Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Sword of Trust by Debbie Lynne Costello

Book: Sword of Trust

Author: Debbie Lynne Costello

Genre: Christian Fiction Romance Medieval

Release date: March 15, 2021

Deirdre Mackenzie has spent her life hiding from her father and hating the English. However, when she is caught stealing from an English laird, his unexpected kindness begins to melt away her hatred and strums lonely heartstrings longing for love. Bryce Warwick can’t believe the boy his men caught is actually a young woman. After several attempts to lure the truth from her, he determines she is as deceitful as his late fiancée who nearly cost him his life. But the woman is the least of his worries with the turbulence brought on by threats of another border war and by King Richard’s distrust of the nobles. With the boundary in unrest, Bryce entertains a Scottish chieftain unaware it is Deirdre’s father, seeking peace for his people. Fearful that her father will discover she is alive, Deirdre steals Bryce’s signet ring, hoping a missive from the laird will keep her father away. But when the ring is used instead for treason, she realizes too late she’s been betrayed and Bryce will hang for the crime. With old wounds that need to heal and adversaries who could end their chances at true love, both must learn to trust in a way they never knew possible.

Click here to get your copy!

Sword of Trust by Debbie Lynne Costello is the long awaited Second book in the Winds of Change series. I had the pleasure of reading Book 1 in the series and have been anxiously waiting for Book 2. It is FINALLY here and I had the opportunity to read it.

The setting and time period is Scotland and England in the 1390's Medieval time period. Deirdre Mackenzie has always had a sour relationship with her father and she has never been fond of the English. She has grown up amongst boys and enjoys the life of a "lad". She seems to have a "hardened" heart. Well, all that changes when she is caught stealing and the kindness of the Lord Bryce Warwick just might soften her heart. Trouble arises when there is a threat of war at the border. Bryce Warwick brings someone to his castle, unaware it is Deirdre's father, the one she is hiding from. Will Deirdre stay hidden from her father? Will Bryce and Deirdre become close and begin a relationship?

WOW, just WOW! The twists and turns in this book really make it an exciting read. I am not one who normally enjoys Medieval Time Period, but Debbie Lynne Costello really writes in style that makes the time period and storyline EXCEEDINGLY interesting. I LOVE how the characters really click and their individual personalities are wonderful. I HIGHLY recommend this book for those who enjoy Christian Historical Romance Fiction!

Debbie Lynne Costello is the author of Sword of Forgiveness, Amazon’s #1 seller for Historical Christian Romance. She has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina with their 4 horses, 3 dogs, a miniature donkey, and 6 peking ducks.

More from Debbie Lynne

It is my desire as an author to draw my readers into my story so they feel invested in the hero and heroine and part of their journey, whether it is set in 19^th Century Charleston, South Carolina or 14^th Century Northumberland, England. One of the ways I love to do this is with professions, hobbies, and cooking. In Sword of Trust my heroine, Deirdre has become quite proficient with a bow and arrow. She’s had plenty of practice and is driven to be the best, perhaps to prove to herself because she is a lass in lad’s clothing. The long bow was a popular weapon in the Middle Ages and was used in battle in The Hundred Years’ War. But the bow was not just a weapon of war, the bow was also a weapon for food. And Deirdre loves to hunt with a flat bow. In her excitement she runs into a wee bit of trouble with the king. Some trivia for you: Because of its elasticity, the yew tree was used in making the long bow. Even after fire arms were introduced the long bow continued to be used for battles. And due to its popularity, by the end of the sixteenth century, mature yew trees were nearly extinct in Northern Europe.

Unfortunately, I can’t really give you instructions on bow making or lessons on how to shoot accurately. Instead, I’m going to share a recipe for the medieval treat, gyngerbrede. In Sword of Trust, Bryce gets his cook to make gyngerbrede. He fills a bag with them and takes them north to the Scottish borderland to hand out to the children. Sweets have been loved for thousands of years. Today we know that sugar is bad for us. Regardless of that, we still crave the empty calories. Some things never change. Here is a wee bit of fun trivia for you. During the first century in some countries, sugar was only used for medicinal purposes and thought to heal many ailments.

Gyngerbrede

Ingredients

1 loaf of wheat bread, grounded into breadcrumbs

1 cup of honey

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation

In a medium to large pan, bring your honey to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the foam that collects on the top and sides. Add your cinnamon, ginger, and pepper. Stir well. When your spices are mixed in the honey begin adding your bread crumbs one cup at a time. Mix well and then knead it thoroughly. You can divide your dough up into quarters to make it easier to work with and roll out. Cut them into 1” squares. Dust the squares with a mixture of one part cinnamon and two parts sandalwood.

