Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: The One Who Loves Me by Joan Embola

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The One Who Loves Me

(Sovereign Love #2)

By Joan Embola

Christian Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 340 Pages

May 21, 2022 by Love Qualified Press

IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER LOVE STORIES?

Amara Ikezie is a new grad nurse who is thrilled to start her dream job in Atlanta’s biggest children’s hospital. But when her best friend gets engaged, Amara is faced with the looming pressure from her mom to find her own man. Determined to escape the pressure to marry, Amara takes on a task to find the ‘perfect’ man who ticks all the boxes on her list.

Raymond Aderinto is a pediatric cardiologist with a wall of accolades and a string of failed relationships. After his fourth girlfriend dumps him, Raymond vows to get confirmation from God first before entering into his next relationship—even though he’d love to find his bride before turning thirty.

When Raymond spills coffee on Amara’s scrubs, he becomes certain she’s the woman God wants to be his wife. But unfortunately for him, Raymond doesn’t tick Amara’s boxes, and worst of all, Amara is sure her Igbo mom would never approve of a marriage to a man from the Yoruba tribe.

Despite Amara’s efforts to stay away from Raymond and convince herself he is not the one for her, her growing attraction for his character, values, and vision gives her more reasons to wonder if she was wrong about her prejudices toward him. When another doctor walks into Amara’s life who ticks all her boxes and shows interest in her, she is caught between running into his ‘perfect’ arms, or going with Raymond who is turning out to be more perfect than she thought.

The One Who Loves Me, book two in the Sovereign Love series, is a beautiful standalone novel about surrender and learning to take comfort in the sovereign goodness of a loving God who writes the best love stories.

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 Excerpt

Pastor Adekunle cocks his brows and smiles. “Very interesting.” He also emphasizes the word interesting. “Brilliant. You all have given wonderful answers, and it looks like you have peeked at my notes for this talk.” He returns to the pulpit. “I might as well sit in the crowd and let you guys teach.” The crowd laughs.

“Now I’m going to combine all these answers and tell you what they are really saying. And before I do it, the one thing I want you to take away from today’s talk is that marriage was God’s idea and not yours.” He shakes his head. “If it was your idea, then there would be no need for you to seek His direction and His guidance.“

Wow, what a word.

“Let’s look at it this way. Every manufacturer of a product knows exactly what you need to do to make the product work. That’s why they make manuals to guide us and help us make the best out of the products. In the same way, because marriage is God’s design, we have to do it the way He has purposed it.” He turns to face the single section.

“If you are single, the first thing you need to know is that you were created because God has a purpose for you, and you can fulfill that purpose with or without a spouse.” He nods.

Excerpted from The One Who Loves Me by Joan Embola, Copyright © 2022 by Joan Embola. Published by Love Qualified Press.

Other Books in the Series

The One Who Knows Me

(Sovereign Love #1)

By Joan Embola

Christian Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 318 Pages

July 21, 2021 by Love Qualified Press

IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY?

Bullies and family disasters have left eighteen-year-old Teeyana Sparks filled with anxiety and doubt. She feels pressured to believe in God, but as she embarks on her college journey in the hope of one day working at Google as a graphic designer, the only thing she believes in is controlling her own life. Things change when she meets Jayden Williams—the guy with a charming smile and kind heart.

Struggling with grief and recovering from a season of depression, nineteen-year-old Jayden is determined to help Teeyana believe in God’s goodness again. But when yet another tragedy strikes close to home, Teeyana’s response exposes Jayden’s unhealed wounds and tips him into a mental health relapse.

With the looming possibility of not getting her dream life, Teeyana is caught between holding on to her illusion of control and surrendering to a God she’s rejected. And as Jayden strives to break out of his despondency, he has to face that letting God in may involve him letting go of his friendship with Teeyana. Teeyana and Jayden must wrestle with uncomfortable truths, and the pride in their hearts, in order to face their biggest giant—God’s sovereignty over both triumph and tragedy.

The One Who Knows Me, book one in the Sovereign Love series, is a heart-warming standalone novel about hope and learning to take comfort in the sovereign goodness of a loving God who knows all things.

(Affiliate links included.)

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About the Author

Joan Embola is a UK-based Cameroonian-Nigerian Christian author who is passionate about spreading God's love one word at a time. She is a Bible teacher, a blogger, a YouTuber, a podcaster, a dancer, and a poetess. Her book Outpourings Of A Beloved Heart; a 30 day poetry devotional about God's love, is available for purchase and her debut contemporary Christian Fiction novel--The One Who knows Me released on September 10th 2021.

