Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Victoria Grace: The Jerkface by S.E. Clancy

Book: Victoria Grace: The Jerkface

Author: S.E. Clancy
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Release Date: June 15, 2020

Ever since Tori Weston and MamaBear were abandoned by her dad, finances have been tighter than a new pair of skinny jeans. As if keeping her grades up for scholarships and working every spare moment weren’t enough, Tori gets suckered into visiting a retirement home and paired with ancient resident Marigold Williams. After learning she’s the only one to visit Marigold in decades, Tori becomes a regular at Willow Springs. Besides, someone has to help with her history homework.

Corbin Dallas barges into Tori’s life with a prosthetic leg and a dimple, working his way into her hectic schedule. Though she tries to deny it, there’s something beyond his Texan drawl that gets Tori hoping she’s more than his sidekick. Together, they race to find Marigold’s missing family before she fades away. Tori ditches her soul-sucking job, along with her dreams of having a paint-peeled clunker to call her own, in order to help her friend one last time.

Click here to get your copy!

I have to say this book was a slow read for the first couple of chapters. I had a hard time getting into the storyline. The Storyline finally clicked with me and then it was full speed ahead with reading the book.

The book reminds me reading similar books during my childhood. The main character, Victoria Grace aka Tori, is very spunky, sassy and quick witted. The relationships she has with others in the book, especially Marigold and Corbin and just so fun loving. Her mother also plays an important part for Tori. The book is a fun loving book for Young Adults, but Adults would enjoy it also.

GREAT BOOK!!

S.E. Clancy (aka Sarah) is a bit of a sci-fi nerd, geek, and self-proclaimed dork. There isn’t much she won’t try at least once…unless it involves mayonnaise, because that stuff is just gross. You can learn more about her at seclancy.com.

More from S.E.

Victoria Grace the Jerkface started as a short story after I’d listened to my favorite song by Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song. I’d overheard a teenager say, “I don’t even know what a chestnut is.” I typed that into a note on my phone because it struck a chord. Within days, a photographer named Tom Hussey issued a series called “Reflections” that featured elderly people gazing into mirrors and seeing their younger selves. That same night, one of my children asked for a project to earn school credits. Like flint to tinder, the idea of this teenager who didn’t know what a chestnut was having to visit an older person left in a care home began to grow.
To add in a bit of my mom and myself to the story, I had my main character Tori (Victoria Grace) love her mom’s meatloaf. It’s a recipe that my mom used from her grandma, an amazing woman we called Grandma Ted.
Ted’s Meatloaf

1 pound thawed ground beef or turkey
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
1 – 2 heels of bread torn into dime-sized pieces (1 for turkey, 2 for beef)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a single bowl. Works best if you use your hands, but mix really well if you use a spoon to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Do not use parchment paper—no one wants a soggy bottom. Plop the entire mixture into the pan and place into the middle of the oven. Cook for an hour.
This recipe doubles easily, just change the cooking time to 1 ½ – 1 ¾ hours and check the internal temp with a thermostat.

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, June 15

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 16

Books, Life, and Christ, June 16

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 18

Texas Book-aholic, June 19

Inklings and notions, June 20

Robin’s Nest, June 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 21

Nancy E Wood , June 21

For Him and My Family, June 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 23

deb’s Book Review, June 24

Batya’s Bits, June 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 26

CarpeDiem, June 26

Pause for Tales, June 27

Artistic Nobody, June 28 (Guest Review from Kelsey Barela)

To celebrate her tour, S.E. is giving away the grand prize package of signed book, origami bookmark, marigold seeds, & $10 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/fc81/victoria-grace-the-jerkface-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Women of the Bible Speak Out by Marlo Schlaskey

Book: Women of the Bible Speak Out
Author: Marlo Schalesky
Genre: RELIGION/Christian Living/Women’s Interests
Release Date: June 2, 2020

