The Little Paris Bookshop {Quick Review}

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Crown

Publishing Date: June 23, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

“There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies—I mean books—that were written for one person only…A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.”

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Vision in Silver {Review}

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

The Others #3

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Publishing Date: March 3, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 

The Others freed the  cassandra sangue  to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…

Winter Theme Book Tag

Participating? Link up at the Reading List!

Falling Snow: 

The colors of winter are muted. Choose a book that has whites, light blues, and grays on the cover.    

His Dream Role {Blitz + Giveaway}

Sneak Peek Link Up #11

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

Ten Thousand Skies Above You
by Claudia Gray

One Enchanted Christmas {Quick Review}

One Enchanted Christmas by Melissa Tagg

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Self published

Publishing Date: December 8, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Last December, mystery author Maren Grant had the most perfect night of her life. On a glimmering winter evening, she got to watch the photo shoot for her very first book and ended up on a magical date with the cover model himself—Colin Renwycke. 

Fast forward one year. This December, with a looming deadline, restless spirit and her creative spark long since gone, Maren is desperate to get unstuck. And she can’t get Colin out of her head…or his year-old open invitation to spend a couple weeks writing at his family’s farm. 

Drew Renwycke never planned to come home and take over the Renwycke family farm. But he’s spent too many years watching his siblings unravel, including his brother, Colin, after one terrible family mistake. If moving to Maple Valley, Iowa, renovating an old farmhouse and switching careers is what it takes to put the Renwycke family back together, he’ll do it. 

But his simple plan upends when a scrappy author lands on his doorstep. And she just might be the key to coaxing his brother home. But what if he wants her all to himself? Drew will have to choose between his Christmas wish and the enchantment of a holiday romance that just might be the happy ending they all long for.

The Wedding Chapel {Review + Giveaway}

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Zondervan

Publishing Date: November 17, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

An old, forgotten chapel holds the key to love and forgiveness.

Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—building a wedding chapel for Collette Greer, the woman he fell in love with in 1949. But now a realtor wants the land the chapel sits on, and he sees no reason to hang onto the past.

Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s string of failed marriages. When she falls head-over-heels for Jack Gillingham, a top ad man, their whirlwind romance and elopement leave her with doubts. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to find the right way to show her he really cares.

When a post-mortem letter from Taylor’s Granny Peg shows up, along with an old photo, she is driven to uncover family secrets and the secret to her own happiness, starting with an assignment to photograph an unknown, obscure wedding chapel back in Heart’s Bend.

Taylor begins a mission to convince Jimmy that the chapel is worth saving—and that forgiveness and healing might happen within the chapel’s walls . . . for both of them.

This Raging Light {Release Blitz}

I am so excited that THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure releases today and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Estelle Laure, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book and a bottle of nail polish that matches the cover courtesy of Estelle, HMH, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

A Season To Wed {Novella Review}

A Season to Wed by

Rachel Hauck, Cindy Kirk and Cheryl Watt

Publisher: Zondervan

Publishing Date: November 3, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk

Sometimes the road to happiness is paved with youthful mistakes.

Ten years after what she thought was her almost-wedding, Hope Prentiss discovers that the ceremony counted—and, as fate would have it, the jilted John Burke has just ridden back into town. After spending some time with John and helping plan a Christmas wedding for a mystery couple, Hope begins to wonder if she really wants a divorce . . . or a real wedding of her own.

A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck

Revealing the beauty in other women might be Ginger Winters’s specialty—but it will take an unexpected kind of love to help Ginger see the beauty in herself.

Ginger Winters will be the “beauty-maker” for the Alabama society wedding of the decade.

But when high-school crush Tom Wells shows up looking for a haircut, Ginger’s thinly veiled insecurities threaten to keep her from love once again . . . despite Tom’s best efforts.

Serving Up a Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt

Meadow knows how to serve delicious food to match any wedding theme. But can she accept love when it's served up on a silver platter?

Meadow Larson is having the mother of all Mondays when her roof caves in during a blizzard, right before the most important wedding contract of her career.

Renovation contractor Colin McGrath offers to fix Meadow’s roof, even though he knows he is the last person she would accept help from.

But the more Meadow gets to know the new Colin, the more she realizes God may have something more permanent in store than a new catering kitchen.

