Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Telegraph Proposal by Becca Whitham, Gina Welborn


The Telegraph Proposal JustRead Tour 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for The Telegraph Proposal by Becca Whitham and Gina Welborn, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Telegraph Proposal
Title: The Telegraph Proposal
Series: Montana Brides #3
Authors: Becca Whitham & Gina Welborn  
Publisher: Zebra
Genre: Western Romance  
Release Date: October 29, 2019  

In the rough and rugged Montana Territory, the journey to true love is filled with unexpected twists--and sweet rewards--for daring frontier women who faithfully believe every heart has a home . . .

With the help of the Archer Matrimonial Company, Yancey Palmer has finally put Hale Adams, the man she's loved for ten years--sometimes not wisely or well--behind her. Yancey is so sure of her love for the man the agency matched her with, she readily promises a friend that she'll help Hale with his mayoral campaign without chasing him.

Hale has also engaged the services of the matrimonial agency. He's so pleased with one lady, he requests that she join him in Helena to commence a sixty-day courtship. But instead, the Archer ladies arrive in town to reveal the true identities of both Hale's and Yancey's matches: each other. Can they look past their misunderstandings and hurt to see that they are still a perfect match?  

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



EXCERPT

Carline lifted the bottom edge of the quilt while Yancey pulled on the leather handle of the rectangular oak box hidden under her bed. The pine floorboards were scratched from the hundreds of times she’d pulled or pushed the box across them.


Knowing she was doing the right thing didn’t stop Yancey’s chest from aching. She’d loved Hale for so long. So very long. And—in truth—he was a good man. He just didn’t care two beans or a pickle for her.

She opened the lid. On top were a deep pink dried rose and a blue satin ribbon. The rose was important because Hale had brought a dozen of them to her mother the first time he’d come to the house for lunch. Ever since then, pink roses had been Yancey’s favorite flower. She lifted the rose from the box, held it over the waste bin, and crushed the crisp petals inside her fist.

“Goodbye, Hale,” she whispered as she sprinkled the crumbled rose over lint, hair cleaned from her brush, and other bits of refuse.

She nudged the ribbon aside to take out a yellowed newsprint advertisement for Hale’s law firm. She ripped it in quarters and let the pieces flutter into the waste bin. Next came an article about a case he’d won. She ripped and released it. As the pieces fell, the heaviness in her chest lifted.

Not much, but enough to keep going until nothing was left but the blue ribbon.

She held it up, her hand shaking.

“Are you sure?” Carline knelt beside Yancey.

She laid the satin across her thigh, smoothing it with her hand. Every other treasure was adjacent to Hale—something he’d done that had nothing to do with her. “This is my one true memory with him.”

“I know.” Carline wrapped her arm around Yancey’s waist.

“How many times have we planned ways for me to wear this in my hair or sew it into my dress or wrap around my bridal bouquet?”

Carline answered by hugging Yancey closer.

“He didn’t give it to me.” Yancey wrapped the ribbon around her index and middle fingers, savoring the silky feel against her skin. “Would it be so bad to keep it?”

“I can take it for you.” Carline’s offer was made out of deep friendship. She knew what letting go would cost.

Would that be cheating? The ribbon would be gone. Mostly. Yancey sighed and shook her head.

“The entire purpose is to leave Hale Adams behind. It has to go.”

She wriggled the ribbon off her fingers, held it over the waste bin, and let it fall.



ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham
Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham
Becca Whitham (WIT-um) Award-winning author, paper crafter, and Army wife, Becca and her twelve-foot long craft cabinet follow her husband of thirty-five years wherever the army needs a good chaplain. She thinks the cabinet should count as a dependent. So far, neither the army nor the IRS is convinced. In between moves from one part of the country to the other, she writes stories combining faith and fiction that touch the heart. She's a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.  

CONNECT WITH BECCA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest    

Gina Welborn is the bestselling author of twenty inspirational romances, including the Montana Brides Romances from Kensington Publishing. She’s a member of Romance Writers of American and American Christian Fiction Writers. Sharing her husband’s passion for the premier American sports car, she is a lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum and a founding member of the Southwest Oklahoma Corvette Club. Gina lives with her husband, four of their five children, a rabbit named Hobbit, and two cats that don't realize rabbits are edible.  

CONNECT WITH GINA: Website | Facebook | Pinterest
 

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and a Montana huckleberry syrup and jam gift box!

