Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Wish Upon a Star by Jennifer Sienes

Book: Wish Upon a Star

Author: Jennifer Sienes

Genre: Christmas Christian Women’s Fiction

Release date: November 9, 2021

Fairy tales and wishing upon stars are for those who still believe in romance.

Sometimes misplaced trust injures more than ourselves, and doesn’t Elaina Hensley know it. When her oldest daughter is left suffering the consequences, Elaina vows to protect her girls at any cost. Nothing, not even her own happiness, will sway her again.

Or will it?

She’s got this protective self-denial down pat–right up to the moment her best friend’s brother arrives on the scene like a fairytale knight, vowing to slay all her dragons. She must—she will resist.

However, when her worst nightmare comes back to haunt her, Elaina has to admit she needs that white knight on her side.

Click here to get your copy!

Wish Upon a Star by Jennifer Sienes, is part of the Apple Hill series. I have enjoyed many of Jennifer Sienes books and I always look forward to new books.

Jennifer Sienes is known for taking delicate subjects and writing with grace and eloquence about that subject. Wish Upon a Star is about Eliana Hensley has had a lot of struggles in life and has lost trust in so many people. Her ex-husband is in jail and her daughter wants to visit her Dad. Eliana isn't so sure about that and is struggling with protecting her daughter and allowing her to see her Dad. Her Best Friends Brother, Ryan, comes to town. He is smitten by Eliana and her daughters and wants to protect them all. Eliana is finding it difficult to trust that he will protect and not harm them. Will Eliana be able to break down the walls that are preventing her from a new relationship? Will she learn to Trust Ryan and will he rescue her and her daughters with love and adoration?

WOW, another GREAT book by Jennifer Sienes. I really LOVE how Ryan is so loving and sincere to Eliana and her girls. Eliana overcomes a lot to get where she is before Ryan comes on the scene, but I LOVE how she trusts God to help her through so much more and open her heart. The book is a short read but is a SWEET read and packs so much in a short story! GREAT BOOK!

Jennifer Sienes holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in education, but discovered life-experience is the best teacher. She loves Jesus, romance and writing–and puts it altogether in inspirational contemporary fiction. Her daughter’s TBI and brother’s suicide inspired two of her three novels. Although fiction writing is her real love, she’s had several non-fiction pieces published in anthologies–two in Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has two grown children and one very spoiled Maltese. California born and raised, she recently took a step of faith with her real-life hero and relocated to Tennessee.

More from Jennifer

Do you remember what Christmas was like as a child? I do. Some of my fondest memories come that holiday when I was growing up. There was a deep sense of family and tradition that I desperately wanted to instill in my own children. No small part of that was the innocence that came from being protected by the harsh realities of life. I envisioned growing old with the grands and great-grands gathered around a Christmas tree bursting with ornaments and sharing the customary Christmas dinner.

My future didn’t quite pan out the way I’d envisioned it. What was it John Lennon said? “Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans.” Or if you want to keep with the Biblical viewpoint: In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps (Proverbs 16:9)

Although my innocence went by the wayside as I became an adult, I held onto that dream until the Christmas morning my first husband announced he was leaving me. It was then I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. He anchored me in the following months along with my full-time teaching job, two teenage children, and a mother who was dying of leukemia. It wasn’t until October rolled around when my then seventeen-year-old son burst into my bedroom early one morning and said, “I just realized, Christmas will never be the same” that it hit me. I wasn’t the only one affected. For him, the dream died much too early. He was right—when splitting time between divorced parents, things get rather disjointed and complicated. Christmas was never the same for any of us.

But our God is a God of redemption. He takes our brokenness and disappointments and uses them for our good and His glory. Wish Upon A Star isn’t the traditional Christmas story you might find on the Hallmark channel. It’s about a broken family in need of a merciful Savior, and one woman in need of a white knight.

Just like Elaina Hensley, the main character, God had a more perfect plan for my life, too. Without the brokenness we cannot be made whole through Him to be who He calls us to be. In the years since that fateful Christmas morning, He’s given me my own white knight, a godly husband who loves to serve, and the opportunity to follow another childhood dream—to write the stories He’s laid on my heart.

lakesidelivingsite, December 17
Texas Book-aholic, December 18
Stephanie’s life of Determination, December 18
Inklings and notions, December 19
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 20
For Him and My Family, December 21
deb’s Book Review, December 22
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 23
By the Book, December 24
Splashes of Joy, December 25
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 26
Older & Smarter?, December 27
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 28
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 28
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 29
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 30
Genesis 5020, December 30

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card & a copy of the book!!

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/14f20/wish-upon-a-star-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Friday, December 24, 2021

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Eat God's Food by Susan U. Neal

Book: Eat God’s Food

Author: Susan U. Neal

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Release date: June 21, 2021

Kids have strong opinions about food. Some foods they love and others they don’t. Eat God’s Food teaches them early to love the right kinds of food, preparing them for a lifetime of eating and living the way God intended.

