by admin | Nov 14, 2018 | Books, Illustration/Art, Journals
I received copies of the Faith & Lettering Journal, the Illuminate Your Story Journal, and the Faith & Lettering Journal from Ellie Claire Gifts to review. Each journal is a lovely, colorful hardback with an embossed cover highlighted with metallic gilding. The journals are attractive enough to earn display space on a table yet portable enough to carry for note-taking or journaling. Pages on all the journals are thick enough to hinder bleed through and are probably too thick for tracing from other sources. The lovely illustrations would appeal to almost anyone from older child to an elderly adult who loves artistic books. I know several people who would probably love to receive one of these gorgeous journals. Instructions for creating illuminated letters or the popular lettering inspired by journaling bibles are clear enough for beginners or more advanced artists to follow. My only complaint is that the journals are so lovely I hate to mar their beauty with my own scribbles.
 |
The perfect resource to discover and develop your own personal style for lettering and illustrating your faith. New from professional letterer Krystal Whitten! With guides, instructions, and tutorials, this is a fun and inspiring way to create beauty with words. It is the perfect place for journalers to practice Bible journaling, lettering quotes and verses, or decorating a page with original thoughts and plans. Exploring your God-given creativity has never been so rewarding. |
| My Review: The Faith & Lettering Journal is an attractive hardback journal with beautifully illustrated color pages as well as unfinished pages ready for you to color yourself. Step-by-step lessons and tip allow the user to learn and practice hand lettering and simple illustrations at her own pace. Plenty of lined pages offer a place to either write down your thoughts or add creative lettering, quotations, or verses of your own. The book opens fairly flat which makes it easy to draw or write in. An elastic tube on the spine is an excellent place to keep a pen handy. This is the perfect journal to stretch your imagination and to make it your own.
|
 |
Use this almost-lost art of illuminating letters to enhance your writing, Bible journaling, or sermon note-taking. Rich illustrated manuscripts in the Museum of the Bible’s collection inspired these gorgeous letters. Easy to follow instructions, practice pages, and encouragements guide you through the creation of amazing start letters, flourishes, and more.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Cloth spine opens for lay-flat journaling; Elastic pen loop on spine; High-quality, non-bleed paper; Uplifting, inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout; Drawing guides, grid background practice pages, plus lined pages for journaling; Ribbon marker, pocket, elastic band closure |
| My Review: If you have ever admired the illuminated ancient manuscripts such as the Book of Kells and wished you had the talent to produce similar artwork, the Illuminate Your Story Journal is the perfect book for you. This journal offers step-by-step instructions for illustrating each letter of the alphabet with space to practice your own. Space is available for personal journaling or notes and includes encouraging scripture verses scattered throughout the book. This beautiful volume includes a pen loop on the spine, a ribbon bookmark, a pocket for keepsakes, and an elastic band to keep the book closed when not in use. A good bit of effort went into the creation of this journal. In my opinion it would be a wonderful gift for a teen who loves art or for adding to homeschool curriculum.
|
 |
Glorious illustrations from ancient manuscripts recreated as line drawings for the reader to color.
Create your own masterpiece with this journal that has forty glorious illustrations from ancient manuscripts that have been recreated as line drawings. Just as medieval monks brought Scripture to life through intricate inked illustrations in handwritten manuscripts hundreds of years ago, you can now create your own stunning keepsake that will be treasured for years to come. |
My Review: The Illustrated Word Coloring Journal is also a beautiful hardback journal that contains not only illustrations from ancient manuscripts but full-page line drawings that the journaler may color herself with her chosen media. Ample room has been included for journaling or taking notes. This book does not have an elastic pen holder or bookmark but nevertheless would also be a welcome gift for a special teacher or pastor, etc.
|
by admin | Nov 12, 2018 | Books, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
For the most part I enjoyed The Kitchen Marriage. The plot was a unique take on the mail order bride theme with a bride who was mistakenly led to believe she was answering an ad for a position as a chef. The fact that the intended groom had a twin brother who was antagonistic toward the bride made the story even more interesting, especially when the plot took an unexpected twist or two.
Characters were well-rounded and interesting although Zoe’s accent was sometimes distracting. I would have liked to see Isaak’s character developed more but enjoyed seeing the changes in Jakob as the story progressed. The bit of mystery was a nice touch but could have been developed further to make the story even better.