Inklings and notions, April 23
Britt Reads Fiction, April 23
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 24
Connect in Fiction, April 25
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 25
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 26
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 27
Connie’s History Classroom, April 28
Bizwings Blog, April 28
deb’s Book Review, April 29
Simple Harvest Reads , April 29(Guest Review from Donna Cline)
For Him and My Family, April 30
Betti Mace, May 1
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 1
Texas Book-aholic, May 2
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 3
The Book Chic Blog, May 3
Pause for Tales, May 4
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 5
Mary Hake, May 5
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 6

To celebrate her tour, Debbie is giving away the grand prize of a smart watch!!

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/10b26/sword-of-trust-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Journey to Joy by Anne Perreault

Book: Journey to Joy

Author: Anne Perrault

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 23, 2019

Can she find joy where there has only been defeat and dishonor?

Tricked into indentured servitude, Joy Richards finds herself working for an abusive innkeeper. Her life is so destitute, she feels God has forsaken her. After one last desperate cry to God, a kind stranger steps in to take her away.

Can she trust this new circumstance?

Andrew Lloyd-Foxx abhors injustice. He can’t walk away from it. When he steps in on the young woman’s behalf, his own life is turned upside down. Burdened with his own loss, he has no room for anyone else.

Will the journey prove too difficult?

Click here to get your copy!

I have read several books by Anne Perreault and was excited to read Journey to Joy. Journey to Joy is a Historical Romance Fiction book and I really enjoy Historical Fiction.

The setting is 1837 in Massachusetts. Joy Richards is trying very hard to get out the life of she is living. She works for an abusive innkeeper and she feels like God has forgotten about her. She desperately wants a better life, but she also has trust issues. Joy makes a plea to God to save her and she may finally be rescued. Andrew Lloyd-Foxx, a kind stranger, decides to help her. Andrew's life might be turned upside down by helping her, but he can't allow her to be treated unfairly. Joy and Andrew take a liking to one another rather quickly, which seems like a "miracle" as they have both been through so much, are they ready for a relationship. Will Joy and Andrew grow a relationship and find happiness? Can they both get over their trust issues and grow closer? Will they keep each other safe as they move away from the InnKeeper?

I found myself really enjoying this storyline from the very beginning. The book is easy to read. The characters, especially Joy and Andrew, really form bonds and have good personalities. The Historical period was well researched and made the story really good. I really liked how the relationship progressed slowly and made the book not feel rushed. GREAT BOOK!

Anne Perreault was born and raised in Germany. By the time she was 14 years old, her family moved to Dubai, UAE. While living in this exotic place, she traveled extensively to various countries around the world. After graduating from an American boarding school in Austria, she attended college in England, where she met her husband. She graduated from New England College with a degree in biology, and settled down in Connecticut. Anne became a horseback riding instructor as well as a certified therapeutic riding instructor. She and a group of friends started a therapeutic riding center in Bristol, CT. During that time, Anne also received a masters degree in secondary education and began to homeschool her three children. While raising their three children, she began to write an inspirational story primarily for her daughter. Anne, her husband, and two of their grown children now reside in Southern Vermont, where they are building their home. Besides writing, Anne enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, grown children, and grand-dogger.

More from Anne

This book came about when my youngest son and I were studying the second awakening and some of the preachers that started to talk about abolition. I was fascinated by their passion and could see myself in the crowd, listening to them preach.

At the same time, I was probably reading a historical fiction, possibly by Tamera Alexander, and she included horses. I think it was the Bell Meade series. I thought to myself, Myself, you love history more than anything else. Why don’t you write a historical fiction and include horses?

Talk about catching two stones with one bird. Believe it or not, even though I spent most of my life on or around horses, taught horseback riding for about 15 years, competed very extensively in both dressage and equitation, and owned an off-the-track racehorse, my knowledge of racing was… limited.

But I know horses. And I love history. And, research is fun.

So, I thought back to which book had a ton of influence on me, a book that highlighted racehorses. King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry popped into my mind immediately. I have a very special love of the Arabian horse and boy if there was ever a story, I would want to tell something like that one.

I began researching how and when and why and who imported the Godolphin Arabian to the United States and… I found out some amazing things not just about the Thoroughbreds, who greatly benefited from the influence of the Godolphin Arabian – as he came to be known – but also our very own Quarter Horses. Did you know that the reason they are called Quarter Horses is because they have incredible speed over the quarter mile. That was news to me. The first place to make a home for the Godolphin in this country was in the South, at Fenwick Park. I researched that place and the story started to come together.

I had the horses. I wanted to place the story in New England, since I live there. I had the place, pictured what it would look like, but the characters were still illusive. Abolition had to be part of the story. So, what if one of them was a slave? That didn’t quite fit history well. But what if one of them was an indentured servant?

Bada-bing bada-bang. Hello, my friends. The characters just jumped out at me and I enjoyed watching them scramble around in their relationship with each other, as well as the relationship with those around them. This book really has an amazing supporting cast of characters. I never imagined them to be so… fun.

I hope you enjoy this peek inside an author’s head. Enjoy Journey for Joy as much as I loved writing it.

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 22
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 23
For Him and My Family, April 24
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 25
Connie’s History Classroom, April 26
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 27
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 28
Inklings and notions, April 29
deb’s Book Review, April 30
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 1
Artistic Nobody, May 2 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, May 3
Genesis 5020, May 3
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 4
Simple Harvest Reads, May 5 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, May 5

To celebrate her tour, Anne is giving away the grand prize package of an eBook copy of Journey to Joy and and 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/10b24/journey-to-joy-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Friday, April 30, 2021

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: The Watcher by Sara Davison

The Watcher JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Watcher by Sara Davison, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: The Watcher

Author: Sara Davison

Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink

Release Date: April 15, 2021

Genre: Christian speculative romantic suspense

Someone or something is watching Kathryn Ellison.

Kathryn thought she had buried memories of That Night for good—until Nick Lawson returns, reigniting her long-suppressed feelings for him. Seeing Nick has always reminded her too much of the horrible night that changed her life. As much as she wants to be with him, she wants even more to forget. When Nick unexpectedly shows up at her family ranch, Kathryn knows it is finally time to let go of the traumatic past that has held her captive for so long.

David Henley is a captive too—of the dark secret involving Kathryn, a secret he’s kept even from his wife. Now the truth is about to be revealed. And when it is, he could be stripped of everything in his life that matters to him.

A storm is brewing in the spiritual realm, and its effects reverberate through the natural world, summoning otherworldly Beings to the ranch. While Kathryn confronts the memories of That Night and struggles to let them go, she is not as alone in her home as she thinks.

As spiritual and temporal forces collide, Kathryn—and everyone she loves—is about to be caught in the crossfire.

The Watcher by Sara Davison is a different genre of books from what I normally read. It is a Christian speculative romantic suspense, and it is narrated by an unknown person, called The Watcher. I was interested in going outside my comfort zone for Genre and wanted to read this book.

Kathryn Ellison has tried to go one with life, even though 20yrs ago she had a life altering traumatic event happen to her. A case of mistaken identity lead to a brutal attack on her. Kathryn has been raising her daughter, Lexi, on her own. Lexi is now a young adult and wants to search for her father that she has never know, unaware of his past being a rapist. Life really takes a turn for Kathryn, when a former love interest, Nick Lawson, shows up in her life. Kathryn has suppressed her feelings for Nick for a long time, but when he shows up on the Family ranch, she is determined not to fight the feelings any longer. Will Lexi find her father and learn the truth of him? Will Kathryn be able to take a chance at love with Nick? Will the discoveries that are coming be the beginning of healing for Kathryn, Lexi and others??

WOW, I am glad I took a leap out of my comfort zone for Book Genres. The Watcher is a unique book and I truly enjoyed it. I was gripped into the book from the first chapter and didn't want to put it down until I was finished. The writing style and the narrating style were just phenomenal. Kathryn, Nick and Lexi each had their own "story" and the stories all meshed together well. The book does tell the story of sexual violence, but the author does so with a sensitive writing style. GREAT BOOK!

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

ALSO AVAILABLE

Sara Davison

Sara Davison is the author of three romantic suspense series—The Seven Trilogy, The Night Guardians, and The Rose Tattoo Trilogy. She has been a finalist for ten national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol, a Selah, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children. The words on the mug she uses every morning pretty much sum up her life—I just want to sleep, drink coffee, and make stuff up. Get to know Sara better at www.saradavison.org and @sarajdavison.

CONNECT WITH SARA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

(1) winner will receive a print copy of The Watcher and a $25 Amazon gift card!

