BLOGWORDS – Sunday 18 November 2018 – FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – THANKFULNESS

FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – THANKFULNESS

 

 

There’s a wealth of things I could say about thankfulness. Benefits, the endless goodness of God, or an inane list of things I’m thankful for.

 

But today, I just want to offer thanks to our heavenly Father for being Who He is. For loving me and holding me in the palm of His hand.

 

As we enter the holiday season, and as we celebrate in whatever way this week, may be thankful to Father for His love and devotion and faithfulness to us.

 

 

#Blogwords, Front Porch Fellowship, #FPF, Sunday Devotion, Thankfulness

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BLOGWORDS – Friday 16 November 2018 – FIRST LINE FRIDAY – THE UNFINISHED GIFT by DAN WALSH

FIRST LINE FRIDAY – THE UNFINISHED GIFT by DAN WALSH

 

Welcome to First Line Fridays, hosted by Hoarding Books!!!

 

Tell us your first line in the comments & then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!

 

 

 

THE BLURB:    

Patrick Collins is seven years old, and on his Christmas list are only three items. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather’s house. And, for reasons even he doesn’t understand, he wants the soldier that’s tucked away in his grandfather’s attic.

Set at Christmastime in 1943, The Unfinished Gift tells in an engaging, simple style the story of a family, and reminds us of the surprising things that affect powerful change in our hearts–like a young boy’s prayers, a shoebox full of love letters, and even an old wooden soldier, long forgotten. This nostalgic story of forgiveness will engage readers everywhere.

THE AUTHOR:    

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of 20 novels, including The Unfinished Gift, The Reunion and When Night Comes. He has won 3 ACFW Carol Awards (finalist 6 times), 4 Selah Awards, and 4 times his novels have been named as finalists for RT Reviews Inspirational Novel of the Year.

For those who haven’t read Dan’s books, reviewers often compare him to Nicholas Sparks and Richard Paul

THE FIRST LINE:   

December 20, 1943

When the black sedan stopped at the traffic light, Patrick rose quietly to his knees in the back seat and peeked out the side window.

 

 

#Blogwords, First Line Friday, #FLF, The Unfinished Gift, Dan Walsh

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 15 November 2018 – WREADING WEDNESDAY-on-THURSDAY – FEATURED BOOK– TEAL PAISLEY TIGHTS by BARBARA BRUTT

WREADING WEDNESDAY-on-THURSDAY – FEATURED BOOK – TEAL PAISLEY TIGHTS by BARBARA BRUTT

Welcome to the Blog Blitz & Giveaway for Teal Paisley Tights by Barbara Brutt, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! Happy Release Day to this debut author!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Teal Paisley Tights
Author: Barbara Brutt
Publisher: Vinspire Publishing
Release Date: November 15, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy

THE BLURB:

Life post-graduation was supposed to see the launch of paisley-loving Jadyn’s art career, or at least an art gallery showing one of her watercolor paintings. Instead, this Pittsburgh native is locked into a low-paying, buttoned-up consultant position with an impossible boss. When another colleague is dismissed, Jadyn inherits extra workload, including the company’s biggest client. If she loses him, she’s fired.

Jadyn people-pleases her way through life, resulting in extra work opportunities and a community classroom of art students. But when two guys appear on her doorstep, she just might not be able to people-please her way out of this love triangle. At the end of the day, she can’t please everyone.

Then, because of a small spending problem, Jadyn is evicted from her apartment, and she must move in with her know-it-all sister. Jadyn needs to decide between a job transfer that would place her near her love interest, or a full-time art career with all its risks.

Stretched like canvas between responsibility and dreams, she must choose. Will practicality always win?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

 

THE AUTHOR:

 

Barbara Brutt, a born and raised Pittsburgher, spent her growing-up years with her nose in a book. After claiming her bachelor’s degree in English, she plunked down hard into a smattering of jobs from shop girl to communications director with a healthy dose of nanny and house-cleaner. Flying to new adventures is her favorite, especially on an airplane or aerial silk. Barbara adores ice cream and only buys purses that provide room for a book or two.

Barbara talks books, aerial silks, faith, and travel on her website and blog at barbarabrutt.com.