With the recent headlines about gender-based abuse, power, harassment, and assault, it seems as if everyone is searching for answers. Marlo Schalesky provides a biblical response to the tough questions raised by these issues. She explores the stories of twenty women in Scripture, including Eve, Sarah, and Bathsheba—women who were betrayed, abused, endangered, blamed, and shamed. As she leads us in studying the biblical text, she draws our eye to God’s responses to these women and their situations: Eve: The Way It Was Supposed to Be

Sarai: Betrayed

Hagar: – Used

Lot’s Daughters & A Levite’s Concubine: Abused

Two Tamars: Rejected

Hannah: Devalued

Abigail: Endangered

Bathsheba: Sexualized

Esther: Dominated

Mary & Martha: Oppressed

A Samaritan Woman: Shamed

A Sinful Woman: Scorned

A Woman Caught in Adultery: Blamed

Women at the Tomb: Disbelieved

She points out a way to healing, wholeness, and freedom. In the midst of today’s #MeToo conversations, this book will give new voice to the remarkable women of Scripture—and new hope to many, many women today.

Click here to get your copy!

I am not one who normally reads "Deep Thinking" books, but this one really intrigued me. The author tackles many issues Women in today's society are facing from a Biblical storytelling. Women today are hurting due to Abuse, Betrayal, and much more.

Author, Marlo Schalesky, tells the story of 20 Women in the Bible, who experienced abuse and betrayal but found Hope and Healing. The book is very encouraging for todays women, as many are afraid to speak up and tell their story. Women of the Bible Speak Out shows women how they can be able to speak out about their abuse and tell their story. It gives hope and encouragement when most feel that it is lost. I feel this is a wonderful book for all Christian Women. It would make a GREAT Bible Study book or one to be used within a group setting of similar minded women.

ENCOURAGING BOOK!

Marlo Schalesky is the founder and president of Wonder Wood Ranch, a California charitable organization that brings hope through horses to hurting kids. She’s had over one thousand articles published in various Christian magazines, is a regular columnist for Power for Living, and is an award-winning author of twelve books. Schalesky has a master’s in theology with an emphasis in biblical studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. She lives with her husband and six children in a log home on California’s central coast.

More from Marlo

1) Why did you write this book?

When I was first asked to consider writing a book about women in the Bible who experienced abuse, oppression, gender-based bias and discrimination, sexualization, and more, I didn’t know how their stories would intersect with mine and the experiences of women today. I thought I would find only horror, but beyond that I found a surprising hope; a God who is always seeking to redeem, to heal, and to make right where mankind has broken and betrayed.

This book is for others like me, for women who have been hurt, whose wounds sometimes seem too deep to heal. I wrote it for those who know that while justice is necessary, it is not enough. We need to see God. We need Him to see us. We need an experience with the God of Scripture whose fierce love is the only thing that can heal those hurts that lie deep within.

2) What do you hope your readers will take away from reading your book?

I hope they experience a renewed hope. And a deeper understanding of the God who loves them. I want readers to know that God sees them, and He sees what they’ve suffered, and He does not look away. He does not make excuses.

After reading Women of the Bible Speak Out, I hope readers will see that instead of winking at the repression of women, the Bible exposes it. And the Bible reveals a God who not only shares in our suffering but seeks to redeem it.

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 10

Spoken from the Heart, June 10

For the Love of Literature, June 11

deb’s Book Review, June 11

Emily Yager, June 12

Older & Smarter, June 12

Book of Ruth Ann, June 13

A Reader’s Brain, June 14

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 15

Rebecca Tews, June 15

Texas Book-aholic, June 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 16

Godly Book Reviews, June 17

Writing from the Heart Land, June 17

Inklings and notions, June 18

Holly Jo Morris, June 18

For Him and My Family, June 19

Lighthouse Academy Blog, June 19 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Just the Write Escape, June 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 21

Hallie Reads, June 21

Splashes of Joy, June 22

Artistic Nobody, June 22 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

To celebrate her tour, Marlo is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of the book plus a $10 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/fc1e/women-of-the-bible-speak-out-celebration-tour-giveaway

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JustRead Tours Blog Tour: Let them Be Kids by Jessica Smartt

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Let Them Be Kids by Jessica Smartt, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: Let Them Be Kids
Author: Jessica Smartt
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: June 9, 2020
Genre: Christian Living/Parenting

As every parent hopes to raise kids with good manners and values, Jessica Smartt’s practical guide fills the gaps of uncertainty and provides tips on how parents can equip their children in purity, faith, and creativity.
Former English teacher and homeschooling mother of three, Jessica Smartt felt the weight of helping prepare her kids for life, especially with all the outside pressures and influence of the world. She struggled with how she could raise her children with a sense of adventure, self-confidence, manners, faith, and the ability to utilize technology wisely.