Sneak Peek Link Up #10

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

The Healer's Apprentice
by Melanie Dickerson

Mayan Blood Book Blitz + Giveaway!

Summer's List {Quick Review}

Summer's List by Anita Higman

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: River North

Publishing Date: June 1, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life.

Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness—caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother’s bookstore—she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something—or someone.  

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

With lovable characters and surprising twists, Summer’s List is a simple delight.

Beyond the Stars {Cover Reveal + Giveaway}

BEYOND THE STARS by Stacy Wise
Cover Reveal!

BEYOND THE STARS

Author: Stacy Wise

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Imprint: Embrace

Release Date: 02/08/16

15 Christmas Writing Prompts

I'm not an overly busy person. Still even I need to take a pause during the holiday season to relax and take it all in. I scoured Pinterest to find some of the best journalling prompts, a list to help me stop, pause, and soak in the wonder of Christmas. Here is that list of 15 writing prompts just for you this Christmas season. So grab some hot cocoa, turn on the lights and write away!

They Call me Alexandra Gastone Book Blitz + Giveaway

Sneak Peek Link Up #9

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

One Enchanted Christmas 
by Melissa Tagg

The Shoppe from Books and Beverages

Friends I just have to share about a great new shop that just opened THIS WEEK from a fantastic blogger. Jamie is an awesome blogger who is totally smitten with Lewis and Tolkien (who better to fall in love with?!). When I saw she was going to be opening her own shop with bookish items, I knew I had to check it out. The pictures below are Jamie's, because although I took my own they totally suck and don't do the product justice. I'll continue trying and you'll probably see them on my Insta quite often.

Siren's Fury {Review}

Siren's Fury by Mary Weber

Storm Siren Trilogy #2 

Visit the author's website HERE

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publishing Date: June 2, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

"I thrust my hand toward the sky as my voice begs the Elemental inside me to waken and rise. But it's no use. The curse I've spent my entire life abhorring—the thing I trained so hard to control—no longer exists."

Nym has saved Faelen only to discover that Draewulf stole everything she valued. Now he’s destroyed her Elemental storm-summoning ability as well.

When Nym sneaks off with a host of delegates to Bron, Lord Myles offers her the chance for a new kind of power and the whispered hope that it may do more than simply defeat the monster she loathes. But the secrets the Bron people have kept concealed, along with the horrors Draewulf has developed, may require more than simply harnessing a darker ability.

They may require who she is.

Set against the stark metallic backdrop of the Bron kingdom, Nym is faced with the chance to change the future.

Or was that Draewulf’s plan for her all along?

November 2015 Recap

 

November brought even MORE disease. The 24 hour stomach bug hit our house quite unexpectedly. Baby Girl got it first, and then of course I got it as well two days later. I don't think there is anything more unpleasant than being sick and pregnant at the same time. My non-existent stomach muscles ached all day and night :/

A Thousand Shall Fall {Review + Giveaway}

A Thousand Shall Fall by Andrea Boeshaar

Shenandoah Valley Saga #1

Visit Author's Website HERE

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Publishing Date: November 27, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

A story of love, hope, and healing set in the midst of the Civil War Nineteen-year-old Carrie Ann Bell is independent and spirited. The only thing she really fears are the Union soldiers fighting against her Confederate friends. When her youngest sister runs away from home, brave Carrie Ann is determined to find her and bring her back. Disguised as a soldier, she sets off--only to find she's fallen into the hands of the enemy.

Her childhood friend Confederate Major Joshua Blevins has warned her against these Yankees: they're all devils, ready to inflict evil on unsuspecting young women. When Colonel Peyton Collier arrests her for her impersonation of an officer, it seems to confirm all her fears.

Soon, though, she finds herself drawn to the handsome, gallant colonel. He rescued her, protected her, and has been every inch the gentleman. Carrie Ann discovers that her foe has become her ally--and more than that, someone she could love. But the arrival of Joshua in the Union camp as a spy will test her loyalties. Will she protect someone who has been like family or be loyal to this stranger to whom she wants to offer her heart? When her world is being torn apart around her, whom should she trust?

Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, A Thousand Shall Fall is framed around compelling characters and a very romantic setting in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Andrea Boeshaar's extensive research guarantees historical accuracy and romance genre enthusiasts and Civil War buffs alike will enjoy the Christian perspectives on actual historical events.