CONNECT WITH BARBARA: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 

 

 

EXCERPT:

No.

An overdue rent notice threatened me: Pay up or move out. I had one month. My mind sped through options. I didn’t have rent money because my cash flow was shot from the daily expenses: occasional retail therapy, my art hobby, and a slight coffee addiction. My full-time job hadn’t lived up to its promises. I worked all the time and still couldn’t pay the rent. And night jobs usually involved poles or polos and ball caps.

My eyes wandered the apartment. Heated ceramic floors. Lush carpets. Modern amenities. Those beautiful things had been my downfall. Mel had warned me that I should find a cheaper apartment at first, but I wanted to go big or go home. Now, I might be going home to Mom after all.

 

 

TOUR GIVEAWAY:

(1) winner will receive (US only)

• a pair of teal paisley tights (one size fits most)
• $15 Starbucks gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight November 15, 2018 and last through 11:59pm November 22, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday-0n-Thursday, Featured Book, Teal Paisley Tights, Barbara Brutt, JustRead Publicity Tours

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday Tuesday 13 November 2018 – WREADING WTUESDAY – FEATURED BOOK– AN UNLIKELY COURTSHIP by HEIDI KIMBALL

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday Tuesday 13 November 2018 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK– AN UNLIKELY COURTSHIP by HEIDI KIMBALL

WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK – AN UNLIKELY COURTSHIP by HEIDI KIMBALL

 

                                                                             

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Series: Regency House Party
Genre:  Adult, Historical, Regency, Romance
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: September 9, 2018

THE BLURB:

One can only be careless with so many hearts before he ends up breaking his own.

Lord Anthony is an outrageous flirt with a devil-may-care attitude. The last thing on his mind is settling down. When the Countess Du’Breven invites him to her house party, promising to see him married, Anthony finds the prospect diverting and accepts. But when he meets a damsel in distress unwilling to accept his help, Anthony realizes his attraction to her may be his downfall.

Isabel Townshend is at her breaking point, caring for her ailing father and her innocent younger sister. She has a family secret to protect and no time for handsome young men, even at a house party with so many eligible bachelors. When Lord Anthony disturbs her well-laid plans, Isabel realizes her determination to protect her family may cost her future happiness.
With hearts at odds and defenses drawn, will Isabel and Anthony be able to put aside their differences and find love at last?
​
An Unlikely Courtship is one of five books set in the Regency House Party Series. While each is a stand alone story, watch our characters mingle together with others from the books in the series. The stories can be read in any order.

​GOODREADS | AMAZON

 

 

THE AUTHOR:

 

At a young age Heidi perfected the art of hiding out so she could read instead of doing chores. One husband and four children later, not much has changed. She has an abiding love for peanut butter M&Ms, all things fall, and any book that can make her forget she is supposed to be keeping her children alive.
​
Heidi currently lives just north of Boston, in a charming old town in southern New Hampshire.

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | WEBSITE

 

 

 

 

 

THE GIVEAWAY:

Enter the giveaway HERE.
​
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

 

 

#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday Tuesday, Featured Book, An Unlikely Courtship, Heidi Kimball, Singing Librarian Tours

BLOGWORDS – 12 November 2018 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – TERESA TYSINGER

NEW WEEK NEW FACE – GUEST POST – TERESA TYSINGER

rem note: November is brought to you by the number FORTY—because my firstborn turns forty this month.

Four Life Lessons You’ll Likely Learn by Forty

 

I had every intention of finding an original angle for Robin’s series highlighting the number 40. But here’s the thing, friends: in January I turn 38. Forty is tip-toeing behind me like Snidely Whiplash, the creepy mustache-twirling villain from the old Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. (Yes, before my time, but the best iconic villain that sprang to mind.) Do you see age as a threat? I actually don’t – not at all!

Instead of quickening my pace and trying to lose 40 around the next corner, I’m actually gearing up to throw 40 an epic welcome home party. For those of you giving your screen an I-don’t-buy-it side eye, let me explain. As I approach 40, some things are becoming crystal clear. I guess you could say, I’m finally learning some life lessons my younger self wasn’t capable of understanding.