The Telegraph Proposal JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 28, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 4, 2019. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

 

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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Saturday, October 26, 2019

Book Tour Grand Finale: Sojourner by Janalyn Voigt

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for
Sojourner
By Janalyn Voigt

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 - Note from the Author

...Mara is one of my favorite characters in Tales of Faeraven. Her keen mind and strength of will serve her in good stead. She doesn’t always make the best choices but eventually learns from her mistakes. In that respect, I’d like to take a leaf from her book.

—Janalyn


"The third book in the Tales of Faeraven is just as surprising as the first two. Just when you think things are okay the story pulls you left and right. Janalyn Voigt has such a way of crafting a fantasy world while weaving scripture into the story and making it relatable as always. . . . This book is centered around Mara and the secret of her life. . . . Overall, great addition to the series! Excited for DawnKing which is book four."

Heidi Reads... - Excerpt

“Don’t grillons prefer the bog? I’ve never seen one in the cove before this.”

Da and Hael always returned from cutting turf for the fire in the bog lands with tales of the strange creatures they found. Last summer, Da had brought home a grillon trapped in a jar. Mam had been none too pleased about that. He’d explained that he meant to take Mara along next time and wanted to warn her about the grillons. Mam made him promise to put an end to the grillon, but had it somehow escaped?

“Sometimes they stray. Don’t be afraid. I’ll search him out for you.”

He’d never gazed at her with such a soft look on his face before. What did it mean?


"...I quickly found I wanted to know more and couldn’t wait find out what happens! I was pleased with how this one turned out, and enjoyed seeing some of the secrets and things that weren’t covered but were hinted at, or missing in the first two books."


“What does a farmer know of romance?”

“I want nothing to do with it myself.” There. She had let him know how she felt.

“It seems we are agreed.”

Relief washed over her. He had come around so quickly. “I believe so.”

“That’s well then.” He nodded. “I will ask for you.”


"SoJourner starts with a new character, Mara, whom I think might just be one of my favorites so far. Her spunk and courage are endearing, as well as her deep, forgiving nature. Also new to the scene is Rand, the son of an enemy. His character really adds depth and a new dimension to the story. . . . Voigt once again delivers a novel of beautiful descriptions and a unique world all her own. While I felt the novel could have been fleshed out just a little more, the overall pace and plot were done excellently."


“Am I such a burden?”

Mam’s face softened. “Nay, child, never that. But can you not see that to wed our neighbor would keep you near?”

“Not marrying at all would leave me closer.”

“Foolishness.” Mam shook her head, her brow puckered. “You’ll want to marry.”

“Why?” Mara said in desperation. “Why can’t I stay here with you and Da?”

“Hush, child. T’is the way of things, and naught to be done about it. Fledglings fly the nest.”

Jorie Loves A Story - Spotlight

Splashes of Joy - Excerpt

Seated at a scarred table in the inn’s common room, Rand did his best to ignore the hostile stares from more than one pair of rounded eyes. He’d chosen a dark corner away from the lanthorn light in the hope of escaping notice. As a Kindren among the Elder, he’d expected to encounter suspicion. From the look of this crowd, he’d better keep watch to avoid being knifed in his bed. He couldn’t let anything happen to him, not with his father’s errand to carry out, although the thought of it made his stomach churn.

Uplifting Reads - Excerpt

Mam pushed into the chamber. “What’s this? Lingering abed?”

“My head aches.”

“Hmm…” Mam’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll brew an infusion. You’ll recover before Rohan arrives.”

“But Mam—”
“Stir yourself. He means to ask you to marry him.” She took herself off to make the remedy.

Mara swallowed against a lump in her throat. She’d never thought Mam would be happy to see her gone. There seemed nothing to do but drag herself from bed and endure today’s ordeal. Rohan wanted a wife, did he? Maybe she could persuade him to look elsewhere.

J. L. Mbewe - Excerpt

Mara felt the Kindren looking at her out of long eyes a strange hue between green and amber, deepened by the dim light in the far corner. He had a look she’d seen before, that of a care-worn sojourner. How far had he come, and what errand thrust him upon the mercies of the road?

