Swagbucks Mother's Day 2016

Mother's Day is around the corner (Sunday, May 8th) and if you haven't started already, now's the time to remember all the little things the moms around us do every day and get them a token of your appreciation. Moms are creative, capable, and resourceful. Moms work hard! That’s why moms deserve the best and Swagbucks wants to make sure your Mom gets the best. 

Right now you can earn up to 35% Cash Back on gifts for Mom at her favorite retailers when you shop through the Swagbucks Mother’s Day Sale, saving you lots of pennies and allowing you to splurge a little extra on mom!

Need more help shopping for mom? It’s no surprise that the Swagbucks community is packed with moms. So they surveyed their member base at the end of March to find out how moms view Mother’s Day. Swagbucks received more than 10,000 email responses and found the following:  

If you are new to the Swagbucks world, make sure to create your free account here. Once you do, you will  start getting paid for doing everyday online tasks.    For more information on Swagbucks see my previous posts.

Swagbucks really works!  

I earned a $25 Amazon card this month!  It's perfect for my e-book habit. :D

www.swagbucks.com

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: The Frog Prince by Jenni James

~DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY BELOW!~

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: December 6, 2013
Number of pages: 170

The Frog Prince (Faerie Tale Collection #8)

A prince disguises himself to find true love--

Prince Nolan has had enough of Princess Blythe—the woman to whom he has been betrothed since infancy—and her simpering letters. Does the princess truly not have a brain in her head? Never before has he communicated with someone who seemed so childish and spoiled. It was time he met her for himself, to decide if he could actually follow through with this marriage. But to do it right, she must not see how handsome he is. He needs a disguise—something that would show him her true nature.

Nolan asks an old herb woman to transform him into a creature that is disgusting to any female—a frog. The spell will last thirty days unless the princess does the impossible and kisses him. Now the true test begins. Will Blythe prove to be as monstrously annoying as he believes she is, or will he learn to see past his judgments and find a loving princess waiting for him?

Join Becky Wade for a Facebook Party May 5

A female bodyguard plus her star NFL client plus danger equals a great recipe for romance! Her One and Only, book four in Becky Wade's Porter Family novels, releases May 3. To celebrate, Becky is hosting an author chat party on her Facebook page on May 5 at 5 PM PDT/8 PM EDT. Join Becky for an evening of book chat with other bookworms and prizes.


Plus a portion of all pre-sales and sales the release week of Her One and Only will be donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. For more details on how to purchase a copy, click here.

About the Book

After ten years in the NFL, super star Gray Fowler is accustomed to obsessive fans. But when Gray starts receiving death threats from a stalker, his team hires an executive protection agency to guard him until the culprit is caught. Dealing with bodyguards 24/7 is a headache, especially when one of them is a young, beautiful woman. How can a female half his size possibly protect him better than he can protect himself?

Dru Porter is a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt–none of which saved her from disaster on her last assignment. In order to rebuild her tarnished reputation, she’s determined to find Gray’s stalker and, since relationships between agents and clients are forbidden, avoid a romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past.

Yet every secret that leads Dru closer to the stalker also draws her closer to Gray. As the danger escalates, they’ll survive only if they can learn to trust their lives — and their hearts — to one another.


Learn more and purchase a copy.

Review: A Spy's Devotion by Melanie Dickerson

A Spy's Devotion by Melanie Dickerson

My rating: 3 1/2 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

In England’s Regency era, manners and elegance reign in public life—but behind closed doors treason and tawdriness thrive. Nicholas Langdon is no stranger to reserved civility or bloody barbarity. After suffering a battlefield injury, the wealthy, well-connected British officer returns home to heal—and to fulfill a dying soldier’s last wish by delivering his coded diary.

At the home of the Wilherns, one of England’s most powerful families, Langdon attends a lavish ball where he meets their beautiful and intelligent ward, Julia Grey. Determined to maintain propriety, he keeps his distance—until the diary is stolen and all clues lead to Julia’s guardian. As Langdon traces an evil plot that could be the nation’s undoing, he grows ever more intrigued by the lovely young woman. And when Julia realizes that England—and the man she is falling in love with—need her help, she finds herself caught in the fray. Will the two succumb to their attraction while fighting to save their country?

