Monday, September 14, 2020

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Just Jones by Andy Andrews

Just Jones JustRead Blog Tour 
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Just Jones by Andy Andrews, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Just Jones by Andy Andrews

Title: Just Jones
Series: Noticer #3
Author: Andy Andrews
Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
Release Date: September 8, 2020
Genre: Inspirational Fiction/Magical Realism

From New York Times bestselling author Andy Andrews comes the return of one of our favorite fictional characters: Jones, the noticer. A mysterious elderly man with white hair and endless wisdom who always appears to show up exactly when he’s needed most.

At 3:29 a.m. on May 22, a telephone rings in Orange Beach, Alabama. Breaking the sleepy silence inside the bedroom of New York Times bestselling author Andy Andrews, a hastily whispered message heralds the news that Andy has been waiting on for seven years: Jones is back in town. Apparently, however, he is also in jail.

The old man is tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding his brief incarceration. After arriving to bail him out, Andy is shocked to discover that his trusted friend has already opened an unusual business in one of the resort town’s most high-profile shopping districts. Jones’s Five & Dime seems to always have exactly what visitors are looking for, even as their fate steadily becomes entwined with Jones’s.

As the town moves from spring to summer, a practical joker is becoming bolder and more inventive with every prank that is pulled. Could Jones be behind some of it? Why? And what will happen if he is? What’s the truth about that four-hundred-pound table in his Five & Dime? What compels certain people to gather around it every morning? And why does it look as if every person Jones meets has a secret they will reveal only to him?

With rare insight, Andy and Jones take us on a journey that proves the importance of perspective, the power of connection, and the ability we all have to make the impossible come true.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook


EXCERPT

FROM THE PAGES OF THE BOOK . . .

He wore blue jeans and a white T-shirt with leather flip-flops. His longish, snow-white hair framed a deeply tanned face and the most startling eyes Keely had ever seen. In fact, they were the first thing she’d noticed after being placed in the cell. The old man’s eyes were blue, but it was a lighter—no, a brighter—shade of blue than she had ever seen.

 

It was as if his eyes had been encased in crystal. There was a clarity to them Keely was unable to define. She had heard of eyes that sparkled, but always considered that specific description a way of referring to excitement reflected in a person’s face. But this old man? His eyes really did sparkle.

 

He had already been in the cell when Keely was locked in during the early morning hours. When the door had shut behind her, the officer quickly departed. Keely simply stood by the door with tears streaming down her face. She had been angry, afraid, and drunk.

 

Now, her head pounded ferociously, but she was beginning to recall those first moments in the cell. The old man had stood when she walked in, Keely remembered. And he had said something. What was it? Oh yes . . .he had bowed slightly and said, “Welcome. Come in and rest. I’ve been waiting and am glad you’re here.”

 

Keely stared at the old man for a moment through half-open eyes. “Who are you?” she said.

 

“Jones,” he smiled. Then, nudging her playfully with his shoulder, added, “Not Mr. Jones. Just Jones.”

 

Required text: Taken from Just Jones by Andy Andrews. Copyright 2020 by Andy Andrews. Used with permission from www.thomasnelson.com

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo by Christy Haynes, BeachChicPhotography.com

Andy Andrews is a bestselling novelist, speaker, and consultant for some of the world’s most successful teams, largest corporations, and fastest-growing organizations. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The NoticerHow Do You Kill 11 Million People?, and the modern classic The Traveler’s Gift. For more information, please visit AndyAndrews.com.

CONNECT WITH ANDY: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of The Noticer Returns (Noticer #2) by Andy Andrews!

Just Jones JustRead Blog Tour Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight September 14, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on September 21, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

 

 
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
cropped-justread-logo.png
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.





Friday, September 4, 2020

SALE! Havenlight Labor Day V.I.P. Warehouse Sale & Giveaway



Havenlight is having a VIP inventory blowout sale at their warehouse in American Fork, UT! Starting September 3rd at 10:00 AM, you can save up to 90% on framed and unframed temple portraits at the Labor Day scratch and dent warehouse sale! Simply RSVP here and download your voucher at the link below:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/REJt8ds/VIP2020

Come and browse through some of the most well known, beautiful photographs of the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This sale ends September 5th at 5:00 PM!

