Tuesday, October 28, 2014

CFBA: Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Quilted by Christmas
Abingdon Press (October 21, 2014)
by
Jodie Bailey


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A note from the Author: Well, I’m a regular ol’ person. Who just happens to write. A lot. Probably more than I should. I firmly believe that God created me to be a writer. From the time I learned how to string letters together into words I’ve been making up stories. Believe me… I have a very rich imagination. I used to think I was weird; now I know God just put me together that way. I can’t even watch commercials without expanding them into stories in my head. I am humbled and honored all at the same time that God looked down from heaven on me and said, “Jodie, do what you love.” Wow… how awesome is that?

I have always loved to write. I have stories that I wrote when I was in first grade. I used to sit at my grandmother’s yellow electric typewriter for hours, banging out my own little stories. When I was eleven, she bought me a typewriter of my own (It was 1984, okay?) and I would write and write on it. I wrote stories out by hand, and they ran to hundreds of pages. I got my first computer when I was eighteen, and the first thing I did was write a story on it. I wrote for school. I wrote for fun. I wrote for my friends. I’d get them on the phone and make up stories for them. (I earned the nickname “Dreamweaver” for that one. Nobody calls me that anymore, but it still stands as the coolest nickname I ever had.)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Taryn McKenna believes she’s easy to forget. Abandoned by her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a college degree—something no one else in her family has ever accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the middle-schoolers she teaches. When Taryn’s grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a final project—an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn. As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never leave her behind even though others have?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Quilted by Christmas, go
HERE.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

CFBA: Finding Mercy by Michael Landon, Jr. and Cindy Kelley

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Finding Mercy
David C. Cook (October 1, 2014)
by
Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Landon Jr., son of television legend Michael Landon, is an award-winning storyteller, first in television and film, and now in books. His print works include One More Sunrise co-written with Tracie Peterson. 
****
Cindy Kelley is the co-author of the novel The Silent Gift, and Traces of Mercy. Her career as a screenwriter with long-time writing partner, Michael Landon, Jr., began with the adaptation of Margery Williams’ classic story, The Velveteen Rabbit, which had a theatrical release. Several television movies followed, most notably Love Comes Softly, (based on Janette Oke’s novel) which won a CAMIE Award and the Epiphany Prize for Movie Guide’s most inspirational television movie of 2003. Cindy and her husband, Jim, make their home in the Southwest; have three adorable grandchildren and four big dogs who rule the house.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Mercy abandons Captain Elijah Hale to search for her true identity, he goes after her. With the threat that bounty hunters might be hot on her trail, Mercy does all she can to stay ahead of the danger, frustrating both the bad men who are after her—and Captain Hale who wants to find her and escort her safely home. But when she stumbles upon clues that help her learn who she is and where she's from, the danger escalates and she has to learn to keep her friends close and her enemies even closer—if she can determine which is which!

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Finding Mercy, go HERE.


Friday, October 17, 2014

Lilla Rose Sale

Hey y'all!! I wanted to let you know about the sale that Lilla Rose has going on right now!! This is a great way to get your holiday shopping started or even finished! We have gorgeous, affordable hair jewelry that will make you want to keep coming back for more! Shop from here: www.lillarose.biz/faithfulgirlshairjewelry and let me know if you have any questions!!



Some of my personal favorites are: 

Copper Rose

Flitter (also comes in the flexi)

 Hues of Blues

Marrakesh Romance

Night Owl

 Purple Cluster

 Tidepool Treasures

Have a great weekend and don't miss out on this fabulous sale!

Shop here: www.lillarose.biz/faithfulgirlshairjewelry





Tuesday, October 14, 2014

COTT Presents "The Hesitant Heiress" by Dawn Crandall

by Michelle Massaro

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to debut author Dawn Crandall and her new release The Hesitant Heiress. The first thing I'd like to point out is the absolutely gorgeous cover! I adore the soft pink gown, and the mysterious manor in the background.


{About The Hesitant Heiress} 

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.

Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn't who she thought at all.

Ooooh! Sounds good, right? This is a debut title and the first in a trilogy called The Everstone Chronicles. The great news is, if you purchase this now, you only have to wait a few weeks for the next installment. Perfect for that Fall Fix you need when you want to curl up on the couch with a throw blanket on your lap and a cup of coffee/tea/cocoa beside you.

