Showing posts with label spotlight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spotlight. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Spotlight: Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert





Synopsis

A one-of-a-kind Christmas market offers holiday magic in the new romance from the author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club.

With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn't just a seasonal specialty--it's a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra's yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She's ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.

For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He's never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he's been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.

After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they're feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.


About the Author
 
 
Amy Reichert earned her MA in Literature from Marquette University, and honed her writing and editing skills as a technical writer (which is exactly as exciting as it sounds). As a newly minted member of the local library board, she loves helping readers find new books to love. She’s a life-long Wisconsin resident with (allegedly) a very noticeable accent, a patient husband, and two too-smart-for-their-own-good kids. When time allows, she loves to read, collect more cookbooks than she could possibly use, and test the limits of her DVR.


Monday, June 6, 2022

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Stewardship Principle by Ganel-Lyn Condie







Synopsis

Mortality provides a complex collection of opportunities. We face challenges to both love and learn. And amid struggle and strife, we can choose to live life with greater joy and spirit. But how do we do this? The answer lies in reframing how we see our experiences. Beloved author and speaker Ganel-Lyn Condie introduces a key principle that can guide us through both the miraculous and the messy moments of life: stewardship. 

With her token wit and candor, Ganel-Lyn helps readers learn to navigate through a reframing of life’s experiences, shifting them from issues of ownership to assignments of stewardship. Featuring a wealth of scriptural insights, real-life accounts, and practical advice, this insightful volume examines stewardship versus ownership in all aspects of life, from the ebb and flow of relationships to the devastation of loss to the frustration of trying―and failing. Learn to consecrate your efforts to God and discover how this fundamental shift in perspective will make all the difference in the sense of peace and hope that can be yours.


Sunday, November 28, 2021

Book Tour Spotlight: The London House by Katherine Reay





Synopsis

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything. In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

Advance Praise

“Carefully researched, emotionally hewn, and written with a sure hand, The London House is a tantalizing tale of deeply held secrets, heartbreak, redemption, and the enduring way that family can both hurt and heal us. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”— Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Book of Lost Names

“An expertly researched and marvelously paced treatise on the many variants of courage and loyalty . . . Arresting historical fiction destined to thrill fans of Erica Roebuck and Pam Jenoff.”— Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration and The Mozart Code

“Reay’s fast-paced foray into the past cleverly reveals a family’s secrets and how a pivotal moment shaped future generations. Readers who enjoy engrossing family mystery should take note.”— Publisher’s Weekly

About the Author

Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane, The Brontë Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, The Austen Escape, and The Printed Letter Bookshop. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and is a wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL.



 


Thursday, September 9, 2021

Launch Bundle Special for THE SLOW MARCH OF LIGHT by Heather B. Moore!





Synopsis

Sometimes all you have is hope.

In the summer of 1961, a wall of barbed wire goes up quickly in the dead of night, officially dividing Berlin. Aware of the many whose families have been divided, Luisa joins a secret spy network, risking her life to help East Germans escape across the Berlin Wall and into the West.

Bob Inama, a soldier in the US Army, is stationed in West Germany. He’s glad to be fluent in German, especially after meeting Luisa Voigt at a church social. As they spend time together, they form a close connection. But when Bob receives classified orders to leave for undercover work immediately, he doesn’t get the chance to say goodbye.

With a fake identity, Bob’s special assignment is to be a spy embedded in East Germany, identifying possible targets for the US military. But Soviet and East German spies, the secret police, and Stasi informants are everywhere, and the danger of being caught and sent to a brutal East German prison lurks on every corner.

Best-selling author Heather B. Moore masterfully alternates the stories of Bob and Luisa, capturing the human drama unique to Cold War Germany was well as the courage and the resilience of the human spirit.

Launch Bundle Special
 

https://shadowmountain.com/slowmarch/

Help Heather B. Moore get her latest novel, The Slow March of Light, to hit the New York Times best-seller list by purchasing a copy (print or e-book) between September 6-11.

Everyone who submits a copy of their receipt and fills out this form during the week of September 6-11 will receive The Slow March of Light - Swag Bundle*.

*While supplies last. Click here for terms and conditions. 

Advance Praise

“Moore conveys extensive historical knowledge without sacrificing the emotional impact of the stories of two protagonists whose Christian faith helps them survive and make a difference in the face of epic adversity.” —Booklist

“Outstanding novel is a harrowing account based around actual events. The author chillingly and graphically captures daily existence where the controlling political party, national security apparatus, and media work together to crush all dissent. A timely and cautionary tale. My highest recommendation.” —Historical Novel Society 
 
 
 
 



About the Author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today best-selling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications. She has lived on both the east and west coasts of the United States, including Hawaii, and attended school abroad including the Cairo American College in Egypt, and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.