The front door opened and the lanthorns suspended from overhead beams swung in the draft that fanned her face. Light flared across the stranger, turning his hair red-gold. She’d taken him for older than he now appeared, but guessing a Kindren’s age wasn’t easy. His kind hardly ever stopped at the inn these days, and she’d forgotten how intriguing she found them.

jypsylynn - Review

"...this remains a well written, inventive, entertaining and complex read with dynamic unforgettable characters and an underlying current of faith. I'm interested to see where things are going next. Janalyn Voigt has written a great addition to the series and I recommend for anyone who has enjoyed the books!"


"Sojourner is the third novel in the speculative/fantasy series The Tales of Faeraven. I think that the world-building in this series is second to none, with the culture and customs of this fictional land being solid and credible. I do like it that some of the characters and evens (at least in the early books) are based on actual Medieval European History. . . . So what did I enjoy about this book? Most of it really. I liked how alongside the political intrigue with a growing threat from an enemy army threatening the heroes, there was a hint of romance between Mara and the mysterious Rand."


A creature loomed black against the pewter sky. He knew the flapping sound its wings made from his early days at Pilaer. He’d loathed the giant raptor birds but had pretended to admire their savagery to please his father and avoid Draeg’s mockery. This one was a long way from its roost in the east of Elderland. The rider on its back provided an explanation for that but roused other questions. On what errand would his father send a welke rider? And did it have anything to do with his own?

Bookworm Lisa - Review

"This was my favorite book of the series so far. . . . I loved the interaction of the characters and the weaving in of the past, present, and future that is to come. This is story of finding love, hope, friendship, and honor in a time of war."

That Georgia Gypsy - Spotlight

Jessica Belmont - Review

"Sojourner is the third book in the Faeraven series, and is my third read from Janalyn Voigt. These novels seem like they could be read as standalones, but the books are so good, I recommend checking them all out. . . . Overall, Sojourner is a fantastic read with beautiful descriptions and compelling characters. Recommended for sure!"

Remembrancy - Review

"Sojourner ends with a little more of a cliffhanger than the first two books, but my guess is Voigt is gearing readers up for something epic in the next installment. As this series continues, I become more invested in these characters and Voigt’s story world. And I really want Kai and Shae to get their HEA!"

Wishful Endings - Excerpt

“I’m certain you wouldn’t run away without cause.”

“I didn’t want to marry.” She hadn’t meant to blurt that out.

“And now you are on your way to Torindan? Something’s missing from your story.”

She shrugged. “There’s not much else.”

He touched her arm, and a tingle ran down her spine. “I’ve an idea you’ve left out the important part.”

Pause for Tales - Review

"I was happy to be back in this world. I enjoyed the continuation of this story and I think this one just might be my favorite as many loose ends of the previous story are tied up. The story arc is one that is keeping me glued to the pages and looking forward to the next in the series."


Rand had promised his mother he would never abase a maiden. He wanted Mara beyond reason but would not take her by force or persuasion and should not have stolen so much as a kiss from her.

Restraining the impulse to offer his hand to help her rise, he picked up his saddle bag. Touching her presented too much of a temptation. “It’s time to leave.”


"I eagerly anticipated reading SoJourner having recently enjoyed DawnSinger and WayFarer. Janalyn Voigt did not disappoint. . . . I look forward to reading book 4 in the Tales of Faeraven series. I highly recommend reading these books in order in order to fully understand the plot."


"I have to say that I've been quite enjoying Janalyn Voigt's Tales Of Faeraven series and SoJourner was no exception. Readers are once again transported right into the story by author Janalyn Voigt's vivid word-painting of her magical fantasy realm. So, if you are into epic journeys, sword fights, hidden identities, and flying horses, you really should check into this book and series..."

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

Sojourner
(Tales of Faeraven #3)
By Janalyn Voigt
Fantasy, Christian Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 322 Pages
November 1st 2019 by Pelican Book Group

Mara didn't know her parents were living a lie.

After learning a secret that causes Mara to question her heritage, she runs to Torindan, the High Hold of Faeraven, to seek the truth. What the innkeeper’s daughter doesn't know is that Rand, the mysterious tracker she’s hired to guide her through the wilderness, has been sent on an errand that puts her life at risk.

Helping Mara furthers Rand's purposes, but he doesn't count on his emotions interfering.

With Faeraven on the brink of war, Rand is faced with a life-altering choice, Mara is torn between escape and learning the truth, and the future hangs in the balance.

Will Mara be heir to the Faeraven throne? Can Rand escape the terrors of the dungeon?