MY REVIEW

Review: Back in the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne

Back in the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Prodigal Is Coming Home

It’s been a long time since Colt Stafford shrugged off his cowboy legacy for shiny Manhattan loafers and a promising career on Wall Street. But when stock market manipulations leave him financially strapped, the oldest son of legendary rancher Sam Stafford decides to return to the sprawling Double S ranch in Gray’s Glen, Washington. He’s broke, but not broken, and it’s time to check in with his ailing father, and get his legs back under him by climbing into the saddle again.

He doesn’t expect to come home to a stranger pointing a loaded gun at his chest— a tough yet beautiful woman that Sam hired as the house manager. Colt senses there’s more to Angelina Morales than meets the eye and he’s determined to find out what she’s hiding...and why.

Colt’s return brings new challenges. Younger brother Nick has been Sam’s right-hand man at the ranch for years and isn’t thrilled at having Colt insert himself into Double S affairs. And the ranch’s contentious relationship with the citizens of Gray’s Glen asks all the Stafford men to examine their hearts about what it truly means to be a neighbor. And as Wall Street recovers, will Colt succumb to the call of the financial district’s wealth and power—or find the courage to stay in the saddle for good?

MY REVIEW

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: More Than a Promise by Ruth Logan Herne

Genre: Christian, Contemporary, Romance Publisher: Franciscan Media Publication date: February 23, 2016 Number of pages: 292 "My Three Sons"... Naughty sons, at that!... meets "Sarah, Plain and Tall" in this delightful marriage of convenience story that shows how amazingly inconvenient love... and life... can be! Widower Matt Wilmot is in trouble. His boys are causing chaos and wreaking havoc, his former mother-in-law is threatening to sue for custody, his father just had heart surgery and their family company is liable for a huge balloon payment on a loan his father took out to expand the business the previous year. But rain and illness took their toll, and Matt is having a rough time spinning multiple plates in the air.

​But when he discovers Elle Drake next door, a woman with a wonderful hand at managing errant boys, cranky relatives, and frustrated men... Matt's world suddenly tips back into a more normal orbit. And when drastic measures are required, it's the girl next door who's there to save the day.

Elle Drake wanted nothing more than to create beautiful pottery and have a family, but when her millionaire husband publicly dumped the renowned artist for another woman, Elle moves back to Cedar Mills to start anew, the spinster artist with her big potting shed. But when her to-die-for good-looking neighbor thinks marriage is a good idea, Elle figures he's either crazy, desperate or right.

But a marriage of convenience can become its own conundrum, and when life takes sudden turns, can this marriage become all that they bargained for? And maybe more than a promise?

Purchasing Links:
AMAZON | B&N | CHRISTIANBOOK.COM

​But Elle...
            Elle was amazing.  Elle made the boys laugh. She made him laugh. She made them think about things other than themselves. She made them cookies, made them work, and most of all, she expected them to rise to a challenge. To be good. To be kind.  And when they were around her, they tried to meet her expectations.
            Married. To Elle.
            He gripped her hand tighter as they made their way over to her house. His father moved ahead and Matt took advantage of the moment to slow Elle’s steps. “You seem to excel at getting me out of trouble.”
            Elle winced. “I couldn’t let her rake you over the coals like that. Who does that kind of thing, when someone’s house is burning down alongside them? Sorry.” She made a face of regret and sighed. “Now we’ll have to wiggle our way out of this and that’s going to be a tangle, but I figured it would quiet her down. And it did work,” she added with a quick, small smile.
            “What if we don’t wiggle our way out of this?”
            “What?”
            She tried to stop their progress, but Matt kept her hand in his and kept walking.
            “Matt.”
            “You said yourself it makes perfect sense.”
            “I said no such thing,” she hissed as they drew closer to the house. “We barely know each other.”
            He smiled into her eyes and saw the answering flicker of acknowledgment and interest. Real interest. “A lifetime gives us plenty of time for that, I guess.”
            “Are you crazy?”
            He was, kind of, because her off-the-cuff idea was growing in appeal. “Maybe. Or maybe you came up with the best answer possible.” They’d reached the door. He put a finger to his lips. “We’ll hash this out later.”
            “There is nothing to hash out.”
            He winked, because the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.
            “Matt, I—”
            He kissed her.  He kissed her long and slow and with a gentle firmness that said they had a lot to talk about.  Later.   And when he stopped kissing her, he cupped her face with his two hands and whispered, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
            It was wonderful and he knew it, which meant she should take him down a peg, but his parents were excitedly waiting inside her back door. “We’ll discuss this later.”
            He grazed one finger across her lips. “I’m looking forward to it.”
            Insufferable.  Confidence bordering on cockiness.  Righteously good-looking.  And he couldn’t possibly be serious. Could he?  One look at his face said otherwise 

​​I loved this book!!  I've always loved stories with single parents with precocious children and a love interest that can charm and handle those children.   This book has THREE children, all with different personalities, and Elle manages to charm them all.

