Aloha Rose: From the Quilts of Love Series

 

About the book: When Laney Carrigan's adoptive parents encourage her as an adult to seek out her birth family, her only clue is the Lokelani quilt in which she was found wrapped as an infant. Centering her search on the Big Island, she battles fears of rejection from a family that abandoned her once before while her faith struggles to embrace God's love.Along the path to her true heritage, she meets Hawaiian cowboy/helicopter pilot, Kai Barnes. Kai is determined to protect the people he's come to regard as family against a woman he suspects of being nothing more than a gold-digger, but he finds himself drawn to Laney in spite of his reservations. He's spent his entire life seeking forgiveness from past mistakes and longs for a second chance at happiness. Laney's painstaking journey to find restoration and a place to belong among the breathtaking allure of the Big Island will lead her closer to her past and maybe even something more.
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qKmVW

Meet the author: Lisa Carter has been published in MomSense and Christian Parenting Today. Lisa is currently teaching music at a preschool and enjoying the enthusiasm and joy for life for which preschoolers are famous. She and David have two beautiful daughters.  Find out more at: http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com

My Thoughts About The Book:  I loved the characters in this book.  My most favorite were Kai and Laney. Both of them had dark childhood issues and I found myself hoping the two would find peace with their pasts and learn to accept love. Carter is a master with character development and I found I was hooked from the very first chapter. This book is more than a love story, it is a story of hope, love, and finding keys to the past. 

Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Litfuse Publishing Group  in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Twelve Days of Christmas: Silent Night, Holy Night

Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction are hosting the 12 Days of Christmas! They've teamed up with three of their authors for a Merry Facebook Party on November 12th {5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern}. Colleen, Tricia, and Beth will host an evening of book chat, Christmas traditions, and of course plenty of presents!  But wait! There's more! Each day between now and November 12th a different book (10 copies of each book) will be given away on the Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Facebook Page. Ring in the holiday season and warm your heart with some great reads from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan!

 

Click here to ENTER each day's giveaway here. 

RSVP for the Christmas Party here!

Good luck and hope to see you on the evening of the 12th!

Click here for my review of A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer.

Today is my second installment of the Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Tour.  I'm featuring two wonderful Christmas novellas by Colleen Coble as part of this.  I know you will love them both. 

Holy Night:
An Aloha Reef Christmas Novella
(Aloha Reef Series)
Colleen Coble
ASIN: B00FXXWWOG
November 2013/141 pages/$1.99 (Kindle)
About The Book:  One sinister phone call has derailed their wedding.  Will they let it tear them apart forever?  A Christmas wedding on the beach—what could be more perfect? Poinsettias and fragrant pikake blossoms, soft sand and mistletoe, the gentle sound of the surf and the wedding march played on a ukulele. This wedding has been a long time coming, with Bane’s trust issues and Leia’s worries about her childlike sister, Eva.  Now they can hardly wait for the day to arrive. Thrilled to be a bridesmaid, Eva keeps trying on her ruffled dress. The tent is reserved, the caterers paid. Everything is going as planned—until Leia’s phone rings and her world skids out of control. A muffled voice informs Leia that Eva’s been kidnapped and will be killed unless Leia calls off the wedding without explanation—and no police! If she disobeys instructions and tells Bane, she’ll risk her beloved sister’s life. But how can she ever handle this without his help? And how can he ever trust her if she lies to him now?

My Thoughts On The Book:  I am a sucker for Christmas novellas and I love books by Colleen Coble so combining the two was a match made in heaven for me.  This was my first time to read any of the Aloha Reef series , but I will be reading more I can assure you.  This novella was so enjoyable that I did not want to put it down.  It has all my favorite elements in a story, romance and suspense with a smattering of the past touching the present.  A great quick read.   

Silent Night:
A Rock Harbor Christmas Novella
(Rock Harbor Series)
Colleen Coble
ASIN: B00A29R22I
November 2012/141 pages/$2.99 (Kindle)
About The Book:  As Christmas day nears, Bree and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.  Bree Matthews is preparing for Christmas guests, but her heart is reeling from the recent and tender loss of her unborn child. Her sister-in-law, Lauri, suddenly turns up on the doorstep of the lighthouse home Bree shares with her husband, Kade, in Rock Harbor. Secretive and withdrawn, Lauri seems curiously intent on discovering what happened to a parachuter who disappeared in the North Woods along Lake Superior’s icy shore.  As Bree and Samson, her search-and-rescue dog, plunge into the search, Bree wonders if Lauri may know more than she’s admitted about the parachuter. And then the clues lead them to the trail of a young woman whose family fears the worst about her disappearance.
Will the search on this snowy, silent night lead Bree and Samson to more than clues about the missing girl? And will Bree’s prayer for a baby ever be answered?

