Sunday, March 31, 2019

Celebrate Lit Tour: Convergence -A Fantastic New Suspense Read



Convergence FB Banner





About the Book

Book: Convergence
Author: Ginny L Yttrup
Genre: Christian thriller/suspense
Release Date: March, 2019

Convergence 

A psychologist paralyzed by fear.
A mother propelled by love.
A stalker bent on destruction.
Psychology professor Dr. Denilyn Rossi contends that the past is either a shadow that haunts us or a force that propels us. The choice is ours, she tells her students. What she doesn’t tell them is that her own past is a shadow she can’t seem to shake. Fear has immobilized her and is taking a costly toll.
Adelia Sanchez, however, has embraced Dr. Rossi’s teaching. She is ready to confront fear and render it powerless—using the trauma of her past to propel her to entrap the man who stalked and brutally attacked her.
As Denilyn’s past and Adelia’s present converge at the Kaweah River, a dangerous man bent on destruction threatens them both. Will he uncover the secret Deni and Adelia have fought so hard to protect?

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Ginny Yttrup
Ginny Yttrup is the award-winning author of Words, Lost and Found, Invisible, and Flames. She writes contemporary women’s fiction and enjoys exploring the issues everyday women face. Publishers Weekly dubbed Ginny’s work “as inspiring as it is entertaining.” When not writing, Ginny coaches writers, critiques manuscripts, and makes vintage-style jewelry for her Esty shop, Storied Jewelry (etsy.com/shop/StoriedJewelry). She loves dining with friends, hanging out with her adult sons, or spending a day in her pajamas reading a great novel. Ginny lives in northern California with Bear, her entitled Pomeranian. To learn more about Ginny and her work, visit ginnyyttrup.com.

More About Convergence

A psychologist paralyzed by fear.
A mother propelled by love.
A stalker bent on destruction.

Dr. Denilyn Rossi’s past is a shadow that haunts her. Adelia Sanchez’s past is a force that propels her. When Denilyn’s past and Adelia’s present converge at the Kaweah River, a dangerous man bent on destruction threatens them both. Will he uncover the secret Deni and Adelia have fought so hard to protect? Find out in Convergence by Ginny L. Yttrup.

Read an Exclusive Excerpt from Convergence:

She straightens, squares her shoulders, and takes a deep breath as she climbs aboard the plane. There are no seats, the other divers are piled close to one another on the floor. Mike points to an open space near him. She lowers herself, sits, pulls her knees to her chest, and then looks out the oval window next to her.
That’s when she sees him.
Her breath catches. She leans in, cups her hands on the glass to cut the glare, and peers out.
It can’t be. . . . Mouth dry, she tries to swallow. She looks away.
Her heart batters her chest and her pulse roars in her ears, nearly drowning out the clamor of the plane’s propeller. It isn’t him. You’re imagining things, she tells herself. She inhales then exhales. She takes another look then stares at the man near the hangar. He pulls some­thing from his shirt pocket, sticks it in his mouth. A cigarette? She watches as he lights it. It isn’t him. He doesn’t smoke. Anyway, it’s impossible. She knows where he is, and it isn’t here.
He’s seen her staring at him through the window of the plane. He takes a drag, flicks ash to the ground, and smiles. But his eyes behind the sunglasses are cold. Hard.
She steadies herself as the plane shoots down the runway then lifts. As memories flash, perspiration trickles down her back. She inhales again, deeper this time. It wasn’t him. Let it go, she admon­ishes, then shakes her head.
Fear will not win. Not this time. Not ever again.
Within what feels to her like mere moments, the group of profes­sional skydivers have all jumped, and she stands, back pressed against Mike, hooked to his harness. They brace themselves against the pum­meling force of wind as they wait near the gaping opening in the side of the plane. She pulls goggles from the top of her head down over her eyes.
There’s no room in her mind now for thoughts of the man on the ground, or of the man who haunts her memories. There’s no room for thoughts of any kind. Terror, as she well knows, is all-consuming. Her breaths are shallow, her pulse races.
“Step to the edge,” Mike yells. When she doesn’t move, he yells again, this time his breath hot against her ear. She hesitates then steps forward, him stepping in sync with her. There’s nothing to see but the vast expanse.
“Go!” Mike shouts.
Heart hammering her rib cage, she leans forward, eyes squeezed shut, and falls more than jumps into nothingness, arms stretched wide. She anticipates the sensation of falling—stomach lifting to throat—but it isn’t evident as she’d expected. Nor is the velocity at which she knows they’re falling. She dares to open her eyes, only aware of the force of air pushing her cheeks back to her ears, which makes her laugh.
The free fall is like nothing she’s experienced. She laughs again, the sound carried heavenward on the drafts, she imagines. Too soon she’s jerked, hard, the harness cutting into her thighs, and pulled upward with what seems like exceeding force. She hadn’t expected the force.
But then they’re floating. Soaring. “Oh,” she whispers. She wants to take it all in, remember every exhilarating moment. These currents she could ride forever. Tension is replaced by peace, pervasive peace.
Quietude. Silence. Wonder.
“That was a hard pull.” Mike’s shouted words behind her threaten to break the spell, but she’s enchanted and pays little attention. She assumes the pull—the parachute opening and catching air—was harder than usual but fine. They’re fine. She doesn’t understand. Doesn’t know what’s to come. How could she?
As they float, her eyes are trained on the ground below. The earth is a patchwork of tones. She sees the river, a thread, stitched across the quilt of colors. She searches for familiar landmarks as her sense of confidence soars. She’s done it. Faced fear, terror even, and—
Suddenly they’re plummeting.
Tumbling.
Head first. Arms and legs akimbo.
Land and sky spin as they interchange. Her lungs deflate. Pres­sure. The currents, tumultuous, pull her under and then spit her out. She can’t breathe. Why can’t she breathe? She gasps. She’s drowning. Help! Someone, help! But no. . . There’s no water. Instead, she’s above, where there’s nothing. Just. . .
Nothing.
Nothing to reach for. Nothing to grab. Nothing to save her.
A scream sounds in her mind. Rings in her ears. Scathes her throat.
Her scream?
Awareness hits. She’s going to die. It’s her only thought. There are no thoughts of those she loves. Those who love her. Memories don’t flash. No, just the one thought. The only thought she has time for.
She is going to die.
Then. . .
Everything goes black.

