by admin | Jul 26, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Spiritural Warfare, Supernatural, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
“Evil Forebodings” is what I would consider a supernatural/paranormal suspense with a bit of romance. I’ll admit that I had a hard time getting into it at first, probably because there were several different characters which left me feeling somewhat confused. Eventually everything came together and I was able to see a method to the madness. The author just had to lay some foundation so her readers could get to know each character individually before they began to work together. So, if you have the same problem, just be patient. It will soon make sense.
This is a pretty wild and crazy story with even a couple of pets taking on major roles when evil stalks the streets of Newville. Four unlikely people are brought together by the mysterious events in their town – a young woman who can understand animals, a police officer, a reporter, and a diner owner. Each of them plays a major role as they work to bring an end to the malevolent danger. The question is “will their faith be strong enough or will they all die?”
Overall, this story has a good premise and I enjoyed it. I personally would have preferred a stronger example of spiritual warfare but that is just my own preference. “Evil Forebodings” is certainly a novel that will make its readers think and hopefully consider their own faith.
A copy of this book was provided for review by Celebrate Lit.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Tiffany Rodgers is the kind of danger that she never dreamed could happen to her in the quiet little town of Newville. She is being stalked and having strange visions. The animals even seem different of late, somehow affected by the changes in the air. Officer Allen Lawrence is drawn to Tiffany, but he has reservations. Is she losing her mind, playing games, or are the things that she is seeing more than just evil forebodings?
Purchase your copy of Evil Forebodings here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carol E. Keen currently resides in Alabama with her husband and family. She spends her time writing, reading, working on photography, and working with her much loved critters. She started creating stories to share with others at the age of two years old. She was published for several years in FAMA magazine (Freshwater And Marine Aquarium) as a contributing editor. She published her first book on CD, called Simply Seahorses. She is overjoyed to be publishing her fiction to share with you now. Carol currently has more books in the “works”. Please feel free to follow her for updates.
On a personal note: Carol really enjoys coffee and a good book!
Guest Post from Carol E. Keen:
Well, I know it isn’t lady like or proper to squeak or go “Eeeeeee!” with excitement, but it’s so hard not to do so. I’m past excited to be on this tour with Celebrate Lit! First I have to say, these are wonderful folks who I’m so very blessed to get to work with!
Now, today I’m doing happy dances over your being here for the kick off for my book, Evil Forebodings. It’s my second published book, and my first full-length fiction novel. This book took eight, yes that is 8, long years to complete. What on Earth could take me that long to write one book?
It started with my first event called, NanoWriteMo. In my case, it was NanoWrite-less! Who had the “brilliant” idea to have a huge writing contest smack over Thanksgiving and two major birthdays in our family? It was a disaster. It was as bad as saying a night person like myself has to function at 8:00am and be good at it. I was alone in my endeavor and didn’t get far at all.
A few years later, I went back to working on this book. This time I had a huge emotional backset from an incident that was just traumatic. I was told, in essence, that I wasn’t good enough to write for a career, and that my focus was on all the wrong things in my life. This came from a published author, who really didn’t know me. I was weighed and judged unfairly, and it was devastating. I learned a great deal though, and pretty much gave up on doing things the way I had been.
Forging ahead anyway, my first book, Beauty For Ashes, was published. Then I got to work on Evil Forebodings. This story and its characters have never left me, and I knew I had to finish this book. I’m really pleased with how it turned out, and I hope that you will enjoy it. While I believe all authors put some of themselves into their work, this book had a heavy dose of my heart infused into it in several places.
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure, and please feel free to ask questions!
Blessings, Carol ?
Blog Stops:
July 26: Daysong Reflections
July 27: Our Perfectly Imperfect Life!
July 28: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
July 29: inklings and notions
July 30: A Reader’s Brain
July 31: Mary Hake
July 31: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
August 1: Through the Open Window
August 1: Cassandra M’s Place
August 2: Bukwurmzzz
August 3: Karen’s Krayons
August 4: Petra’s Hope
August 5: Carpe Diem
August 6: Singing Librarian Books
August 7: For the Love of Books
August 8: Books! Books! Books!
To celebrate her tour, Carol is giving away three copies of her new book with a bookmark. Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/9f31
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by admin | Jul 26, 2016 | DVD
FishFlix.com Christian Movies has an exciting promotion for the pre-release of Season 3 of When Calls the Heart DVD set. Everyone who preorders the Season 3 Collector’s Edition from FishFlix.com will be sent the Season 1 “Episodes set as a free gift. This set is a great item to give away to friends who are not yet familiar with the When Calls the Heart brand. With the release timed for October 11, this bonus item is a great Christmas gift for any fan of family-friendly romantic programing.