 

Here are four lessons you’ll likely learn (and celebrate learning) by the time you turn 40:

1. You’ll never have all the answers. In my 20s I got married, earned an advanced degree, and my husband and I bought a home. We were crushing this life thing! Fast forward a few years and my 30s included selling a home during the biggest recession in my lifetime, realizing my student loans could follow me to my grave, and raising a baby. (There’s nothing like having a child to make you realize how little you know.) Now at 38, I’ve not only accepted the fact that I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve embraced the not-knowing. It’s not our calling to know everything. There is real freedom in acknowledging the answers aren’t always ours to have.
2. The little things are really the big things. I used to be slightly obsessed with creating picture-perfect birthday parties, Instagram-worthy holiday meals, and other grand gestures to fill our life scrapbooks. And while all of those things are wonderful, as 40 approaches I’m realizing that it’s the moments without any kind of spotlight that stand out to me the most: lying next to my 10 year-old singing the same lullaby I sang to her in her nursery, unwrapping Christmas ornaments and remembering the story behind each one, holding my husband’s hand during worship at church. It’s the day-in-day-out moments that really make a lifetime of memories.
3. It really does take a village. I’m still learning this life lesson, but it’s really coming into focus as 40 draws near. You’ve heard the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Let’s edit that to read, “It takes a village to live life.” Better. God created me to be an introverted, INFJ, Enneagram 4 (Google those personality types if you’re not sure about them). Despite my natural loner tendencies, I have been blessed beyond belief the times that I invite someone in to be a part of my village. For me, my villagers have included other moms, pastors, my daughter’s teachers, neighbors, and co-workers. When we share both the good and bad, high and low with others, I believe we live into the true Earthly experience God intends for us. It’s better than trying to prove we can go it alone.
4. Kindness is your greatest asset/tool/weapon and believing so doesn’t make you naive. Y’all, this world is a harsh and unyielding environment. We encounter so much uncertainty, shady characters, and reasons to surrender. Yet in my almost 40 years on this planet, I’ve never felt more empowered than when I chose to be kind. Genuine kindness diffuses hate, prejudice, disappointment, hopelessness, loneliness, and despair. When drawn like a sword, I dare say kindness could avoid war and eventually alleviate rampant poverty. Someone once told me that this belief was naivety on my part. I may not have all the answers, choose to revel in the little things, and surrender to my own limitations and need to accept help. I am also 100% convinced that understanding my superpower is kindness and can be used as a renewable energy to fight all sorts of evil this side of heaven makes me more confident than in my teens, 20s, and 30s.

 

With each month I inch closer to 40, I pray that these lessons burn deeper into my heart. I pray that for you, too, no matter your age. We’re being refined, you and I, sometimes by fire and sometimes by gentle rolling waves. Whether the refining force is chaotic or gentle, I welcome the lessons that mold me into God’s image a little more every day.

Here’s to 40!

 

 

 

Teresa Tysinger is a wife and mother transplanted from North Carolina now living in Nashville. When not working as a communications/graphic design professional, she writes charming southern romances inspired by grace. Her debut novel, Someplace Familiar is available here. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Religious Communicators’ Council, and the Association for Women in Communications. Teresa loves Jesus, coffee, caramel, and stories with happy endings!

Get to know Teresa more online…

Website: https://teresatysinger.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresatysingerauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresatysinger/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmtysinger

 

 

 

#Blogwords, New Week New Fact, #NWNF, Guest Post, Teresa Tysinger, Four Life Lessons You’ll Likely Learn by Forty

BLOGWORDS –Friday 9 November 2018 – TUESDAY FRIDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – UNCHARTED HOPE by KEELY BROOKE KEITH

TUESDAY FRIDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – UNCHARTED HOPE by KEELY BROOKE KEITH

                                                                             

 

THE BLURB:

In a secluded land, Sophia and Nicholas wrestle with love and faith, while in the outside world, a stunning discovery could change everything.

Sophia Ashton’s new medical assistant job comes with the perks of living on the Colburn property, which include being surrounded by a loving family—something she’s never known. During the job’s trial period, a patient puts Sophia’s career in jeopardy. Now she must prove her competence or lose her job and home.

