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Saturday, November 9, 2024

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Serenity's Secret by Lisa Jones Baker




Book: Serenity’s Secret (The Heart of the Amish Book 6)

Author: Lisa Jones Baker

Genre: Amish/Christian Fiction

Release date: October, 2024

Serenity Holds Her Secrets Close

Full of faith, hope, and romance, this series takes you into the Heart of Amish country.

Serenity Miller has much to love about life as the owner of The Pink Petal in Arthur, Illinois, and enjoys trying natural remedies and exploring garage sales. Then comes the day her neighbor, Stephen Lantz, saves her from trespassers on her property and their friendship deepens into an attraction Serenity knows can never lead to marriage. She holds secrets she can never divulge, despite Stephen’s way of wooing her. But how can Serenity return to her life of contentment after a taste of love? And when danger returns, will it steal her last hope for a bright future?

 

Click here to get your copy!


Amish Fiction is my favorite Genre of books. Serentity's Secret  is Book 6 in The Heart of the Amish Series. The series is written by various authors and they can be stand alone books. I have read the other books in this series and I am excited to read this book! 

WOW, I can honestly say this is my favorite book from this series. Serenity Miller and Stephen Lantz are the 2 main characters in this book. Serenity loves her life in the Amish community in Arthur, IL. Garage Sales and Natural things are her focus. Stephen, who has known Serenity since childhood, rescues her from attackers on her property. Their friendship really begins to grow and show more then friends. Serenity feels if she were to reveal a secret or 2 to Stephen, then he would not want more then a friendship. I was encouraged by this storyline. Stephen was so geniune and caring man. He had a heart for Serenity since childhood. Serenity knew what she wanted in life and was successful in her business and around the community. I really LOVE that Stephen wasn't deterred by the secrets that Serenity held. I also really enjoyed the suspense of keeping the secrets until she was ready to reveal.  Stephen and Serenity's faith is strong in this book. The book is one of Mystery, Faith, Hope, LOVE and trusting God. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Amish Fiction! FANTASTIC BOOK!




 




Lisa Jones Baker writes Amish Inspirational fiction. She grew up near Arthur, Illinois, and became acquainted with the Plain Faith at an early age when they custom-made and installed her family’s kitchen cabinets. On weekends, she and her parents frequented the quaint Amish town, often the setting of her stories, where they purchased meat, cheese, and home-made baking spices. Now, decades later, she still loves visiting; the town and the people yet intrigue her, and she so appreciates the talent of quilt-making almost as much as she loves horse and buggy rides. But there is much more to this perplexing group than meets the eye; they are extremely disciplined, hard-working, and honest…and they don’t all think alike. For these reasons, writing about them is her passion.

Lisa was fortunate to have been raised in a loving, Christian home by two wonderful parents: a reading specialist mother who plays the piano, and a retired Junior High Principal father who’s also an avid fox hunter. She has a B.A. in French Education and is a former school teacher who loves gardening, cooking, reading, positive thinkers, and every dog she meets. Although a homebody, travel has played a large part of her life. Over three decades of working with the airline industry has landed her on five out of seven continents.

More from Lisa

Do you know a secret? Serenity Miller harbors something she can never reveal, not even to her two dearest friends. Her private knowledge has never interfered with her calm, steady life as owner of The Pink Petal in Arthur, Illinois until the day it impedes her from having what she truly yearns for, Stephen Lantz.

Serenity’s Secret is my utmost favorite of the books I’ve penned. I write to entertain myself, and as I created the very complex life of a simple, Gott-loving Amish woman, I wasn’t sure how I would eventually resolve the tough issues Serenity faces:  falling victim to a crime and completely unaware of why her assailant chose her, at the same time yearning for a future with true love Stephen Lantz, when their destiny together is blocked by a secret.

Stephen’s late aendi Margaret used to say that there’s nothing that love can’t overcome. But will the denouement concur with Margaret’s strong belief? Enjoy the twists and the turns that will eventually reveal Serenity’s Secret!



Batya’s Bits, November 1

Vicky Sluiter, November 2

Texas Book-aholic, November 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 4

The Avid Reader, November 5

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 6 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 7

lakesidelivingsite, November 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 9

For Him and My Family, November 10

Devoted To Hope, November 10

Cover Lover Book Review, November 11

Stories By Gina, November 12 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 12

Holly’s Book Corner, November 13

Bizwings Book Blog, November 14





To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon eGift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5484







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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Julia's Joy by Susan G Mathis





Book: Julia’s Joy

Author: Susan G Mathis

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: October 29, 2024

She came to claim her inheritance, but the mysterious lighthouse keeper makes her question all her plans.

When Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island, compelled by her grandmother’s will, she is intent on claiming her inheritance and moving on. But when she experiences the peaceful, faith-filled island life and connects with the handsome lightkeeper, William, Julia finds herself confronting her open wounds from her parents’ deaths.

William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, harbors a heart hardened by a past betrayal. Between that and his chronic pleurisy, he wants nothing to do with love. But when Julia arrives on the island bursting with vitality and unconventional notions, William’s world is turned upside down. As she chips away at the walls William has built for himself, he finds his reluctance waning.

But just as love begins to blossom between them, Julia is faced with a tempting proposal from a prominent Brockville family. Will she succumb to societal expectations or choose the richness of her island life and the love of the steadfast lightkeeper?

 

Click here to get your copy!


Christian Historical Romance books are a favorite genre of mine. Julia's Joy by Susan G. Mathis is Book 2 in the Love at a Lighthouse series. I read book 1 in this series and was excited to read this book also. 

WOW, the storyline in this book is intriguing from the first chapter. Julia Collins and William Dodge are the 2 main characters in this book. Julia has come to Sister Island as instructed by her Grandmother's will. Julia thinks she will receive her inherientence and go back home to regular life. She wasn't anticipating the peace and tranquilty the Island provides and the faith of the people living on the Island. William is the LightKeeper for the Island and she suddenly has interest in. William was in a couple of relationships in the past that has left him with a Hardened heart and isn't interested in a new relationship. He also has health issues and thinks no one would love him again. I really LOVE how Julia has certain intentions when arriving on the Island, but God truly did a work on her heart throughoutthe book. I felt Julia was a great character as I got to know her and watching her grow. William is an amazing character and he helped Julia realize the simple life is a good life. The book has Faith, History, LOVE and a GREAT storyline!  I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Romance! WONDERFUL BOOK!





Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has thirteen in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, and Libby’s Lighthouse. Julia’s Joy is the second in a three-book lighthouse series coming out in 2024. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, a Golden Scroll Award, and a Selah Award.

Before Susan jumped into the fiction world, she served as the Founding Editor of Thriving Family magazine and the former Editor/Editorial Director of twelve Focus on the Family publications. Her first two published books were nonfiction. Countdown for Couples: Preparing for the Adventure of Marriage with an Indonesian and Spanish version, and The ReMarriage Adventure: Preparing for a Life of Love and Happiness, have helped thousands of couples prepare for marriage. Susan is also the author of two picture books, Lexie’s Adventure in Kenya and Princess Madison’s Rainbow Adventure. Moreover, she is published in various book compilations including five Chicken Soup for the Soul books, Ready to Wed, Supporting Families Through Meaningful Ministry, The Christian Leadership Experience, and Spiritual Mentoring of Teens. Susan has also written several hundred published magazine and newsletter articles.

Susan is president of American Christian Fiction Writers-CS (ACFW), former vice president of Christian Authors Network (CAN), a member of Christian Independent Publishing Association (CIPA), and a regular writer’s contest judge. For over twenty years, Susan has been a speaker at writers’ conferences, teachers’ conventions, writing groups, and other organizational gatherings. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to the islands she loves.

More from Susan

Why Sister Island in the Thousand Islands in the Gilded Age?

What inspired you to write Julia’s Joy?

I have cruised past Sister Island Lighthouse a dozen times or more, and it’s a beautiful lighthouse. But it’s smack dab in the middle of nowhere in an isolated section the St. Lawrence River. Though it’s along the main shipping channel, I’ve always wondered how someone could live on such an island. So, I started imagining what it would be like for a young woman to be stuck there in the prime of her youth, and Julia’s story was born!

Why do you write about the Thousand Islands?

I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands—the setting for all my stories—in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. So, I spent every summer and more exploring the beautiful region. I’ve stayed on several of the islands and camped and rented cottages there. So, after I wrote my debut novel about the largest island, Wolfe Island, I was hooked. There are so many fascinating stories to tell.

Now, I take an annual Thousand Islands Book Tour to the islands where I meet with fans, friends, and family. I’ve stayed in Singer Castle, Casa Blanca, and other places that are the settings of my book. I’ve talked with the owners of the islands, local historians, and researched in the Thousand Islands archives.

All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge.

Why do you write about the Gilded Age?

The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding. It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands.

All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles. It was an era of economic growth. Since wages were higher than Europe, massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores.

Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working class suffered. Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them.

During the Gilded Age, America led the world in innovation. A half-million patents were issued for new inventions including hundreds by Thomas Edison, Westinghouse, and others. Thanks to inventions such as delivery of electric power, the world became lighter, safer, more convenient and comfortable, and all around better.

So, this is why I write Thousand Islands Gilded Age stories. To share the rich heritage this era gave us and better understand what it was like.




Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 5

Texas Book-aholic, November 6

lakesidelivingsite, November 7

Pens Pages & Pulses, November 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 10

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 11 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Allyson Jamison, November 11

Devoted To Hope, November 12

For Him and My Family, November 13

Holly’s Book Corner, November 14

Mary Hake, November 14

Bizwings Book Blog, November 15

Pause for Tales, November 16

Lights in a Dark World, November 17



To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5486/







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Thursday, November 7, 2024

FrontGate Media Blog Tour: Zaia App








Zaia means Light!
Zaia is a Christian Social Networking App. 2.6 Billion Christians, 46 Thousand denominations and rites, Zaia exists to brings us all together. We are a community united by our belief in Jesus Christ and a genuine love for each other.

May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me John 17:23 NLT


Create
Experience the sheer joy of creative expression! Express your God given talent and
perspective through photo, video, and words to inspire and entertain others in their life’s journey.


Share
Share your spiritual journey with others in your local or the global Christian community. Read the Bible directly in the app and share inspirational passages with others.


Connect
Unite with believers worldwide to forge meaningful and powerful connections that transcend cultural boundaries.




Zaia means Light! Christians are to be a light to the World. Social Media isn't always a place that helps us be a light to the World. 

Zaia is a WONDERFUL app that has bought 2.6 Billion Christians as "Friends" and to encourage one another in our Christian Walk. It is an easy to use App! Users can post Text, Pictures, Videos and create Tribes of like-minded friends. My absolute favorite feature is there is a Bible right in the app. It is very convenient to look up scripture or read the Bible while interacting with friends without having to leave the app! Another Favorite feature is that I can feel comfortable that my Young Adult Sons are interacting in a safe Christian Community with others who share their faith and ideas. They have invited a few new Chrsitian Friends to the app to encourage them in growing in their faith. My boys rarely use the WhatsApp, as they are prefering this app now. I HIGHLY recommend this app for ANYONE of any AGE who wants to interact with others of the Faith Community! GREAT APP! 





                                          











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Wednesday, November 6, 2024

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: A Path to Healing by Lisa M. James

A Path to Healing JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Path to Healing by Lisa M. James, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!



A Path to Healing

Title: A Path to Healing
Series: The Prodigal Woman Series #3
Author:
Lisa James
Publisher:
Independently Published
Release Date:
November 1, 2024
Genre:
Christian Fantasy/Romance

Scarred. Blemished. Unwanted. These were all words that could describe Bethany. Since an accident disfigured the right side of her face, severing the betrothal to the man she loved, Bethany knew that no one would ever find her beautiful. When her mother insists she marries the only man willing to take her as a wife, Bethany begrudgingly agrees. Yet, the more she discovers about her new husband, the more she realizes that some scars are hidden deep within. 

After becoming a champion gladiator to purchase his mother’s freedom, Ezra wished to live a quiet life as a shepherd. When he hires a troubled woman with a veiled face to assist him with his flock, he’s surprised to find himself drawn to discover the woman beneath the mask. After a hasty marriage, Ezra vows to do everything he must to spare his wife from harm. But will her thirst for revenge against the dark forces that plague their homeland and his desperate need to protect his family tear them apart? 

Discover the story of a blemished woman in A Path to Healing. 

This Christian Fantasy novel can be read as a stand-alone novel or as part of The Prodigal Woman Series.



Christian Romance with Fantasy is a genre that has peaked my interest in recent months.  A Path to Healing by Lisa M. James is Book 3 in the Prodigal Woman series. I have been enjoying this series since Book 1 and was interested in this book also. 

WOW, I think this book is my favorite in the series!  Bethany and Ezra are the main characters in this book. Bethany believes she will never marry due to a disfigurement of her face. Her mother tells her to marry Ezra, as he seems to be the only man interested in her. Bethany and Ezra met when Bethany begins assisting him with his Sheep Flock. Bethany wears a veil to cover her disfigured face, but eventually Ezra gets to see her face. I really LOVE how Ezra marries Bethany and wants to protect her from further harm. Bethany believes she wasn't worthy to be a wife, but she soon begins to feel the real love between herself and Ezra. The book is one of trusting God's plan and not our own, seeing the inner beauty within people and God's love! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Fantasy with Romance books! WONDERFUL Book!



PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books in This Series

A Path to Forgiveness A Path to Acceptance




Lisa M. James

Lisa M. James is an independent author, marketer, and former Sunday School teacher. She loves writing fantasy novels with diverse female leads for both young adult and adult audiences. Her novels have hit the Amazon Best Sellers list for numerous Fantasy categories, including Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, Christian Fantasy, and Religious Romance. Her fictional writing is inspired by Historical Fiction, Fantasy genres, and Christian novels.

Connect with Lisa by visiting lisamjames.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.




(1) winner will receive a print copy of A Path to Healing and an embroidered backpack purse!

