Friday, December 19, 2025

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Small Town Independence by Carolyn Oravitz

Book: Small-Town Independence

Author: Carolyn Oravitz

Genre: Christian Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Release Date: July 1, 2025

In the charming New England seaside town of Independence, Amanda Gibson came to start over—not fall in love.

Still healing from a painful breakup, Amanda’s only plans involve reopening her late Aunt Helen’s quaint beachside resort and proving to herself she can stand on her own. But Independence has other ideas—starting with Clark Miller, her once-boyish crush turned unexpectedly irresistible local hero.

Clark’s easy smile and steady kindness threaten the careful walls Amanda has built, just as a string of unsettling incidents suggests someone wants her new life—and her business dreams—to fall apart. As Clark offers his help, Amanda must decide whether she’s ready to trust again—not just in romance, but in God’s greater plan.

When secrets from the past begin to surface and danger creeps closer, Amanda will have to face more than just her fears. She’ll have to fight for the truth, the resort, and a second chance at love she never expected.

A heartwarming blend of romance, mystery, and faith, Small-Town Independence is perfect for readers who love clean Christian love stories with a touch of suspense, coastal charm, and hope that endures.

Click here to get your copy!

Carolyn Oravitz is a writer, speaker, and cancer survivor who brings heart and hope to the stories she writes. Holding teaching certificates in English and Art, she enjoyed years inspiring creativity in the classroom. Her past writing included literature guides for elementary and middle school students and writing feature articles for a local publication.

In addition to her love of writing and art, she loves hiking, taking part in events at her church, and spending time with her friends and family.

Her other published works include: Yet Will I Hope in Him and What If It Is, two heartfelt reflections on surviving cancer, Write for Publication – Twenty Lessons to Improve Your Writing, which she and others have used as a textbook for writing classes and workshops, and Small Town – Independence, a suspenseful contemporary Christian romance novel. She is presently working on a historical novel blending her passion for the past with her gift of vivid storytelling.

More from Carolyn

I was inspired to write this story after a visit to Bar Harbor, Maine. I loved exploring the rocky coast and hiking trails, and I was fascinated by the mix of grand Victorian mansions and charming cottages. The view from the summit was unforgettable—we caught an incredible sunrise there and even joined an outdoor church service. The whole experience left me both refreshed and inspired, and it became the spark behind this story.

Stories By Gina, December 10 (Author Interview)
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 11
Simple Harvest Reads, December 12 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, December 13
Guild Master, December 14 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, December 15
Fiction Book Lover, December 16 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 17
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, December 18 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, December 18
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 19
A Reader’s Brain, December 20 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 21
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 22 (Author Interview)
Books Less Travelled, December 23
For Him and My Family, December 23

T0 celebrate her tour, Carolyn 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3edbf/small-town-independence-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Thursday, December 18, 2025

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell

Book: Love in the Castle Library (In the Castle Library Book 2)

Author: Ann Swindell

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: October 15, 2025

Predictability and efficiency have marked Delphine DuVert’s orderly life as Castle Stewardess in the small European country of Lethersby—until she is tasked by the monarchy to hire a British researcher. Lethersby needs help solving the 100-year-old mystery of their Lost Queen, a young royal who disappeared into the night during World War I.

Delphine’s split-second decision to hire Jack Worthington, a doctoral student at the University of Oxford, has long-lasting consequences when he steps in to protect her from an angry colleague determined to ruin her life. The only catch? That protection looks like Jack posing as her beau.

Jack Worthington believes that his instinct to protect Delphine was the right one, but he’s determined to stay focused on his research for Lethersby—and keep his emotional distance after reeling from a broken heart. Yet as the clues to discovering the Lost Queen’s story unravel and the Delphine’s future hangs in the balance, both Jack and Delphine must step out in faith, choosing to trust that what God has ahead for them is worth any risk.

Click here to get your copy!

\ANN SWINDELL writes stories that point to Christ’s presence in our day-to-day lives and the hope He brings to our hearts. She is the award-winning author of multiple books and the owner of Writing with Grace, where she teaches Christ-centered writing classes for women. Ann lives in West Michigan, and she enjoys adventuring with her family…usually with a cup of Earl Grey tea in hand.

