The winner of an e-copy of Sadie’s Gift is:
mommachristi319
Congratulations!
Thank you all for visiting and participating in the giveaway! Sadie’s Gift is available for $0.99 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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The Hardest Peace- Review, GIVEAWAY, and Blogger Challenge
16 Oct
The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippetts
Blog tour information and schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/author/ktippetts
A young mother battling cancer invites readers to embrace grace in every season of life.
Kara Tippetts knows the mundane but rich days of mothering four kids, the joy of watching her children grow.and the devastating reality of stage-four cancer.
In The Hardest Peace, she invites readers to see the grace of the everyday in all seasons of life and to live well even when the living is hard. As the thousands of readers of her blog know, Tippetts explores the hardest questions of life with rare beauty and honesty. Most of all, she draws them back to the God who is present, in the ordinary and the suffering, and shapes every life into the best story of all.
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/Cgo5s
Thoughts:
“This book is about a broken woman on the journey to know the hardest peace. Peace in the midst of hard.”
In The Hardest Peace, Kara Tippetts shares her powerful story and does so openly, honestly, and beautifully. Her words stirred my emotions and touched me in ways I never imagined. This is a breathtaking book! I encourage you to read it. You will be blessed; you will be changed.
#Hardest Peace
“In every season of our lives, we meet the hard edges of life we never expected. The unexpected pain of life often leaves us only with the choice of how we will endure it. We all have unexpected hard, but how do we face it?”
I do not know the journey Kara walks with cancer, but I do know the unexpected and hard edges of life, as all of us do. I have known unexpected and hard edges in my life, experienced them with others, and witnessed the hard in my community and the world around me. I have hurt and grieved over things I cannot control. I have nurtured fear and anguish, rather than seeking peace.
In the midst of one of life’s hard edges, I read The Hardest Peace and Kara spoke words that I needed to hear. Words that everyone needs to hear.
“This is a book for all of us, because all of us face the hard edges of life, whether in marriage, parenting, pain, grief, singleness…brokenness of all shapes and sizes is warmly welcomed to the these pages.”
I know that I am blessed beyond measure. God is with me in every circumstance. He answers my prayers, with His will and not my own. I must choose to draw unto Him, seeking peace, in joy and in sorrow.
“Hard is often the vehicle Jesus uses to meet us, point us to that peace, and teach us grace.”
We do not know what tomorrow brings. “We are not the Author of our story. We are the characters.” May our story tell of our love and life for Him.
“My season of weakness has taught me the joy of receiving, the strength of brokenness, and the importance of looking for God in each moment.”
How do you face the unexpected hard in your life?
About the Author:
Kara Tippetts and her husband, Jason, have four children and lead a church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cancer is only part of Kara’s story. Her real fight is to truly live while facing a crushing reality.
Find Kara online: Website, Facebook, Twitter
GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity, I have one copy of The Hardest Peace to give away. Please leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends Thursday, October 23 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
To earn additional entries, you may do the following:
◦ Let me know you follow my blog
◦ Sign up to follow my blog if you are not a follower
◦ Share this giveaway through Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email
Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what you have done to earn additional entries.
Are you a blogger? Don’t miss this blogger challenge giveaway:
Kara Tippetts‘ brave and touching book, The Hardest Peace is launching with a blogger challenge. Celebrate with Kara by joining the #HardestPeace conversation and share how you are finding grace in the midst of the everyday and in life’s hard moments.
Share your stories of everyday grace in the midst of life’s difficulties and enter to win a #HardestPeace prize pack:
- A book club pack (10 copies of The Hardest Peace for you and your small group!)
- A handcrafted candle
- Journal
- Custom Etsy The Hardest Peace print and coffee mug
To enter to win, simply blog about your #HardestPeace story and then submit the link to your post via the link-up (or see link in the Rafflecopter below). Plus stop by others’ stories to leave encouragement and offer prayers as we all travel the journey of life together and discover that the hardest peace is often the most fulfilling peace.
Then follow Kara online (via the Rafflcopter) for additional entries into the giveaway.
My thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the copies of The Hardest Peace. I received these books in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
The winner is…
14 Oct
The name drawn in the HIDDEN giveaway was:
Karen G
Congratulations, Karen!
Thank you all for visiting, commenting, and sharing this giveaway. I appreciate every comment and hope you will join me again. I love sharing great books and have many more giveaways planned!