The Watcher JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 26, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 3, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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: The Good German Girl by Erica Marie Hogan

Book: The Good German Girl

Author: Erica Marie Hogan

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: April 15, 2021

Omaha Beach
June 6, 1944

When battle-hardened Private Bernie Russell witnesses a fellow soldier shoot a young German boy with his hands up, he’s shaken to his very core. Then, as that same boy is dying, he presses a packet of photographs and letters into Bernie’s hand and utters three words in English.

It must end.

After having the letters translated, he discovers they were written by the soldier’s twin sister and the photographs within the packet reveal evidence of Hitler’s plan to wipe out the Jews.

Berlin, Germany

Margot Raskopf is a young art teacher, forced to conform to the education Hitler has designed. Then, when one of her sources with the underground resistance receives a letter for her from an American soldier, she’s shocked and filled with renewed hope. But Margot has been harboring a secret. In her house she hides a young Jewish woman she’s known since childhood, risking being discovered by the gestapo with each passing day.

As they begin a dangerous correspondence, both Margot and Bernie embark on treacherous journeys. One taking Bernie across Europe and right into Germany. Another taking Margot through the gates of Auschwitz … and under the scrutiny of Josef Mengele.

Click here to get your copy!

I really enjoy reading new Authors and Series. The Good German Girl By Erica Marie Hogan is a Historical Romance and is Book 1 in the Extraordinary Women Series.

The book is set in 1944 during World War II. Private Bernie Russell is a Solider in the war. He witnesses a fellow solider shoot a young boy and the young boy dies. Bernie is very traumatized by this event, but also has a mission. The boy had given Bernie a pack of letters and photos before dying. Bernie discovers the letters and photos are all evidence of Hitler's plan to destroy the Jewish People and their Community. Margot Raskopf is a young art teacher in Berlin, Germany. She is not happy that she is being forced to the standards Hitler has set for teaching. She also has a secret and if found out, she could be in serious danger. She is hiding a Jewish Childhood friend in her house. Margot receives a letter from an American Solider, Bernie, and they begin writing each other back and forth. The correspondence leads both on dangerous journeys. Will Bernie and Margot be found out? Will the escape the dangers of WWII? Will they become more then just "Pen Pals"?

I do enjoy a good Historical Romance book. I must admit though, this book took me a few chapters to really get into it. The time period and WWII happenings are very emotional reading. I had to quit reading at times and come back to where I left off to really understand and put the emotions aside. Once I got through the first few chapters, I truly enjoyed the book. The Time period was well researched and the writing style just amazing! GREAT BOOK! I highly recommend it to readers who truly enjoy the WWII Period.

From as far back as she can remember, Erica Marie Hogan loved to write. When she was a little girl she adored make believe, but gradually her imagination became too big to restrict it to playtime and so, she wrote.
Erica was born and raised for nine years on Orient Point, Long Island, New York. After that she moved with her family to Virginia and, finally, to Texas where she now lives. She was homeschooled, is an avid reader, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives to plot new stories, enjoys a good tear-jerker, and chocolate is her cure for any ailment.
Erica’s wish is to continue to write stories that not only drop her readers into the middle of historical time periods, but also to show the ability to rise up out of adversity and tragedy in hope, faith, love, and strength. When it comes to genre, she has no limits.

Along with The Winter Queen Series Erica’s World War I standalone novel, The Lost Generation, is also available now from Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.

More from Erica

There are two things I love in a good story. History and Romance. And when the two come together? Well, I’m sold.

Hi, I’m Erica Marie Hogan, the author of The Good German Girl, book one in a Historical Fiction series called A League of Extraordinary Women. When I set out to write a novel based during World War II, I never imagined The Good German Girl would be the end result. I started with an idea about a young German woman living in Berlin who wants to fight back against Hitler’s rule. This mustard seed of an idea took me on a journey through the battles at Omaha Beach, Aachen, Germany & the Battle of the Bulge. It took me through the gates of Auschwitz and right into Josef Mengele’s lab.

This little idea took me on a quest for love in the most horrible of circumstances. Where war and death divided two people who should be enemies but, through a miraculous correspondence, found each other and knew in their hearts they were meant to save each other. The Good German Girl is a Historical Fiction novel about the tragedy of World War II with the gentle beginnings of an epic love woven through the pages. I hope you enjoy the story of Margot Raskopf and Bernie Russell as much as I enjoyed writing about them!