As Torindan and Pilaer prepare for battle, anything can happen.

(Affiliate link included.)

Other Books in the Series


About the Author


Janalyn Voigt is a writer and professional speaker with a photography habit and a passion for travel. Her unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. Tales of Faeraven, her epic fantasy series beginning with DawnSinger, carries readers into a land only imagined in dreams. She is represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary.


Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive  a Tales of Faeraven bookmark and choice of ONE of the following items (US only):
Ends October 30th, 2019

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Monday, October 21, 2019

Review & Giveaway: The Duke's Second Chance by Jen Geigle Johnson


https://amzn.to/2oU2fvi

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

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

Synopsis

Second chances often come from surprising places. Will the Duke find another chance at love when everything seems to be combining against him?

Gerald feels as though he’s lost everything when his wife takes her last breath.

Amelia’s world turns upside down when the Duke of Granbury steps into her tea shop and leaves with her heart.

But when a secret from Amelia’s past unveils possibilities, will the duke get a second chance at love from an unexpected source?

Buy this first book in a Regency romance series for a taste of deep loyal friendship, beautiful second chances, and the path to heal a heart. 





My Review

Such a sweet story! I loved Amelia's tea shop setting and how she had genuine conversations with a man deep in grief, something she has experience dealing with. Amelia is the gem in this story, caught between two worlds and not daring to dream. The duke is something else- I was getting whiplash from his mood swings and irrational choices. I would have loved this book to be longer with further character development and exploration of the various situations that came up. When the resolution came about I was surprised at how quickly things were wrapped up. There is so much potential with this story and characters for more depth and development.

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




Look for the other books in the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex series . . .
 
The Earl's Winning Wager (May 2020)
Her Lady's Whims and Fancies
Suitors for the Proper Miss
Pining for Lord Lockhart
The Foibles and Follies of Miss Grace



About the Author


An award winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, Jen Geigle Johnson discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager.
 
She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her fin. She knows all about the sound a water-ski makes on glassy water and how to fall down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in college, she sat on top of a jeep's roll bars up in the mountains and fell in love.
 
Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure. 

GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB | NEWSLETTER | WEBSITE

Giveaway 



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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Promise for Tomorrow by Michelle De Bruin

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for
Promise for Tomorrow
By Michelle De Bruin

Coming November 19, 2019...

https://amzn.to/32yb7W5

Living a life of faith isn’t going the way Logan and Karen hoped until some special visitors arrive and offer them their future back.

Karen Millerson dreamed of teaching high school but now finds herself boarding with a farm family and teaching country school. She is engaged to marry Logan De Witt and is getting prepared to share in ministry with him. But when she gets blamed for the tragic fire at the school, Karen’s future grows uncertain.

Logan De Witt is working to clear his family’s name with the bank. But when he breaks his leg, hindering his ability to work the farm, Logan is faced with life-changing decisions. When his best friend can’t offer the help he requested, can Logan find a way to care for his family and court Karen at the same time before his love for her destroys all of them?

(Affiliate link included.)
Pre-order: Amazon

Other Books in the Series

https://amzn.to/2Bu7sfXHope for Tomorrow
By Michelle De Bruin
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 294 Pages
October 23rd 2018 by Mantle Rock Publishing LLC

When Logan De Witt learns of his father’s sudden death, he returns home to the family’s dairy farm. During his stay, he discovers his mother’s struggle with finances and his younger sister’s struggle with grief. Concern for his family presses Logan to make the difficult decision to leave his career as a pastor and stay on the farm. As a way to make some extra money, he agrees to board the teacher for their local school.

Karen Millerson arrives from Chicago ready to teach high school but her position is eliminated so she accepts the role of country school teacher. Eager to put her family’s ugly past behind her, Karen begins a new career to replace the trust she lost in her own father who had been in ministry when she was a child.

Logan and Karen both sense a call from the Lord to serve him, but neither of them expected that one day they would do it together.

Can Karen learn to trust again? Will Logan lay aside his grief in exchange for God’s purpose for his life?

(Affiliate links included.)

About the Author


Michelle De Bruin is a worship leader and spiritual services provider. She lives in Iowa with her husband and two teenage sons. She writes stories about people who live in rural communities at the turn of the 20th century. Characters that bring to life the delights of farm and small town living, whispers of Dutch heritage, and Christian faith make her stories distinct.