My Thoughts About the Book:  As a creature of habit I had to read this book first because that is the way the lyrics of the song go.  As I began reading this book, I could not put it down.  I was captivated by Bree, Kade Lauri and all the other characters in Rock Harbor. This is a perfect read for a cold or rainy night to just curl up in your easy chair or bed.

About The Author:  Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of these books from Thomas Nelson and Litfuse Publicity as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

To Know You

 

About The Book:  Julia Whittaker’s rocky past yielded two daughters, both given up for adoption as infants. Now she must find them to try to save her son.Julia and Matt Whittaker’s son has beaten the odds for thirteen years only to have the odds—and his liver—crash precipitously. The only hope for his survival is a “living liver” transplant, but the transplant list is long and Dillon’s time is short. His two older half-sisters, born eighteen months apart to two different fathers, offer his only hope for survival.  But can Julia ask a young woman—someone she surrendered to strangers long ago and has never spoken with—to make such a sacrifice to save a brother she’s never known? Can she muster the courage to journey back into a shame-filled season of her life, face her choices and their consequences, and find any hope of healing?  And what if she discovers in her own daughters’ lives that a history of foolish choices threatens to repeat itself? Julia knows she’s probably embarking on a fool’s errand—searching for the daughters she abandoned only now that she needs something from them. But love compels Julia to take this journey. Can grace and forgiveness compel her daughters to join her?  In To Know You, Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel explore how the past creates the present . . . and how even the most shattered lives can be redeemed.

About The Author:  *Shannon Ethridge* is a best-selling author, speaker, and certified life coach with a master’s degree in counseling/human relations from Liberty University. She has spoken to college students and adults since 1989 and is the author of 21 books, including the million-copy best-selling Every Woman's Battle series. She is a frequent guest on TV and radio programs and mentors aspiring writers and speakers through her BLAST Program (Building Leaders, Authors, Speakers & Teachers.) *Kathryn Mackel* is a best-selling author and acclaimed screenwriter for Disney and Fox. She was on the screenwriting team for Left Behind: The Movie, and Frank Peretti's Hangman's Curse. She is the acclaimed author of "The Surrogate", "The Departed", and "The Hidden" and resides in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband.

My Thoughts On The Book:  This story touched a nerve with me.  My best friend tried to find her birth mom when my friend's son came down with a rare disease.  I felt a lot of emotions I experienced with her at that time.  This book is by far one of the best books I have read in a while.  It was absolutely wonderful, and in my opinion, had everything a good book needs. I didn't want to put it down!   Once I started reading this story I did not want to eat, sleep, or work.  I just wanted to dive into the story.  Everytime I thought I had it figured out I would be thrown for a loop and the ending was quite a surprise.  I would have never seen that one coming.  The book covers a multitude of topics but the biggest one is redemption as you are taken on a journey that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole story. The book may be fictional, but the realism in the story would catch your breath. This book is definitely a must read!

Statement of Disclosure: I received an paperback copy of this title from Litfuse Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books blogger review program . I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thanks guys for letting me read this and participate!

Home To Heather Creek Series

Book 1 - Before The Dawn

About The Book:  Charlotte Stevenson's world has been turned upside down. What was a pleasant life on a Nebraska farm with her husband has now been rocked by news of her only daughter's death. Now they must take care of Denise's three children Sam, Emily and Christopher. Even though they haven't taken care of children in years, they want to do right by Denise, who left home at an early age after a disagreement. They never saw her again. Will they be able to help out the three struggling city children who feel out of place and alone on the farm or will history repeat itself and they leave just like Denise did?

About the Author:  Carolyne Aarsen is a wife, mother, grandmother farmer, writier who lives in the heart of a Dutch community.  When she is not writing she is scrapbooking and making cards.