Let Them Be Kids is Jessica’s offering of grace and confidence to moms, giving them practical ideas to meet these challenges. Her well-researched, tested methods, woven together with her personal stories and witty humor, deliver wisdom on the tough topics of life, such as

family time vs. outside activities,
being “cool” or not,
boredom,
technology usage
sexual purity, and
showing grace when kids disobey.

Part story and part guidebook, every chapter includes doable strategies and encouragement for the journey.

Let Them Be Kids helps moms feel confident and equipped with ways to provide a safe, healthy, Christ-centered childhood for their children. It leads them to conquer fear and find truth that transforms them and their families as it reminds them how to enjoy and cherish the special memory-making moments of building family values together.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

________________________________________________

We are living in a society where kids are over-scheduled and always on the go. Kids are also living in a Technology world. Families rarely take time to slow down and enjoy life as a family. Let Them Be Kids by Jessica Smartt is a book that will show families how to slow down and enjoy Family Time.

Let them Be Kids has a Christian Parenting perspective, but the book can apply to Secular Families as well. Kids nowadays are BORED when they are at home, but Jessica Smartt gives ideas on how to show kids how entertain themselves or with their siblings. The book also tackles parenting struggles and things to watch for as kids grow older and keeping their interests age appropriate The book is filled with ideas that will create Family Memories and spending time together as a family.

The book is similar to some other Christian Parenting books, but I also discovered many new ideas. Family Time and creating memories is very important for my family and I really enjoyed this book!

Jessica Smartt is a former English teacher turned homeschooling mama of three. A week after her first baby was born, she began her motherhood blog “Smartter” Each Day. Jessica and her husband live in beautiful North Carolina, where she loves hiking with kids (mostly), steaming coffee in the afternoon, family bike rides, and anything that’s ever been done to a potato.

CONNECT WITH JESSICA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: God Did Not Do This To Me by Lisa Stringer

Book: God Did Not Do This To Me
Author: Lisa Stringer
Genre: RELIGION / Christian Living/Personal Growth
Release Date: May 4, 2020

Lisa and Doug Stringer were ministering in Massachusetts in March 2015 when a lump in Doug’s throat started to bother him. “I don’t feel well,” he told his wife. “The lump I felt in my throat a few days ago feels larger.” When they were able to see a doctor, they were horrified to learn that Doug had Stage 4 large B-cell lymphoma that was 80 percent aggressive.

Doug spent the rest of the day sitting in his car, alone in prayer. Finally, he called Lisa to tell her that he was on his way home and he wanted a family meeting and communion. Emotionally exhausted and noses still running from crying, Lisa, her mom, and Ashley gathered in the family room as Doug told them about his time with God.

“God did not do this to me—and if He did not do this to me, then it doesn’t belong to me!” he told them emphatically. It was just what they need to hear.

God Did Not Do This to Me is Lisa’s story of the family’s trials and triumphs through a cancer diagnosis. Putting on the armor of God, Doug was determined to turn his battle with cancer into an intercession for the country, even joking that the chemotherapy treatments made him resemble a bald eagle.

By the end of the year, Doug’s cancer was in remission.

“We know that the Great Physician heard the numerous prayers of our friends and spiritual family from all over the world, and blessed us all with a testimony of His healing power,” Lisa says. “We are forever changed through this experience. He has expanded my heart of compassion, taught me to pour out more grace, to be an even bigger giver, and to appreciate the little things all the more.”

Click here to get your copy!