Sneak Peek Link Up #8

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

A Season to Wed: Three Winter Love Stories

by Rachel Hauck, Cindy Kirk, and Cheryl Watt

Storm Siren {INSPY Review}

Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Storm Siren Trilogy Book #1

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publishing Date: August 19, 2014

Goodreads Summary:

“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win

Whispers in the Reading Room {Review}

Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Zondervan

Publishing Date: November 10, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.

Just months after the closure of the Chicago World’s Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.

Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.

Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn’t merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.

Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks—the man so many people fear—is actually everything her heart believes him to be. 

Truest Gift Guide

It is a truth universally well known that if you haven't read 'Truest' yet, you are probably a very sad person. I hope you can remedy that for the holidays. But if you have read 'Truest' then here is just the shopping guide you will need this Christmas season! 

Sneak Peek Link Up #7

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

A Thousand Shall Fall

by Andrea Boeshaar

Forgiven {Review}

Forgiven by Terri Roberts

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Bethany House

Publishing Date: October 6, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

After a son does the unthinkable, how can a mother go on?

On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered an Amish one-room schoolhouse, shooting ten girls, killing five, then finally taking his own life. This is his mother's story. Not only did she lose her precious son through suicide, but she also lost her understanding of him as an honorable man. It was a trauma that none should ever have to face.

But the biggest headlines came when her Amish neighbors did the unimaginable, reaching out to the family of the shooter with comfort and forgiveness. Today Terri lives in harmony with the Amish and has built lasting relationships beyond what anyone could have thought possible. From the grace that the Amish showed Terri's family from day one, to the visits and ongoing care Terri has given to the victims and their families, no one could have foreseen the love and friendship that have been forged from the fires of tragedy.

My Murder Mystery Party

*Prepare yourself for a lot of words and some disorganization as this perfectly describes me and my brain during the whole process*

Once upon a time, in August, I went to my friend's house for the day. Now this friend is a 'go-getter'....as in she never stops moving, doing, or thinking. Ever. Not a drill people. So sure enough, my friend had the brilliant idea of having a murdery mystery party. How fun! Right? Five seconds later she had somehow talked me into hosting it at my house (fine) but also WRITING THE WHOLE THING MYSELF. How does she always manage to talk me into stuff? 

So we settled on a 1920's theme and researched some of the biggest names of that time period to use as our characters. Then she sent me on my merry, and innocent, way. 

Sneak Peek Link Up (#6)

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

Whispers in the Reading Room
by Shelley Gray

The Five Times I Met Myself {Review}

The Five Time I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publishing Date: November 10, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

What if you met your twenty-three year old self in a dream? What would you say?

Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go of . . . and his greatest fear is it’s already too late.

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas {Review}

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas by Kathi Lipp

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Publishing Date: September 1, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Have you lost your Christmas joy? Does the thought of jam-packed malls, maxed-out credit cards, overcrowded supermarkets, and endless to-do lists give you the feeling that maybe Scrooge was on to something?

In Get Yourself Organized for Christmas, Kathi Lipp provides easy-to-follow steps to reduce the stress of the holiday season, including tactics for how to put together a holiday binder you'll use year after year determine a budget that won't break the bank gather your elf supplies get your gift list together (including ideas for various ages and relationships)collect your recipes and prep your kitchen

By putting into practice Kathi's tricks and tips, you'll finally be able to fully enjoy this most wonderful time of the year.

Every Little Thing {Review}

Every Little Thing by Deidra Riggs

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Baker Books

 Publishing Date: October 6, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 

Everyone has had that moment--we see a need in our church, our school, our neighborhood, our family, or our world and we think, Someone really should get to work on that, never imagining that we might be the answer to that need. We don't have the time, the expertise, the money. We've got careers to manage, bills to pay, meals to prepare, and families to attend to. Besides, who are we to think we can change the world?

In this encouraging and empowering book, Deidra Riggs calls readers to accept God's invitation to join him in making a difference right where they are, regardless of their current life stage. She shows readers that they were created with a purpose and with the capacities to fulfill that purpose. And she reminds them that it's not up to us to fix the world, but it is up to us to join God--and the rest of his people--in his redemptive work. For when God calls and we look over our shoulder and answer, "Who, me?" God always emphatically answers, "Yes, you." 

