Archive | March, 2014
It Had To Be You, plus a $100 Visa Giveaway
27 Mar
It Had to be You by Susan May Warren
Blog tour information and schedule:
http://litfusegroup.com/author/swarren
Synopsis:
Eden Christiansen never imagined her role as her younger brother Owen’s cheerleader would keep her on the sidelines of her own life. Sure, it feels good to be needed, but looking after the reckless NHL rookie leaves little time for Eden to focus on her own career. She dreamed of making a name for herself as a reporter, but is stuck writing obits—and starting to fear she doesn’t have the chops to land a major story. If only someone would step up to mentor Owen . . . but she knows better than to expect help from team veteran and bad-boy enforcer Jace Jacobsen.
Jace has built his career on the infamous reputation of his aggressive behavior—on and off the ice. Now at a crossroads about his future in hockey, that reputation has him trapped. And the guilt-trip he’s getting from Eden Christiansen isn’t making things any easier. But when Owen’s carelessness leads to a career-threatening injury and Eden stumbles upon a story that could be her big break, she and Jace are thrown together . . . and begin to wonder if they belong on the same team after all.
Learn more and purchase a copy at Susan’s website.
Thoughts:
Susan May Warren is a master storyteller and has penned another fantastic story in It Had to be You!
One of my favorite things about a book series is the opportunity to really get to know the characters and become invested in their stories. I fell in love with the Christiansen family in the first book, Take a Chance on Me, and adore them even more after reading It Had to be You.
John and Ingrid Christiansen are the parents of this Deep Haven, MN family. Their beautiful love story is told in the prequel novella, I Really Do Miss Your Smile, which is included in the back of this book. I loved reading “the love story that started it all”!
Each Christiansen Family novel tells the story of one of John and Ingrid’s children. It Had to be You is Eden’s story and it opens, as each series novel does, with a letter to Eden from her mother. One quote from this emotional letter is, “You see your value only in what you bring to your siblings, your friends, your world, instead of believing in the remarkable woman you are, in the person God created.”
It Had to be You is the story of Eden’s journey to discovering the person God created her to be. Set amidst the exciting sport of hockey, this story is full of emotion, spiritual wisdom, and tender romance. I loved the endearing characters and the personal growth they experienced. Several storylines were woven through this novel, adding to its complexity and making it even richer. There were times my heart ached while I was reading and other times when it rejoiced.
I love the way Susan May Warren brings her characters to life and can’t wait to spend more time with the Christiansen family!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
Biography:
Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors. Visit MyBookTherapy.com to learn more.
Learn more about Susan at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com
Giveaway:
Susan May Warren is celebrating the release of her newest Christiansen Family novel, It Had To Be You, with a $100 Visa cash card giveaway and offering readers a free book club kit.
One winner will receive:
- $100 Visa cash card
- Take a Chance on Me and It Had to Be You by Susan May Warren
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 29th. Winner will be announced April 1st on Susan’s blog. Also, visit her website to learn more about the It Had To Be You backstory and Susan’s free book club kit.
Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Susan’s blog on April 1st to see if you won.
Heart Wide Open, plus a GIVEAWAY
26 Mar
Heart Wide Open by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Synopsis:
You believe in God. You’re trying to serve Him.
But do you know how to truly love Him—and let Him love you?
As a Bible-believing churchgoer, author Shellie Tomlinson harbored a secret in her good-girl heart. She longed for something more than routine faith; she wanted to love God with a genuine, all-consuming passion. So she got honest with Him: “I admit it. I don’t love you like I should, but I want to love you. Help me!”
In Heart Wide Open, Shellie invites you to answer the call of your restless heart and refuse to settle for anything less than the intimate friendship of God. Through her heartfelt and honest words, you’ll find practical inspiration to help you…
· exchange your “just enough Jesus” mindset for an all-out pursuit of Him
· put sizzle in your Bible study by asking God to show you the wonder of His Word
· trade formulaic devotions for a devoted life
Are you ready to stop struggling to make time for God and instead live every moment with God? Discover how to live with your heart wide open.
Thoughts:
Shellie Rushing Tomlinson uses her gift of words, along with her signature humor, to share her own story of seeking a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. As the cover suggests, Shellie has traded in mundane faith for an exuberant life with Jesus.
I love Shellie’s refreshing candor and her contagious exuberance! She has written a book filled with real-life experiences and overflowing with scriptural references. Heart Wide Open is a wonderful source of encouragement and is ideal for individual and group study. I also love the Bible study and discussion guide that has been included in the back of the book. It is a great aid for deeper study and examination.
Full of charm, wit, and wisdom, Heart Wide Open is a book that will inspire you!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
Biography:
Shellie and her husband, Phil, live in Lake Providence, Louisiana. They have two children and five grandchildren. Shellie is the author of “Lessons Learned on Bull Run Road”, “‘Twas the Night before the Very First Christmas”,”Southern Comfort with Shellie Rushing Tomlinson” and the Penguin Group USA release, “Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On”, voted Nonfiction Finalist of 2009 by SIBA, the SIBA Independent Booksellers Alliance. “Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy!” was released May, 2011 and subsequently nominated for the same Nonfiction Book of the Year by SIBA for 2012.
Shellie is owner and publisher of All Things Southern and the host of a radio show and weekly video segment by the same name. You can listen to Shellie’s All Things Southern LIVE Talk Show each Monday evening at 5-6 PM CST on TALK 540KMLB. The show streams LIVE and podcasts are available so everyone can join Shellie’s southern celebration!
When Shellie isn’t writing, speaking, taping her show, answering email or writing content for the next deadline, you can find her playing tennis with Dixie Belle, (the chocolate lab who thinks she is in charge of running Shellie’s life).