I really LOVE this book! God Did Not Do This To Me is the real life story of Doug Stringer and his Cancer diagnosis. Doug Stringer and his wife Lisa were doing ministry work in 2015 when Doug was diagnosed with Cancer. A Cancer diagnosis usually sees people asking God "why me, God, why me"? So many are discouraged by a a Cancer Diagnosis. Doug didn't let cancer have that affect on him. He knew he was going to be strong and beat cancer and he did within a year!

I really enjoyed reading this book as it is filled with encouragement. Doug had a cheerful and fighter attitude throughout his battle with Stage 4 Cancer and that encouragement helped his family through the trials of Cancer. The encouragement and truth filled book can be applied to many areas of ones life. The fact that Doug knew that God didn't do this to him and didn't blame God, was such a wonderful perspective during a rough trial of life.

I was very encouraged by this book and how the family bond grew within the Stringer family during Doug's cancer journey! GREAT BOOK!

Lisa Stringer is the wife of Doug Stringer, the founder and president of Somebody Cares America/International, a network of organizations impacting their communities through unified grassroots efforts.
Lisa worked in the secular radio and music entertainment industry for seventeen years, becoming the first female program director of a top-40 station in a major market in the United States. Later, she became the vice president of programming and promotions of a radio group. Lisa has received numerous awards, including gold and platinum records for her contribution to the success of many highly recognizable recording artists and entertainers.
She homeschooled her daughter, Ashley, who is now enrolled in dual programs at a local community college and working on the release of her second EP.
Lisa travels with Doug as they minister to many around the globe, ranging from those of the persecuted church to those suffering in the aftermath of human tragedy, such as the Haitian earthquake, the tsunami in Japan, and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Lisa enjoys opportunities where she has been able to interpret for her husband as they minister throughout Central and South America. She and her husband are also regular guests on various television programs that air throughout the world.
Lisa has a heart for the less fortunate, widows, and orphans. She has served on various boards and has traveled to over thirty-four nations.
The Stringers live in the greater Houston area.

More from Lisa

Doug continued to listen to whatever the doctor was telling him. I could tell something wasn’t right because Doug’s countenance had changed. It was obvious he was not receiving good news. Whatever it was, at no time did I ever imagine it to be cancer. Doug would not look at me; his eyes were locked in a forward gaze. That alone had my heart beating a tad faster.
I then heard him say, “How bad is it?” Oh, my goodness, was my heart beating right out of my chest! How bad is it? How bad is what? This can’t be bad! I was not expecting bad! Then I heard the heart-wrenching, horrible “c” word come out of my husband’s mouth. He still had his eyes fixed forward. That in itself was painful, not because he wasn’t acknowledging me, but because he was hurting and I knew that if we made eye contact, one or both of us would break down at this point.
We had been on an emotional roller coaster and we were about to take a drop from one of the scariest peaks on one of the worst rides people can experience. I was struggling with everything in me to not allow tears to stream down my face. After all, I was still only hearing one side of the conversation. I recall Doug getting choked up and his voice cracking as he fought back the natural reaction to bad news. He then asked, “What kind of cancer is it?” My heart stopped. I felt like I had been shot and life was moving in slow motion. I could feel every nerve in my body. A deep pain set in…

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 13

Artistic Nobody, June 14 (Spotlight)

For the Love of Literature, June 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 16

Texas Book-aholic, June 17

Andrea Christenson, June 18 (Spotlight)

Inklings and notions, June 19

Through the Fire Blogs, June 20 (Spotlight)

For Him and My Family, June 21

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, June 22 (Spotlight)

deb’s Book Review, June 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 24

My Devotional Thoughts, June 25 (Spotlight)

Spoken from the Heart, June 26

To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Starbucks gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/fc73/god-did-not-do-this-to-me-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Monday, June 15, 2020

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: YellowStone Yondering by Kristen Joy Wilks

Book: Yellowstone Yondering
Author: Kristen Joy Wilks
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 17, 2020

When a free-spirited wildlife photographer loses her Scottish terrier in a herd of bison, she sets out to rescue her furbaby before he is devoured. But will she succeed when Yellowstone National Park is chock full of boiling, bubbling, and rampaging hazards (both mammalian and geographical) — not to mention a rule-obsessed park ranger whose many rescues thwart her efforts to find her poor pup?