For those of you not in Utah Valley, we would love to give you the opportunity to win a 24x36 temple print of your choosing! Please enter the giveaway below: 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: A Love Redeemed by Lisa Jordan

A Love Redeemed Blog + Review Tour 
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for A Love Redeemed by Lisa Jordan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

A Love Redeemed by Lisa Jordan

Title: A Love Redeemed
Author: Lisa Jordan
Publisher: Love Inspired 
Release Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance

Just-for-now could become forever…

They agreed to help each other out. 
No one mentioned falling in love.

Back home after losing her job, Isabella Bradley plans to stay only long enough to save her father’s diner, but she can’t do it alone. Her childhood friend Tucker Holland has the perfect solution—he will renovate the diner if she’ll be a nanny for his twins. But as Isabella and Tucker reconnect, their arrangement begins to feel a lot less temporary…

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

 


 

 EXCERPT

 

He knew how messy life could be. Sure, they’d all have days of spilled cereal and

cheese balls for breakfast. But after hiring Mandy to nanny his children, Tucker had

had a glimpse of hope for some sort of new normal, and he didn’t want to lose that.

But now he was back to square one and needed to find someone else he could trust

with his children.

And that was a very short list.

Otherwise, his boss’s veiled warning would result into a termination, and his family

couldn’t afford that. He needed his job until he finished his degree in grief counseling.

In the meantime, though, he needed to keep trusting God because something would

work out.

It had to.




 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Lisa Jordan

Heart, home and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. She is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing novels that promise hope & happily ever after. Happily married for nearly thirty years, she and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn't writing, Lisa enjoys family time, good books, crafting with friends and kayaking. Visit her at www.lisajordanbooks.com.

CONNECT WITH LISA: Website Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 


 

TOUR GIVEAWAY

 

(1) winner will receive a S'more Picnic Fun prize package including a canvas picnic tote with a wicker bottom along with s'more fixings and a copy of A Love Redeemed!

A Love Redeemed JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight September 1, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on September 8, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

 
 

 
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
cropped-justread-logo.png
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.





Sunday, August 30, 2020

Book Tour Grand Finale #DHFPrism

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you'll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Author Interview

What inspired you to write DARLING HEDGEHOG GOES DOWN A FOXHOLE? 

My author friend, Kathy Joy, had been visiting, and for a thank you when she went home, she gave me a card with a little stuffed hedgehog in a pink tutu. Well, I put it on my window ledge and that meant that I saw it there every time I opened my eyes in the morning. It really made me smile. One morning as I was slowly coming awake, the beginning of the story just came to me. I'd never written a children's book, but I thought I'd like to try. Also, it is just in my nature to be a little quirky. I've also been known to give people out-of-the-box advice. All of these elements come to life in this story. 


"Darling Hedgehog is an engaging book intended to teach children about stranger danger. I found the pictures to be irresistibly cute and aptly illustrated the story. Overall, a good book for children."


". . . an adorable children’s story. It teaches some valuable lessons for very young readers. It, also, has some fun, vibrant and colorful illustrations by the talented Julia Swezy. The whole book was just a delight to read."


"Darling Hedgehog Goes Down a Foxhole has adorable illustrations and a fable-like lesson. . . . Darling is very susceptible to Miss Fox’s trickiness because she wants her to like her. That’s a lesson to teach our kids too. Don’t change yourself to make people like you. And don’t take gifts from strangers!"

Bizwings Blog - Review

"Darling Hedgehog Goes Down a Foxhole has a great storyline. Every child has experiences with friends, so it's a story they can relate to. . . . It's well written and easy to understand."

Wishful Endings - Excerpt & Review
"A sweet book to read with younger children, easy enough for first-grade readers, but would be worth reading through fourth grade for a quick read."


"This is a good book to teach children about strangers and the dangers of believing things that people may say. This is an especially important subject in the times we are living right now."

Splashes of Joy - Review

"The pictures were cute, and they did fit the story. And the book cover is adorable with Darling in her tutu. . . . It is a really cute story with great potential."