Website | Goodreads | BookBub | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $25 Amazon e-gift card (open internationally)

Ends June 1, 2022

ENTER HERE

Book Tour & Excerpt: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

Synopsis

Natalie Jenner, the internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society, returns with a compelling and heartwarming story of post-war London, a century-old bookstore, and three women determined to find their way in a fast-changing world in Bloomsbury Girls.

Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare bookstore that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans:

Vivien Lowry: Single since her aristocratic fiancé was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances--most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction.

Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own.

Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.

As they interact with various literary figures of the time--Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others--these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow.
 

Advance Praise

"Jenner follows The Jane Austen Society (2020) with another top-notch reading experience, using the same deft hand at creating complex, emotionally engaging characters [against] a backdrop chock-full of factual historical information... Fans of Christina Baker Kline, Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff [will] appreciate this gem." —Booklist (starred review)

"An illuminating yarn... Fans of emotional historical fiction will be charmed." —Publishers Weekly

"Bloomsbury Girls is an immersive tale of three women determined to forge their own paths in 1950s London. Jenner has proven to be a master at spinning charming, earnest characters and paints a vivid picture of postwar England. I wanted to stay lost in her world forever!" —Stephanie Wrobel, internationally bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold

"Bloomsbury Girls is a book lover's dream, one of those rare reads that elicits a sense of book-ish wistfulness and nostalgia. Jenner has created a colorful cast of characters in a story about friendship, perseverance, and the ways that determined women can band together in a man's world. You're in for a treat." —Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

"In a London still reeling from the ravages of World War II and the changes war has brought to English society, three young women take their futures into their own hands. With Bloomsbury Girls, Natalie Jenner has penned a timely and beautiful ode to ambition, friendship, bookshops, and the written word." —Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library

“In post-war London, Bloomsbury Books survived The Blitz until Vivien Lowry, Grace Perkins, and Evie Stone set off their own bomb on the stuffy all-male management. What ensues is the most delightful, witty, and endearing story you will read this year. Natalie Jenner, bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society, proves that she was not a one hit wonder. Like Austen, her second book is even better than the first.” —Laurel Ann Nattress, editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Book Trailer 

Excerpt

The Tyrant was Alec McDonough, a bachelor in his early thirties who ran the New Books, Fiction & Art Department on the ground floor of Bloomsbury Books. He had read literature and fine art at the University of Bristol and been planning on a career in something big—Vivien accused him of wanting to run a small colony—when the war had intervened. Following his honourable discharge in 1945, Alec had joined the shop on the exact same day as Vivien. “By an hour ahead. Like a dominant twin,” she would quip whenever Alec was rewarded with anything first.

From the start Alec and Vivien were rivals, and not just for increasing control of the fiction floor. Every editor that wandered in, every literary guest speaker, was a chance for them to have access to the powers that be in the publishing industry. As two secretly aspiring writers, they had each come to London and taken the position at Bloomsbury Books for this reason. But they were also both savvy enough to know that the men in charge—from the rigid Mr. Dutton and then-head-of-fiction Graham Kingsley, to the restless Frank Allen and crusty Master Mariner Scott—were whom they first needed to please. Alec had a clear and distinct advantage when it came to that. Between the tales of wartime service, shared grammar schools, and past cricket-match victories, Vivien grew quickly dismayed at her own possibility for promotion.

Sure enough, within weeks Alec had quickly entrenched himself with both the long-standing general manager, Herbert Dutton, and his right-hand man, Frank Allen. By 1948, upon the retirement of Graham Kingsley, Alec had ascended to the post of head of fiction, and within the year had added new books and art to his oversight—an achievement which Vivien still referred to as the Annexation.

She had been first to call him the Tyrant; he called her nothing at all. Vivien’s issues with Alec ranged from the titles they stocked on the shelves, to his preference for booking events exclusively with male authors who had served in war. With her own degree in literature from Durham (Cambridge, her dream university, still refusing in 1941 to graduate women), Vivien had rigorously informed views on the types of books the fiction department should carry. Not surprisingly, Alec disputed these views.

“But he doesn’t even read women,” Vivien would bemoan to Grace, who would nod back in sympathy while trying to remember her grocery list before the bus journey home. “I mean, what—one Jane Austen on the shelves? No Katherine Mansfield. No Porter. I mean, I read that Salinger story in The New Yorker he keeps going on about: shell-shocked soldiers and children all over the place, and I don’t see what’s so masculine about that.”