More from Ann

Love in the Castle Library is set in two of my favorite places—one imaginary, and one real. When I started the In the Castle Library series, the main character’s journey in book one (Christmas in the Castle Library) takes her to Lethersby, a small, fictional European country full of tradition, beauty, and charm. I tried to put much of what I love about Europe into this fictional country that I wish existed. From what readers have told me, they wish it was real, too!

Book two, Love in the Castle Library, is also set in the castle in Lethersby, but I decided to make my hero and heroine take a jaunt to Oxford, England—my favorite real country outside of the USA.

I spent a summer in college studying abroad in England, and Oxford was the city that captured my heart. The “city of dreaming spires” is ancient, beautiful, and academic—a heady mix for a nineteen-year-old girl who traveled there for the first time. I even gave a nod to one of Oxford’s most well-known professors through the hero’s name, Jack.*

I had the gift of getting to go back to Oxford with my family over a decade ago, and while I’m aching to go again, including some of my favorite places in Love in the Castle Library helped me to enjoy the city vicariously through my characters. Look for some of my favorite places to eat—including Ben’s Cookies and the King’s Arms—when the characters visit. And if you ever have the opportunity to make it to Oxford, make the effort to buy one of those cookies (they’re sold by weight!) and enjoy some ice cream at G&D’s…the hero recommends chocolate of any kind (and so do I!).

I hope you love this story as much as I do, and that these tastes of beautiful places, both real and imagined, point your heart to the beauty of Christ that is at the heart of every story I write.

*Jack was C.S. Lewis’s nickname, and he taught at Magdalen College in Oxford from 1925-1954.

To Everything There Is A Season, December 6
Mary Hake, December 6
Lily’s Corner, December 7
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 8
Where Faith and Books Meet, December 8
Leslie’s Library Escape, December 9
Inkwell Inspirations , December 10
Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, December 10
Devoted Steps, December 11
Texas Book-aholic, December 12
Holly’s Book Corner, December 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 13
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 14
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 15
Devoted To Hope, December 16
Stories By Gina, December 17 (Author Interview)
Lyssa Loves Books, December 17
Simple Harvest Reads, December 18 (Guest Review from Donna)
Raining Butterfly Kisses, December 19
The Bookish Pilgrim, December 19

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3e375/love-in-the-castle-library-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Underestimated by Sherri Wilson Johnson

Book: Underestimated

Author: Sherri Wilson Johnson

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Mystery

Release Date: December 9, 2025

Liam Holcomb is a no-nonsense forensic accountant, not a farmer—but when his grandfather dies under suspicious circumstances, Liam returns to the Anything Goats farm near Nashville to investigate. What he finds buried in old records suggests the death wasn’t an accident—and someone wanted the land badly enough to kill for it.

Wren Meadows, a free-spirited goat yoga instructor and single mom, is busy planning the church’s Christmas celebration at the farm when her daughters witness something they shouldn’t have. Now, threats are closing in, and Liam may be the only one who can protect them.

He’s serious, guarded, and sworn off relationships. She’s sunshine, spontaneity, and a walking invitation to chaos. But as danger deepens and sparks fly, Liam and Wren may discover that opposites don’t just attract—they just might save each other.

A cozy but gripping Christian romantic suspense full of heart, humor, and holiday hope.

Click here to get your copy!

Sherri Wilson Johnson writes romantic suspense from her home in Georgia where she lives with her husband, their two dogs and spoiled Bombay cat. Sherri loves spending time with family, vacationing at the beach, reading or working on her current work-in-progress. She dreams of a second home on some beach somewhere some day, where she can plot romantically suspenseful novels around the clock.

More from Sherri

In Underestimated, Liam Holcomb cooks his grandmother’s Beef Hash recipe. This is actually one of my mom’s recipes that I cook quite often. She passed away in 1993, and cooking her Beef Hash always brings fond memories to my mind. So I’ll share the recipe with you now. Keep in mind that just like Liam’s grandmother, I use lots of garlic salt. I sample along the way until I get just the right amount of seasoning. You may want to use more or less, depending on your preference.