Guest Post: Niki Turner + GIVEAWAY
13 Oct
There’s so much we can learn from history. The research I did for my Christmas Traditions novella, Sadie’s Gift, set in 1921, was enlightening.
Did you know that the United States suffered a mini-recession immediately after WWI that dealt quite a blow to our economy before the “boom” in the ‘20s?
Did you know that one of the main reasons spitting in public was outlawed in so many states (and still is against the law in a number of places) has less to do with how nasty the practice is and more to do with an attempt to prevent the spread of tuberculosis?
In Sadie’s Gift, Nurse Sadie Hubbard lives in an era when everything is hard… the United States has just come out of World War I, the economy is in the toilet, and after the devastating Spanish Influenza epidemic in 1918 the country continues an ongoing battle with tuberculosis.
Sadie’s parents died during the Spanish Flu epidemic while she was in nursing school. When she graduated, she headed west to Colorado Springs and went to work in a preventorium, caring for children who had been exposed to tuberculosis, but had yet to exhibit symptoms of the deadly disease.
Commonly known as consumption, or the “White Plague,” tuberculosis was at its peak during the latter half of the 19th century, and even in modern times, TB is still active. According to the CDC one third of the world’s population is infected with TB, and more than 1 million people died from TB-related illness in 2012. According to the World Health Organization, TB is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide due to a single infectious agent.
Tuberculosis is believed to have originated in Africa some 5,000 years ago. In the early 1920s a French vaccine provided a measure of preventive relief, and the development of antibiotics nearly eradicated the disease, although resistant strains continue to present a threat.
Sanatoriums were created in an attempt to limit the spread of the illness and to try to help TB victims overcome the disease. As the dry climate of the western U.S. was thought to be beneficial for TB patients, many of those sanatoriums were established in western states. For Colorado Springs, Colo., sanatoriums proved an economic boon.
The preventoriums, on the other hand, tended to serve more as orphanages. The children of tubercular parents or siblings who were not sick, but had nowhere else to go, ended up in preventoriums where nurses and doctors attempted to keep their patients’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health in top shape, in hopes that the bacteria they’d been exposed to wouldn’t have a chance to take hold. Treatment involved plenty of fresh air (even sleeping outside on cold Colorado winter nights), a strenuous physical exercise regime, and healthy food.
In Sadie’s Gift, our heroine believes the children in her care need something more in their treatment plan: the magic of Christmas. She sets out to create a genuine Christmas experience for these forgotten children, complete with a tree and toys and treats and decorations and the message of the Gospel. Her efforts are very nearly thwarted by a chance encounter with Nathan Wells, whose brother has just died of tuberculosis in one of the sanatoriums.
Today, Sadie and Nathan’s story is more timely than ever, as our world and our nation are threatened by another deadly disease, the Ebola virus. How will we, as Christians, respond to this situation? Will we respond like Sadie, giving of ourselves to help the less fortunate around us, in spite of our own losses? Or will we respond like Nathan at the beginning of the story, angry and fearful and hardened to the needs of others?
About the Author:
Niki Turner is a novelist, journalist, blogger, and the production manager for the Rio Blanco Herald Times weekly newspaper. Her first completed manuscript earned second place in the Touched By Love 2009 contemporary category romance contest. She writes for local newspapers, and won second place for best agriculture story at the 2013 Colorado Press Association annual convention. She also blogs at www.nikiturner.net and is a co-blogger at www.inkwellinspirations.com. Niki is the Colorado Area Coordinator for American Christian Fiction Writers and is involved in establishing an ACFW chapter on Colorado’s Western Slope, where she resides. She published “Sadie’s Gift” as one of the Christmas Traditions novella collection. Her next project, “Santiago Sol,” will be published by Pelican Book Ventures, LLC, as part of the Passport to Romance novella collection.
Connect with Niki on Facebook, or on Twitter.
The graphics used in this post were taken from Niki’s “Sadie’s Gift” Pinterest Board.
GIVEAWAY!
Niki has graciously offered to give away one e-copy of Sadie’s Gift! Leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered to win this wonderful novella. This giveaway ends Saturday, Oct. 18 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
To earn additional entries, you may do the following:
◦ Let me know you follow my blog
◦ Sign up to follow my blog if you are not a follower
◦ Share this giveaway through Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email
Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what you have done to earn additional entries.
Winners!