I did enjoy this story and would not mind reading more by these authors.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
|
Book: The Kitchen Marriage
Author: Gina Welborn & Beccan Whitham
Publisher: Kensington Publishers
Genre: Inspirational romance/Historical America set in the old west
Release Date: September 25, 2018
|
 |
A bright future awaits the women of courage and faith who boldly chase their dreams across the wide-open Montana Territory, prepared to embrace adventure and forge their own destinies . . .
When French immigrant Zoe de Fleur is forced out of her position as household cook for a high society New Yorker, the pretty and talented chef seizes an unexpected chance to head west for a new beginning. She pursues what she thinks is a prestigious job in the frontier’s “finest kitchen,” but instead finds herself in a matchmaker’s agency . . .
Isaak Gunderson is one of Helena, Montana’s most eligible bachelors, but he’s too focused on running for mayor and his family’s business to think about a wife and family. His twin brother, Jakob, is supposed to be too busy as well, yet sends for a mail-order bride anyway. Isaak doesn’t want to fuel an ongoing rivalry with his twin, but this tempting newcomer can’t be ignored. If only she’d come to Helena a different way and loving her wasn’t a betrayal . . .
Click here to purchase your copy!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
GINA WELBORN is the bestselling author of sixteen inspirational romances. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers, and serves on the ACFW Foundation Board. Sharing her husband’s passion for the premier American sports car, she is a lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum and a founding member of the Southwest Oklahoma Corvette Club. Gina lives with her husband, three of their five children, several rabbits and guinea pigs, and a dog that doesn’t realize rabbits and pigs are edible. Visit her online at GinaWelborn.com.
BECCA WHITHAM (WIT-um) Multi-published author, paper crafter, and Chai tea lover, Becca and her twelve-foot-long craft cabinet follow her husband of more than thirty years to wherever the army currently needs a chaplain. In between moves from one part of the country to the other, she writes stories of faith that touch the heart. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a Genesis Contest finalist. Connect with her online at BeccaWhitham.com.
GUEST POST FROM GINA AND BECCA:
Dear Reader,
What’s better than fulfilling a dream? Why…taking the journey with a friend, of course. And we have the army to thank for it. Gina, whose father spent most of his army career at Fort Sill, had just moved back to Lawton, Oklahoma when Becca’s husband received orders to Sill. We were both looking for friendship and found a kindred spirit.
When we first conceived the Montana Brides series over Frappuccinos (Gina) and Chai Tea Lattes (Becca) at our local Starbucks, we set out to make our make our mail-order bride stories different.
The first thing we decided on was setting our series in Helena, Montana because, in 1888, the city boasted the most millionaires per capita in the United States. We liked the idea of a former mining town grown into a cultured city and that it wasn’t the usual isolated ranch setting for a Western.
We also wanted to create stories of mail-order bride romances gone wrong. In fact, our original series title was Mail (Dis) Order Brides. We brainstormed all the ways a mail-order bride story could go sideways and settled on our top three: a widow before a wife; two brothers, one bride; and a deceitful—though well-meaning—matchmaker. The Kitchen Marriage is the second book in this series and puts our heroine, Zoe de Fleur, between twin brothers, Isaak and Jakob Gunderson. Like our first bride, Emilia Stanek (The Promise Bride), Zoe shows up in town knowing no one. Does that sound familiar? As a former military kid and current military wife, we are very familiar with needing to start over, forge new friendships, and make strangers into family.
Thank you for taking a journey into the past with us. We pray you find our stories filled with hope, humor, and happily-ever-afters.