Nicholas Vestal is working on a sheep farm to earn a starter flock, but before his contract is up, he inherits a house in the village. While fixing up the old house, he pursues Sophia Ashton, believing she is the woman God wants him to marry. But when Sophia’s difficult past blocks Nicholas’s plan, he must find a way to her heart.

Meanwhile, outside the Land…
When plant biologist Bailey Colburn is offered a research job, she knows Justin Mercer is playing her somehow. Working for the former naval flight officer sounds better than her other options in post-war Norfolk, even though Justin says he once met her long-lost relatives. But when Justin introduces Bailey to the mysterious gray leaf tree, his unbelievable claims change her world.

Uncharted Hope weaves past and future in this inspirational story of life in a hidden land. There is always room for you at the Colburns’ house in the quaint village of Good Springs. Join the Colburn family as they discover their purpose, find love, and protect the Land. Read Uncharted Hope today.

 

THE AUTHOR:

 

Keely Brooke Keith writes inspirational frontier-style fiction with a slight Sci-Fi twist, including The Land Uncharted (Shelf Unbound Notable Romance 2015) and Aboard Providence (2017 INSPY Awards Longlist). Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely was a tree-climbing, baseball-loving 80s kid. She grew up in a family who moved often, which fueled her dreams of faraway lands. When she isn’t writing, Keely enjoys teaching home school lessons and playing bass guitar. Keely, her husband, and their daughter live on a hilltop south of Nashville, Tennessee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY REVIEW:

I have come to love this series, and always look forward to each new story. Ms. Keith has done her research, and has created a most believable and plausible scenario. The Land, and the mysterious gray leaf tree are well thought out, and well written.

This reviewer is well familiar with the verbal taunts Sophia Ashton grew up with. And the doubts instilled by it, the struggle to believe in herself, and the fight to overcome it.

I appreciate the honor the characters maintain, and especially Nicholas Vestal in following tradition in order to court Sophia. I appreciated his patience with her as he wooed her, and I mentally encouraged Sophia to accept his tender overtures.

Reading the Uncharted Series is like visiting old friends with each new story.

 

ROBIN’S FEATHERS:

ALL | THE | FEATHERS!

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

 

#Blogwords, Tuesday Friday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, Uncharted Hope, Keely Brooke Keith

BLOGWORDS – Friday 9 November 2018 – FIRST LINE FRIDAY – THE SECOND SILENCE by EILEEN GOUDGE

FIRST LINE FRIDAY – THE SECOND SILENCE by EILEEN GOUDGE

 

Welcome to First Line Fridays, hosted by Hoarding Books!!!

 

Tell us your first line in the comments & then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!

 

 

 

THE BLURB:    

Noelle realizes it is time to move on when, rubbing lotion on her leg, she cuts herself with her wedding ring. The cut is slight, but it makes her realize that her marriage to Robert Van Doren is causing her nothing but pain. Although successful, wealthy, and boyishly handsome, her husband is a heartless man, who cheats on his wife and makes a living at the expense of the environment. Although it takes time to build up the courage, Noelle knows that leaving him is the right thing.

 

But Robert Van Doren is not one to accept defeat. He punishes Nora by using his considerable power to get custody of their child. Leaving Robert is not the end of Noelle’s struggle; it is merely the first step on a treacherous journey towards freedom.

 

THE AUTHOR:    

I’m a writer by day, with 16 fiction titles and 1 cookbook to my name, and wife of a film critic by night. Be careful what you tell me or it might end up in one of my novels. I come from a large family with a few skeletons rattling around in the closet. I’m also a mom and serial wife (my current husband is not my first, though he’s without a doubt the last). Fortunately my friends and family are still speaking to me, and readers continue to read what I’ve written. Maybe because I’m not afraid to go there. So, please, pull up a chair if you dare.

THE FIRST LINE:   

BURNS LAKE, NEW YORK, 1969

Mary Jeffers gaped in alarm at the man charging through the front door

 

 

#Blogwords, First Line Friday, #FLF, The Second Silence, Eileen Goudge