ABOUT THE SEASON 3 BOXED SET:
We’re really exciter about the When Calls the Heart Season 3 boxed set because it provides some truly unique bonuses for committed fans of the show (#Hearties.)
As with the When Calls the Heart Season 1 and Season 2 Collector’s editions, this 10 DVD set contains both the film versions and the TV episode versions of When Calls the Heart Season 3. You can watch the series as 10 hour-long episodes or 5 feature films. As in previous years, fans will enjoy finding small differences between the film versions and the individual episodes.
The really exciting elements of the Season 3 collectors’ edition are the three bonus Discs. Disc 8 features the typical bonus material one would expect from a project like this – behind the scenes footage, interviews, etc. Disc 9 is a special product devoted to the fans that have made When Calls the Heart such a grassroots success – featuring footage from the #Hearties gathering in Vancouver in January of 2016. The 10th disc is a When Calls the Heart trivia game that devoted fans are sure to love.
WIN A $100 GIFT CARD:
Another promotion FishFlix.com is running is a drawing for a $100 gift card. In order to enter the drawing, one needs simply to leave a review of Season 3 on this page: https://www.fishflix.com/review/product/list/id/1836/category/153/#review-?form
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Save and send an email to promo@fishflix.com verifying the “Nickname” used on the product review. A drawing will take place on Sept. 1, 2016 and one lucky winner will receive a $100 gift card to FishFlix.com.
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by admin | Jul 26, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, FBI, Law Enforcement, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
“Deadly Encounter” may be one of my favorite novels by DiAnn Mills to date. From the discovery of a dead man and an injured dog at the very beginning all the way to its exciting conclusion, I had difficulty putting the book down.
The sometimes fast but always steady paced plot contained plenty of danger and excitement which included dead bodies, mysterious illness, military drones, and so many possible suspects it was no wonder even the FBI had trouble solving the case. The romantic element was subdued and for the most part took a back seat to the action and suspense. I liked the primary characters, especially the extremely gifted Whitt who tried to steal the show from Stacy and Alex. Woven into this wonderful tale is a thread of faith as Stacy and Alex realize they need to return to theirs and Whitt’s fear that God might just be like his own abusive and negligent father.
You can’t go wrong with any of DiAnn’s novels and “Deadly Encounter” would be a great one to start with if you’ve never read any of them.
A copy of this book was provided for review by the Tyndale Blog Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Airport Ranger volunteer Stacy Broussard expected a peaceful Saturday morning ride around the perimeter of Houston’s airport. What she encounters instead is a brutal homicide and a baffling mystery. Next to the body is an injured dog, the dead man’s motorcycle, and a drone armed with a laser capable of taking down a 747.
Though FBI Special Agent Alex LeBlanc sees a clear-cut case of terrorism, his past has taught him to be suspicious of everyone, even witnesses. Even bleeding-heart veterinarians like Stacy. But when her gruesome discovery is only the first in a string of incidences that throw her life into a tailspin, Alex begins to wonder if Stacy was targeted. As a health emergency endangers Stacy’s community, and the task force pulls in leads from all directions, Alex and Stacy must work together to prevent another deadly encounter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms
listed at her website.
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by admin | Jul 23, 2016 | Amish, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
MY REVIEW:
Cindy Woodsmall has a unique talent for taking an Amish novel and making it so relevant for almost everyone, no matter what their religious preference might be. “Fraying at the Edge” is the second book in her The Amish of Summer Grove series and continues the story of two babies accidentally swapped at birth who have spent their lives with the wrong families. The two young women could not be much more different and when forced to live with their biological families for one year, their lives are changed forever.
Ariana misses her Amish family and finds modern life in the city stressful and confusing, however she quickly learns to adapt and even enjoys driving a car. She is only allowed to be in contact with one Amish person, Quill, a long-time friend but she is still angry with him because she believes he lied and deceived her more than once. Nevertheless, Quill is the only person who can help answer some of her questions so she is in contact with him frequently. If she only knew he loved her would she run the other way?
Skylar is not at all happy to be a part of a large Amish family and resents helping with the chores and work around the farm and in Ariana’s restaurant. Not only that but it has become increasingly difficult for her to find the drugs she needs to support her addiction. Is there any hope for Skylar and can the selfless love of her Amish family help her overcome?