10 Oct
The winner of an e-copy of The Fruitcake Challenge and Return to Shirley Plantation is:
Jan Hall
The winner of an e-copy of The Fruitcake Challenge is:
Becky B
Congratulations, ladies!
Thank you all for visiting and participating in the giveaways! The Fruitcake Challenge is available for $0.99 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Review: Hidden + GIVEAWAY
8 Oct
HIDDEN by Vannetta Chapman
Home is where our story begins …
DANA JACOBS would rather forget the night of tragedy and violence that marred her childhood. She is now supervisor in charge of the Department of Homeland Security in Taos, New Mexico. Her team is prepared to handle any threat—biological, chemical, conventional, cyber, even nuclear.
BENJAMIN MARSHALL is newly assigned to Dana’s office. Straight from a six year military deployment, he is not what Dana wants or needs. Ben knows God has a reason for putting him in this place at this time—to help Dana. When a local school is threatened, they open a case which leads them on a chase through the Enchanted Circle and Carson National Forest, pursuing a man filled with a bitterness Dana can understand. But her anger is different. It’s justified, it remains hidden inside, and it hurts no one.
Can Dana face her own mortality? And when she does, can she truly understand what it means to forgive and to be forgiven?
Thoughts:
Vannetta Chapman wowed me with this romantic suspense! Superb imagery and intricate details pulled me right into the story and gripping suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved Dana Jacobs and Ben Marshall, as well as the wonderful cast of secondary characters. A captivating storyline, coupled with heartfelt, tender romance, make Hidden a must read! I am screaming for more in the Jacobs Family Series!
You can read the first few chapters for free at Amazon and also at Goodreads. To order your copy of HIDDEN, visit http://vannettachapman.com/books/hidden/
GIVEAWAY:
Vannetta has generously offered one copy of HIDDEN to be given away to a Buzzing About Books reader!
Click here to meet HIDDEN’s hero, Ben Marshall, and enter the HIDDEN giveaway!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts expressed are my own.
Guest Post: Vannetta Chapman + GIVEAWAY
6 Oct
Thank you so much for letting me visit your blog today! Today I’d like to share with you the details of my newest release, a Christian romantic suspense entitled HIDDEN. Here’s the back cover copy:
DANA JACOBS would rather forget the night of tragedy and violence that marred her childhood. She is now supervisor in charge of the Department of Homeland Security in Taos, New Mexico. Her team is prepared to handle any threat—biological, chemical, conventional, cyber, even nuclear. BENJAMIN MARSHALL is newly assigned to Dana’s office. Straight from a six year military deployment, he is not what Dana wants or needs.
Ben knows God has a reason for putting him in this place at this time—to help Dana. When a local school is threatened, they open a case which leads them on a chase through the Enchanted Circle and Carson National Forest, pursuing a man filled with a bitterness Dana can understand. But her anger is different. It’s justified, it remains hidden inside, and it hurts no one.
Can Dana face her own mortality? And when she does, can she truly understand what it means to forgive and to be forgiven?
Doesn’t that sound fun? It is! It’s a story full of suspense, romance, and a good dose of humor, not to mention a focus on God’s grace.
I thought for today’s blog, I’d give you a peek into my main character, Ben Marshall.
Who is your closest relative? I’m close to all of my family, though I rarely live close to them. I was in the military for a time, and now I have a new job in Taos with Homeland Security. I adore all of my family, but I’m probably closest to my grandfather. We still talk on the phone regularly.
Tell us about your job. I’m actually an explosives expert. When I applied through Homeland Security they hired me, then sent me to the Taos area. I can tell you up front that there’s no doubt that is a God-thing. My best friend is from Taos, and though he was killed in the Middle East, I hope to have a chance to spend time with his family.
Any romantic relationship? Are you kidding? There wasn’t much time for that in the military, and now I barely know anyone in my new job. Though I will admit, I feel a special connection to my boss, Dana.
Dating your boss? That sounds risky. Oh, I wouldn’t say we were dating. In fact, I think she’d rather I was in a different office. That’s okay. Sometimes God puts us in a situation for reasons we can’t fathom. I’m happy to be here and to be close to Dana. I have a feeling that we’re going to become very close—whether it’s friendship or romantic, only God knows.
Anything that you’re afraid of? That’s a funny question. Men aren’t supposed to be afraid, and I suppose while I was overseas I did learn not to fear death. After all, every person dies at some time and in some way. Our hope is in our heavenly future. However, I do admit that sometimes I’m afraid I won’t have the time I need to speak to those who are important to me. Those things get pushed to the back, but they’re important. I guess I’m saying that it’s always a challenge to keep the main thing the main thing.
