Harrison when his high school basketball team’s state championship dreams are crushed under the weight of unexpected news. When the largest manufacturing plant in town suddenly shuts down and hundreds of families begin moving away, John must come to grips with the challenges facing his family and his team. Urged by the school’s principal to fill-in and coach a sport he doesn’t know or like, John is frustrated and questioning his worth… until he crosses paths with a student struggling with her own journey.

Filled with a powerful mix of faith, a twist of humor, and a ton of heart, the Kendrick Brothers return to theaters with OVERCOMER, their newest feature following FACING THE GIANTS, FIREPROOF, COURAGEOUS, and the #1 box-office hit, WAR ROOM. The inspiring family film stars Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, Shari Rigby, Cameron Arnett, and introduces Aryn Wright-Thompson.

Now playing in theaters, OVERCOMER dares to leave you filled with hope, inspired to dream, and asks the question: what do you allow to define you?

If you saw the movie, you know the impact it has to reach families, and people of all ages and stages. There’s a powerful message not just about faith, but identity. Our church used the Bible study curriculum and we loved everything the Kendrick brothers did with this movie. I personally am a huge fan of Priscilla Shirer, and her work in Overcomer is amazing.

If you’re not sure what the movie is about, check out the trailer:

This would make a great Christmas present, so don’t wait! Also, WalMart has a gift set featuring six Kendrick movies including Overcomer.

Purchase Overcomer on Digital or pre-order DVD HERE.

Book Review: A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff

A gripping debut thriller pits a man of God against terrorists–and his own deadly past

John Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God’s calling. He’s not the sort of man one would expect to have a checkered past.

But the truth is that the man behind the pulpit preaching to his sheep was once a wolf–an assassin for the CIA. When John decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to do penance for all the lives he took. He vowed never to kill again.

Now someone wants the peaceful pastor to pay for his sins with his own life. And when a terrorist out for revenge walks into the church, John’s secrets are laid bare. Confronted with his past, he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow–even when the people he loves are in mortal danger? Will his congregation and the brave woman he’s learning to care for be caught in the cross fire? In the end, John’s life may be the only sacrifice he has left to offer. . .

Andrew Huff’s thrilling debut is not only a riveting story of suspense, it’s also a deep exploration of the moral quandaries that face those who choose to follow the Prince of Peace in a violent world.

“An action-packed nail-biter from beginning to end! . . . I couldn’t put it down.”

–Lynette Eason, best-selling, award-winning author of the Blue Justice series

There are few books that have me so enraptured that I get lost in it and move around my day. A Cross to Kill had me engaged from the first page and I stayed with it until the end. I read the teaser for the second book. I am all in when it comes to this series and author.

There was a lot to love. First, the premise. A former assassin now a pastor. What a huge life change, and with it, a lot of conflict. And secrets. It was something I had not read before, and I loved the set-up.

There were the characters. John is a conflicted man and yet a pastor. He has flaws and being in front of a pulpit doesn’t change that. Christine is a strong heroine. She’s been through literal torture and yet she can keep up with John. The secondary characters—John’s former partner and members of his congregation, add to the enjoyment.

There’s the action. It’s non-stop. I could see this as a movie or series. The goal in writing is to have constant conflict. A Cross to Kill Delivers.

If you love action movies, if you love a redemption story, if you love a hint of romance—A Cross to Kill is a must read.

I received A Cross to Kill from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated and all opinions are my own.