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Saturday, July 11, 2020

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Love Riot by Sara Barratt



Book:  Love Riot
Author: Sara Barratt
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Release Date: May 5, 2020

Have you ever thought about walking away from the church? Have you already left it in your heart?

Does it seem like it’s not relevant to your life?

It’s time for a revolution. A holy uprising. A love riot.

Not content with safe religion that demands nothing of us, Sara Barratt is calling you to stop giving in to the status quo and devote yourself fully to Christ, following Him no matter what your friends do or the culture around you promotes. Sara challenges you to hand everything over–your comfort zones, your time, your loyalty, your pride–and invites you to embark on a radical journey of passionate love for Christ. Because once you experience His love, it will transform your life.

Love Riot is a battle cry from one teen to another to embrace a life of wholehearted commitment and relentless abandon for Christ . . . no matter the cost.

“Sara Barratt wants to start a riot. An uproar. A disturbance for Jesus. Unlike some teenagers who want to disrupt and destroy, she wants to bravely build.”–Kyle Idleman, author of Not a Fan and Don’t Give Up and senior pastor of Southeast Christian Church

“God is at work among my generation. There’s no denying that, especially after reading Love Riot. This book will challenge you, encourage you, and ignite your pursuit of Christ. I highly recommend it!”–Jaquelle Crowe Ferris, author of This Changes Everything

Love Riot will challenge your idea of what it means to be a teen who truly follows Christ. Sara Barratt raises the bar and calls her peers to a higher standard. This book has the power to change lives!”–Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal, authors of Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl’s Heart and cofounders of GirlDefined Ministries

Click here to get your copy!


WOW, just WOW!! I read this book in a few hours in one afternoon. Sara Barratt really addresses a topic that has been needed to be addressed for a long time and does so in a FANTASTIC way. 

Teens and College Age Adults are leaving the Church in large numbers. I have seen this in my area and with friends. I have had my thoughts on this topic for sometime. I felt that the Church isn't doing a good job in disciplining and leading the Teens. Also, parents of teens are not disciplining  their teens and helping them with their Christian walk. I really like how Sara Barratt has tackled the topic and given WONDERFUL direction on how to get Teens from straying from their Christian Walk and even more so, getting their LOVE for Jesus "On Fire". 

The book is divided into five sections:
1. The Call
2. The Change
3. The Challenge
4. The Crux
5. The Commission 

Each chapter also contains Questions to answer to make it more of a Bible Study that can be done with a group or for individuals to go deeper into the message of the book. 

Sara Barratt has a passion for the Teens of today and it really shows in her book. She wants teens and Young Adults to have a deeper passion with their relationship with Jesus. The book "Love Riot" is meant for teens, but New Christians and those looking for a deeper relationship with Christ, will learn a lot from the book! I HIGHLY recommend the book! 





Sara Barratt is an author, speaker, avid reader, chocolate lover, and lead editor for TheRebelution.com. Her passion is challenging and encouraging teens to live sold out and set apart for Jesus. Come hang out with her on Facebook, Instagram, and at her website, sarabarratt.com.