Blog Stops

By The Book, March 28
Simple Harvest Reads, March 28 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Multifarious, March 29
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 29
Where Crisis & Christ Collide, March 30
Remembrancy, March 30
Inspired by fiction, March 31
To Everything A Season, March 31
Blogging With Carol, April 1
Ashley’s Bookshelf, April 1
For Him and My Family, April 2
Book by Book, April 2
All-of-a-kind Mom, April 3
janicesbookreviews, April 3
Spoken from the Heart, April 4
Texas Book-aholic, April 4
Seasons of Opportunities, April 5
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 5
Genesis 5020, April 6
Pause for Tales, April 6
Splashes of Joy, April 7
A Reader’s Brain, April 7
Bigreadersite, April 8
The Lit Addict, April 8
Through the Fire Blogs, April 9
Inklings and notions, April 9
Stephanie’s Life of Determination, April 10
The Becca Files, April 10

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Ginny is away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of Convergence!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click here to enter.

My Thoughts

I haven't read a book by Ginny Yttrup in a long time so I jumped the opportunity to read her latest. This book was so good! I made the mistake of reading it at night when my husband was out of town. I fell asleep eventually......
The suspense was top notch and I really enjoyed the characters. The story has a lot of twists and you possibly you might figure out who the bad guy is. But I think there were some other surprises in the last part of the book that added a lot to this novel. There is a lot of jumping around to different story lines but I thought it was really well done and I wasn't confused by it. 
I now need to read more from Yttrup because all of her books that I have read have been amazing. 
Highly recommend! 

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, March 25, 2019

New Series from Joanna White!


About the Author
Joanna White earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment at Full Sail University. The Valiant series is her first published work, which first started off being updated on a website called Wattpad. She lives in the country of Missouri with her husband, where she continues to work on her other upcoming books. Writing has been a passion since she was ten, when she wrote her first book. Ever since then, writing has become her life outside of her family, God, and being a nerd.



Check our her blog - Visit the about page to subscribe for free book recommendations, new short stories every week, writing tips, and for the chance for your book to be chosen as book of the month and promoted across all of her social media.


About the Book

A reckless young woman named Averella does what no woman has ever done.
She disguises herself as a man and purposefully gets herself arrested and thrown into Zagerah. Her brother Gabriel was taken, and with his disease, he will not survive on his own. She has no idea what to expect inside the prison; all she knows is that once men get taken, they never come back.
The Hunters will find her.
Genetically altered to be faster and stronger than humans, the Hunters use their powers to find and kill every prisoner who enters Zagerah. The only ones who can defeat them, are in fact, themselves.
Jared is a Hunter. It’s all he’s known, all he remembers. He kills ruthlessly and without regret, one prisoner after another. When a new prisoner Dalex shows up, everything begins to change. Jared goes undercover to make Dalex and the other prisoners believe he is one of them, a prisoner himself.
No one knows the truth.
He will trick them.
Toy with them.
Then, he will kill them.


Coming on April 30!

Want something you can read right now? Check out Forgotten, a short eBook introduction to Hunter, now on Amazon for only $0.99! 