A Path to Healing JustRead Tours blog tour giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 6, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 13, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours







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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Wonderfully, Marvelously, Brown by Xochitl Dixon







Book: Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown

Author: Xochitl Dixon

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Release date: October 1, 2024

Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown, follows a young boy on a joyously affirming adventure that celebrates all shades of brown, from the darkest to the lightest.

From new school desks to freckles and moles, from fresh pastries to cedar canoes, brown is everywhere around us. God created and used brown to color the giant California redwoods, the Grand Canyon walls, busy beavers building dams, great horned owls hoo-hooing, and his image-bearers.

Everywhere that I go
I’m searching to see
something wonderfully, marvelously
brown—just like you and like me!

Illustrated by Pura Belpré Honor Award artist Sara Palacios and written by Xochitl Dixon, Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown takes kids on a tour of the U.S. to seek and find all the brilliant and beautiful shades of brownfrom ivory to ebonythat God created. Readers will be encouraged to love the skin tone God chose for them as they observe how the spectacular shades of brown are reflected in their communities and the world around them.

 

Click here to get your copy!


I really enjoy reading Children's books and Pictures books. I share them with the little ones in my life, including the kids at Church. Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown by Xochitl Dixon is the latest that I have shared with the Little ones at Church.

WOW, I truly am amazed how the author really takes a Picture book and writes about important things for Kids to read and understand.  The storyline of this book really hit "home" for me and my young adult Boys. My 3 Boys are Bi-Racial and are truly all different shades of Brown. I really LOVE how the author points out the different colors of things around the US to show kids different hues don't mean people are different. The different hues make people and things unique and God created it all!  Kids love colors and learning that colors come in all shades and tones, it a great thing for little ones to learn. The Illustrator, Sara Palacios, has done an AMAZING job and the colors throughout the book are very vivid and flow with the story. I HIGHLY recommend this book to Kids of all ages and would make a great gift for Churches and Sunday Schools. AMAZING  BOOK!








Xochitl (So-Cheel) Dixon, author of Waiting for God: Trusting Him for the Answers to Your Prayers, is a regular contributor for Our Daily Bread, the bestselling God Hears Her compilations and blog, and Tyndale’s NLT Go Bible for Kids (September 2024). Equipping readers to grow closer to God while nurturing an authentic loving community, she shares biblical encouragement, celebrates ethnic diversity, and advocates for disability awareness with her beautifully diverse family and her service dog, Callie, featured in the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award Children’s Book Finalist Different Like MeDiferente como yo, What Color is God’s Love? and Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown.

 

 

More from Xochitl

I’m a first-generation Mexican American raised by Spanish-speaking immigrant grandparents and parents, who taught me to be invisible and believed assimilation would lead to a better life for me. The racism and colorism I experienced throughout my life caused me to grapple with my identity, self-worth, and my sense of belonging. However, I was in third grade the first time I stood against injustice. In my teen years, my passion for celebrating ethnic diversity and standing against injustice while advocating for disability awareness and inclusion grew.

Then, in 1994, I married a man who shared my passions. As a first-generation Mexican American raised by immigrant parents and grandparents, a wife to a Black man, a stepmother to a Black son, and a mother of a biracial son, my commitment to stand against racial injustice became even more personal.

I submitted my life to Christ in 2001 and began asking the Holy Spirit to make me more like Jesus. That same year, after a student used a racial slur toward our biracial son, I wrote Different Like Me.

As God empowered me to love Him and my neighbors with a healthy and holy perspective, God began to grow our beautifully diverse family. My youngest granddaughter, whose father is Black, shared that kids teased her because she doesn’t look like her sisters, who share the same white father. I assured her that the melanin God uses to color all skin is brown, from the lightest to the darkest shades. Then, I told her that I would be writing Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown.

In 2020, Our Daily Bread published Different Like Me. As I edited What Color is God’s Love? and Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown, God continued affirming that He did not create the divisive and oppressive systems that label His image-bearers as “white” or “black” and feed the ignorance of racism or colorism. Instead, He designed melanin to include every spectacular shade of brown from the darkest ebony to the lightest ivory, even in those He created with birth marks, vitiligo, and albinism.

God intentionally selected every skin tone for every person He created and loves, His image-bearers. He calls every shade of brown good, including the shade of brown He used when He created you and me. As we celebrate our God-designed ethnic diversity, we can share the Good News of Jesus Christ as we love God and all our neighbors together.



Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 29

Lots of Helpers, October 30

Guild Master, October 31 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, November 1

Leslie’s Library Escape, November 1

Texas Book-aholic, November 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 3

Fiction Book Lover, November 4 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 6

A Reader’s Brain, November 7 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, November 8

Labor Not in Vain, November 9

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 10





To celebrate her tour, Xochitl is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5480/







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