And what is the main thing? Relationships. The people we love. Sharing our faith. I’m not talking about handing out pamphlets or even preaching a sermon. I don’t know how to do that. No, I’m talking about being there when someone is in a crisis of faith. As believers, I think that’s one of the most important things we do.
Favorite hobby? Anything that keeps me moving—rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, even fishing. If I’m outside, then I’m happy.
Ben Marshall is one of my all time favorite heroes. As you can see, he’s not a real bold guy. Kind of laid back. A little on the quiet side. Boyish in some ways. But when you need him? Ben’s there, and he’s not going to leave until he’s sure that you’re safe.
I’m so happy to bring you the story HIDDEN, and I pray that it blesses your heart and reminds you of the grace and love of our Father. I would love it if you would give HIDDEN a try! You can read the first few chapters for free at Amazon and also at https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/372737-hidden.
Thank you for having me on your blog!
~Vannetta Chapman
Connect with Vannetta:
http://vannettachapman.com
https://twitter.com/VannettaChapman
https://www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks
GIVEAWAY!
Vannetta has generously offered a copy of HIDDEN to be given away to one lucky winner! Please leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered.
To earn additional entries, you may do the following:
◦ Let me know you follow my blog
◦ Sign up to follow my blog if you are not a follower
◦ Share this giveaway through Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email
Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what you have done to earn additional entries.
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends Monday, October 13 at midnight CST. Good luck!!
Interview: Carrie Fancett Pagels + GIVEAWAY
1 Oct
Welcome to Buzzing About Books, Carrie! Please share a little about yourself.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Britney! I call myself “Tired Old Mommy” because with my Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and having our second child when I was 44, I’ve earned that title! God blessed us with that son, who was prayed into our lives (and yes he’s ours not adopted.) We have an adult daughter who is an electrical engineer, so I have bragging rights to being the mother of an Electrical Engineer (even if I have no idea what all those squiggly lines mean on her differential equations, etc.!)
I was a psychologist for 25 years, working primarily with children and teens. I specialized in leaning difficulties. My doctorate is in School Psychology. Because of the severity of my RA, I was unable to continue working as a psychologist. But God has provided another path.
When did you decide to pursue writing and eventually publication?
I thought I’d be a psychologist until I was in my 70’s or even older because this was a career I trained hard for. But at the time I pursued my education I had turned my back on God. I’ve been writing since childhood. When I was in grad school, I dropped out and wrote my first complete novel, a secular fiction, and thank God when I shopped it around in 1979, no one picked it up. I returned to grad school and didn’t write fiction again (that I remember) until I finished my Ph.D. Then, pretty much every year I’d start working on a project. But it was only after I began to get more ill that I spent more time on my writing.
What is your writing process like? Do you write daily? Are you a plotter or a pantster?
God has to prompt me to write but I do believe He has anointed my writing, so I have a commission from Him to do so. I normally am doing some writing or writing-related activity daily. Absolutely a plotter but I allow some pantsering as the characters may take me different directions.
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?
I love, love, love getting to spend time bringing the characters and stories and settings to life on “paper.” I detest those grinding final edits. They need to be done, though.
Historical fiction requires extensive research. What is one of the most interesting things you’ve discovered in your research?
I’ve found that some of the most interesting stuff is “wrong!” For instance, one of my yet-to-be-published stories was inspired by a great history which a docent told in error!
I am always intrigued by the names authors choose for their characters. How do you choose your characters’ names?
Often they are taken from my own genealogical background, from friends, or in this latest story I borrowed Jo’s name from “Little Women” which was one of my favorite stories!
Please tell us about your latest release, The Fruitcake Challenge.
The feisty 25-year-old daughter of the camp boss is challenged by a cocky new axman to “make a cake just as good as my mother made” and he’ll marry her! She initially has her dander up and wants to get him good for being such an arrogant shanty boy (and heaven knows she’ll never marry one of those because she wants OUT of the lumber camp!) But the story is really about hope. Because Jo has to let go of her earthly hopes to allow God to give her His hope which then results in the best outcome for her good. That’s what He wants for us!
Who or what inspired this special story?