For author interview requests, please contact Callie Hansen at chansen@shadowmountain.com
 
Photo by Brekke Felt Photography


Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Spotlight & Excerpt: No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky




http://www.amazon.com http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

It's 1919, and Garth McAlister returns from to England to be reunited with his family after fighting in the Great War. But his heart is still in Canada with his sweetheart, Emma Lafferty. It's been four months since he has heard from Emma, and he is determined to return to Canada and discover if she still loves him or has given her heart to another. The ten-year-search for his youngest sister Grace continues, and the family is stunned to receive a letter from Grace, who is now almost eighteen and living in Toronto, Canada. Follow the heart-tugging story of these young adult British Home Children as they seek to be reunited with those they love.

EXCERPT

Prologue

Belleville, Ontario, Canada

May 1909

Grace McAlister held tight to her sister Katie’s hand as they slowly walked across the large open room in the Belleville Town Hall.

“It’s all right, Grace. We’re going to meet our new family this morning.” Katie smiled down at her, but it didn’t look like her real smile.

Grace swallowed hard and pushed out her words. “What if they’re not nice?”

“Anyone who would take in children who are not their own must have a kind heart.” Her words sounded brave, but she still looked worried.

Grace matched Katie’s steps as they followed the line of girls who had come with them on the big ship from England to Canada and then on the train to Belleville. She wished she had eaten more of the porridge at breakfast that morning, but her tummy felt funny, and she’d pushed her bowl aside after a few bites. She missed Mum, Garth, and Laura. Where were they? Why didn’t they come and take her and Katie home?

Grace and Katie joined the line of girls along the back wall of the room. Miss Delaney, the tall lady with red hair who had come over on the ship with them, talked to two men and an old lady sitting at a long table in the front of the room.

Who were they? Where was her new family? Would they like her? When could she and Katie go home and see Mum?

A buzzing began in Grace’s head like there was a bee inside. She squeezed her eyes tight until the buzzing finally went away. Taking a slow deep breath, she opened her eyes. Everything would be all right. Katie promised it would.

She smoothed the pinafore over her green dress. All the other girls were dressed the same, and each wore a blue jacket and straw hat like hers. Most of the girls were bigger, like Katie, who was fourteen. She looked down the row, searching for Millie, the only girl in their group younger than Grace. Millie was six, and Grace was seven. They’d played together on the ship. Would Millie find a new family too? What if no one wanted her? What if no one wanted Grace and Katie?

The buzzing in her head came back. She stepped closer to Katie and leaned against her side. Her sister’s arm felt warm like when they used to sit together in the big chair at home and Katie would read her a story.

Miss Delaney crossed the room and stopped in front of Grace. She wore a plain brown dress and small hat, and her pink cheeks were covered with freckles. “All right, girls. I want you to stand up straight. Look smart and be quiet and respectful to the people who come in to see you.”

Grace’s tummy tightened. She peeked up at Katie. Her sister stood taller and lifted her chin like Miss Delaney.

A side door opened, and a man and lady walked in and came toward the line of girls. The man was tall and wore a black suit and hat. He looked at each girl as he and the lady moved down the line. The lady wore a dress the color of pennies. Her big hat was the same color, with lots of flowers and feathers on top. She had a pretty face and blue eyes. As the lady came closer, Grace could see she had brown hair under her hat.

The man and lady stopped in front of them. The lady looked down at Grace for a few seconds and smiled. She turned to the man. He nodded and then took the lady’s arm and they moved down the row.

“They didn’t like us?” Grace’s voice felt tight and shaky.

Katie put her arm around Grace. “Don’t worry. I’m sure there are more families coming in soon.”

Grace fiddled with the edge of her pinafore and counted the boards on the floor around her. She thought about Mum and the times they used to go to the park near their flat over the dress shop. Grace liked feeding the ducks and chasing Garth and Katie across the grass. Mum would smile as she watched them from the bench in the shade of the big tree by the pond. Grace wished they could all go to the park again.

“I’d like you to come with me, Grace.”

Grace sucked in a breath and looked up. Miss Delaney stood in front of her.

Katie gripped Grace’s hand. “Why? Where are you taking her?” Her voice sounded high and scared.

Miss Delaney motioned toward the front of the room where the man and lady stood. “That couple would like to talk to her.”

Katie pressed her lips together for a second, then nodded. “Go ahead, Grace.” Katie let go of Grace’s hand. “Just be sure to tell them I’m your sister and we have to stay together.”

Before Grace could answer, Miss Delaney took her hand and tugged her across the room. Her face felt hot, and she could feel her heart beating hard. Why couldn’t Katie come with her to talk to the man and lady? What did they want to say to her?

“This is Grace.” Miss Delaney gave her a little push toward the man and lady. “She’s seven years old.”

The lady in the penny-colored dress smiled. “Hello, Grace. I’m Mrs. Hamilton, and this is Mr. Hamilton.”

Grace knew she should say something, but she couldn’t make her voice come out. She bit her lip and looked at the floor.

“Have you been to school yet?” The man’s voice was strong and loud.

Grace kept her eyes down. If she said yes, would they ask her to count or recite? She could do that with Katie but not with people she didn’t know.