Unlike Vivien, Grace did not have much time for personal reading, an irony her husband often pointed out. But Grace did not work at the shop for the books. She worked there because the bus journey into Bloomsbury took only twenty minutes, she could drop the children off at school on the way, and she could take the shop newspapers home at the end of the day. Grace had been the one to suggest that they also carry import magazines, in particular The New Yorker. Being so close to the British Museum and the theatre district, Bloomsbury Books received its share of wealthy American tourists. Grace was convinced that such touches from home would increase their time spent browsing, along with jazz music on the wireless by the front cash, one of many ideas that Mr. Dutton was still managing to resist.

Vivien and Alec had manned the ground floor of the shop together for over four years, circling each other within the front cash counter like wary lions inside a very small coliseum. The square, enclosed counter had been placed in the centre of the fiction department in an effort to contain an old electrical outlet box protruding from the floor. Mr. Dutton could not look at this eyesore without seeing a customer lawsuit for damages caused by accidental tripping. Upon his promotion to general manager in the 1930s, Dutton had immediately ordained that the front cash area be relocated and built around the box.

This configuration had turned out to be of great benefit to the staff. One could always spot a customer coming from any direction, prepare the appropriate response to expressions ranging from confused to hostile, and even catch the surreptitious slip of an unpurchased book into a handbag. Other bookshops had taken note of Bloomsbury Books’ ground-floor design and started refurbishing their own. The entire neighbourhood was, in this way, full of spies. Grace and Vivien were not the only two bookstore employees out and about, checking on other stores’ window displays. London was starting to boom again, after five long years of postwar rationing and recovery, and new bookshops were popping up all over. Bloomsbury was home to the British Museum, the University of London, and many famous authors past and present, including the prewar circle of Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster, and Lytton Strachey. This made the district a particularly ideal location for readers, authors, and customers alike.

And so, it was here, on a lightly snowing day on the second of January, 1950, that a young Evie Stone arrived, Mr. Allen’s trading card in one pocket, and a one-way train ticket to London in the other.

Excerpt courtesy of St. Martin’s Press, New York. Copyright © 2022 by Natalie Jenner. All rights reserved.

About the Author

 

Natalie Jenner is the author of the instant international bestseller The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. A Goodreads Choice Award runner-up for historical fiction and finalist for best debut novel, The Jane Austen Society was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs. Visit her website to learn more.

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Blog Tour, Author Interview & Giveaway: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Dawn Ford

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Dawn Ford, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Series: Firebird Series #1
Author: Dawn Ford
Publisher: Expanse Books
Release Date: April 12, 2022
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy

Eighteen-year-old servant girl Tambrynn is haunted by more than her unusual silver hair and the star-shaped pupils in her eyes. Her uncontrollable ability to call objects leads the wolves who savagely murdered her mother right to her door. 

When she’s fired and outcast during a snowstorm, her carriage wrecks and she’s forced to find refuge in an abandoned cottage. There, her life is upended when the magpie who’s stalked her for ten years transforms into a man, Lucas. He’s her Watcher and they’re from a different kingdom. His job is to keep her safe from her father, an evil mage, who wants to steal her abilities, turn her into one of his undead beasts, and become immortal himself. 

Can they make it to the magical passageway and get to their home kingdom in time for Tambrynn to thwart her father’s malicious plans? Or will Tambrynn’s unique magic doom them all?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub

 

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DAWN FORD

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a small town girl who didn’t get in trouble for talking too much in class, I got in trouble for daydreaming instead. I always had a rich imagination, which wasn’t always such a great gift to have. Now, however, the imaginary friends that I play with can entertain other people.

What do you do besides writing?

I help my husband with our food service and catering business. And I get to babysit my grandchildren from time to time.

What was your favorite part of researching for this book?

I did research of how C.S. Lewis’s worldbuilding, which is what my world system is loosely built on. Researching the history of The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe and all of the characters he had was amazing and inspiring.

Do you have images you can share that come close to how you picture your characters? Do you like to find visual inspiration for your characters before or during your writing process?

See below for the photo inspirations. I do find visuals a great help in characterization. Some are just photos that portray a single thought about the story. I also use character photos and photos of different settings so I can capture the mood I want as I write. 

What are some songs that you listened to or inspired you while writing your book?

I listen to instrumental low-fi music or instrumental movie soundtracks while I write. I find it hard to concentrate with regular music that has singing.

What message would you like readers to ultimately take away from the book?

