Thursday, April 8, 2021

A Tapestry of Light with Celebrate Lit Tours

A Tapestry of Light 


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About the Book

Book:  A Tapestry of Light

Author: Kimberly Duffy

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: March 16, 2021

Calcutta, 1886.

Ottilie Russell is adrift between two cultures, British and Indian, belonging to both and neither. In order to support her little brother, Thaddeus, and her grandmother, she relies upon her skills in beetle-wing embroidery that have been passed down to her through generations of Indian women.

When a stranger appears with the news that Thaddeus is now Baron Sunderson and must travel to England to take his place as a nobleman, Ottilie is shattered by the secrets that come to light. Despite her growing friendship with Everett Scott, friend to Ottilie’s English grandmother and aunt, she refuses to give up her brother. Then tragedy strikes, and she is forced to make a decision that will take Thaddeus far from death and herself far from home.

But betrayal and loss lurk in England, too, and soon Ottilie must fight to ensure Thaddeus doesn’t forget who he is, as well as find a way to stitch a place for herself in this foreign land.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

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Kimberly Duffy is a Long Island native currently living in Southwest Ohio, via six months in India. When she’s not homeschooling her four kids, she writes historical fiction that takes her readers back in time and across oceans. She loves trips that require a passport, recipe books, and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. He doesn’t mind.

 

More from Kimberly

When I set out to write a new novel, I plan the entire thing from start to finish. I write down each scene on an index card and know exactly what’s going to happen when I sit down for the day’s work. I’m meticulous that way.

But I never plan my characters’ spiritual arcs. Because I want their faith journey to be organic to the story. I want it to feel authentic. It’s such an important part of each of my books and I recognize that some things just refuse plotting and need to develop in a more natural way.

My debut novel, A Mosaic of Wings, features a heroine steeped in science. Nora loves the natural world and so her faith was encouraged by studying the wings of a butterfly or examining an interesting plant. She’s not particularly sentimental or emotive so the faith element of that story had to be presented in a way that made sense for her. Nora’s faith arc is subtle.

Not so for A Tapestry of Light. I had no intention of writing a book that delved into my own struggle with doubt. But that’s what Ottilie required. And it wrung me dry.

Then built me back up.

My faith story is a twisted kind of one. Raised a Christian, I went into ministry, firmly attached myself to the faith of my childhood, and thought it would never waver.

I was wrong.

Oh, how it wavered. For whatever reason, when I hit about 30, it seemed everything I had always believed no longer made sense. It was devastating. Terrifying. And it broke me.

But brokenness is its own sort of beauty and when you recognize there is no way for you to pick up the pieces yourself, God can come in and fill those cracks and shattered places.

Those five years of doubt and questioning and facing the reality that even though I’d always loved Christ, I didn’t really know Him (and didn’t really know why I believed in Him), were some of the most painful I’ve experienced. But I believe with every bit of my being that God is in the business of redemption. Of restoration. Of filling up so that we can pour out.

And he took my own very personal struggle and helped me turn it into a story that, I hope and pray, might encourage others. I gave Ottilie my questions. I gave her my doubt. I gave her my fear and desperation and, in the end, I gave her my hope.

There’s a little piece of me in each of my books, but this one contains my heart.

Blog Stops

Life of Literature, March 27

Through the Fire Blogs, March 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 27

Texas Book-aholic, March 28

Breny and Books, March 28

By The Book, March 29

Genesis 5020, March 29

Inklings and notions, March 29

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, March 30

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, March 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 31

Mia Reads, March 31

Reflections from my bookshelves, March 31

Connie’s History Classroom, April 1

Remembrancy, April 1

For Him and My Family, April 2

Rachael’s Inkwell, April 2

Vicky Sluiter, April 2

deb’s Book Review, April 3

Batya’s Bits, April 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4

Godly Book Reviews, April 4

Pause for Tales, April 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 5

Simple Harvest Reads, April 5 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 6

A Baker’s Perspective, April 6

Labor Not in Vain, April 6

She Lives To Read, April 7

Betti Mace, April 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 8

To Everything There Is A Season, April 8

Mary Hake, April 8

Wishful Endings, April 9

Bigreadersite, April 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kimberly is giving away the grand prize $25 Amazon gift card along with a signed copy of either A Mosaic of Wings or A Tapestry of Light!!

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

 GIVEAWAY

 

My Thoughts


The cover of this book is lovely and I am excited that Kimberly Duffy was able to continue writing with part of the setting being in India. The first part of the book had my interest and I was really curious how everything would play out. There are some great scenes in this book but it is not a fast read. The latter half of the story moved very slow for me and I felt like we weren't getting anywhere with with plot or characters. I think there are some great parts of this book but as a whole it was difficult for me to read and totally be engrossed in. I think if you liked her first novel A Mosaic of Wings you will enjoy this one just as much. It was an okay read just not my favorite so I give it three stars. 


"Thanks to the publisher for giving me a copy for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Tozer: On The Son of God Devotional Review

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About the Book
Spend a year encountering the Son of God alongside A.W. Tozer. Tozer was a man who abided deeply in Christ and shunned distraction so that he may more fully know his Savior—Jesus Christ. In this 365-day devotional, you too can intentionally pursue Christ daily. Every devotional features God’s Word and Tozer’s insights that invite you into greater knowledge of Jesus Christ. Encounter the character of Christ, His work on the cross, and His limitless love for you. Let the heart and wisdom of Tozer enrich your own faith and relationship with Christ. With each page, may your heart be filled and your worship increased.