Sincerely,
Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham
BLOG STOPS:
|
Genesis 5020, November 1
Christian Centered book Reviews, November 1
Carpe Diem, November 1
Cultivating Us, November 2
Remembrancy, November 2
Inklings and Notions, November 3
The Becca Files, November 3
Stories By Gina, November 4
A Baker’s Perspective, November 4
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 5
Texas Book-aholic, November 5
KarenSueHadley, November 6
Luv’N Lambert Life, November 6
Maureen’s Musings, November 6
cherylbbookblog, November 7
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, November 7
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 7
|
SusanLovesBooks, November 8
Book by Book, November 8
Janices book reviews, November 8
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 9
Have A Wonderful Day, November 9
A Rup Life, November 10
Baker Kella, November 10
Bibliophile Reviews, November 11
Black ‘n’ Gold Girl’s Book Spot, November 11
Britt Reads Fiction, November 12
Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 12
Bigreadersite, November 12
Daysong Reflections, November 13
Vicky Sluiter, November 13
Singing Librarian Books, November 14
Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 14
|
GIVEAWAY:
To celebrate her their tour, Gina and Becca are giving away a copy of The Kitchen Marriage to ten lucky winners!!
Be sure to comment of the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/d772/the-kitchen-marriage-celebration-tour-giveaway
by admin | Nov 11, 2018 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Law Enforcement, Romance, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Oh my, another author to add to my “must read” list! I suspected that after reading Lynn Blackburn’s first novel in this series Beneath the Surface but In Too Deep definitely confirmed it for me. The author combines compelling mystery and suspense with engaging characters, a touch of romance, and a splendid sense of humor to provide readers with an exceptional experience.
Like many recent novels, In Too Deep focuses on human trafficking but approaches it from a different angle than most that I have read. When murder is involved, the Dive Team is brought in to investigate and what they find takes them on a dangerous mission. I loved this story that features Adam from the Dive Team and Dr. Sabrina Fleming, a forensic computer analyst. The camaraderie and teasing among the team members added a natural element and helped to relieve the tension. The fast-paced plot was full of twists and surprises that kept me on edge until the very end.
I enjoyed In Too Deep very much and can’t wait to dive into the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
How do you choose between loyalty and the truth?
When the Carrington County Sheriff’s Office dive team is called in to recover a body from a submerged car, they aren’t prepared to find an encrypted laptop–or an unsettling connection between investigator Adam Campbell and the dead accountant.
Adam turns to his friend Dr. Sabrina Fleming to recover the files from the laptop. But the deeper they dig, the deadlier the investigation becomes. When evidence implicates members of Adam’s own family, he and Sabrina will have to risk everything to solve the case.
The truth could set hundreds free–but someone is willing to do whatever it takes to silence anyone who threatens to reveal their secrets.
Read an excerpt here.
Purchase a copy here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice. Winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel, Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children.
by admin | Nov 11, 2018 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Law Enforcement, Romance, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
The second book in the Code of Honor series, Hidden Peril can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. In true Irene Hannon fashion, the story quickly jumps into action and takes its reader on a breath-taking and suspense-filled adventure. Kristin Dane finds herself and her fair trade shop at the center of more than one murder and has no idea why. Detective Luke Carter becomes involved in the case and is not only attracted to Kristin but determined to solve the case before more people die.
Once again I found myself immersed in Hannon’s brilliant plot as I attempted to discern the perpetrator behind the fatal plans. I had my suspicions which later proved to be correct but the many twists and turns of the plot had me second-guessing myself more than once. Hidden Peril lived up to my expectations and reaffirmed my love for this author’s novels. I look forward to the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The most dangerous enemy is the one who has nothing to lose
As teenagers, Kristin Dane and her two best friends took a vow to make the world a better place. Twenty years later, she’s fulfilling that pledge through her fair trade shop that features products from around the world. All is well until, one by one, people connected to the shop begin dying.
Detective Luke Carter, new to the St. Louis PD, wants to know why. Before he can answer that question, however, the FBI weighs in and Kristin suddenly finds herself in the middle of international intrigue–and in the sights of the ruthless mastermind behind an ingenious and deadly scheme. Can this cold-blooded killer be stopped before more people die . . . including Kristin?
Three-time RITA Award-winner and “queen of inspirational romantic suspense” (Library Journal) Irene Hannon doesn’t disappoint in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you up late as you rush toward the explosive conclusion.
Read an excerpt here.
Purchase a copy here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels, including Dangerous Illusions, as well as the Men of Valor, Heroes of Quantico, Guardians of Justice, and Private Justice series. In addition to her many other honors, she is a three-time winner of the prestigious RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of RWA’s elite Hall of Fame and has received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. All of her suspense novels have been ECPA/CBA bestsellers. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.
by admin | Nov 11, 2018 | Books, Fantasy
MY REVIEW:
Mark of the Raven is an epic fantasy adventure that is the first book in the new Ravenwood Saga series by Christy Award finalist Morgan L. Busse. Although somewhat dark and brooding by necessity, the novel vividly illustrates the never ending battle between good and evil with its emphasis on light and darkness.