Review: Courting Cassandry by Joyce DiPastena

Courting Cassandry by Joyce DiPastena
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Is it too late for second chances when the girl you loved in your youth comes back into your life? 

Gerolt de Warenne became guardian to a child-heiress named Cassandry when he was only nineteen-years old. As he watched her grow into a lovely young woman, he found himself falling in love with her, but Cassandry viewed him as an older brother. So, burying his feelings, he gave permission for her to marry another. 

Twenty-four years later Gerolt and Cassandry meet again. With the loss of their respective spouses, Gerolt hopes to finally court Cassandry, but she desires to remain a widow. Instead, they agree to a betrothal of their children. 

Matters become complicated as their friendship begins to evolve into the romance Gerolt has always wanted. But by the law of the medieval Church, Cassandry and Gerolt can’t marry if their children do. Can they find a way to be together? Or must they sacrifice their future for the love of their children? 

"Courting Cassandry" is a “Hearts in Autumn” romance, medieval romances revolving around heroes and heroines “in the autumn of their years.” Because love isn’t only for the young!

MY REVIEW

I liked the fact that this book was written about an older couple because love isn't only for the young.  :)  However, because of the preconceived limitations of their age, along with other factors, it plays into the frustration that they don't connect and are constantly misunderstanding one another.   It took me a while to get into the book.  But once I did, I was desperate to find out if they get their second chance at love.  I was also on the edge of my seat to know if Gerolt’s poor, sickly son was really sick or was he being poisoned?  There was plenty of drama, suspense, and plot twists to keep me interested to the end. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.  I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

View all my reviews

Swagbucks Extravaganza & Three Pour All promotion

Want to make a quick buck? (or six?)

Then it’s time to try Swagbucks! Just in time for April showers, Swagbucks has announced a “Three Pour All” promotion where you can get a $3 (300 SB) Bonus just for signing up through our site and earning your first 300 SB. So open up your umbrella (not in the house!) and put on your slicker and galoshes because it’s about to pour 300 SB Bonuses for you and your family and friends.

New to Swagbucks? Great! It’s a site where you earn free gift cards for the things you already do online. You get points (called SB) and redeem them for PayPal or Visa cash and gift cards from Amazon, Walmart, Target and other great retailers.  ~Sign up here~

Here’s how to earn your 300 SB in an hour:

1. Sign up for free through this link
2. Watch a few short clips from Top Sports Headlines, World New Headlines, cooking shows, and the Latest from TMZ and earn 26 SB
3. Take a 5 minute survey for 60 SB and a 13 minute survey for 100 SB. Even if you get DQ’d, you get paid up to five times for a total of 5 SB.
4. Print a $1 Off Flintstone’s Vitamin Coupon and earn 25 SB
5. Enter an AARP Sweepstakes and earn 40 SB
6. Click through entertainment-focused web content with NCrave for 20 minutes and earn 20 SB.
7. Install the Hulu App on your phone and earn 24 SB.

That’s it! You’ve just earned 300 SB (worth $3 on its own) and you’ll get a $3 Bonus for your effort!

Already a Swagbucks member? Here’s how to get your $3 Bonus:

1. Refer a friend to Swagbucks between Monday, April 4th and Saturday, April 30th
2. Your referral earns 300 SB by April 30th (see above!)
3. You AND your referral will both be awarded an additional 300 SB each

That’s it! (the 300 SB bonuses will credit by May 5th) So once again, starting today, send out those referrals, a 300 SB Bonus could come in handy for a rainy day!