The Everstone Chronicles from Whitaker House:

Book 1, The Hesitant Heiress releases August 2014 -- Read chapter one!
Book 2, The Bound Heart releases November 2014
Book 3, The Captive Imposter releases February 2015


The Hesitant Heiress (August 1, 2014), The Bound Heart (November 3, 2014) and the third in the series, The Captive Imposter (February 2015) are full length historical romantic suspense novels written from first person POV in the Gothic style of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

And now, let's meet Dawn!

{About Dawn Crandall}

Dawn Crandall writes long inspirational historical romantic suspense. She has a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University and lives in northeast Indiana with her ever-supportive husband, her three cats [Lilly, Pumpkin and Clover] and their newest addition, a little baby boy named Rhett (March 2014).

A former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn didn't begin writing until her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing The Hesitant Heiress. It didn't take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.

Connect with her at:
Now go check out that sneak peek chapter! ;)
HAPPY READING!!

***

Do you like hearing about new Christian Fiction titles? Enjoy friendly sparring matches between your favorite authors? Be sure to "like" Clash of the Titles on Facebook to keep yourself "in the know" -- and have some fun, too!

Monday, October 13, 2014

CFBA: A Love Undone by Cindy Woodsmall

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Love Undone
WaterBrook Press (September 9, 2014)
by
Cindy Woodsmall


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author who has written fifteen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as one of the top three Amish fiction writers.

She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.

Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest. (Since that last line sounds sad and bare, I thought I’d add an “epilogue” of sorts. Our two oldest sons are married and live only a couple of miles from my empty nest, and below are my three adorable grandchildren! ♥)

ABOUT THE BOOK

A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?


At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next ten years, Jolene throws herself into family life—and then she meets Andy Fisher. The horse trainer and father to a sweet nine year-old challenges her and holds up a mirror to issues Jolene has been unwilling to face.

Andy is cautious about his deepening friendship with Jolene, but he believes she knows the truth about him – that he is a grass widower. As a man whose wife has abandoned him six years past, he is unable to divorce or remarry according to the Amish ways. Andy has wrestled with God concerning his reality, and he had found peace with the solitary future facing him…until he met Jolene.

As Andy and Jolene find themselves confronted by difficult choices, will they trust in God's guidance—or will the allure of their deepening friendship only lead to further temptation?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Love Undone, go HERE.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

I REALLY wanted to feature this review....

however, when I tried to download the software for the Gecko Monitoring Software, I was unable to do so. It sounds like a fabulous product, giving parents the ability to monitor their child's online activity from a remote computer. I do hope you will check them out though and, if given another opportunity, I will try this out and let you know how it goes!


I chatted with a customer service rep for this company who gave me very specific directions on how to make this work. Despite all the help he offered, my computer was lacking a component vital to making this work and it's not something I felt the need to go out and get right away. You, too, are eligible for a free download of this software (hopefully you'll have what you need to make it run!) by clicking on the link above to the company. 

I'd like to hear your feedback if you downloaded this and tried it out! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review: #Madback: How to Stop the Hurting and Reclaim Your Life, Easily, Now by Patrick Lee



#Madback: How to Stop the Hurting and Reclaim Your Life, Now#Madback: How to Stop the Hurting and Reclaim Your Life, Now by MR Patrick Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book gives a very practical approach to dealing with back pain. The prologue of the book can save you a lot of time by directing you to the appropriate chapter that will hopefully help you heal your back pain in a relatively short amount of time. I love the facts in this book (then again, I'm a fact junkie!) and Mr. Lee reveals 12 shocking facts about your back. Each chapter has  different focus, starting out with why your back is "mad". My absolute favorite part of the book is the pictures showing various exercises that will help with a #madback.

This book was very easy to follow along and read, and full of insightful information! Here's to no more #madback!!

Many thanks to Mr. Lee and Tomoson for a complimentary copy of this book to review in exchange for my personal opinion.


View all my reviews

It's your lucky day too!! I'm giving away THREE copies of this book! To enter choose one of the options below,



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.