More from Sara

Why are teens leaving the church?
Why are my friends drifting away from God?
What does it look like to be a teen who wholeheartedly follows Jesus?
In my early teens, I began wrestling with these questions. God was working on my own heart, shaking me out of my complacency, and leading me to a deeper walk with Him. Yet I knew I wasn’t the only teen battling apathy and the low expectations of our culture.
Everywhere I looked, I saw the evidence.
Friends drifting away from God. Compromise slipping in. Peer pressure strengthening.
It broke my heart to see these teens struggling. Because I’d walked in their struggles as well.
Teens like eighteen-year-old Brayden who said, “I’ve never pursued a passionate relationship with Christ, because I’ve never had anyone to share it with. No one else I know takes God seriously.”
Or like sixteen-year-old Trevor who realized something was missing. “I know God is real. I’ve seen Him work in other people’s lives, but I can’t find the strength to change, so I’ve just put God on the back burner.”
These are the words from real teens, battling in the trenches of an apathetic, post-truth, anti-Christian culture. We’re wrestling through questions and doubts about God and Christianity as our peers, the media, and the culture around us feed us a myriad of messages, trying to influence our hearts. Some stand strong. Most give in.
Something needs to change.
Is it possible for teens to reject apathy and live sold out for Jesus? Is it possible to turn our backs to the culture and choose to follow Christ? Is it possible, that instead of a generation leaving the church, we could become a generation building the church, living for the glory of God?
My journey of writing Love Riot began with these questions, but ended with this answer.
Yes.
God has not given up on this generation. On the contrary, I believe He has more in store for us than we can imagine. The power which rose Jesus Christ from the dead can raise up the spiritually dying remains of this generation and spark a passion in teenager’s souls for His name.
The world, and even the church, doesn’t automatically think of teenagers as passionate followers of Christ—but I’m out to change that.
In this new generation arising, it’s my heart-cry to see a remnant living out the message of the gospel, embracing our commission to go out and make disciples.
It’s not an easy journey. It requires risk. Sacrifice. Surrender. But as Jesus said, the life of a follower isn’t safe. It’s not just a call to pray a prayer and be saved. It’s a call to lay down your life and be transformed. Luke 9:23 counts the cost, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
For every teen, for every adult, for everyone who desires to follow Jesus, it’s time to pick up our cross, and in the words of Elisabeth Elliot, “live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all [our] energy and strength into it.”
It’s time for a love riot.



Artistic Nobody, July 4 (Author Interview)
Remembrancy, July 6
Simple Harvest Reads, July 7 (Author Interview)
Emily Yager, July 8
Mary Hake, July 13
SODBUSTERLIVING, July 14
Through the Fire Blogs, July 15  (Author Interview)



                    


To celebrate her tour, Sara is giving away the grand prize package of a signed copy of the book and a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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Friday, July 10, 2020

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Kentucky Bride by Caryl McAdoo




Book:  Kentucky Bride
Author: Caryl McAdoo
Genre:  Historical Christian Romance
Release Date: June 9, 2020

A Country Divided…And so is her heart.

Some might say you can’t be too fussy when almost every unattached young man is off fighting for Southern freedom, but that shouldn’t mean a rebel’s daughter has any business with a Union soldier. Forbidden love never created greater battles than Gigi’s unexpected love for a Union soldier.

A dashing Rebel Soldier. The daughter of a Federal Soldier. How will they overcome the odds and a war to be together? Find out in this twist on Romeo and Juliet.


Click here to get your copy!



I truly LOVE Historical Fiction books and Caryl McAdoo is an author that I have come to enjoy! 

Kentucky Bride is set in 1861, during the Cival War. The Cival War was a time that divided the North from the South in America. The main character of the book, Gigi, is 18yrs old and "looking for Love", even when many eligible men are fighting in the war. She meets a "Texas Ranger" Corporal Ephraim Edward Kerns, who is now in Kentucky and turned Confederate. During a time when North and South are against each other, can their relationship overcome the disapprovals of many and survive? Will Gigi and Ephraim show others how to LOVE despite differences? 

Kentucky Bride is a quick read and an interesting read. I really felt I was back in time and the book really came to life. The characters, especially Gigi, made me not want to put the book down until I finished reading! FANTASTIC BOOK! 





Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over fifty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen at YouTube. Sharing four children and eighteen grandsugars with Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of over fifty years, she lives in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.



More from Caryl

It thrilled me to be a part of the North and South Collection series, a thirty-seven titles by seventeen authors project headed up by Christine Sterling Bortner. One reason is that my husband and co-writer has always been a Civil War buff, and the other because it’s such a huge undertaking. I’m actually writing two titles, Kentucky in 1861 and Nevada in 1865.
The stories are broken up by the years (1861-1865) and then the years divided into the states or territories (37 in all) as to when its most major event happened. So, if a reader stays with the series, one releases every other week, they will enjoy a chronological overview of the Civil War.
This story, Kentucky Bride is set near Bowling Green where the Confederates first set up their area headquarters. Twenty-thousand men descended on the city of seven hundred. Nearby, General Hindman with fifteen hundred men that included the 8th Calvary Regiment from Texas, a group of Texas Rangers who’d joined the effort. Of course, I had to have a Texan as a hero! 😊
My heroine is eighteen-year-old Gardenia Gladiola Garland who helps her grandfather in the family business as her papa, brother, and uncle were gone. They’d joined the Union Army several weeks before. She hates the flowery name her mother pinned on her almost as much as the war and insists on being called Gigi.

