Remembrancy

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon – Review

April 14, 2019 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Irene Hannon welcomes readers back to the quaint Oregon coast town of Hope Harbor.

About the Book

After tragedy upends her world, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tea-room—until a new neighbor with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn’t worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his aloof and disagreeable neighbor.

Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes calling when it’s least expected?

Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon invites readers back to the charming seaside town of Hope Harbor, where they are sure to find peace, healing, and a second chance at happiness.

Amazon // B&N // BAM! // Book Depository //

Christianbook // Goodreads

Week in Review 4/7 – 4/13 Plus a Swag Giveaway!

April 13, 2019 by Suzie Waltner 9 Comments

Phew, I’m back to my routine after a fun weekend hanging with readers and authors. Anyone else have a hard time getting back into the groove when returning from vacation?

Once I got back on the blog schedule, though, there was plenty to talk about and a couple giveaways for you to enter if you haven’t already done so.

The Knight in Shining Armor by Brianna Tibbets – Children’s Book Review

April 13, 2019 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

While I don’t have children myself, I have friends who have little ones and love to be able to pass book suggestions on to them. Well, at least the excuse I give myself for reading children’s books. Sometimes they’re just what I need between some longer, deeper reads. This story written by Brianna Tibbetts and illustrated by Liz Stockton was a fun read.

About the Book

Lord Tempesto is a snake in every sense. As a human, he is slimy, deceitful, and manipulative, but when he’s denied what he wants, he transforms into a gigantic, powerful snake. He wants nothing more than to rule the kingdom for himself, and he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Princess Melina dreams of marrying a knight in shining armor so she can rule her father’s kingdom someday. But when monster Lord Tempesto captures her and threatens to destroy her beloved kingdom if she doesn’t marry him, she has no choice but to submit to the hideous monster’s demands.

James, the son of a knight, hears about Princess Melina’s plight and sets out on the long journey to rescue her. But his own skills aren’t enough to win the fight against such a ruthless monster with strong, sinewy arms, and it takes teamwork between the captive and her rescuer to save the kingdom from the monster for good.

The Knight in Battered Armor shows children of all ages the importance of doing what is right no matter what and not being afraid to protect what is most important.

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Goodreads

The Edge of Mercy by Heidi Chiavaroli – Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway

April 12, 2019 by Suzie Waltner 10 Comments

Welcome to the Blog Tour and Giveaway for The Edge of Mercy by Heidi Chiavaroli, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Edge of Mercy
Author: Heidi Chiavaroli
Publisher: Hope Creek Publishers
Genre: Split Time/Women’s Fiction
Release Date: April 9, 2019

Two women, three hundred years apart, must face the devastation of all they hold dear…

Suspecting her husband is having an affair, Sarah Rodrigues fights to appear unbroken while attempting to salvage her family. Though distracted by her own troubles, Sarah is summoned to an elderly friend’s deathbed for an unusual request—find a long-lost daughter and relay a centuries-old family story.

Determined not to fail her friend, Sarah pieces together the story of her neighbor’s ancestor, Elizabeth Baker, a young colonist forced into an unwanted betrothal but drawn to a man forbidden by society.

While Sarah’s family teeters on the edge of collapse, her world is further shaken by the interest of a caring doctor and a terrible accident that threatens a life more precious than her own.

Inspired by the unconditional love she uncovers in Elizabeth’s story, Sarah strives to forgive those who’ve wounded her soul. But when light shines on the dark secrets of her neighbor’s past and the full extent of her husband’s sins, will looking to a power greater than herself rekindle lost hope?

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

EXCERPT

I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with Matthew James Rodrigues. Not according to my parents, anyway.

The first time Matt showed up on my doorstep, Dad took one look at his rumpled hair, his Elvis tattoo, and idling jalopy and told him he could take a long hike off a short pier if he thought he’d get anywhere near his daughter.

Back then, Matt had been nothing more than a teenager with a lawn mower, a shovel, and a good tan. But he had something else—business smarts. He knew how to work people.

He knew how to work me.

He used to visit me at the high school lunch table while all my friends tittered not-so-conspicuously. I still didn’t know why he approached me that first time to introduce himself. I wasn’t anything to look at. Matt smelled like fresh wood shavings from the vocational shop. His rugged dark looks and persistence caught me off guard.

Before long, I was begging Daddy to change his mind about Matt. He didn’t budge.

“Do you think I worked hard all these years to have my oldest daughter marry some trailer trash? And a Catholic at that?”

He said Catholic as if the devil himself had spawned the religion. As if half the boys I went to school with weren’t Catholic. As if it were some pagan religion requiring child sacrifice.

“I don’t want to marry him, Daddy. I just want to get to know him.”

“No. End of conversation.” He went away mumbling about how he should have never taken the pastorate position in New England all those years ago.

I snuck off to meet Matt that night. It was the first time I’d disobeyed my parents.

Matt was a year older than me and had a Volkswagen with a tape deck. That first night we drove to Newport, listening to Elvis tapes. Matt wasn’t like other boys I knew, listening to Pearl Jam or Billy Joel. He liked what he liked, whether it was popular or not.

He liked me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heidi Chiavaroli began writing twelve years ago, just after Jesus had grabbed hold of her heart. She used her two small boys’ nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn’t stopped writing since! Heidi won the 2018 ACFW Carol Award for Debut Novel and is a 2018 Christy Finalist. Both her debut novel, Freedom’s Ring, and her sophomore novel, The Hidden Side, are 4½-star Romantic Times Top Picks. Freedom’s Ring was also a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Heidi loves exploring places that whisper of historical secrets, especially with her family. She loves running, hiking, baking, and dates with her high-school sweetheart and husband of fifteen years. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.

CONNECT WITH HEIDI: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will win this beautiful prize pack from Heidi Chiavaroli, including:

Rustic Metal Lantern
Bordeaux Journal
Country Potholder
Colonial-Inspired Hand Glazed Mug
Simple Life Notepad
Be Still and Know Magnet
Plymouth Rock Bookmark
Fresh & Clean Goat Milk Soap
Handmade Rustic Book Decor
Signed Copy of The Edge of Mercy

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight April 9, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm April 16, 2019. US Mailing addresses only, due to shipping costs. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

First Line Fridays: The Artful Match

April 12, 2019 by Suzie Waltner 17 Comments

It’s Friday! After returning from CFRR and giving myself one extra day off to recover, my work week was blessedly short. It was such a joy to meet so many reader and author friends (some again, some for the first time). Seeing all of the posts on FB and Instagram, I realize I missed meeting a few of you too!