Remembrancy - Excerpt
Andi's Kids Books - Spotlight

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post...

Darling Hedgehog: Goes Down a Foxhole
By Auralee Arkinsly
Children's Chapter Book
Paperback & ebook, 44 Pages
August 8, 2019 by Capture Books

Darling Hedgehog goes on an adventure to look for her parents who dropped out of sight. 

Darling Hedgehog learns about the animal nature of things in high humor and carefree, cute, and winning episodes. Learn about opposites, homophones, and similes as two animals in nature roll into fantasy land. For children 4-8 or preschool and kindergarten, as a read-to-me picture book, and first grade and second grade as a chapter book.

Darling and Miss Fox come to life as Darling introduces herself to the strange animal who is Miss Fox. Miss Fox gives her gifts so that Darling is distracted from her mission. The two animals look for things to do together in fantastical attempts to be friendly. When Darling enters Miss Fox's kitchen, she realizes that by nature, not all strangers are good for you. Will Darling save the day when it's already dinner time?

Pictures similar to Charlotte's Web and the Mercy Watson series are characterized and painted in full-color, though the pages are set up like a chapter book.

This book helps to train children in natural wisdom, analysis, and discernment. It helps to balance the teachings of acceptance of everyone and friendliness to all. There may be good purposes for everyone to exist under heaven, yet all purposes may not be good for a child. So, beware, and flee from crafty foxes especially when they are holding your parents in the pantry.

(Affiliate links included.)

About the Author


Auralee Arkinsly writes in good humor about serious subjects because kids of all ages can learn a lot from laughing. Since opposites exist, she believes children can learn to identify the nature of things and get out of a risky situation. "Good Laughter sparks the mind." She reckons if she can save some from the bumps and bruises, then she has done a good day's work.


Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally to those who can receive the gift card through one of Amazon's branches
Ends September 2, 2020

Grab Our Button!







Monday, August 24, 2020

Review & Giveaway: It Started in Budapest by Julie Daines


My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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


Synopsis

Molly Cooper is haunted by one simple fact: it is her fault her twin brother, Matthew, has spent his life trapped in a frail body while she has thrived. Deep in her heart, she knows he can’t hold on much longer . . .

In her desperation to save her brother, Molly finds inspiration in an unlikely source: the newly published novel Dracula. When her family embarks on the Orient Express to seek treatment for Matthew in Bulgaria, Molly is prepared to set her plan in motion: she will sneak away from her parents and journey alone to Transylvania, where she will seek a vampire, whose blood can make her brother immortal. Molly’s rash plan is going flawlessly—until she encounters Percy Hunt, a handsome American traveler running from the shadows of his own past. When he discovers Molly’s plan, Percy’s concern for the naive young woman leaves him no choice but to accompany her on her strange quest. But neither Percy nor Molly is prepared for the feelings that quickly grow between them or for the death-defying escapade that awaits.


My Review

First off, I just have to say how much I loved the setting in this book since it reminded me of my first trip to Europe last summer. It felt like I was back on my foreign adventure with everything new and unfamiliar, yet grounded in reality. We quickly get to know Molly and her family circumstances, which comes with an extreme dose of guilt for her brother's infirmities and an irrational phobia of the color white. I was surprised by her naive yet desperate belief that she can encounter a vampire if she follows the travels of Bram Stoker's character Jonathan Harker as told in Dracula. I haven't read the book (although I want to now!) and after learning that it's written as a series of letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, and ships' log entries, I can understand why Molly may have put faith in the realistic presentation of the paranormal story. 

I loved her rocky friendship with Percy, her self-appointed protector, who follows her as she gets in one predicament after another. The revealing of both Molly and Percy's deeper layers amidst their journey kept me interested in seeing how they could manage a happily ever after. There are powerful themes of death, grief, loneliness, duty, and loyalty. I was in tears as Molly learned some difficult but beautiful lessons about the fragility of life, the strength we can find in ourselves and those around us, and the inner peace that we can find in our faith. There is a lovely balance of adventure, excitement, and danger with quieter moments of connection and introspection.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

GIVEWAY
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway