Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Begotten 

Series: The Gifted Trilogy #1 

Author: Lisa T. Bergren 

Publisher: BCG Press 

Release Date: April 26, 2021 

Genre: Christian, Supernatural Suspense 

Begotten is an edited, new edition of a novel previously released in 2006, The Begotten. 

At the height of the Inquisition, a secret half a millennium old is about to be exposed---a lost letter believed to have been written by Saint Paul but never part of the Christian canon. The letter speaks of men and women---the Gifted---with profound spiritual gifts that will strike fear in the heart of a Church dedicated to maintaining power. Now the letter has surfaced and the Gifted are gathering. But so are their enemies... 

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

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EXCERPT

        He watched as his master was tied to a stake and a great fire was set. Tears he thought spent rose in his eyes, yet he refused to look away as the flames licked upward, as the heat made him retreat, step by step.

The bishop threw his master’s life’s work—the book, carefully wrapped in a burlap sack—into the fire at the priest’s feet. The burlap swiftly burned and curled, revealing the lambskin cover of the priceless book. It too began to burn.

The priest glanced over at the boy, a quiet question in his eyes.

The boy patted his shirt in response, reassuring his master, feeling the sacred pages next to his skin.

Go, child. Go! The boy shook his head in confusion; he could hear the priest, even though the old man’s parched lips moved not. 

The boy glanced over at the bishop, his face and grand robe dancing eerily in the heat waves between them. The bishop’s eyes narrowed, and he beckoned to the boy.

Run! Run, child!

Looking at his master one last time, the boy turned and fled into the night.

--From BEGOTTEN, by Lisa T. Bergren

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa T. Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 60 books in a variety of genres, from children’s picture books to contemporary romance to supernatural suspense novels. She lives in Colorado Springs in a brand-new home she and her husband just finished building and intend to never leave, because she’s discovered she loathes moving. You can find out more about her at LisaTBergren.com

CONNECT WITH LISA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a signed print copy of Begotten, a custom Gifted candle, and a $50 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 27, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 4, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

First Line Fridays: When We Blinked by Stephanie Mack

Happy Friday!

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first line from When We Blinked by Stephanie Mack.

"I tapped the toe of my nude suede pump on the elevator floor, willing us to move faster."

Have you read When We Blinked? I finished it last weekend and my review will come soon.

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

Newly split from her husband and college sweetheart, Seraphina Jones has returned to work after four years as a stay-at-home mom. She loves her job at prestigious Hamilton Hotels & Resorts, but her transition from play dates to pencil skirts is proving wobbly at best.

Encouraged to rediscover her romantic side, Sera agrees to try hot new dating app Blinde, aimed at millennials tired of swipe culture. The differentiator? Blinde doesn’t allow any pictures. Instead, the wildly popular platform fosters connections through meaningful conversations, inviting the age-old question: Is true love actually blind?

Sera soon finds herself freshly confident, succeeding at work, and smitten by not one, but several men: gorgeous heir to the Hamilton throne, Graham Hamilton; irresistible dark horse Jack, slowly winning her heart via Blinde; and Connor, her ex, the only man she’s ever loved.

But even though Sera thinks she’s juggling three different suitors—the truth is, there are only two. Unbeknownst to Sera, Connor is posing as invisible hottie Jack, secretly allowing her to get to know him all over again, as if for the very first time. Could love at second sight change everything for Sera and Connor? Or will she want a clean slate with dreamy Graham?

Set against the backdrops of sunny Southern California and the whimsical Wyoming mountains, When We Blinked provides a timely, unforgettable portrait of modern love—the mistakes that shape us, the ties that bind us, and the grace that can make us new.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Bent Tree Bride by Denise Weimer

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Bent Tree Bride by Denise Weimer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Bent Tree Bride
Author: Denise Weimer
Publisher: Smitten Historical Romance
Release Date: April 13, 2021
Genre: Christian historical romance

"Romance. Intrigue. Honor. All that and more. I heartily recommend it." —Michelle Griep, Christy Award-winning author 

Susanna Moore can’t get him out of her mind—the learned lieutenant who delivered the commission from Andrew Jackson making her father colonel of the Cherokee Regiment. But the next time she sees Lieutenant Sam Hicks, he’s leading a string of prisoners into a frontier fort, and he’s wearing the garb of a Cherokee scout rather than the suit of a white gentleman. 

As both Susanna’s father and Sam’s commanding officer, Colonel Moore couldn’t have made his directive to stay away from his daughter clearer to Sam. He wants a better match for Susanna—like the stuffy doctor who escorted her to Creek Territory. Then a suspected spy forces Moore to rely on Sam for military intelligence and Susanna’s protection, making it impossible for either to guard their heart.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

ALSO AVAILABLE

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EXCERPT

 

In this excerpt, Lieutenant Sam Hicks of the Cherokee Regiment has been assigned by his colonel to guard the colonel’s daughter and son while they are at Fort Strother in hostile Creek Territory. Susanna and George have talked Sam into demonstrating tomahawk and knife throwing at the practice range.