“Fraying at the Edge” is such a powerful novel that I find it difficult to put into words. Each character is so well defined that I felt I knew them intimately. Each of them had things in their lives that made them react the way they did. I liked the way Quill and Ariana discussed their faith which made her question why she believed what she did. I also loved seeing the changes in Skylar’s behavior as she responded to the unconditional love of her family.
“Fraying at the Edge” is one of those books that is better read in order in its series. Book one, “Ties That Bind” lays the background necessary to understand “Fraying at the Edge” more completely. Now I cannot wait for the final book of the series.
A copy of this book was provided for review by Blogging For Books.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Family, community, faith, and love.
These “quilt blocks” sewn together made Ariana’s beautiful life.
When they are pulled to pieces, will anything familiar remain?
The Old Order Amish life Ariana Brenneman loved vanished virtually overnight with the discovery that she was switched at birth twenty years ago. Now she’s immersed in the Englischer world, getting to know her mother and under the authority of her biological father, an atheist intellectual with resolute plans to expand Ariana’s worldview. Only Quill Schlabach, a childhood friend living Englisch, can help steady Ariana’s tilting ground between the two worlds, but can she trust him after so many betrayals?
At the same time, Skylar Nash is forced to choose rehab or spend several months with her true relatives, the large Brenneman family and their seemingly backward life—no electricity, no technology, no fun. What the young woman can’t leave behind is her addiction to illegal prescription drugs and deep emptiness from the belief that she doesn’t belong in either family.
New ties are binding Ariana and Skylar to the lives they were meant to have. Can they find the wisdom and strength they’ll need to follow God’s threads into unexpected futures?
Fraying at the Edge is the second novel in The Amish of Summer Grove series.
Read an excerpt of Fraying at the Edge
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author of numerous works of fiction and one of nonfiction. Her connection with the Amish community has been featured widely in national media. She lives in the Foothills of the North Georgia Mountains with her family.
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by admin | Jul 23, 2016 | Books, Historical, Romance, Texas, Western
MY REVIEW:
I am not ashamed to admit that I love Mary Connealy’s novels! I grew up watching TV westerns with my Dad and have had a weakness for the west and cowboys ever since. I thoroughly enjoy escaping to the Old West through Mary’s novels for a few hours and especially love her strong female characters. “No Way Up” is her latest novel and the first of the new Cimarron Legacy series.
I learned quickly that Chance Boden, owner of the Cimarron Ranch had three children but only the one of them interested in the ranch was Justin who helped his dad run it. Older son Cole lived in town and ran the family mine business from there. Daughter Sadie also lived in town and was committed to helping at the orphanage. When Chance was severely injured in a rock slide, he demanded that Cole and Sadie immediately move back home or they would all lose the ranch at his death. That is where the fun and drama began.
I loved, loved, loved the fact that Heath Kincaid is all grown up and the hero of “No Way Up” and he grew up into a fine young man. (what else would you expect?) Heath was definitely the perfect match for Sadie who had a mind of her own and wasn’t afraid to jump right in there with the menfolk with chores and refused to be left behind on dangerous missions – even climbing cliffs.
The story is full of Mary’s trademark humor, plenty of drama, action, mystery, and suspense as well as romance and kissing – lots of kissing. What is not to like about “No Way Up”? A fun story about family loyalty and faith, this novel left me eagerly waiting for the next installment of The Cimarron Legacy. Hope I don’t have to wait too long!
A copy of this book was provided for review by
Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Fight for the Cimarron Ranch Has Just Begun!
When Cimarron Ranch patriarch Chance Boden is caught in an avalanche, only the quick actions of hired hand Heath Kincaid save him. Before leaving by train to receive treatment to save his leg–and possibly his life–Chance demands that Heath read the patriarch’s will and see its conditions enforced immediately. If Chance’s three bickering adult children, Justin, Sadie, and Cole, don’t live and work at the ranch for an entire year, ownership of the ranch will pass to a despised distant relative.
Before long, however, Heath discovers that the avalanche may have been intentionally set–and that more danger lurks ominously. Finding his own future–and a desired future with Sadie–locked up in saving the Cimarron Ranch, Heath and the Boden siblings must work together against outside forces that threaten them all.
Read an excerpt from “No Way Up” HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Photo courtesy of Ginger Murray Photography
Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Learn more at www.maryconnealy.com.
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