My Texas Ranger hero, Ephraim Edward Kerns is sent to meet a supply wagon and it surprises to find such a lovely young woman muleskinning. He ties his horse to the back of the wagon and takes over for her, falling in love with her intelligence, beauty, and determination practically at first sight.

This Texas author hopes readers will love these two young ones, and I’m always “Praying my story gives God glory!”

Novels Corner, July 12
Pause for Tales, July 14
Bizwings Blog, July 18
Betti Mace, July 20
KarenSueHadley, July 21
Artistic Nobody, July 22 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)




To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2020

JustRead Tours Blog Blitz: Following the Evidence by Lynn Shannon

Following the Evidence Blog Blitz 
Welcome to the Blog Blitz & Giveaway for Following the Evidence by Lynn Shannon, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!



Following the Evidence
Title: Following the Evidence 
Author: Lynn Shannon 
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense 
Release Date: July 7, 2020 
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Bringing a tracking dog to town 
put her in a killer’s sights

Inheriting a ranch is a fresh start for Emma Pierce, her baby and her search-and-rescue dog—until someone tries to kill her. But Sheriff Reed Atkinson won’t let anyone hurt his first love…especially when they uncover a connection to his vanished sister.

Can Reed solve both cases before he loses his sister and the woman he’s falling for all over again?

 The sound of a loud crash turned his blood cold. Emma!
The front door was wooden, old, with a flimsy deadbolt. Thunder boomed, and Reed took advantage. He rammed the door with a well-placed kick. His heel screamed in protest, but the wood splintered.
“Come on, come on...” He focused his energy on the weak spot he’d created. He slammed into the door again. It shuddered and gave way.
He entered the house, his flashlight moving over everything. A banister leading upstairs. A dining room to his right. A living room to his left. His breathing was ragged, but the hand holding his weapon was steady.
Which way? Upstairs or toward the back of the house?
He paused, straining to listen. There. A noise coming from the kitchen. He raced down the hallway. Someone was coughing.
His flashlight caught a dark figure bolting out the back door. Reed swung to his left. Emma sat on the tile floor, one hand holding her neck. Her face was red and her long hair stuck out in all directions. Relief replaced the terror in her expression when she caught sight of him.

 


Lynn Shannon 
Lynn Shannon writes novels that combine intriguing mysteries with heartfelt romance. Raised in Texas, she believes pecans and Blue Bell ice cream are must-haves for every household. Lynn lives with her husband, two children, an extremely spoiled dog, and a turtle who hibernates half the year. You can find her online at www.lynnshannon.com.

CONNECT WITH LYNN: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  


 


(1) winner will receive a copy of Following the Evidence and a $20 Amazon gift card!

Following the Evidence JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 8, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on July 15, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

 

 
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.




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Tuesday, July 7, 2020

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: A Fathers Promise by Mindy Obenhaus

A Father's Promise Blog Tour 
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for A Father's Promise by Mindy Obenhaus, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!



A Father's Promise by Mindy Obenhaus
Title: A Father's Promise 
Author: Mindy Obenhaus 
Publisher: Love Inspired  
Release Date: June 16, 2020 
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance

He doesn't think he deserves a family... 
but now he has a daughter.

Stunned to discover he has a child, Wes Bishop isn't sure he's father material. But his adorable daughter needs him, and he can't help feeling drawn to her mother, Laurel Donovan -- a woman he's finally getting to know.

But can this sudden dad overcome a past tragedy that has him convinced he's not meant to be a husband or a father...and make a promise of forever?

PURCHASE LINKS*: GoodreadsAmazon | Barnes & Noble | Book DepositoryChristianbook


I really enjoy LOVE Inspired books. The books are short, easy to read, and a quick read. I also enjoy reading books by Author Mindy Obenhaus. A Father's Promise fits all the wonderful qualities I like in Christian Romance books. 