ALSO ~ Today is an extravaganza day which means there will be 6 swag codes (there is normally only one a day) worth a total of 30 SB. These easy to get points will also count towards the 300 needed for the $3 bonus. So sign up today and start earning! :)

For more information on Swagbucks see my previous posts.

www.swagbucks.com

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: First Light

First Light by Michele Paige Holmes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Adrielle doesn’t believe in magic; she merely possesses it, though no one has ever mentioned that her unusual gifts—exceptional speed, a flair for fire, and an intimate knowledge of flora—aren’t things she was born with. When Adrielle starts a fire that burns down the family home, she must deal with both her grief and her siblings’ hurtful rejection.

While journeying to far away Tallinyne, in search of her older, estranged sister—the only relative who might take her in—Adrielle is separated from her escort when the carriage is beset by thieves. Alone, she is thrust into a dangerous and unfamiliar world where she encounters fairies and gypsies, a wild boar, a drunk cook, and an evil queen whose curse is sweeping death across the land. Adrielle also finds love, falling hard for a kind, funny, handsome—and completely unavailable prince.

From the glowing pearls tucked beneath her mattress and keeping her awake at night, to Queen Nadamaris’s curse that seems to thwart Adrielle’s every effort, Adrielle struggles to navigate a world of magic she never imagined, where people she knows and loves are not always what they appear to be. With the glowing pearls—and her fondest desire—within her grasp, she is forced to make a choice no girl should ever have to—satisfying her own heart or saving the kingdom.

I enjoyed this well written fairy tale.  It seemed like a mix of several familiar fairy tales and yet a new and unique story all its own.

It's the story of a Princess who has been hidden until she turns 18 and can marry the chosen Prince in order to save the land from the curses of an evil Queen.  Adrielle has been raised far out in the country along with 11 brothers and sisters.  After her mother and father die within a short space of each other, Adrielle finds out that none of her siblings want to take her on.  Her only hope seems to be her oldest sister Cecilia who went to live at the castle when Adrielle was just a baby.  With the encouragement of some mysterious help and encountering danger and magic along the way, Adrielle makes her way to the castle.  She finds the Prince and Princess getting ready for their marriage but she gets stuck in the kitchen and can't get anyone to help her find her sister.  Meanwhile she meets Christian and they form a bond that will lead to another dangerous journey and a revelation that changes her world.

With fairies, magic pearls, a wicked Queen, adventures, Princes and Princesses, and a battle between good and evil, you'll enjoy this fast paced fairy tale.  :)

*Thanks to Mindy @ Min Reads and Reviews for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*

View all my reviews

Michele Paige Holmes spent her childhood and youth in Arizona and northern California, often curled up with a good book instead of out enjoying the sunshine. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education, and found it an excellent major in which to indulge her love of children’s literature.
Her first novel, Counting Stars (Covenant Communications 2007), won the 2007 Whitney Award for best romance. Her companion novel, a romantic suspense titled, All the Stars in Heaven (Covenant 2009), was a Whitney finalist, as was her first historical romance, Captive Heart (Covenant 2011). My Lucky Stars (Covenant 2012) completed the Stars series.
After having a novella published in A Timeless Romance Anthology European Collection (Mirror Press, 2013), Michele decided to focus on historical romance and began Hearthfire Historicals, with the debut novel Saving Grace. A companion novella, Loving Helen was released February 2015.
Michele has been a member of the same critique group for over fourteen years and feels privileged to meet with fellow authors Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, LuAnn Staheli, Sarah M. Eden, J. Scott Savage, and Robison Wells. She has been a member of RWA and URWA, LDStorymakers, and The League of Utah Writers. Michele enjoys both attending and teaching at conferences.
When not reading or writing romance, Michele is busy with her full time job as a wife and mother. She and her husband live in Utah with their five high maintenance children and a Shitzu that resembles a teddy bear, in a house with a wonderful view of the mountains. You can find Michele on the web at michelepaigeholmes.com and on  Twitter and Goodreads.

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The Carpenter's Daughter - Pre-Order & Release Extravaganza

Be sure to check out the GIVEAWAY below!

Genre: Christian, Contemporary, Fiction Publisher: Rooted Publishing Publication Date: April 15, 2016 Number of pages: 349 One word can change a life… Sarah Sharpe has grown up as a carpenter’s daughter, knowing only the rough and work-heavy world of her father’s blue-collar profession. Abandoned by her mother as a baby, she’s lived twenty-one years content to drive nails at her dad’s side. Following her father into the world of construction was a natural path, and she took it without a second thought. But a harsh comment about her “butch” appearance sends her on a search for identity.