But here are the basics:

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef

6-8 yellow potatoes (or 4 large Idaho potatoes) cut into cubes

½ cup finely chopped onions or dried minced onions

2-3 large cut carrots (or a ½ to ¾ bag of frozen cut carrots)

Black pepper to taste

Garlic powder and onion powder to taste

Lawry’s Coarse Ground with Parsley Garlic Salt (This is the secret sauce—use as much as you want to get that good savory flavor to your liking.) (I probably use ¼ cup for a large batch, but I’m not 100% sure, honestly. I always eyeball it and then taste it once it’s done.)

Instructions:

Season the ground beef with the garlic salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Brown, drain and rinse.

Cut the potatoes into cubes and slice the carrots into circles about ½ inch thick. Boil until tender (you can use an Instantpot or pressure cooker). You can add salt to the water, but I usually don’t because I don’t want to overdo the salt. I save the saltiness for the garlic salt.

After the potatoes and carrots are tender, scoop them into a pot with the ground beef and add the potato water as the broth. You can add as much as you like depending on how much broth you like.

Bring everything to a boil, smashing some of the potatoes until the broth thickens.

Toast hamburger buns until crispy then pour the Beef Hash on top and gobble it up.

Serve with a side salad.

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 9
The Sacred Line, December 10
Stories By Gina, December 11 (Author Interview)
EmpowerMoms, December 11
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 12
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 13
Simple Harvest Reads, December 14 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 15
Texas Book-aholic, December 16
Artistic Nobody, December 17 (Author Interview)
An Author’s Take, December 17
For Him and My Family, December 18
Betti Mace, December 19
Bizwings Blog, December 20
Because I said so, December 21
Guild Master, December 22

To celebrate her tourk, Sherri is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3edbd/underestimated-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Venegence in Vienna by Sara L. Jameson

Book: Vengeance in Vienna (Troubled Waters Book 3)

Author: Sara L. Jameson

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: July 16, 2024

A moonlight sail. A sniper on the shore. A terrorist financier determined to kill Jacob and all he holds dear.

Interpol Special Agent Jacob Coulter and his fiancée Riley Williams set out on a moonlight sail, but a sniper turns their idyllic Austrin vacation into a deadly nightmare.

On temporary assignment to the Vienna Interpol office, Jacob must apprehend a notorious terrorist financier and uncover his operations in Austria. But the financier is determined to destroy all Jacob holds dear. And that includes his kid sister and his fiancée, Riley Williams.

Opera singer Riley Williams is tired of dodging terrorist attempts on her life. When she insists on helping Jacob catch the financier and his henchmen, she gets into more trouble than she bargained for.

But the financier’s tentacles of evil reach far deeper into the Austrian economy than Jacob and Riley suspected. What they uncover appalls them. The clock is ticking. Can Jacob find them before it’s too late?

Click here to get your copy!

Sara L. Jameson won Scrivenings Press’s grand prize publishing contract in January 2021. They released her debut romantic suspense novel, Cruise to Death, in June 2021. Death in High Places, (Book 2 in the Troubled Waters series), released February 2023, followed by Vengeance in Vienna, July 2024. She is currently working on books 4 and 5 of the Troubled Waters series for Scrivenings Press.

In real life, Sara is a multi-published former university professor who has also written non-fiction under her real name and edits book manuscripts for other authors. She also pens WWII historical novels. When not at her computer, she enjoys reading, swimming, cooking, and dog-sitting.

More from Sara

Ever since childhood, I’ve loved to travel. Memories of family cross-country car trips still make me smile. Breakfast and lunch prepped from goodies chilled in the ice chest. Kellogg’s single-serve cereals or cake doughnuts with milk and juice. (Rare treats in our household.) A sandwich prepared at a roadside picnic table for lunch. As an adult, their lack of nutrition makes me shudder.