My Thoughts On The Book/Series:  I am not usually a big fan of multi author series.  I do not like the change in tone and continuity when authors change.  I have discovered that character personalities that I may have liked in one book don't always show up in every book.  However, the Home to Heather Creek series breaks that mold and I have found it one of the most comforting and engaging set of stories that I have ever read. Charlotte and her husband faithfully represent an older generation who find themselves trying to adapt to their young grandchildren. The setting is a comfortable one and very realistic.  I could actually visualize the farm in Montana. The series is filled with comfort, love, struggles, and a sense of finding their way.  After reading Before The Dawn I could not wait to get started on Sweet September.  I honestly believe that once you start with this series you won't be able to stop. I know I couldn't.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book 2 - Sweet Surrender

About The Book:  Harvest time at Heather Creek Farm is an exciting time, but the kids don’t seem to be getting into the spirit. One day while he’s wandering through the fields, Christopher stumbles across an old piece of metal buried in the ground. He doesn’t know what it is, but he hides it in the shed. That night, the garden by the house is uprooted. Who could have done such a thing? Charlotte is determined to find out, but is distracted when she gets news that Sam is failing school. The sullen teen is indifferent and won’t study. He starts spending a lot of time with Pete. Though she loves her son dearly, Pete never finished high school, and Charlotte is afraid he’ll encourage Sam to do the same. How can she help him get back on track? A gripping story that examines the Stevenson family’s history as well as its shaky future, Sweet September will bring you deeper into the loving community of Bedford and the deep ties of love that bind this broken family together. As they forge new connections, you’ll be entertained, inspired, and reminded that God’s grace can make all things new.

 

My Thoughts On The Book/Series:  I am huge fan of Tricia Goyer.  She is a master wordsmith and delightful at character development.  At the end of  Before the Dawn  we saw some break throughs happening in the relationships between Bob, Charlotte, Pete and Sam, Emily and Christopher. In this sequel the work takes one step forward and two steps back.  I felt as if I was on the farm with the family.  The characters were real and I felt as if I had made some new friends.  I have always been a sucker for a family-on-a-farm story, and this was one of the best ones I've read.Thank you so much Litfuse for my copy!

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE: I received an paperback copy of this title from Litfuse and Guidepost as part of their blogger review program . I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thanks guys for letting me read this and participate!

On Distant Shores

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:  Through the good and the bad, God wants us to rely on Him in every situation. Never was there a time so tenuous and uncertain as the battlefields of WWII, the setting for Sarah Sundin’s newest release in the Wings of the Nightingale series, On Distant Shores (Revell/August 1, 2013/ISBN: 978-0-8007-2082-7/$14.99). Sundin explores the uncertainty we face when life doesn’t go as planned, emphasizing the need to turn to God always. Sundin fittingly chose James 1:5-6 as the theme for the story: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God… and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
With her eye for detail and flair for romance, Sundin weaves a captivating tale of two souls looking for peace in a time of conflict. Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she ever wanted: a close-knit family, a boyfriend back home and a challenging job as a flight nurse. A social butterfly, Georgie has always relied on others to make decisions, but with the war taking her thousands of miles from her loved ones, she must learn to turn to God for wisdom. And her life becomes even more complicated when she meets Army pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson in Sicily in July of 1943.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Sarah Sundin is the author of On Distant Shores and With Every Letter in the Wings of the Nightingale series from Revell, and also the Wings of Glory series. In 2011, A Memory Between Us was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, and Sundin received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Authors Network, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Sundin plans to continue to focus on WWII for her upcoming series about three naval officers based in Boston during the early years of the war.  A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Sundin works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy, and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England.
Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. When she isn’t ferrying kids to tennis and karate, she teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies.
To keep up with Sarah Sundin, visit www.sarahsundin.com, become a fan on Facebook (SarahSundinAuthor) or follow her on Twitter (@sarahsundin) and Pinterest (sarahsundin).

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:  I am a huge fan of historical fiction and really enjoy a well written on.  On Distant Shores is one of the most beautifully written stories I have read in a while.  Sundin knows her subject and writes in such a way that the reader tends to forget thtat this is fiction.  This is not one of those totally predictable romances.  It is a wonderful story filled with excitement, heart ache, faith, romance, and life lessons learned by the two main characters, Georgie and Hutch.   I am looking forward to Sundin's next book in the series.  This book is a must read. 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell and Litfuse Publicity Group as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."