​Enter handsome and easygoing Jesse Chapman, the roofer she meets on her first foray into volunteer work for Homes For Hope. In every way, the quirky man is her opposite—confident, a people kind of guy, and most importantly, happy.  His likable qualities continue to draw her in, and for some reason he keeps coming back to her. But they can’t be more than friends—he’s made that crystal clear. Except for a handful of times…and the confusion is driving her crazy.
​
Sarah’s quest for self-definition becomes more tangled than she ever imagined, and she discovers that the journey will take her deeper than clothes and makeup. Filling the void in her heart becomes an obsession she cannot escape. How far is she willing to go to discover who she really is?

GOODREADS | Pre-order now on AMAZON for $0.99

Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of God and the powerful vehicle of story. The draw to fiction has tugged hard on her heart since childhood, and when she began pursuing writing she set on stories that pointed to the grace of God. Jen lives and writes in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic. She would love to hear from you! Please connect with Jennifer on:

GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

After hearing an insult directed at her, Sarah Sharpe begins a quest for identity. Hers, like our often will, begins with a makeover.  Let me give you a peek at how that went…

(Excerpt from The Carpenter’s Daughter)

Sleep crept over me, and I dreamed of mirrors. All around me—they surrounded me, mocking me as I stood like a rabbit trapped in a circle of coyotes. My reflection bounced a million times—me in every direction for all eternity. A pink frilly dress hung over my awkward body, the skirt reminding me of the kind you’d see on a ballerina. The top was satiny and cut close to my small, not-very-womanly curves. Black dirt smudged the shiny material covering my body, and there were brown sweat stains under my arms. I wore my ball cap and steel-toed boots. The mirrors laughed as they closed in on me. Closer. Louder. Their chorus of ridicule crashed over me.

I woke up with sinister laughter sickening my stomach. It sounded like the Joker from the old Batman movies.

While I showered, I tried to think of something to hum. Anything to drown out the awful chuckles. The alphabet song was all I could summon. I hoped Jeff and Adam couldn’t hear through the closed door.

What kind of simple-minded woman was creeped out by a stupid dream? The kind who couldn’t figure out who she was in life.

We went shopping, Darcy and I. I never liked the activity. Always made me feel like a dirty pig at a tea party. I tried harder this time though. It didn’t start off so well, because I asked to get my hair cut first.
​
“Who has butchered you, girl?” asked a woman with painted eyes and a pair of scissors in her hand.
Maybe the stylist meant to give me an opportunity to gain her sympathy. Certainly she expected me to say that some yahoo at a podunk beauty school had taken a dull knife to my locks of black hair.
I met her eyes for the tiniest breath. “I cut my own hair.”