These days, my tastes have grown more sophisticated. Scrumptious buffet breakfasts in European or Asian hotels make my mouth water. Local dishes creep into my books. And no trip to Antwerp, Belgium is complete without a serious stop at a delectable chocolate shop. Naturally, for the reader’s sake, Sampling these treats for authenticity in the novel is a must, right?

While tempting the palate with sumptuous Viennese pastries at Heiner’s, my favorite Konditorei (pastry shop), Vengeance in Vienna whisks readers through the stunning Austrian countryside with assassins at Jacob and Riley’s backs, and a terrorist financier determined to destroy them. Dehmel’s is another Konditorei readers might want to visit. Both Konditoreien are steeped in history, atmosphere, and Old-World charm. Are you salivating yet?

Better yet, grab a copy of Vengeance in Vienna and curl up for a nail-biting armchair trip to beautiful Austria filled with heart-pounding romantic suspense.

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 1
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 2
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 3
Texas Book-aholic, December 4
Simple Harvest Reads, December 5 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, December 5
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 6
Happily Managing a House of Boys, December 7
For Him and My Family, December 8
Artistic Nobody, December 9 (Author Interview)
Devoted To Hope, December 10
Betti Mace, December 11
Lily’s Corner, December 12
Fiction Book Lover, December 13 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, December 13
Blogging With Carol, December 14

To celebrate her tour, Sara is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Amazon Gift 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3e35d/vengeance-in-vienna-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller

Book: Love on the Horizon

Author: Penny Zeller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: October 28, 2025

Will she find a fresh start in Horizon?

Magnolia “Mags” Davenport has not had an easy life. When the opportunity arises for her to move halfway across the country from Chicago to Horizon, will she get the new beginning her heart craves?

Four things of importance matter in Timothy Shepherdson’s life—faith, family, farming, and food. After a difficult start, will a beautiful newcomer to Horizon be added to his list?

Return to Horizon, Idaho, for Timothy Shepherdson’s story and meet newcomer, Mags, in this tender romance that reminds us that God is the author of new beginnings.

Click here to get your copy!

Penny Zeller is known for her stories of faith-filled happily ever afters with tender romance, humor, and memorable characters. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications. Today, Penny is a multi-published author of over two dozen books. She is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, birdwatching, reading, running, and playing volleyball. She resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers.

More from Penny

Sneak peek into Love on the Horizon

The best dreams were the ones that came true.

And Magnolia Davenport’s dreams were about to come true. She could feel it in her bones, as old Mrs. Fryman used to say.

She took a step back and scanned the bustling city. Hadn’t she read in a discarded newspaper that Chicago had reached over a million people? Yes, her decision to travel West would be a good one.

The train depot beckoned her, and she entered the stately brick Dearborn Station with its enormous clock tower. Folks hurried in every direction. Hopefully, with twenty-some railroad lines and countless departures, one of those departures would surely lead her to the new life that awaited her.

No one would be the wiser that a twenty-three-year-old woman would be boarding for free.

For what could she do? The two dollars she’d saved would only be for absolute necessities.

The lines to purchase tickets meandered through the building. Mags stood on tiptoe to see the departure signs when she noticed a wealthy couple in front of her in deep conversation.

“I anxiously anticipate seeing our grandchildren again,” the woman, who wore an elegant dress of the latest fashion, said.

“Yes, well, I’m never fond of visiting Horizon, but I know how much it means to you, and it’s been all of two months since we saw the grandchildren.”

“Indeed, Bertram. I miss them the second we board the train for Denver, and this time, having been in Maryland, I miss them all the more. Besides, Horizon is such a lovely place, and the people are so kind. I’ve actually made a few friends there.”

The man named Bertram, in the finest of silk hats, grunted. “Yes, Gladys, we all know you’ve made friends in Horizon.”

The topic that Bertram and Gladys spoke about intrigued Magnolia, and she stepped closer. Horizon sounded like just the place she’d like to live, especially if people were kind. Goodness knows she’d had her share of spiteful and cruel people in Chicago—many of whom were related.