Wes Bishop has always thought that he is not Husband nor Father material due to something that happened in his past. He discovers he has a Baby Girl and wants to have a relationship with her. He begins to start falling in love with Laurel Donavan, the woman he felt he never had a chance to get to know before during their brief relationship. He really wants to "do the right thing", but now he feels it isn't only the right thing, but the fact that he is having feelings for Laurel that are deeper then they have ever been. 

A Father's Promise is a book that really has a strong message, especially for today's society. Men are finding out that they have children after the kids are born, and many men are stepping up and taking care of the children and also the mom of the baby. A Father's Promise is a great book about God's forgiveness and how God can bring 2 together. 

A Father's Promise is the 1st book in the new series by Mindy Obenhaus. I cannot wait to read more of this wonderful town of Bliss, Texas! GREAT BOOK! 




     

 


Mindy Obenhaus 
Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining and sometimes adventurous manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer, and the occasional coyote, mountain lion, or snake. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking, and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel.

CONNECT WITH MINDY: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Bookbub  


 


(1) winner will receive a signed copy of A Father's Promise, a $20 Amazon gift card, and a James 1:17 mug!

A Father's Promise JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 6, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on July 13, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.


 
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.




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Wednesday, July 1, 2020

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: Never An Amish Bride by Ophelia London

Never An Amish Bride Blog Tour 
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Never an Amish Bride by Ophelia London, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!



Never An Amish Bride by Ophelia London Title: Never an Amish Bride
Series: Honey Brook #1
Author: Ophelia London
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Amish Romance

Welcome to charming Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, where bestselling author Ophelia London will bring you on a moving and unforgettable journey through faith, forgiveness, and ultimately love.

Everything changed for Esther Miller with the death of her beloved fiancé, Jacob. Even years later, she still struggles with her faith and purpose in the small, tight-knit Amish village of Honey Brook—especially now that her younger sister is getting married. All she wants is to trust in the Lord to help her find peace...but peace is the last thing she gets when Lucas, Jacob’s wayward older brother, returns to town.

Lucas Brenneman has been harboring a secret for years—the real reason he never returned from Rumspringa and the truth behind his brother Jacob’s death. Honey Brook still calls to him, but he knows his occupation as a physician’s assistant must take precedence. With sweet and beautiful Esther he finds a comfort he’s never known, and he feels like anything is possible...even forgiveness. But she was Jacob’s bride-to-be first. And if she knew the truth, would she ever truly open her heart to him?

USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London brings a sweet, heartfelt, and surprisingly funny take to the popular Amish romance cannon.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & NobleBook Depository  



I LOVE Amish Fiction and have read many Amish Fiction Books. I can honestly say this has to be one of the BEST I have read! 

I really enjoyed that it was not the total typical Amish Novel. The main characters of the book, Esther and Lucas, really tell a good story. Esther's fiance, Jacob, dies a couple of weeks before their wedding. She has struggled with her Amish faith for years, since his death. She wants to trust and believe and be able to move forward in life, but she doesn't know how. She has called Lucas Brenneman, Jacob's brother, many times over the years. Lucas does not live in Honey Brook, as he never returned to the Amish community after his Rumspringa. He has secrets and doesn't know if he should reveal the secrets to Esther and ruin their friendship or a chance at a relationship with her. Will Esther and Lucas form a relationship and can they trust one another? Esther isn't sure about a relationship with her former fiances brother, as she doesn't want to betray Jacob. 

The Author really bought a great story line to this book. It was an easy to read book and so wonderfully well written! 
Opehelia London is a new author for me and Never an Amish Bride is book one in the Honey Brook series and is her first Amish Novel . I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series! 




 

Ophelia London 


USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas, and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. She enjoys cupcakes, treadmills, reruns of Dawson’s Creek and obsessing over her Italian Greyhound, Peanut. Ophelia is the author of NEVER AN AMISH BRIDE, her very first Amish romance! As wells as the Sugar City series, the Perfect Kisses series, the Abby Road series, and other adult, NA and YA sweet romances.

CONNECT WITH OPHELIA: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram  


 

(1) winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card!

Never an Amish Bride JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight June 30, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on July 7, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.


 
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.




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