Can't Wait For Reads: To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander

About the book:

To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander 

Belle Meade Plantation: Book 1

Releases October 23, 2012 from Zondervan

Set at Nashville’s historic Belle Meade Plantation, the most influential thoroughbred stud farm in America’s history, To Whisper Her Name weaves the struggles of real people of the post-war South with the journeys of a man and a woman scarred by betrayal.

Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a man shot as a traitor to the South, is shunned by proper society and gratefully accepts an invitation from “Aunt” Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade Plantation. Expecting to be the Harding’s head housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned when she learns the real reason Elizabeth’s husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed to her coming. Not finding the safe haven she expects, Olivia is caught off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a Southern man who seems anything but a Southern gentleman.

Branded a traitor by some, Ridley Cooper, a Southern son who chose to fight for the Union, is a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him. Determined to learn “the gift” that Belle Meade's head horse trainer and former slave, Bob Green, possesses, Ridley harbors secrets that threaten both their lives.

As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for “betraying” the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be betrayed again.

About the author:

 

Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose works have been awarded and nominated for numerous honors, including the Christy Award, the RITA Award, and the Carol Award. After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband have returned to their native South and live in Nashville, Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children, and a ten pound silky terrier named Jack.

Can't Wait For Reads: So Shines the Night by Tracy L. Higley

About the book:

So Shines the Night by Tracy L. Higley
Seven Wonders: Book 5

Releases March 12, 2013 from Thomas Nelson

Daria’s new home with Lucas in Ephesus both beguiles and confounds her, until she meets followers of The Way.

Her past has taught her that evil is real, that it can consume a person. She saw it happen with her husband, before he took his own life. Widowed but well-educated, Daria becomes a tutor to Lucas, a rich traveling merchant from Ephesus. There she discovers evil has a strong foothold and that Lucas himself seems drawn to evil and sorcery.

As her relationship with her employer grows, she fears that she will be unable to pull him from demonic influence. Tension in the city is about to erupt, as a new sect called The Way continues to draw followers.  The man Paul leads a movement against the economic and political strength of the city, found in its goddess cult.

When she learns more of the ways of the Christians and their ability to defeat evil, she begins to have hope, but when Lucas is arrested and jailed for a brutal crime, it seems not even the Christians can help.

Tensions escalate in the city until thousands are pouring into the arena to protest the influence of the Christians, and a plot to kill Paul is underway. When Lucas’s execution is scheduled, Daria must find a way to prove his innocence, save his life, and help her new friends before everyone she loves is destroyed.

About the author:

From her earliest childhood, there was nothing Tracy loved better than stepping into another world between the pages of a book. From dragons and knights, to the wonders of Narnia, that passion has never abated, and to Tracy, opening any novel is like stepping again through the wardrobe, into the thrilling unknown. With every book she writes, she wants to open a door like that, and invite readers to be transported with her into a place that captivates.

Tracy started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. After attending Philadelphia Biblical University, she earned a B.A. in English Literature at Rowan University. She then spent ten years writing drama presentations for church ministry.

A lifelong interest in history and mythology has led Tracy to extensive research into ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome, and shaped her desire to shine the light of the gospel into the cultures of the past.

She has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Italy to research her novels, and looks forward to more travel as her writing continues.

Tracy is thrilled to bring readers adventures set in the ancient past, and it’s her hope that in escaping with her, readers will feel they’ve walked through these deserts, explored ruins, felt the white sand and blue sea under their feet, and met with the Redeeming God who is sovereign over the entire drama of human history.

Can't Wait For Reads: The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd

I'm always looking for upcoming releases to get excited about and there is nothing I love more than talking about/sharing books with others! So, I've decided to do a weekly post featuring an unreleased book I'm looking forward to. Hope you enjoy!

About the book:

The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd

Whispers on the Moors: Book 1
Releases April 9, 2013 from Thomas Nelson

Pride goes before the fall . . . but what comes after?

Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an ancestral estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s infant baby. She'll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father, Lucas, a sea captain she’s never met.

Tragedy strikes when the child vanishes with little more than a sketchy ransom note hinting to her whereabouts. Fear for the child’s safety drives Amelia and Lucas to test the boundaries of their love for this infant.

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she examines her soul and must face her one weakness: pride.

Lucas’ strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline.

Both must learn to accept God’s sovereignty and relinquish control so they can grasp the future He has for planned for them.

Here's a little about Sarah E. Ladd from her website:

Every word has a melody. 

Every sentence has a rhythm.  

This truth has intrigued me since my early years. Even before I fully understood the meaning behind many of the words, I devoured literature and consumed poetry. 

Austen, Alcott, Wordsworth: I left no piece of literature untouched, left no author unexamined. I continue to see magic in how a word is transformed by the word next to it and how written thoughts can incite emotion and evoke change. 

In addition to a lifetime of writing and exploring fiction, I have more than ten years of strategic marketing and brand management experience, including five years of marketing non-fiction books and three years of marketing the musical arts. I live in Indiana and am blessed to share my life with my amazing husband, sweet daughter, and very lovable Golden Retriever.

Sarah won the 2011 Genesis Contest: Historical Romance, 2011 Touched by Love: Overall Winner and the 2011 Fool for Love Contest: Inspirational.

Fall Into Reading 2012

This challenge started September 22 (I'm a little late) and runs to December 21.

I love lists and challenges and I'm excited to get started!

If you'd like to participate as well here's the original post.

My Goal
I'm a bit of a slow reader so if I read half these I'll be very happy!

 

Giveaway!!! "The Magic Warble" by Victoria Simcox!

Victoria Simcox, the author of The Magic Warble, has graciously offered to give eBook copies of her first book to three lucky winners. This book was really good and if you enjoy fantasy you don't want to miss it!


About the book:
 Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen – all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Magic Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.


 I really enjoyed the book and you can check out my review in the previous entry!


  About the author:

Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She now lives in Western Washington with her husband, Russ and their three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Her other family members are a Chihuahua, named Pipsy, and two cats, named Frodo and Fritz. Besides being an author, Victoria is a home-schooling mother of twelve years and an elementary school art teacher of eleven years. In her spare time, Victoria enjoys managing her two older children's Celtic band. She also loves reading, painting watercolors, hiking, good movies, and just simply hanging out with her family and friends.

!!!GIVEAWAY!!!

I'll contact the winners via email and they'll have one week to get back to me or I'll have to choose another winner =(

Just use the Rafflecopter to enter. You'll have to leave a blog comment for the other entries to show up.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox

The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox is the tale of bullied twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly who is given an amazing Christmas gift that will change her life. She finds herself transported to the magical land of Bernovem and learns that the kingdom has been under the rule of the evil, false Queen Sentiz and her army of “zelbocks” for some time. Kristina is Bernovem’s only hope, will she have what it takes to do what is needed.

 This was a great fantasy read geared towards grade school readers but that older age groups will enjoy as well. The fast paced action and adventure made it hard to put the book down; I just wanted to know what happened next! The story was jam packed full of magical creatures such as dwarves, gnomes, fairies and talking animals that made for interesting twists and turns throughout the whole book.

The lessons woven throughout the story, however, were the best part. Kristina and her friends learn about the importance of trust, friendship, sharing, kindness and redemption on their journey. Other characters’ stories also teach the consequences of bullying, greed and self importance.

I would absolutely recommend this book for young readers and anyone who enjoys a good, clean fantasy read. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel The Black Shard!

* I won my copy in a giveaway and was not required to give a review.

Laura Frantz Giveaway!!!

Melanie at Christian Bookshelf Reviews is hosting a giveaway of Laura Frantz's newest release Love' s Reckoning! I haven't read this one yet but it's been getting great reviews and I can't wait to get started! Isn't the cover gorgeous?

Laura's other titles include The Colonel's Lady, Courting Morrow Little and The Frontiersman's Daughter.