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Only the Chosen can stop The Dark Master from spreading Corruption throughout the Galaxy . . . and The Dark Master will do anything to destroy the Chosen.
Jared, one of the Chosen, lives in a world oppressed by the Aretul, who imprison men and boys as prey for the Hunters. After two years of running and hiding, he's caught.
Only they don't kill him.
Instead, they give him a prize beyond his wildest dreams . . . but at what price?











Saturday, March 23, 2019

March Life Update




Oh March, the month of crazy weather. I am sitting here listening to the rain and it is wonderful to hear. I feel like we have turned the corner into a wonderful season. Spring and autumn are my favorites. 
Things have been pretty quiet here on the blog. I have been reading a few books, but this month I have been a bit slow in my reading and reviewing. My job has kept me really busy and my brain has just been on overload the past few weeks. Thus less reading more sleeping. :) 

 My husband and I went to a historical symposium one weekend and learned a ton! We both love history and it was fun to listen to multiple historians talk on different topics.






We seem to have been surrounded by sickness the past couple of months. I really think that Young Living Thieves has been helpful for us and our wellness. We haven't gotten sick!


Thieves Essential Oil




I have been making plans for our yard a lot this month and started pulling weeds already. Also, check out this adorable gift idea:

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I did read this book that I picked up from the library. It was the best book I read this month but I warn you it was a difficult read due to the topic of sexual abuse.  Ginny L. Yttrup is a fantastic author and I highly recommend her books.

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 So that pretty much wraps up the past month-ish for me. I feel like it has gone quickly. Hopefully my April post will include flowers blooming!

Thanks for stopping by!


















To Best the Boys



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About the Book

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze. (Goodreads)





My Thoughts

I had pretty high expectations for this book. I was excited about the story line and the cover is fantastic. I believe I have read one other novel by this author so I figured this would be a good read for me. I liked Rhen and I liked the idea of the plot but I didn't feel like anything really got going until halfway through the book. The first part was terribly slow for me and I had almost lost interest until the middle of the book where it picks up a little. I am not sure this book proves the point of what is at the start of the book: For the girl who's been told to quiet down, calm down, sit down, or just leave it to the men-this is for you. And to those who told you such thing? Watch. Us. Rise.  
Yes, this story had a strong female lead but I didn't think it proved the point as strongly as I was expecting. That being said many others have loved this book so if this sounds like an intriguing story line to you, go ahead and see for yourself. 

Three stars. 

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












 

Friday, March 22, 2019

Far Side of the Sea Review

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 About the Book

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life--a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives. (Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I have really enjoyed all of Kate Breslin's novels and was very excited to dive into this one. I adore the cover of this book, it could be one of my all time favorite covers. I enjoyed the history and the setting of this book and the characters seemed well developed. I had a hard time loving the story line as for me, it seemed to move slowly. I know many others have said otherwise so really it will come down to personal preference. I did enjoy this book I just struggled with it keeping my attention, especially near the beginning. The later part of the book picks up and the ending I thought well written. 
I appreciate Kate writing about this time in history so if you are a history fan you might enjoy this book.

Four Stars. 

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











Friday, March 8, 2019

Celebrate Lit Tour: The Secrets of Paper and Ink

The Secrets of Paper and Ink FB Banner(2)



About the Book

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About the Book



Title: The Secrets of Paper and Ink
Author: Lindsay Harrel
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release date: February 26, 2019

Publisher: Tyndale
Lindsay Harrel presents a powerful story of healing, forgiveness, and finding the courage to write your own story.
A year after the death of her abusive fiancé, domestic violence counselor Sophia Barrett finds returning to work too painful. She escapes to Cornwall, England—a place she’s learned to love through the words of her favorite author—and finds a place to stay with the requirement that she help out in the bookstore underneath the room she’s renting. Given her love of all things literary, it seems like the perfect place to find peace.
Ginny Rose is an American living in Cornwall, sure that if she saves the bookstore she co-owns with her husband then she can save her marriage as well. Fighting to keep the first place she feels like she belongs, she brainstorms with her brother-in-law, William, and Sophia to try to keep the charming bookstore afloat.
More than 150 years before, governess Emily Fairfax knew two things for certain: she wanted to be a published author, and she was in love with her childhood best friend. But he was a wealthy heir and well out of her league. Sophia discovers Emily’s journals, and she and William embark on a mission to find out more about this mysterious and determined woman, all the while getting closer to each other as they get closer to the truth.
The lives of the three women intertwine as each learns the power she has over the story of her life.

Click here to purchase your copy.

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About the Author

Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at LindsayHarrel.com.