Cover Reveal Giveaway


One winner will receive copies of Hope for Tomorrow and Promise for Tomorrow and a $20 Amazon eGift Card
US only
Ends October 25, 2019

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Saturday, October 19, 2019

Review: Hope's Highest Mountain by Misty M. Beller


https://amzn.to/2mqKuT8

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

Ingrid Chastain readily agreed to accompany her father to deliver vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory. She never could have anticipated a terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness. When rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man who tends her injuries, she's hesitant to put her trust in this quiet man who seems to have his own wounds.

Micah Bradley left his work as a doctor after unintentionally bringing home the smallpox disease that killed his wife and daughter. But his self-imposed solitude in the wilds of Montana is broken when he finds Ingrid in desperate need of medical attention, and he's forced to face his regret and call on his doctoring skills once again.

Micah can't help but admire Ingrid's tenacious determination despite the severity of her injuries, until he learns the crate she brought contains smallpox vaccines to help quell a nearby outbreak. With Ingrid dead set on trekking through the mountains to deliver the medicine--with or without his help--he has no choice but to accompany her. As they set off through the treacherous, snow-covered Rocky Mountains against all odds, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.


My Review

Whenever I pick up a book by this author I know I'm in for a harrowing wilderness adventure! I grew up camping and backpacking with my family so I savor the epic feeling of being in the mountains, the sense of majesty but also isolation. It helps that I'm not the one going through the trials the characters are though! In this story it seems like a matter of what else could go wrong, but having read several of her other books, there are many other dangers that they didn't face, so it didn't feel like overkill. A fine balance is struck between character development, historical details, inner conflict, external obstacles, sweet romance, and spiritual growth- all throughout the course of the book. The characters feel like real people that come to life and I imagine that they authentically represent the pioneers, explorers, and mountain men and women of the era. Grit, determination, and faith see Micah and Joanna through the heartbreak and grief they endure as they traverse the rugged land, sacrificing to bring relief to the settlers who are suffering.

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


Review: Wyatt by Susan May Warren


https://amzn.to/33ID1i7

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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

Synopsis

He’s lost her twice…he’s not going to lose her again...

NHL Hockey Goalie Wyatt Marshall has everything--fame, money and a thriving career. But he’s hiding the two things that matter most...a career-ending injury, and his broken heart. He’s been in love with Coco Stanley since she walked into his life at age fourteen, a foster child for the Marshall family. She stole his heart years later, when, after a secret tryst, she returned to her home country of Russia. But she won’t let him back into her life—and he can’t figure out why.

She’s harboring a secret that could cost lives...

Coco Stanley is tired of living her life undercover. Or at least, with an assumed name, always pretending to be someone she’s not. And that’s not the only secret she’s harboring. If Wyatt discovers the real reason she left him, it might just destroy him. She’s resigned herself to loving him from afar...

But when he discovers she’s in danger...

Wyatt is horrified when he learns Coco has been shot and left in Russia, her fate unknown. There is nothing—nothing—that will stop him from finding her. So what if he’s not one of his super-heroic brothers, not a Ranger, not a SEAL...Wyatt is a hockey goalie, a special kind of crazy brave. Except, is he brave enough to face the secret Coco is keeping, or will it destroy everything he’s hoped for?

What will it cost them to save her?

What Wyatt and Coco don’t know is that revenge is stalking her and bringing her home just might cost them their long-awaited happy ending.

Continue the breath-taking Montana Marshalls series!


https://amzn.to/2P1gdX2


My Review

I think I'm developing an anxiety disorder from reading this series! It's hitting my threshold for suspense and angst (which really isn't hard to do). It was a relief to learn more of Coco's backstory and secrets, although one surprise made everything more complicated but also awesome. It was hard for me to understand the choices she made- I could see at least three more preferable options, but the author did a good job of showing how Coco's circumstances and life experience made it hard for her to see things from another perspective. Wyatt is a bit of a headcase, but I liked how it was easy to see how different he is from his brothers. His verbal spewing when he is overwhelmed is hilarious! His emotional loyalty and devotion to Coco is endearing and their sensitive moments together were special. They both learned some important spiritual lessons (the supporting characters sharing the insights got a bit preachy) but the emotion of the moments really came through. I loved seeing more of Ruby and York and can't wait to see their story play out in the next book where I hope all the intrigue will finally be resolved!

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