That those abilities you might not like or appreciate about yourself can be gifts if you just look at them in the right light. Even though you might not have ‘magic’, everyone has something that’s special about them, unique to who they are.

What can we look forward to coming from you in the future?

Book two, The Girl with Fire in Her Veins, which I’m currently writing, comes out next April.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Winner of the 2016 ACFW Genesis Award and finalist in the 2018 Grace Award and the 2020 Great Expectations Contest, Dawn Ford has been recognized for her published and non-published works. Her flash fiction stories have been published in Havok magazine under both her real name and pen name, Jo Wonderly. Her debut novel, Knee-high Lies, was published in 2017.

As a child, Dawn often had her head in the clouds creating scenes and stories for anything and everything she came across. She believed there was magic everywhere, a sentiment she has never outgrown. Nature inspires her, and her love for the underdog and the unlikely hero colors much of what she writes. 

Dawn adores anything Steampunk, is often distracted by shiny, pretty things, and her obsession with purses and shoes borders on hoarding. Dawn lives in Iowa and helps her husband run their foodservice and catering business out of Omaha, Nebraska. When not reading, writing, or catering, Dawn loves babysitting her grandchildren, is parent to Snickers the Wonder Beagle, and can usually be caught daydreaming. 

You can learn more about Dawn Ford at her website: https://dawnfordauthor.com 

CONNECT WITH DAWN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(3) winners will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback copy of The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes, and book swag!

 

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 16, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 23, 2022. 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.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

 

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Her Amish Springtime Miracle by Winnie Griggs

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Her Amish Springtime Miracle by Winnie Griggs, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: Her Amish Springtime Miracle 

Series: Hope's Haven #2 

Author: Winnie Griggs 

Publisher: Grand Central/Forever 

Release Date: May 24, 2022 

Genre: Christian Amish Romance 

In this delightful and heartwarming novel, an orphaned baby brings together an unlikely couple who learn the true meaning of family. 

When Hannah Eicher discovered sweet baby Grace in her barn last spring, the adorable infant seemed like the answer to her prayers. The young Amish baker has always wanted a familye of her own and now that she’s fostered Grace for nearly a year, her adoption application is almost certain to be approved. But an unexpected visitor to Hope’s Haven could change everything… 

Englischer paramedic Mike Colder is only returning to his childhood hometown to locate and adopt his late sister’s baby. But when the trail leads to Hannah and Grace, Mike’s determination falters. With Hannah, the simple life he left behind suddenly seems appealing. Despite their wildly different worlds, can Mike and Hannah give each other—and Grace—the greatest gift of all: a life together? 

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub

 

EXCERPT

Did she know she had a smudge of flour on her cheek? Even though he thought she looked absolutely adorable, he couldn’t resist reaching up to brush it away.

As soon as his hand touched her face, sensations jolted through him with the force of a flashover—sudden, overwhelming, undeniable.

She felt it too. He could see it in the way her eyes widened and darkened, in the sound of her breath catching in her throat. For that moment in time everything shifted.

They weren’t Amish and English.

They weren’t Ohioan and Missourian.

They were just a man and a woman.

And standing right here in his mother’s kitchen, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Winnie Griggs is the multi-published, award-winning author of romances that focus on small towns, big hearts, and amazing grace. Her work has won a number of regional and national awards, including the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award. Winnie grew up in southeast Louisiana in an undeveloped area her friends thought of as the back of beyond. Eventually, she found her own Prince Charming, and together they built a storybook happily-ever-after, one that includes four now-grown children who are all happily pursuing adventures of their own. When not busy writing, she enjoys cooking, browsing estate sales, and solving puzzles. She is also a list maker, a lover of exotic teas, and holds an advanced degree in the art of procrastination.

CONNECT WITH WINNIE: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(2) winners will receive a print copy of Her Amish Wedding Quilt (Hope's Haven #1), an insulated book lover mug, a dragonfly bookmark, a home-sweet-home figurine, and a pocket nail file!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 17, 2022 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 24, 2022. US/CAN only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize (*winner may select an alternative title from the author's backlist if necessary). Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

 

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Review: A Healer's Promise by Misty M. Beller

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

 

Synopsis

Levi Masters's time as a British spy hasn't ended, though his country's war with America has. Overhearing a scout reveal a discovery that could give America an upper hand in future conflicts, Levi is sent to investigate. While trekking through the Canadian Rockies, he is convicted about his life of lies and half-truths. But just as he decides to embrace truth at any cost, warriors from a hidden mountain village take him captive.