Click here to get your copy!

Healthy Eating and Kids sometimes is a struggle. Now more then ever we really need to give our young Kids healthy food to boost their immune systems. Susan Neal understands nutrition as she is a health and wellness coach.

WOW, this book is beautifully Illustrated and Written. The Book is set up for each of the 4 Food Groups. Each section of the book contains an activity for the kids to do as they read through and learn about Healthy Eating. I really like how each section also includes a Recipe to Try. The Author also includes Scripture for the kids and families to look up and read together. I really wish this book was around when my boys were young, they are now teenagers. The book is geared toward 1-5th graders, but I feel it could be used as a Family Devotional or Homeschool Curriculum! WONDERFUL BOOK!

Susan Neal RN, MBA, MHS teaches both adults and children healthy nutritional guidelines. She is the author of eight healthy living books. Susan helped thousands improve their health and weight with her award-winning bestseller, 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates. Now she’s educating children about developing wholesome eating habits. You can find Susan on SusanUNeal.com.

More from Susan

How to Persuade Kids to Eat Healthy

Did you know God created over 100 vegetables and 50 fruits? Most kids probably don’t know this either. Have you eaten all of those produce items? Wouldn’t it be fun to try each one with your children? God created humans, and he knew exactly what we needed to eat. That’s why he created double the amount of vegetables than fruits. Fruits are God’s dessert and vegetables are his staple. So how do we get kids to eat them? You’ve got to make it fun.

Each week, ask your child to choose one produce item for the family to try. Take your kids to the produce section of the grocery store on a scavenger hunt to find the colors for each vegetable and fruit. Take photos of interesting items and when you get home, ask your kid to draw them.

Try a new recipe each week with your children. The new picture book, Eat God’s Food, provides a recipe for parents to do with their child for each of the following food groups: vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, and meat.

Create snack bags with your youngsters that include their favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Put a half cup in each bag and place them in your pantry. The next time you’re running out the door for an athletic event, your kids can grab a healthy snack.

Educate your children about the health benefits of consuming vegetables, fruits, whole grains (not processed), nuts, seeds, and meat. Have them determine the vitamins in different foods. Help them figure out what produce item might improve their vision or give them more energy.

Teach your children to read food labels. When I took my kids to the grocery store, we had the rule that we couldn’t buy any item with over 10 grams of sugar. They would grab the package, find the sugar level, and tell me, “Mom, it has 24 grams of sugar in one granola bar.” So we wouldn’t buy it. They understood why and would look for another snack. Many times they found an item with 12 grams of sugar, and that was close enough, so we got it.

I taught my kids to read labels to see if it included hydrogenated oil, because that ingredient causes health problems. A couple years later, all foods in the United States had to be labeled if it included this ingredient. Mama knew what she was talking about.

Teach your kids that products made from white flour have been stripped of their nutrients. In fact, they may cause a child to grow wider instead of taller. Explain how food manufacturers want consumers to buy more of their products, so they add sugar, salt, and fats to get them hooked. Food manufacturers want to make a profit, and sometimes that profit comes at the consumers’ expense.

Check the Environmental Working Group’s findings that showed that almost all oat-based cereal products marketed to children contained the carcinogen residue from glyphosate. Check the list in this article for the level of glyphosate found in your child’s favorite cereal. Therefore, you should buy organic oat products.

Expand your child’s palate, knowledge, and point of view about healthy foods versus unhealthy foods. If you do, they may grab a grocery store product, read the label, and tell you why it is not healthy. And they may select some fun, interesting fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle. Enjoy exploring all of God’s food with your family.

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 16
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 17
Texas Book-aholic, December 18
For Him and My Family, December 19
Inklings and notions, December 20
The Write Escape, December 20
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 21
Lots of Helpers, December 22
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 23
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 24
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 25 (Spotlight)
Mary Hake, December 25
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 26
SodbusterLiving, December 27
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 28
deb’s Book Review, December 29

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

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/15d5c/eat-god-s-food-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Home for Christmas by Chautona Havig, Toni Shiloh, Cathe Swanson, Jaycee Weaver

Book: Home for Christmas

Authors: Chautona Havig, Toni Shiloh, Cathe Swanson, Jaycee Weaver

Genre: Contemporary Christian Christmas Romance

Release date: October 21, 2021

Settle in with your favorite beverage, a Christmassy snack, and get ready for all the feels with these four heart-warming, military-honoring Christmas novellas.

The Christmas Lights Collection is back, and this year’s collection is better than ever. Full of love, joy, and hope, this year’s collection offers the celebration of freedom, sacrifice, and the greatest Gift ever given.