Tozer on the Son of God is the final installment in Tozer’s Trinitarian devotionals. Know God the Father and God the Spirit, too, in Tozer on the Almighty God and Tozer on the Holy Spirit. (Goodreads)

 BUY HERE

 My Thoughts

This devotional by A. W. Tozer is a great book for daily reading. Each day has a short but worthwhile devotional taken from the many things that Tozer has written. For me I can only read Tozer in short snippets so I thought this devotional would be perfect. I also like that the daily readings aren’t too short and have some depth. So many devotional books are fluffy two second reads that don’t require much thought and this one is not like that. While it is a shorter daily reading, each one I have read has prompted more in depth study which is great!

This is a great devotional and I highly recommend for Tozer fans.

Five Stars.

“I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.”

Monday, April 5, 2021

All That Really Matters-My Thoughts


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About the Book
Molly McKenzie's bright personality and on-trend fashion and beauty advice have earned her an impressive social media following, as well as a big paycheck each month. When her manager-turned-boyfriend says she has an audition to appear as a host on a makeover show that nominates underprivileged youth, her dream of further fame seems to be coming true. There's just one catch: she has little experience interacting with people in need.

When her manager-boyfriend convinces her to partner with a local organization, she begins volunteering with a summer youth program. The program's director, Silas Whittaker, challenges her at every turn, but she swiftly grows more attached to the kids--and him--every day.

As Molly experiences an acceptance unlike anything she's known, she wrestles with the lies she's been believing about herself for years. She thought she knew what mattered most in life, but maybe she's had it wrong this whole time, and there's more to being truly seen than what she's built her entire life on. (Goodreads)


 My Thoughts

Anything that Nicole Deese writes is simply fantastic and if you haven’t read a book by her you really need to start.

This story was completely unexpected and an enjoyable change from the typical story lines in contemporary fiction. I did not relate to the main character Molly at all in any way but I really enjoyed reading her story. Silas was also unique and had a great personality that surprised me most of the time.

There is a lot packed into this book and I think Deese did a great job handling the many emotions and issues that came up. These pages take you on a journey and there is a lot of growth that happens few authors are able to pull off in one story.


I really enjoyed this book and even though it isn’t my all time favorite of hers it is still a fantastic read. Four Stars.

 

I highly recommend any book by Nicole Deese!

 

“I received this book from Bethany House for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. “

 

Saturday, April 3, 2021

A Dark Beauty Review with Celebrate Lit Tours



 

 


About the Book

Book:  A Dark Beauty

Author: Clarissa Kae

Genre: Fairytale

Release date: March 9, 2021

A Victorian Twist on Beauty And The Beast

Bold and brilliant, Georgiana has a gift for fixing machines—from clocks to carriages—while her father has a penchant for finding trouble. In an accidental fire, Georgiana and her father scar the once handsome face of Lord Pichon, cousin to the queen.
Rumors of Georgiana’s gift raise her family’s status. Her incomparable beauty captures the eye of many gentlemen and the wrath of Lord Pichon. Abandoned by his peers and alone in his cold castle, Lord Pichon is determined to enact revenge.
When Georgiana’s father makes a terrible mistake, she sacrifices herself to pay his debt—as a lowly maid in Lord Pichon’s castle.
Her wit and warmth begin to thaw Lord Pichon’s estate, making him question his version of the past. Will her kindness break the beastly lord or will he hold her family hostage forever?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Clarissa Kae is a preeminent voice whose professional career began as a freelance editor in 2007. She’s the former president of her local California Writers Club after spending several years as the Critique Director.

Since her first novel, she’s explored different writing genres and created a loyal group of fans who eagerly await her upcoming release. With numerous awards to her name, Clarissa continues to honor the role of storyteller.
Aside from the writing community, she and her daughters founded Kind Girls Make Strong Women to help undervalued nonprofit organizations—from reuniting children with families to giving Junior Olympic athletes their shot at success.
She lives in the agricultural belly of California with her family and farm of horses, chickens, dogs and kittens aplenty.

More from Clarissa

As a young girl most of the fairy tales talked about beauty as the only attribute but when Disney came out with Beauty and the Beast, my world was rocked. For the first time the heroine was a woman with a brain and a plan. I began researching the fairy tale and read every version. When my youngest daughter was born (with dark hair and big beautiful brown eyes) I named her Isla Belle. For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of writing a Beauty and the Beast retelling. And finally, that dream as come true.

 

 

Blog Stops

For Him and My Family, March 25

Labor Not in Vain, March 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26

The Write Escape, March 26

Books and Everyday Life, March 26

Texas Book-aholic, March 27

Breny and Books, March 27

The Christian Fiction Girl, March 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 28

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, March 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 29

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 29

Through the Fire Blog, March 30

Inklings and notions, March 30

deb’s Book Review, March 31

Connect in Fiction, March 31

Inside the Wong Mind, March 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 1

Inspiration Clothesline, April 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 3

To Everything There Is A Season, April 3

Beauty in the Binding, April 3

Connie’s History Classroom, April 4

Blogging With Carol, April 4

A Baker’s Perspective, April 5

Genesis 5020, April 5

Pause for Tales, April 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 6

Godly Book Reviews, April 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 7

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, April 7

Mary Hake, April 7

 

To celebrate her tour, Clarissa is giving away to two winners one $25 Amazon gift card each!!

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

 GIVEAWAY

 

 

 My Thoughts

 This is a new to me author and I was excited to read this story. It is a pretty short read and I am eager to get my hands on book two once it comes out. 

The first part of the book moves slowly and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I know this was a spin on Beauty and the Beast (which I love) so I knew I would enjoy that part of it. With this being a shorter novel I was hoping for a tad more back story and character development. I felt like this book could have been a bit longer but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed Georgiana's character and had mixed feelings for Lord Pichon. I am not sure how historically accurate it all is but I this story held my attention and I think book two will be all the better. I think this an author to keep an eye on! For a fun historical romance this was a nice light afternoon read. 


Four stars. 


"I received this book from the author for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."