Village healer Audrey Moreau is more curious than afraid of the outsider. And she's drawn to his commitment to honesty even at his own expense. But despite her arguments, the council decides he's too great a risk. Compelled to help him escape, she sneaks him out of the village. But when Levi faces a life-threatening injury and the fierce mountain winter closes in, Levi and Audrey are forced to discover just how far they'll go to ensure the safety of the other and the love growing between them.

My Review

I’m always up for an epic wilderness with this author’s stories! The first book in the series introduces us to the remote village Laurent that has been isolated from the rest of society. It’s fascinating to imagine what that could have been like, and how a community would progress separately for over a century with limited resources. In this book an outsider makes his way to the village, and the villagers’ fear over his potential threat makes Audrey’s natural compassion help him escape from the captivity they placed him in. The spiritual journey of Levi and Audrey adds depth to the crisis they find themselves in, and their attraction makes their situation even more complex. I was glued to the pages to find out how they would find a solution to their growing closeness.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the other books in the Brides of Laurent series . . .

Book One

 

Book Three

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Rising Star by Jennifer Faye

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Rising Star

(The Bell Family of Bluestar Island #4)

By Jennifer Faye

Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 308 Pages

April 16, 2022 by Lazy Dazy Press

When Bluestar’s hometown celebrity unexpectedly returns to the island, there’s a heartbreaking scandal following her…

Country singer Emma Bell is finally making headlines—just not the right ones. Before she has time to heal her broken heart, her assistance is desperately needed. Bluestar’s Concert on the Beach Summer Spectacular is in trouble, and her soon-to-be sister-in-law’s job is on the line.

Financial investor turned carpenter, Noah Sullivan, has retired from his high-stress job due to health issues. He’s moved to Bluestar Island for a quiet, healthy life, but when Emma blows into town, his days are anything but serene.

Everyone in the small town counting on them, Noah and Emma must work past their conflicts to keep a promise to someone special to both of them. Will the summer’s sun soothe their tension and the sea breeze lull them into a peaceful surrender of their hearts?

Includes a recipe for Emma’s Heavenly Angel Food Cake!

The Bell Family of Bluestar Island series:
Book 1 – Love Blooms (Hannah & Ethan)
Book 2 – Harvest Dance (Aster & Sam)
Book 3 – A Lighthouse Café Christmas (Darla & Will)
Book 4 – Rising Star (Emma & Noah)
Book 5 – Summer by the Beach (Summer & Greg)

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Print & ebook

Excerpt

He stepped inside the café, which was busy with tourists, and made his way to the counter at the back of the café. A young woman wearing a uniform and nametag that read Molly headed toward him. Her long red curls were pulled back into a ponytail. He’d frequented The Lighthouse Café many times while he’d been on the island, and he didn’t recall seeing this particular server.

She stopped in front of him and gave him a friendly smile. “May I help you?”

“I’d like an iced coffee with cream and sweetener.”

She rang it up on the register. “Will there be anything else? Perhaps a slice of peach pie?”

He shook his head. Though the pie was tempting, he wanted to get moving. “No thanks.”

He paid for his coffee and moved to the side to wait. The place was hopping for it being almost four o’clock. But he’d quickly learned that summer on the island was a lot different than the other seasons. During the summer months, tourists flocked to the island. If it was this hectic year-round, he wouldn’t have moved there. But he knew how peaceful it was during the other three-quarters of the year.

“Emma! Noah! Coffee is up.”

He moved to grab his cup at the same time as the woman. Their shoulders lightly bumped. He pulled back slightly. “Sorry.”

She apologized as well.

He waited for the woman to get her coffee first. After the woman took her cup, he grabbed the only remaining one. Before he took a sip, he noticed the name Emma written in black marker.

His gaze moved to the woman, who was already heading for the exit with his cup in hand. “Hey! Wait.” She didn’t seem to hear him over the noise of the café. He once more glanced at the cup in his hand. “Emma, wait.”

That did it. She stopped and turned. As she did, he was struck by her dark ball cap and big dark sunglasses. It was the woman from the airport. He was certain of it.

He strode toward her. “It’s you.”

Color bloomed in her cheeks. “I… I don’t know what you mean.”

“We saw each other at the airport.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.” And then she turned back toward the door.

He couldn’t let her get away. “Hey, you have my coffee.”

She paused. She removed her sunglasses to read the name on the cup. And then she turned around. The rosy hue in her cheeks deepened.

“Oh.” She held the cup out to him. Her blue gaze met his, causing his heart to thump against his ribs. When he didn’t move, she said, “Go ahead. Take it. I didn’t drink from it.”