To learn more about Shellie, visit her website at http://www.allthingssouthern.com/.
Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Heart Wide Open, Shellie is offering a special giveaway! This wonderful gift basket includes the following:
A beautiful wallboard inscribed with these words from the Song of Solomon, “Come and awaken love and when I find him I won’t let him go.” A beautiful coffee mug bearing this sentiment, “Heart you to the moon and back.” A Bird of Paradise heart-shaped candle A Heart Shaped Keepsake Box A Red and White Chevron Design Scarf A Heart Wide Open T-Shirt (winner to designate size) A $50 Amazon Gift Certificate And, of course, a copy of Heart Wide OpenTo enter, leave a comment below and fill out the simple online form that will allow the names to be collected from participating blogs. The winner will be drawn on April 1. This contest is open to U.S. residents only. Good luck!!
Spring Scavenger Hunt
21 MarThe Christian Authors Network is pleased to announce its first Spring Scavenger Hunt!
Enjoy meeting Christian Author Network members on their own blogs as you seek clues for the chance to win.
Grand prize: $200 in gift cards from CBD, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, plus 29 free books, one from each participating CAN author!
2nd & 3rd Prizes: $50 Amazon or B&N or CBD gift certificate!
Catch us on this hunt beginning at Noon on Friday, 03/21/14 and ending at Midnight on Thursday, 03/27/14. Check out 29 stops, each featuring a different CAN author, many featuring additional prizes or giveaways!
*Sorry, due to international regulations and postage costs, prizes will be awarded to US residents only. Individual contests within the hunt may vary, so please read rules presented with each giveaway.
Start HERE!
IT HAD TO BE YOU $100 Visa Giveaway from Susan May Warren!
19 MarSusan May Warren is celebrating the release of her newest Christiansen Family novel, It Had To Be You, with a $100 Visa cash card giveaway and offering readers a free book club kit.
One winner will receive:
- $100 Visa cash card
- Take a Chance on Me and It Had to Be You by Susan May Warren
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 29th. Winner will be announced April 1st on Susan’s blog. Also, visit her website to learn more about the It Had To Be You backstory and Susan’s free book club kit.
Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Susan’s blog on April 1st to see if you won.
Forget Me Not
17 Mar
Forget Me Not by Miralee Ferrell
Synopsis:
Can a Lost Love be Redeemed?
Baker City, Oregon, 1881
Seven years ago, Julia McKenzie rejected the man she loved, wanting to experience more of life. Now, at the age of twenty-four, she regrets that decision. What will Seth think of her, when they encounter one another hundreds of miles from home? Will the man she cared for understand the direction her life has taken and love her in spite of her choices?
Pastor Seth Russell has never completely forgotten the girl he once courted. When she shows up in his new home of Baker City, all those feelings return. But why is she sneaking around town late at night? Even more important, will she reject him and break his heart again, or can God heal the breach between them?
Thoughts:
Forget Me Not is a story that is as beautiful and unique as its namesake! This heartfelt novella is a wonderful addition to the Love Blossoms in Oregon series. While any of the books in the series can stand alone, I encourage you to read them in order. In doing so, you will come to know the residents of Baker City, Oregon, and understand their stories.
Miralee Ferrell is a master storyteller and has once again penned an exceptional story. I loved the endearing characters and their spiritual and emotional journeys! I was also touched by the themes of compassion and forgiveness, expressed so eloquently in this novella. One of my favorite quotes is, “Forgiving isn’t saying what they did is right, it’s simply letting go of the past and choosing to walk toward God’s light and love, instead of toward darkness.”
Inspiring words of wisdom and faith, woven together in this tender love story, make Forget Me Not a must read!
I received a complimentary copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
Biography:
Miralee Ferrell is a speaker, accredited counselor, and former ACFW chapter president who has published multiple contemporary and historical romance novels since starting to write in 2005. She enjoys horseback riding, gardening, and family gatherings around their eleven-acre property in Washington State’s beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Miralee has had eight books release, both in women’s contemporary fiction and historical fiction, with another 5 under contract. She’s an award-winning author of Western fiction, and her newest novel, Wishing on Buttercups released February 1, and is the second in a series set in Baker City, Oregon, 1880s.
Interact with Miralee:
Website: www.miraleeferrell.com
Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/miraleeferrell
Twitter: www.twitter.com/miraleeferrell
Celebrate the release of Miralee Ferrell’s novella, Forget Me Not, tomorrow night, March 18 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Up for grabs are lots of great prizes, including a Basic Kindle, several copies of Miralee’s books, and Amazon gift cards.
Don’t miss this opportunity to chat with Miralee and enter to win great prizes! Hope to see you there!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/228120830713813/
Forget Me Not Launch Party
14 Mar
Celebrate the release of Miralee Ferrell’s novella, Forget Me Not, on Tuesday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Up for grabs are lots of great prizes, including a Basic Kindle, several copies of Miralee’s books, and Amazon gift cards.
Don’t miss this opportunity to chat with Miralee and enter to win great prizes! Hope to see you there!
RSVP and invite your friends: https://www.facebook.com/events/286664271488270/
Free eBook
6 MarWings of a Dream by Anne Mateer is free, TODAY ONLY!
Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbook.com.
The winner is…
4 Mar
The name drawn from my blog during Miralee Ferrell’s Wishing on Buttercups blog tour was:
Jackie McNutt
Congratulations, Jackie! Happy reading!
Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting with Miralee during her blog tour! I hope you all have a chance to read the Love Blossoms in Oregon series!
Buzzing About Books 