The lady bent down toward her. “Can you tell us something you enjoy doing?” Her voice sounded nice, but when Grace glanced at her face, there were lines across the lady’s forehead. Was she mad because Grace didn’t answer?

Grace peeked over her shoulder at Katie. Her sister sent her a pleading look, but Grace wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say or do.

“Mr. Hamilton and I have a dog named Cooper,” the lady continued. “He’s a very pretty collie. We like to take him for walks in the park or spend time with him out in our garden. Do you like dogs?”

Most of the dogs Grace had seen in London lived on the street and weren’t very friendly. Her mum had always told her to stay away from them. What should she say?

“What’s your favorite food?” the lady asked.

If she said Mum’s meat pies, would they know what she meant? Grace shrugged.

The man frowned. “Why won’t she speak to us?”

Mrs. Hamilton patted Grace’s shoulder. “I’m sure this is all a bit overwhelming.” She turned to Miss Delaney. “Do you have information about her background and family? Is she in good health?”

“She’s in excellent health. All the children are given examinations before they leave England and on arrival in Canada.” Miss Delaney opened a file and sorted through some papers. “She’s an orphan from London with no relatives who can care for her. She was born on May 16.” She closed the file and looked up at Mrs. Hamilton. “I can assure you she will have more to say once she feels comfortable. Isn’t that right, Grace?”

“Yes ma’am,” Grace whispered.

Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton looked at each other. Mr. Hamilton nodded and then turned to Miss Delaney. “Very well. We’ll take her.”

Grace gasped. They were going to take her? What about Katie? She turned and looked toward the back wall. Her sister watched her with wide eyes.

Mr. Hamilton stepped up to the table and signed a paper. Mrs. Hamilton took Grace’s hand and started toward the side door.

Grace pulled back. “Wait!”

“It’s all right, dear.” Mrs. Hamilton gripped harder and continued toward the door. “Our motorcar is just outside. Have you ever ridden in a motorcar?”

“No! No!” She screamed and tried to wriggle away.

Mrs. Hamilton held on tight. “There’s no need to make a fuss.”

Grace’s eyes burned and overflowed, and her cries turned to jerky sobs.

“That’s enough! Settle down, Grace!” Mr. Hamilton scooped her up and hurried across the room.

Grace tried to get away, but Mr. Hamilton’s strong arms pressed her hard against his chest. She jerked her head up, searching for her sister as they passed out the door. Katie stood by the wall, a wide-eyed, fearful look on her face. Grace’s heart lurched, and she screamed her sister’s name. But the door slammed behind them, and she couldn’t see Katie anymore.

 

Excerpted from No Journey Too Far. Copyright © 2021 by Carrie Turansky. Used by permission of Multnomah, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of twenty novels and novellas. She has won the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and she was a finalist for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence.

A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance,
women’s fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Turansky
lives in central New Jersey with her husband, Scott. They have
five adult children and six grandchildren.
 
For more information, visit www.carrieturansky.com.
Facebook: @AuthorCarrieTuransky
Twitter/Instagram: @CarrieTuransky






Friday, May 21, 2021

Virtual Book Launch: The Immortals by Steven T. Collis



 
Sign up for the Book Launch Event Here!

Sign up for the Facebook Event Here!


About the Book

During World War II, four chaplains were assigned to the SS Dorchester with more than 900 men on board. Alexander Goode, a Jewish rabbi; John Washington, a Catholic priest; George Fox, a Methodist minister; and Clark Poling, a Baptist minister, all offered comfort, reassurances, and prayers along with a warning from the captain that a German submarine was hunting their convoy.

Thoroughly researched and told in an engrossing nonfiction narrative, this true story alternates between accounts told from the perspective of the Nazi U-boat captain and his crew (as found in their journals and later interviews) and survivors from the Dorchester who credit the four chaplains with saving their lives after their ship was torpedoed.

The celebrated story of the men who became known as the Immortal Chaplains is now joined for the first time in print by the largely untold story of another hero: Charles Walter David Jr. A young Black petty officer aboard a coast guard cutter traveling with the Dorchester, Charles bravely dived into the glacial water over and over again, even with hypothermia setting in, to try to rescue those the chaplains had inspired to never give up.

Page-turning and inspiring, The Immortals explores the power of both faith and sacrifice and powerfully narrates the lives of five heroic men who believed in something greater than themselves, giving their all for people of vastly different beliefs and backgrounds. 
 



Book Trailer





About the Author
 
STEVEN T. COLLIS is a storyteller at heart. He is also a law professor at the University of Texas School of Law and the faculty director of Texas’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center and Law and Religion Clinic. Previously, he was the Olin-Darling Research Fellow at the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School and chair of the Religious Institutions and First Amendment Practice Group at Holland & Hart LLP. He is an engaging and sought-after speaker nationwide on religion and law. Steven received his MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. He is the author of Deep Conviction: True Stories of Ordinary Americans Fighting for the Freedom to Live Their Beliefs. He and his wife have five children and reside in Texas.