​Seemed like that kind of moment a person ought to feel a bit sorry for smacking your face with her tongue. The girl stared at me in the mirror’s reflection, then raised her eyebrow with all of the condescension of an unsympathetic teacher looking at a kid who’d wet his pants.
I squirmed in the purple-cushioned twirly chair.
“Don’t ever do that again.” She sighed and shook her fashionable but nonfunctional bangs out of her eyes.
Why did people wear their hair draped over their line of sight like that?
“Okay,” I mumbled.
“Huh.” The girl’s frowned deepened. “Let’s see what I can make out of this.” She ran her fingers through my hacked-up hair, tugging it this way and that. Parting it to one side and then the other. She sectioned off some in the front and lifted her scissors.
I sat up straighter. “No bangs.”
She lowered her scissors but kept them in her fingers. “You need some kind of style. Since I don’t have much to work with, bangs make sense.”
“No.” I met her eyes again. “I’m in construction. I wear a hat almost all the time. Bangs won’t work.”
“Oh!” She grinned, taking on the persona of a friendly adviser. “Bangs look so cute with a hat! And we have such adorable options over by the front counter. You simply must take a look. Buy a couple. You’ll be the fashionista of construction.”
Fashionista. Yep, that was exactly what I was going for. I glanced over to the “hat” section of the feminine boutique. Plaid prints, twisted rosettes, and bows embellished the useless headgear.
“I wear real hats. The kind with a useful bill to keep the sun off my face.”
Her eyebrows pulled together.
“Skip the bangs,” Darcy intervened. “They’re really not going to work. What about an asymmetrical bob?”
“The Kate-do?” The snippy snipper looked horrified. “That’s so tired. Gone. Nobody does their hair like that anymore.”
The Kate-do? What the heck were they talking about?
“Look.” Darcy sighed and came to my side. “We need something that’s functional. Don’t make it as drastic as Kate Gosselin’s was. Try something more like, umm…Kelly Ripa.”
If only I knew who these people were.
The scissor snob propped her hands on her hips. “Kelly Ripa’s hair is longer.”
Darcy’s mouth drew a tight line. Oh, I knew that look. She gave it to Jeff when he argued about doing something he didn’t want to do. She gave it to Dad when he was being stubborn about eating raw vegetables or going to the doctor. Snippity-Sue was about to be put in her place.
“So do a shorter version. Every minute we’ve stood here in debate has cut your tip.” Darcy gave her a stern eyebrow raise. “Do keep in mind that Charlotte is a friend of mine. I’m sure there’s a waiting list for your chair, so let’s not continue with this any further.”
Charlotte? The boutique owner, I presumed. Huh. The moments when Darcy showed her Sharpe side always left me a bit in wonder. She was as pleasant as a monarch on a late summer day unless you set her crisscross. Then she left no doubt—she and my dad were definitely related.
My hair turned out…uh, wow. She cut it so it didn’t lay like a clump of soggy weeds against the back of my head. The back puffed up a bit, and the front framed my face. I liked it. Seemed our outing was taking a turn for the better.
And then came the clothing.

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Can you relate?
Oh, I so can. This post came to mind as I remember Sarah’s experience in the beauty salon…
​

A New That Lasts

(originally posted on www.thefreeslavesdevotion.com

​Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14, NASB

I have a friend who calls me the girl with many looks, because I’m always changing my hair. Different cuts, different shades of blondes and reds . . . my style is ever-changing. Partly because I get bored. But, here’s a secret I don’t often admit—I mix up the style largely because I love the feeling I have when I leave the salon with a new look. Love. It.
Here’s the problem, though. That feeling never lasts. I run on it for a week, maybe two, and then . . . back to the same old boring me. Tired and uninteresting.
It occurs to me that maybe I’m not the only one. The hair-coloring frenzy of my generation and beyond, not to mention Botox, elective surgeries, and our obsession with clothing trends, would seem to indicate that I’m not alone in the quest to feel fresh—to feel new and pretty.
So, I’m pausing right now. Thinking. There’s nothing wrong with a cute new cut. A fun new style. But what am I really after? I wondered today as I was driving through town, talking to Jesus about all the stuff inside me, what do people do when they don’t know the privilege of pouring themselves out to God? Now I’m wondering, what do people do when they haven’t been made new on the inside?
They’re trapped inside themselves. Oh, what an unhappy place to be! Stuck, unchanged, inside a heart that doesn’t know the spring of new life from Jesus. Caught in an unending quest for change, and finding that no matter what they do, the bliss of newness never lasts.
Destruction can have a pretty face.
This isn’t the life Jesus offers. His is an ever-flowing fountain. Always fresh, always clean. His is a new life that bubbles from within—from Him. A new life that lasts.

 

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Smiling Book Reviews--Guest Post: Introducing the Carpenter's Daughter...and Sharing a New That Lasts
​Reading is My SuperPower--Endorsements + Gust Post: Enough
cherylbbookblog --Game: Word Search
Toni Shiloh Prayerfully-Lifted Romance--Sales Post
Katie's Clean Book Collection--Character Sketch
Bloomfield Of Thoughts--Guest Post: I am Loved
KJ's Book Nook--Game: Puzzles​
The Editor's Note--Behind the Scenes (plus a sneak-peek)...
Debbie's Dusty Deliberations--Playlist
Singing Librarian Books--Guest Post: The Story Behind the Cover

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: A Twist of Faith by Pepper D. Basham

~Be sure to check out the GIVEAWAY below.~

Series: Mitchell's Crossroads Series Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Publication Date: April 6, 2016 Number of pages: 308 A witty, sweet romance with memorable, honest charactersLove does not have an accent ...  Dr. Adelina Roseland has worked ten years in research as an accent reduction specialist to attain her dream job. But a secret wager to transform Appalachian cattle farmer Reese Mitchell into corporate material challenges Adelina in ways she never expected, threatening her new position. ​ For one, Adelina didn't plan for the faith and friction of Reese, or the unexpected influence of his chaotic family. Now, drawn into a culture she'd tried to forget, ​

Adelina finds the warmth of family, the hope of faith, and the joy of love melting away the deep wounds of her past.