I discovered a few years ago that my grandfather, Christy Isley Skidmore, was born in Traverse City, Michigan, not in Kentucky, which is where he was from. I’d always wondered why he’d gone into lumberjacking and when I learned this about his birth, I realized he’d likely been born while my great-grandfather was lumbering in northern Michigan. I have no proof of that. But I do know that my Kentucky-born maternal grandmother did work as a camp cook in Grandpa’s camp and that my mom helped her. My mother’s personality is infused into Jo. I imagined just what she’d do with a cocky, educated, irritating lumberjack!
I adored The Fruitcake Challenge and thought of fruitcake for days after reading the novella. Will you be sharing any fruitcake recipes with your readers?
Yes! Thanks so much, Britney, and thanks for being part of the Christmas Traditions promo team! As we get closer to Christmas I’ll be sharing recipes. I have a Fruitcake Pinterest board set up now! Would your readers please share one of their recipes?
What is a favorite holiday treat in your family?
The birthday cake for baby Jesus is one. I love a Noel log but I rarely make them. I do so enjoy Claxton fruitcake!!!
Is there anything else you would like to share? What will you be working on next?
Thank you, readers, for coming by! Please pray for me because my unpublished novel, Grand Exposé, which is out on submission as part of a proposal, is up for the Maggie award as it is a finalist in the contest!
An editor at the ACFW conference encouraged a group of us to submit a proposal to her based on a one sheet she looked at. So I’m doing up my part of that proposal and also another for that same company!
Thank you so much for sharing this delightful interview, Carrie!
Thanks for having me on, Britney!
Connect with Carrie:
Carrie Fancett Pagels Ph.D. is an award-winning, best-selling, and multi-published Christian historical romance author. Carrie was a psychologist for twenty-five years. Married for twenty-seven years with two children. Carrie resides in Virginia’s Historic Triangle and enjoys reading, traveling and researching. She’s a finalist for the 2014 Maggie Awards for Excellence.
Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com
Blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills
Facebook Author Page
Facebook Personal Page
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
LinkedIn
Links to purchase:
The Fruitcake Challenge (2014) on Amazon
A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Guidepost Books (2013)
Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance (Helping Hands Press, 2013) on Amazon in ebook and in print
Return to Shirley Plantation on Barnes and Noble in ebook
God’s Provision in Tough Times Lighthouse of the Carolinas (2013) on Amazon in ebook and in print
GIVEAWAY!
Carrie has generously offered to give away an e-copy of Return to Shirley Plantation and The Fruitcake Challenge to one lucky winner! Leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered. This giveaway ends Wednesday, Oct. 8 at midnight CST.
Questions: Do you enjoy fruitcake? Do you have a favorite fruitcake recipe or other holiday recipe to share?
Friday Fun- Giveaways Galore
5 Sep
Susan Meissner shares a great interview with Lisa Wingate. Visit Susan’s blog and enter to win an autographed copy of The Story Keeper. A winner will be drawn at 10 AM Pacific on Sept. 12
http://susanlmeissner.com/new-from-lisa-wingate-a-giveaway/
Get to know Melissa Jagears and enter to win a print copy of A Bride for Keeps or A Bride in Store. Giveaway ends September 19.
http://www.christianfictionsite.com/blog/featured-debut-novelist-melissa-jagears
Donna from Donna’s Bookshelf is hosting a Vannetta Chapman Marathon during the month of September. Visit her blog and enter to win one of four great prize packages!
http://donnasbookshelf.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/vannetta-chapman-marathon-giveaway/
5 copies of Driftwood Tides by Gina Holmes are being given away on Goodreads. Giveaway ends Sept. 30.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/99852-driftwood-tides
Gina Holmes is also giving away a lovely book table! Visit the Facebook event page for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/events/350696688420899/
5 copies of Honor by Lyn Cote are being given away on Goodreads. Giveaway ends Oct. 2.
Wishes Granted!
18 JulThank you all so much for celebrating with me!! I had so much fun with this giveaway and loved seeing what was at the top of everyone’s wish list!
Three names were selected using Random.org and each winner will receive a copy of the book she wished for.
Lauren- Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade
Brittany- A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson
Elisa- The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
I love giveaways so much, I selected two more winners!
For being the early bird commenter, Stephanie will be receiving Landline by Rainbow Rowell.
For being the top commenter over the last year, Melanie B. will be receiving The Thief by Stephanie Landsem.
Congratulations and Happy Reading!
Buzzing About Books 