Once I entered the world of Ravenwood I was held spellbound by Lady Selene and the choices she was forced to make about the best use of her gift. Her loyalty to her family and her mother’s demands were in direct conflict with her personal convictions and took a toll on her emotionally. As the book progressed I was on pins and needles hoping that she made the right choice.
Characters were well defined and of course I had personal favorites among them. A steady plot with plenty of twists and surprises and powerful descriptions brought this book to life. Although not blatantly Christian, the symbolism was not difficult to understand. I am not always a huge fantasy fan but Mark of the Raven was an excellent choice and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the author and Bethany House Publishers. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person’s dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate.
As she discovers her family’s dark secret, Selene is torn between upholding her family’s legacy–a legacy that supports her people–or seeking the true reason behind her family’s gift.
Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who will also bring about the downfall of her own house.
One path holds glory and power, and will solidify her position as Lady of Ravenwood. The other path holds shame and execution. Which will she choose? And is she willing to pay the price for the path chosen?
Read an excerpt HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She’s the author of the epic fantasy Follower of the Word series and the award-winning steampunk series, The Soul Chronicles. Her debut novel, Daughter of Light, was a Christy and Carol Award finalist. Mark of the Raven, a new fantasy series, releases Fall of 2018 from Bethany House. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel.
by admin | Nov 7, 2018 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for At First Glance by Susan L. Tuttle,
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
MY REVIEW:
I was not certain what to expect when I agreed to read and review At First Glance by Susan L. Tuttle. I was actually a bit hesitant to add it to my already too full review list but I am always in favor of helping along new authors and have found many new favorites that way. I was not in the least bit sorry that I agreed to read this one! For a first novel, this book was excellent. Of course there was a small problem here and there but I did not find any that distracted me from the story itself.
The heroine of At First Glance is not the usual slim, beautiful, and talented young woman found in most romance novels. Penelope (her favored name) is actually very talented and working hard to achieve her dreams. Although she might need to lose a little weight, she is much more attractive than her low self image allows her to believe. When she meets Johan Black, they instantly connect but she manages to judge him by the same standards she herself has been judged and compares him unfairly to her personal trainer.
At First Glance is a wonderful story filled with laughter and tears, soul-searching and romance. I thought Jonah was a wonderful hero and was in his corner from the beginning. I also loved the twists the author incorporated into the story that turned one character I disliked through most of the book into one who had my sympathy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its strong message about the damage a parent can inflict by comparing their children and/or favoring one over the other. I look forward to reading more books by this new author.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Just Read Publicity. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: At First Glance
Author: Susan L. Tuttle
Publisher: Bling! Romance (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Release Date: November 1, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
When it comes to love and matters of the heart, she’s got a lot to learn.
Estate planner Penny Thornton loves dusting off items others gloss over, especially since she relates to feeling tossed aside for the “bright and shiny”. When her younger sister’s approaching wedding launches Penny back into the throes of her dysfunctional family, she decides to use the festivities to close the gap in their relationships—even if it means appeasing them and finally losing the few pounds they’ve hounded her about for years.
But she doesn’t expect to meet two very different men in the process. East Fisher, the personal trainer who personifies everything she believes she could never attain, and Jonah Black, a man who reminds her so much of herself. Both men are more than they appear at first glance, and both seem interested in her romantically.
As Penny uncovers their hidden layers, she discovers when it comes to love and matters of the heart, she’s got a lot to learn about estimating value.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Susan L. Tuttle lives in the Mitten State where she’s a homeschooling mom of three and happily married to her best friend. Between raising her teens and leading the women’s ministry at church, she finds time to write. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire and encourage. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. Connect with Susan at http://www.susanltuttle.com.
CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Twitter
TOUR GIVEAWAY:
(1) winner will receive (US only)
- an ARC copy of At First Glance
- $10 Amazon gift card
- book cozy from The Cozy Life
- cute bookmark
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight November 5, 2018 and last through 11:59pm November 12, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