But when Reese discovers that he's a pawn in her climb up the academic ladder, will he forgive Adelina s deceit or will their miscommunication end in two broken lives? ​​

Available to purchase on
- AMAZON -

A Twist of Faith by Pepper D. Basham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another awesome book by Pepper D. Basham! She's such a good writer that you can feel the depth of each person's emotions. It takes your breath away! :)

I loved the journey to faith that Dee takes in this story. As with her other books, Pepper takes you deep. Deep into the feelings of failure and guilt, of not being good enough, of being so wounded, angry and closed off. And then she leads you deep into the awareness of God's grace, forgiveness, unconditional love, and hope for a new life.

Aside from the wonderful God moments, there is also plenty to laugh about and lots of sizzle between Dee and Reese! :D I died laughing at this part which happens very early in the book - "Reese slammed more pieces of wood into the pile, positioned a few in the grate, and pulled a lighter from it's place near the hearth. "Want me to light your fire tonight?" She turned from the casserole so fast he thought she might fall over. "Excuse me?" When Reese replayed the question in his mind, he was pretty sure he'd already started the fire-on his face. "I mean, do you want me to heat things up in here for you." Her eyes grew wider. His face got hotter. "Let me fix you up a fire." He pointed to the fireplace to rule out any doubt. "Right here. In the fireplace"." LOL :D

Reese's family is also a huge part of the story and I loved them! They are very integral to the softening, healing, and changing that Dee makes in the story. As well as helping Reese to see the things that he's still holding onto from his past.

I really enjoyed this take on the "My Fair Lady/Pygmalion" story. Coming from a city girl that transplanted to the south many years ago, I could appreciate how the differences in dialect could sound so rough to Dee's ears. But Dee is quickly drawn to the warmth of this Appalachian family and after awhile it just sounds like home.

Please don't miss out on this book! You'll laugh, cry, sigh, swoon, get frustrated, feel loved, hopeful and so much more. In other words you'll find yourself heart deep in this story!

*Thanks to SLBTours for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*

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Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus, and proud AlleyCat over at a group writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. Her debut historical romance novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015, with the second arriving in February 2016. Her first contemporary romance debuts in April 2016.

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Interview via SLB Tours

1. What was the hardest part of wring A Twist of Faith? The easiest? 
Finding time to write. :)  For me the HARDEST part of writing is creating chapters 3-7, kind of the transition part – but the characters and setting really became the gold in this story world.

2. What kind of research did you do for this book?
Well, I asked my good friend who is a cattle farmer for some solid information on calf birthing and basic farming. Those were some FUN conversations and he’s such a great guy! (Thanks, Buford)

3. Do you have a music playlist that you listened to while writing this novel?  What songs were on this playlist?
Oh yes! I love having songs go along with stories. One of the main ones is When Love Takes you In by Steven Curtis Chapman– a song that really has the heart of Adelina’s journey. Also, I Believe by Holly Starr. I also wrote a song to go along with this particular novel (and books 2 and 3 in this series) I also listen to bluegrass.

4. What is the background story behind A Twist of Faith?
I am a big fan of the movie My Fair Lady, which fits really well with my profession as a speech-language pathologist, so this story came about as a combination of my two professions  And placing it in the Blue Ridge Mountains was a bonus for me because I LOVE my Appalachian culture.
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5. Along with being an author, you are a speech-language-pathologist.  Can you tell us more about your
career and experience with this?
My profession of speech-language pathologist covers lots of different things – not just kids who have difficulty saying their speech sounds. It includes comprehension of words, use of words, and creation of words. It also includes working with adults who’ve had strokes or brain injuries, as well as accent modification.  My particular specialty is working with kids on the Autism Spectrum, but I’ve worked with almost everything in the speech-language disorder realm except swallowing. I’m not a fan of working with swallowing/trach disorders. :)

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