Sneak Peek Linkup (#5)

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

The Wrath and The Dawn

Renee Ahdieh

Another Way Home {Review}

Another Way Home by Deborah Raney

Chicory Inn #3

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Abingdon Press

Publishing Date: October 1, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 

Grant and Audrey are adding grandchildren to their family left and right, but middle daughter, Danae, and her husband, Dallas Brooks, have been trying for years with no baby in sight.

Though Danae is ready to consider adoption, Dallas will not even discuss it. Despairing of ever having a family of her own, Danae decides to pour her passion and energies into volunteer work with a newly opened women’s shelter in town. Looking for a good cause to fill her lonely days, she never expects to give her heart to the hurting women she meets there. She’s finally learning to live her life with gratitude, but then heart-wrenching events on Thanksgiving weekend threaten to pull the entire Whitman clan into turmoil—and leave them all forever changed.

Shades of Doon {Review}

Shades of Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Doon #3

Visit the book Website HERE

Publisher: Blink

Publishing Date: September 1, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

After cheating death, Veronica Welling is determined to savor every moment in her idyllic kingdom with both her true love and best friend by her side at last. At the same time, Mackenna Reid is enthusiastically building her new life and a theater with her prince. But just as their dreams of happiness are within reach, the world Vee and Kenna have chosen is ripped away, leaving them to face their most horrific challenge yet—their old lives.

Thrust out of Doon, the best friends are confronted with tormentors from their past and no way to return to their adopted land. When the MacCrae brothers rush to their rescue, the girls' situation turns from nightmare to modern-day fairy tale. But their happiness could be short lived: unbeknownst to them, someone in their closest circle is aiding the witch of Doon in her bid to destroy the kingdom once and for all.

October 2015 Recap

 

What I lived in the month of October? DISEASE. I was completely wiped out of commission for two full weeks. The only good part about this was that it fell right after Baby Girl's birthday party and I was 95% better before my big murder mystery party. Apparently being pregnant and having a cold is a bad combo because it takes forever to get better with your lungs compressed. 

Sneak Peek Link Up (#4)

Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Sunrise Avenue! 

This is a link up with me and Marissa from The Reading List!

Current book:

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Marissa Meyer

The Ology {Quick Review}

The Ology by Marty Machowski

Visit the Author's Website HERE

Publisher: New Growth Press

Publishing Date: October 19, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Truth is for kids, not just for adults! So The Ology gives kids of all ages a beginner’s theology book to help them understand who God is and how we, as his children, relate to him. Arranged within a traditional systematic theological framework, each truth in The Ology is also connected to the larger redemptive story of Scripture. The doctrine of God, for example, is presented in the larger framework of creation, where the attributes of God are more clearly on display. The Ology takes abstract theological concepts and makes them easier to understand with the use of creative examples, illustrations, and analogies. The goal is not to say everything that could be said about a theological topic, but rather to share the key thoughts behind a theological concept. The Ology is a starting point to learning theology and aims to create a hunger and desire in children to learn more as they grow older. 

Designed for six-year-olds through preteens, this flexible resource includes built-in adaptations for use with younger or older children, so that entire families can enjoy it together. Read The Ology to preschoolers, read it with grade-school kids, and let older kids discover the “hidden” truths by reading the corresponding Scripture passages for each section. However you read it, The Ology will give your children a gift that will last a lifetime—a solid foundation of life-changing biblical truth that will point them to the God who loves them and gave himself for them.

Destined for Doon {INSPY Review}

Destined for Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Doon #2

Visit the series Website HERE

Publisher: Blink

Publishing Date: September 2nd, 2014

Goodreads Summary:

In this sequel to Doon, Kenna Reid realizes she made a horrible mistake-choosing to follow her dreams of Broadway instead of staying in the enchanted land of Doon. Worse, she's received proof she and Duncan are meant to be, along with torturous visions of the prince she left behind. So when Duncan shows up and informs Kenna that Doon needs her, she doesn't need to think twice. But even if Kenna can save the enchanted kingdom, her happily ever after may still be in peril.

The Doon novels are a part of Blink, HarperCollins Christian Publishing's new YA imprint that delivers empowering and heartening literature while maintaining a tradition of imaginative and impactful storytelling.

Redemption {Review + Giveaway}

Book Three:

Redemption (Children of the Gods #3)

by Jessica Therrien 

Release Date: 11/02/15