Guest Post from Lindsay

With every book I write, it seems God has something new to teach me. That certainly was true of The Secrets of Paper and Ink.
Lately, I am learning more and more about the power of our words. I’ve become more conscious of the words I speak over myself as well as what I say to other people. It’s more than “positive thinking”—the words we say ultimately contribute to the stories we weave, and I want my story to be as positive and hope-filled as possible, regardless of my circumstances.
I’ve also become much more aware of the lies that I tell myself—“you are not worthy, you are not enough, you will never achieve what you want to achieve”—and the need to replace those lies with the truths that God says about me. I have listened to Lauren Daigle’s song You Say on repeat lately, and it has become a theme not just of The Secrets of Paper and Ink, but one in the story of my very life.
So while I may not have experienced everything my characters have—I’ve never suffered emotional abuse, or been ostracized by my family, or been orphaned and alone in a world that seems against me at every turn—I have learned alongside them. I set out to write a book that would draw readers closer to the true healer and hope giver, and I ended up being drawn closer myself.
And that, to me, is the true power of story.

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, February 26
The Power of Words, February 26
Carla Loves To Read, February 26
Blogging With Carol, February 27
Carpe Diem, February 28
Andy Carmichael, March 1
The Becca Files, March 2
Emily Yager, March 3
Genesis 5020, March 4
Stories By Gina, March 4
Simple Harvest Reads, March 5 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Mary Hake, March 5
Remembrancy, March 6
Pause for Tales, March 7
Book by Book, March 7
The Lit Addict, March 9
Bigreadersite, March 10
Henry Happens, March 11
amandainpa , March 11

Giveaway

Image result for the heart between us
To celebrate her tour, Lindsay is giving away a copy of Lindsay’s first book The Heart Between Us!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. 



My Thoughts


I wasn’t sure what to expect with this new book. I am a bit more picky when it comes to contemporary novels and this one I started to struggle with about half way through. There are three different story lines going on, which wasn’t an issue. I thought that part was well written and organized. The overall plot was just really slow for me. I liked Ginny’s story line the most, which surprised me but the ending was fairly predictable. I had a hard time connecting with the characters but I LOVED the setting. Any book that has a bookstore setting adds a lot to the reading experience. I really enjoyed this author’s previous book but this one just wasn’t for me. I do think she is a great writer and I look forward to reading her next story.
Three 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."
 

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With

This week is actually pretty tricky. If I think about some of my favorite books, I am not so sure I would want to trade places with the characters. Most of my favorite stories are of broken people in difficult circumstances and I am not so sure I would want all of their trials. BUT I did think of a few that I wouldn't mind trading places with, if only for a day.




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Rebekah Carrington


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Mandie



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Felicity



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Elizabeth



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Katie

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Anna O'Brien



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Sophie Menzies




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Marie Carrington

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Ingrid



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Valancy and her imagination.







Sunday, March 3, 2019

Daughter's of Northern Shores-A New Bischof Adventure

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About the Book

Aven Norgaard understands courage. Orphaned within an Irish workhouse, then widowed at just nineteen, she voyaged to America where she was wooed and wed by Thor Norgaard, a Deaf man in rural Appalachia. That the Lord saw her along the winding journey and that Aven now carries Thor’s child are blessings beyond measure. Yet while Thor holds her heart, it is his younger brother and rival who haunts her memories. Haakon—whose selfish choices shattered her trust in him.

Having fled the farm after trying to take Aven as his own, Haakon sails on the North Atlantic ice trade where his soul is plagued with regrets that distance cannot heal. Not even the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s pursued can ease the torment. When the winds bear him home after four years away, Haakon finds the family on the brink of tragedy. A decades-old feud with the neighboring farm has wrenched them into the fiercest confrontation on Blackbird Mountain since the Civil War. Haakon’s cunning and strength hold the power to seal many fates, including Thor’s which is already at stake through a grave illness brought to him as the first prick of warfare.

Now Haakon faces the hardest choice of his life. One that shapes a battlefield where pride must be broken enough to be restored, and where a prodigal son may finally know the healing peace of surrender and the boundless gift of forgiveness. And when it comes to the woman he left behind in Norway, he just might discover that while his heart belongs to a daughter of the north, she’s been awaiting him on shores more distant than the land he’s fighting for. (Goodreads)


About the Author                          Buy Here


My Thoughts

 Joanne is one of my all time favorite authors, each of her novels I highly anticipate. This novel is the sequel to Sons of Blackbird Mountain. If you haven't read book one, really you must in order to understand this story. We get to go back into the lives of Aven and Thor which was delightful to see their characters grow all the more. Haakon is a difficult character to like but in typical Bischof style, she peels back the layers to the heart of this man. The setting is stunning and as you can tell from the cover we are taken from Appalachia to across the ocean, though most of the story is set in Appalachia. I enjoyed this book because it is so beautifully written. I did think the ending was a tad rushed and wrapped up quickly. I really wanted to keep reading about this family but sadly it came to an end. 
If you enjoy historical fiction this is a great series for you to pick up! I highly recommend anything by Joanne.

Five stars. 

"I received this book from BookLook for free. All opinions are my own."