He swallowed hard as he averted his gaze. As they exchanged to-go cups, their fingers touched. A jolt rushed up his arm and settled in his chest. He struggled to ignore the strange sensation. He swallowed hard.

Excerpted from Rising Star by Jennifer Faye, Copyright © 2022 by Jennifer Faye. Published by Lazy Dazy Press.

Go to Jennifer's Contact Page HERE and order your bookmark(s)!

Other Books in the Series

(Affiliate links included.)

About the Author

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a digital copy of LOVE BLOOMS, HARVEST DANCE and A LIGHTHOUSE CAFÉ CHRISTMAS plus a $25 Amazon gift card

Ends May 18, 2022

ENTER HERE

 

Blog Tour, Author Interview & Giveaway: Facing the Enemy by Paige Edwards

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Facing the Enemy by Paige Edwards, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: Facing the Enemy  

Series: Roxbury Heirs #1  

Author: Paige Edwards  

Publisher: Covenant Communications  

Release Date: April 4, 2022  

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Christian 

 

Lady Elise Henderson lives two separate lives. At home in Scotland, she’s the titled daughter of the Marquess of Roxbury, an heiress in her own right. In London, however, she’s Elise Taylor, a top MI6 operative for the “home office.” But when a devastating accident threatens to end her career, Elise is left with far too much time for self-reflection and the regret of a decision made long ago that features one man: fellow MI6 agent Harry Benson. 

Harry Benson, the son of servants, has loved Elise for the better part of a decade. But life took them on separate journeys until their worlds converged once more. An immediate assignment to the Scottish Borders leaves Harry little time to make provisions for his small, rambunctious son, Sammy. Harry knows only one person he can rely on for the boy’s care—Elise. When Elise brings Sammy to her ancestral estate, she never imagines that a nemesis from her past looms in the shadows, hungry for revenge. Stalked at every turn, Elise and Harry discover that fighting their feelings for one another is futile, but can they survive long enough to get another shot at true love?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR PAIGE EDWARDS

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

 

I'm originally from Southern California but have spent the last twenty-plus years in the mid-Atlantic. I have an interior design degree and have worked professionally in that field. I married my high school sweetheart, and we have three grown children and seventeen grandchildren.

What do you do besides writing? 

 

I'm heavily involved in our region's Interfaith Community Council, and I sit on the VCCI board. VCCI settles incoming refugees (helps them find jobs, translators, lodging, furnishings, etc.).

What was your favorite part of researching for this book? 

 

Besides visiting Scotland and eavesdropping on the locals to get the dialect right, it was probably researching the jet suit, digging through patents to locate an electronic jet engine, and finding an ultralight flying machine that didn't crash in Scotland's gale-force wind.

Do you have images you can share that come close to how you picture your characters? 

 

I almost always put together an inspiration board because they help me get into the writing zone. 

These pictures are really fun because my readers did a celebrity casting, and I think they did a fantastic job. Compare them to my inspiration pictures.

What are some songs that you listened to or inspired you while writing your book? 

 

You're going to laugh, but I listened to bagpipes, Scottish reels, and ballads off and on while I wrote Facing the Enemy. Essentially, the main character reconnects with her family and Scottish roots after almost a decade of separation.

What message would you like readers to ultimately take away from the book? 

 

That God has a divine plan for each of us if we are willing to let Him guide us.

What can we look forward to coming from you in the future? 

 

Lots of fun things are in the works. I have an anthology coming out this September (2022) called Sinister Secrets with Traci Abramson and Clair Poulson. In addition, I just submitted the 4th manuscript in my Pressley-Coombes series to my publisher, and I started the second novel in the Roxbury Heirs series—which I think readers will really love.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Paige Edwards is an award-winning author and a Reader’s Favorite finalist of contemporary romances with a side-order of suspense. She holds a degree in interior design and has worked professionally in that field. Due to her deep British roots, Paige’s books are often set in the UK, and she hops the pond whenever she gets the chance. She is styled the Lady Paige Edwards when in Scotland, but her favorite title is Grandma. When she needs a break from writing, she serves as president of her area’s Interfaith Community Council, is fond of digging in the dirt (what some might call gardening), biking battlefields, and kayaking on the lake. Paige is a member of ACFW, ANWA, and Storymakers Guild.

CONNECT WITH PAIGE: Website | Facebook | Instagram

 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(5) winners will receive a signed copy of Facing the Enemy!

 

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 10, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 17, 2022. 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.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

 

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