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Silent Days, Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols – Review & Giveaway

December 10, 2018 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Let’s all get in the mood for Christmas with this blog tour and giveaway for Silent Days, Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols, hosted by JustRead Tours.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Silent Days, Holy Night
Author: Phyllis Clark Nichols
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction/Christmas

The sounds of Christmases past echo through a silent house…

Everyone in town knows Emerald Crest, the green granite mansion atop the highest hill: the legendary, lavish Christmas festivities that used to light up the nights— and the silence that followed when the parties abruptly stopped many years ago. And everyone has heard whispers about the reclusive, mysterious master of the manor, Henry Lafferty the Second . . .

When eleven-year-old Julia Russell steps into the great house for the first time and meets Mr. Lafferty, the entire course of her life is altered. She meets a man who is nothing at all like the rumors she’s heard from neighbors and classmates. He’s kind and extraordinarily talented—he also happens to be deaf and uses a wheelchair. And when she overhears a secret about him, Julia decides it’s time for the town to bring Christmas back to Emerald Crest—an act that will change them all forever.

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

IN MY OPINION

This book is one that embodies what the Christmas spirit should be in each of our lives. Love, acceptance, giving, friendship, family, and so, so much more.

Young Julia Russell is full of curiosity, gumption, and questions—lots and lots of questions. The moment she meets Henry Lafferty is one that defines her young life. Everything about this man is interesting and she longs to know more. She’s not deterred by his deafness or the age/generation gap. Henry has a story and Julia wants to learn it.

As Julia and Henry (or H as she thinks of him) form an unlikely friendship that is defined by an ability to communicate with each other beyond mere words. That friendship teaches Julia about herself and life at a young age: Kindness comes from the heart. There is good in everyone and everyone needs a friend. With a little effort, a can’t can be turned into a can.

Phyllis Clark Nichols gives readers a Christmas story to warm hearts and expand minds. It only takes one person to make someone else’s life better—and that often has a ripple effect into other lives. You definitely don’t want to miss this story.

My Rating:

I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phyllis Clark Nichols’s character-driven Southern fiction explores profound human questions using the imagined residents of small town communities you just know you’ve visited before. With a strong faith and a love for nature, art, music, and ordinary people, she tells redemptive tales of loss and recovery, estrangement and connection, longing and fulfillment . . . often through surprisingly serendipitous events.

Phyllis grew up in the deep shade of magnolia trees in South Georgia. Born during a hurricane, she is no stranger to the winds of change: In addition to her life as a novelist, Phyllis is a seminary graduate, concert pianist, and cofounder of a national cable network with health- and disability-related programming. Regardless of the role she’s playing, Phyllis brings creativity and compelling storytelling.

She frequently appears at conventions, conferences, civic groups, and churches, performing half-hour musical monologues that express her faith, joy, and thoughts about life—all with the homespun humor and gentility of a true Southern woman.

Phyllis currently serves on several nonprofit boards. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her portrait-artist husband.

CONNECT WITH PHYLLIS: website | Facebook | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive (US only):

a print copy of Silent Days, Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols
a print copy of Sleigh Bells Ring by various authors

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight December 10, 2018 and last through 11:59pm December 17, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week 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!

Royally in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones – Review

December 4, 2018 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I may have been late to the Enchanted Events party but my wait was much shorter for book two. And oh, boy, was it worth it!!

About the Book

If an ex-popstar-turned-event planner can’t find a Ren-faire killer, she may not survive the final act.

As a former member of a popular girl-band, Paisley Sutton knows what it means to be in the spotlight. So after she takes on an event- planning gig for the new Sugar Creek Renaissance faire, she’s counting on a smooth opening night. But when one of the cast is murdered, Paisley knows her event has gone lethally off-script.

When her old flame Beau is named the prime suspect, Paisley enlists the help of her trigger-happy ex-CIA grandmother and aunt. As she tries to keep the faire alive and fights off her matchmaking family, she uncovers secrets that might just get her killed. Can Paisley shine a light on the killer in time, or will the faire be her final curtain call?

Royally in Trouble is the second book in the lively Enchanted Events cozy mystery series with a dash of romance. If you like engaging characters, small-town intrigue, and laugh-out-loud moments, then you’ll love Jenny B. Jones’ Renaissance romp.

Amazon // B&N // Goodreads

At Home in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne – Review

November 4, 2018 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I was thrilled to discover Ruth Logan Herne’s return to the Wishing Bridge series. With the publisher doing away with their fiction line, I wasn’t sure we’d get Thea or Jazz’s stories, so when I saw At Home in Wishing Bridge released last month, I immediately grabbed it.

About the Book

Ruth Logan Herne, the bestselling author of Welcome to Wishing Bridge, invites readers back to the small town where big dreams come true.

After surviving the streets of South Philly, Thea Anastas never thought she’d wind up working in rural New York. But a call from a friend in need convinced the nurse practitioner to make the trip. Now her temporary position is making a difference in Wishing Bridge—though Thea can’t afford to make a difference, to fill a gaping hole in the sweet, small town. After all, the current medical practice is being dissolved in three months, and bigger opportunities are luring her away…

Her partner, Dr. Ethan Brandenburg, has his own struggles: caring for his orphaned niece and nephew and holding firm to his decision to leave Wishing Bridge for a prestigious job in Chicago. Though Thea’s no-nonsense advice in the office has been good for business, her compassion in Ethan’s personal life has been good for his heart. But how can he offer a commitment to a woman when they’re both about to say goodbye?

Wishing Bridge may be surrounded by forests and farms, but Thea is starting to realize that friendships and family form its heart—and that what she wants in life and love may be right in front of her eyes.

Amazon // Goodreads

First Line Friday – A Honey of a Christmas

October 19, 2018 by Suzie Waltner 6 Comments

Happy fall, y’all!! I am so excited it actually feels like fall here. FINALLY! I love the cooler weather because it drives the humidity away. Although, I am a bit in denial that we are already more than halfway through October. Guess I can’t have it all.

Who is devouring all of the Christmas reads already? (Both hands raised). I am a person with no will power (aka self control) when it comes to Christmas. When I get Christmas gifts in the mail in December, I don’t wait until the 25th to open them. Don’t worry, this year I will be forced to since my parents are flying in on Christmas Eve!

So, of course when I get my hands on a Christmas read I’m not going to wait to read it. I don’t care if it’s 90 degress outside. My MO is to crank the AC, crawl under a blanket, and read! Now I get to share another one of these reads with you.

Have you read any of Jessica R. Patch’s romantic comedies? They are so much fun!! As the opening lines of A Honey of a Christmas will show.

Heart Land by Kimberly Stuart – Review

July 29, 2018 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I love a small-town romance, and second-chance romances are also at the top of my favorite reads list (yeah, it’s a long list but there are certain tropes I don’t pass up). Kimberly Stuart delivers both of the above (and more) in her latest book.

In My Opinion…

When Grace’s big plans for her future success in the design industry crash and burn, she returns to her Iowa hometown discouraged and disheartened. With the help of her grandmother and friends, as well as a man from her past, Grace fights to find her footing in this new reality.