They say opposites attract, and when it comes to Kayla Dineen and Ranger Alexander Brandt, no two people have ever been more opposed…or attractive. Old Faithful isn’t the only thing making noise at Yellowstone this season.

Click here to get your copy!

I really enjoy Contemporary Romance novels and Yellowstone Yondering by Kristen Joy Wilks, was a definite page turner. I was really intrigued by the story line from the beginning and couldn't put the book down. The setting is Yellowstone National Park. I have never been there, but I felt like I was there as I was reading the book.

The 2 main characters, Kayla Dineen and Ranger Alexander Brandt, are complete opposites. Kayla is a very determined woman who is looking for her Scottish Terrier that ran away and Ranger Alexander likes to protect his "space". The 2 of them don't see eye to eye, but seem to also be getting attracted to one another. The relationship is quite humorous as the relationship grows. Will they allow attraction to win or will their hard hearts win?

Author, Kristen Joy Wilks is a new to me author, but I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. GREAT BOOK and I highly recommend it!

Kristen Joy Wilks lives in the beautiful Cascade Mountains with her camp director husband, three fierce sons, and a large and slobbery Newfoundland dog. She has blow-dried a chicken, fought epic Nerf battles instead of washing dishes, and discovered a stealthily smuggled gardener snake in her sons’ bubble bath. Her stories, devotionals, and articles have appeared in Nature Friend, Clubhouse, Thriving Family, Keys for Kids, The Christian Journal, Splickety, Spark, and Havok. She writes romantic comedies for Pelican Book Group, including Copenhagen Cozenage, The Volk Advent, Athens Ambuscade, Spider Gap, and Yellowstone Yondering. Kristen writes about the humor and Grace that can be found amidst the detritus of life.

More from Kristen

Greetings and Salutations!
My name is Kristen Joy Wilks and I am a mountain woman, married to a camp director, who lives at a remote Bible camp where we don’t have access to electricity, water, or garbage services unless we do it ourselves. Yes, it is totally possible to do all these things. But it does mean some frantic running about when the generator starts making a strange noise or the water inexplicably cuts off. As a girl I did have one or two mountain kid adventures that were perhaps not typical for the average tomboy. Such as when I rode my horse through a herd of 200 elk or when I got together with my brother and cousins to build a homemade snake pit so that we could dangle one another over it by our legs from a tripod made of logs in classic Indiana Jones style. Of course, we caught snakes for our pit!
Why do you ask?

We managed to find over twenty and it was a huge success, except for the tiny issue of me being too tall and all those snakes getting into my hair. As you can plainly see, mountain kids do have more fun. I’m now the mom of three fierce sons, six pet chickens, and a large and slobbery Newfoundland dog named Princess Leia Freyja Wilks. I spend most of my time thwarting my sons’ attempts to smuggle their pet chickens onto their bunk beds and trying to keep my husband from filling another wall of our dinning room with strategy board games. Yes, you would think that 300 would be sufficient, but there is always another one, apparently. Well, he does have a point when he insists that they are great for camp ministry. I spend a great deal of time over at Camas Meadows Bible Camp photographing the daily comings and goings of counselors and campers so that their parents can look online and see that everyone is still alive. During all that photo taking, I have seen many a shy child open up after playing an exciting game of Camel Up, Snorta, or Star Trek Ascendancy. I also write the camp blog, step in as camp mother when homesickness pops up, and volunteer at our local public schools with Princess Leia Freyja who excels at reading therapy … yep, she just flops on the floor next to children while they read, which is definitely her spiritual gift. I can also be found at 4:00AM, with a cup of Jasmine Monkey King tea, tucked under my Star Trek quilt, writing crazy stories that might sound insane, but always have a tiny hint of truth. Thank you for joining me today to see what kind of misadventures I managed to put my unsuspecting characters through.