These novella features two veterans and two active servicemen and their stories.

The Stars of New Cheltenham (Chautona Havig): When a woman arrives at the Marine recruiting center, livid that her brother is ready to sign up tomorrow, the recruiter takes her on a journey through Rockland in hopes of showing her why her brother wants to serve.

Most Wonderful Time- Gabe loves Christmas, so when he discovers that his new co-worker Shanée wants nothing to do with the season, he makes it his mission to show her the true meaning. But he never expected feelings to develop for the Air Force veteran. Will he take a chance that she feels the same way or miss the best gift of all?

The Road Home: Tally has tried to leave her military history far in the past, but she’s not ready to go back to her former life, either. Can an old army buddy help her find a new road home?

Now and Forever Christmas: The past eight years as a professional musician for the US Army prepared Tobin McGhee for his new job as high school band teacher. They didn’t prepare him for how he’d feel seeing an old girlfriend again. This time, though, he won’t make the same mistakes. Can they make holiday music together and rekindle the friendship they once had, or will romance ruin everything… again?

Click here to get your copy!

I really enjoy Novellas that include 2 or more authors. Home for Christmas is Book 6 in the The Christmas Lights Collection.

There are 4 novellas in this book and they all focus on Military Families. The Books and Authors are:

The Stars of New Cheltenham by Chautona Havig

Most Wonderful Time by Toni Shiloh

The Road Home by Cathe Swanson

Now and Forever Christmas by Jaycee Weaver

WOW, I cannot pick a favorite story from this book. All of the stories are so sweet, heartwarming, Family Focused, and stories about Military. Christmas time can be difficult for Military Families, I really like how each author has written a unique story, but all the stories flow together so well. The Message of Faith throughout each story is very evident and I appreciate that the authors have included Faith! I can honestly say this is probably my Favorite Novella of all time! I HIGHLY recommend this book for all! It definitely will get you in the Christmas spirit anytime of year! FANTASTIC BOOK and GREAT Authors!

Authors Chautona Havig, Toni Shiloh, Cathe Swanson, and Jaycee Weaver are about as different geographically and personally as you can get—except where they’re not. What they all share is a love of books, writing, and Jesus. Their great diversity is what makes their books so complementary and what makes the Christmas Lights Collection an eagerly-anticipated set each year.

More from Chautona

Picture it. Sweaters, fuzzy socks, a gas fireplace, and laptops. Cathe Swanson and I had been invited to join author Brenda Anderson for a writing retreat at her timeshare in the Wisconsin Dells. So, I flew out (and arrived in Minneapolis in the middle of riots! EEEP!) and we drove over to the Dells. There we were both determined to get a ton of writing done. And we did.

While Cathe worked on Home Run, (and I sneaked peeks at her recent release, Long Shadows), I finished up Penelope’s Pursuit and wrote a significant amount of Adoring April.

I also had a genius idea while I was there. I kind of freaked out poor Cathe a bit, running into the room where she was working and blurting out all the idea-ness (for a video of that, go HERE), but still… guys! Military! Woohoo! Here’s a video of us brainstorming:

It was perfect on so many levels. So, Cathe zipped messages off to Jaycee and Toni, and we all began planning what we’d do to honor our military in this collection.

Look, it’s been a hard year for our military families. Folks are grieving and there’s just so much uncertainty. So, all of the authors of the Christmas Lights Collection would like to dedicate this collection not just to the men and women who have and are currently serving in our armed forces, but also to the families who make their own sacrifices in giving up time (often years) with their service men and women.

In this collection, you’ll find a Marine recruiter, a struggling veteran, an Army musician, and an Air Force veteran now working a nice prosaic bank job! See how each author ties Christmas and these heroes together!

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 8
Texas Book-aholic, December 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 10
Batya’s Bits, December 10
Inklings and notions, December 11
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 12
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 13 (Spotlight)
Joanne Markey, December 13
Older & Smarter?, December 14
For Him and My Family, December 14
deb’s Book Review, December 15
Blossoms and Blessings, December 15
Kayem Reads, December 16
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 16
By the Book, December 17
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 17
lakesidelivingsite, December 18
Blogging With Carol, December 19
Cultivating Us, December 19
She Lives To Read, December 20
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 21
Mary Hake, December 21

To celebrate their tour, the Christmas Lights Authors are giving away the grand prize of a $50 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/1482c/home-for-christmas-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: The Lost Dutchman's Secret by Rebekah Jones

Book: The Lost Dutchman’s Secret

Author: Rebekah Jones

Genre: Christian Historical Mystery, Fairytale retelling

Release date: November 2, 2021

There’s a deadly secret in them thar hills—and gold, or so they say.

Deeply in debt to a wealthy local, Charles Sinclair, Dorothy Hodges’ father finally promises she’ll pay and in gold, no less. If only Dorothy could take to take the promises he spins out of thin air and turn them into that gold, all would be well.

With the help of a strange, rumpled man, Dorothy does manage to bring payment to one of Sinclair’s sons only to discover it won’t pay off the debt. Will the next payment be enough? The next?

When Charles Sinclair ends up dead, Dorothy is the obvious prime suspect, but Sinclair’s son isn’t so certain. Together they work to clear her name and find the real murderer of the Superstitions, but will they find the answers buried in those hills?

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. The Lost Dutchman’s Secret offers a retelling of “Rumplestilskin” that requires more digging than a miner searching for The Lost Dutchman Mine.

Click here to get your copy!

The Lost Dutchman's Secret by Rebekah Jones is Book 5 in the Ever After Mysteries series. The series is written by various authors and each book is a retelling of a Classic Fairytale, but told in as Murder Mystery novel. The Lost Dutchman's Secret is a Rumpelstiltskin like fairytale Mystery book.

The story is set in the 1920's. Dorothy Hodge's father is known for making promises and not keeping them. Dorothy is wanting to pay off a debt her father's owes to Charles Sinclair, but what she has isn't enough. Charles Sinclair ends up dead and Dorothy is the prime suspect. Charle's son doesn't think she killed his dad. The pair work together to clear Dorothy's name. Will the real murderer be found? Is the debt paid off?

WOW, what a GREAT storyline. Dorothy is a kind hearted person who wants to do right and pay off debt. Charles' Sinclair son is also a kind soul who helps Dorothy with the mystery and to clear her name. I also liked how the son and Dorothy went into the Mine and the Hills to solve the Mystery. The story flows nicely and made for an easy and wonderful read! Rebekah Jones has a GREAT writing style and this book was a page turner from beginning to end! GREAT BOOK!

Rebekah Jones is first and foremost a follower of the Living God. She started writing as a little girl, seeking to glorify her King with her books and stories.
Rebekah is an old soul in a young body (she’s not 12 —honest!) While her exact age is classified, her interests are not. Among them are reading a variety of books, singing, playing, and composing music, studying all manner of subjects, nannying an adventurous group of youngsters, and, of course, writing her books, poems, articles, and short stories. She writes a wide range of books from gentle children’s adventures to family sagas to murder mysteries.

More from Rebekah

“They say that no one had ever seen gold ore like it before, neither have they ever since. Except in the possession of Jacob Waltz. His mine had ore of higher value and higher potency than any other mine found in Arizona…”

What if the Miller’s daughter from the tale of Rumpelstiltskin didn’t have to spin gold, but pay it? And because of an enormous debt – that she had no way of knowing the value? And her father wasn’t a miller, but an old miner with a penchant for carving animals while living in the Arizona desert? And what if, for her pains, she found herself mixed up in a murder?

And what if, somehow intermixed with this poor young woman and her troubles, came the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Goldmine?

If you don’t know about the legend of that lost mine, you should. Or I think that you should. It’s a real legend as old as the 1860’s. Except, it wasn’t lost when Jacob Waltz went bragging about it. That came later.

The mountains that house the legend are magnificent. When a friend of mine came to visit me, she and I went to explore the area around the Superstition Mountains, as well as a part of the mountains themselves. Standing in a forest of cacti and brush, the jagged rocks and sharp peaks towered above my head, while a critter skittered unseen. Beautiful isn’t quite a strong enough word to describe it. As we hiked up the mountain, making our way through a myriad of desert plant life, rocks of so many shapes and sizes, and tiny critters, I could picture Dorothy, the miner’s daughter.

The modern structures and buildings in sight, faded in my mind’s eye, and I could imagine the young woman partway up the mountain in 1929, wearing her old, faded dress, and staring out across the valley. We plotted out where her father’s shack would have stood, and I made note of a perfect crevice of rock where she might have sat to think or read. I rather found myself wishing I could live out there myself, even if living in a shack in the heat of the Arizona summer doesn’t wholly appeal to me.

When I finally got in front of my manuscript again, I could see Dorothy’s world so clearly, I can only hope I managed to capture it in the book itself. I doubt if I could have captured the beauty of those mountains in words, the sight of them as they changed colors in the sunset, or the glowing starry sky above them after dark.

As for the Lost Dutchman’s Goldmine, I would be lying if I said I didn’t entertain fantasies about exploring the mountains to discover it, but we certainly did not go that far into the mountains. Besides, it was June in the Arizona desert. One does not blindly venture into the mountains on such an errand in such a time of year, unless one has a death wish. It’s rather fun to imagine though. Perhaps one day, I can go on a search – though I confess, I doubt it.

As for the book, I won’t say whether that lost goldmine is discovered or not. I’ll leave that for a reader to discover for themselves.