“What is your other requirement?”

“What?” Sam snatched his gaze from Susanna’s lips to her eyes.

Her cheeks, already rosy in the cold, darkened another shade. “For letting me throw your little bitty knife.”

“My little bitty knife?” Indignation laced his repetition of her words. “Let there be no doubt, this dagger could gut a man.”

“Very well. Your lethal weapon, although you seem to think I can’t handle the larger one, much less the tomahawk.”

“Why do you care about throwing a knife or a tomahawk or any weapon when your father would order his entire regiment to fight to protect you?”

Susanna released a gusty sigh. “Because as much as I would like to think he will always be there, he may not. What if I lose him in battle? What if this lung sickness returns when he goes out on the next campaign and Polly can’t save him? Then what will I have left?”

For one, Dr. Hawkins would rush to the rescue, although Sam would be wiser to bite his tongue than suggest that when she was this betwattled.

Thankfully, she continued without pausing to solicit any answers. “I should at least be able to defend myself. The lessons at finishing school may have taught me how to speak French and snare a husband, but they are useless out here.”

“You know he will send you home at the first opportunity.” As much as the thought pained him. Fort Strother would seem a cheerless place without Susanna Moore.

“But that’s just it. I shouldn’t have to leave.” She balled her hands into fists at her sides. “I want to show him I am as strong as Polly. That I can survive, and not only survive, but be helpful on the frontier. I don’t have to have Cherokee blood to do that, do I?”

The yearning for acceptance in Susanna’s words echoed a similar longing in Sam’s heart. She searched his eyes as she had earlier, but this time, he didn’t close his soul. If she needed strength, and he could help give it to her, what cause had he to deny her?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance and romantic suspense mostly set in her home state of Georgia. She’s authored a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas. As a managing editor at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, she also helps others reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

CONNECT WITH DENISE: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Bent Tree Bride and related story, The Witness Tree (2019), a pair of silver feather earrings, and a $20 Amazon gift card! (retail value $60)

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 20, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 27, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

First Line Fridays: The Audacious Miss Eliza by Laura Rollins

Happy Friday!

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first line from The Audacious Miss Eliza by Laura Rollins.

"His horse was tense, and it set Mr. Seth Mulgrave's teeth on edge."

The Audacious Miss Eliza released earlier this month. I can't wait to read it!

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

As it turns out, a London Season is the worst place to find love.

Eliza Mulgrave never expected to make her bows to society. Yet here she is, dancing at Almacks and riding through Hyde Park. It would be perfectly delightful if it weren’t for the whispers and scornful glances. She certainly never sought to quit her place in society as a tradesman’s daughter. At least then she had known who she was and how to act; now, she’s completely lost.

Adam Lambert has been raised to be a viscount and though the time has come sooner than expected he is confident stepping into this new life. Until he meets his Father’s best kept secret—a little girl. And now she’s Adam’s responsibility. Surely someone ought to have told him about her before now.

After stumbling through an initial meeting, Adam and Eliza both find in the other what they most need this Season—a sincere friend. But society is not often willing to grant two people room to learn for themselves who to be, or who to love.

As the first stand-alone novel in a new series by author Laura Rollins, The Audacious Miss Eliza begins the Daughters of Courage series. This charming story is a light-hearted, clean and wholesome romance set in the Regency era.

Epic Book Launch: Faces of Courage by Susan K. Beatty

About the Book

Book: Faces of Courage

Author: Susan K. Beatty

Genre: Christian Woman’s Fiction

Release date: May 11, 2021

Fear strangles even the faithful sometimes.

Despite every attempt to be brave, fear has defined Olivia Stanford’s life: with each new foster home, when her adopted parents died leaving her all alone again, trusting and marrying her husband, Frank, and coping with his football injuries and career loss.

Without faith, fear only grows in the face of adversity.

When Frank becomes abusive, Olivia enters a terror-filled life in her upscale Southern California home. Common sense demands she dig deep for the courage to confront him–to demand change. Fear and confusion push back.

And just as courage finally blooms within her comes the terrifying diagnosis: breast cancer.

Some say courage is found at the intersection of faith and grit. How will Olivia manage to summon either in the midst of this new battle?

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Book Excerpt

Faces of Courage Excerpt Seven

        Olivia plunged her hands into the dishwater, taking comfort in its warmth, hoping to dispel the lack of sunshine outside the kitchen window and the sleepless night Frank’s diatribe caused.

        How could he demand she cancel Bible study? And ignore her this morning? She should stand up to him and refuse. It was her house too. And her friends. But no, she wouldn’t—couldn’t—do that. Besides, wasn’t she supposed to respect her husband, be a good wife?

        Olivia finished rinsing the silverware, stuck it in the dishwasher, and slammed the door. She was lucky to have a husband and children. She needed to deal with the hand she was dealt. She stuffed down thoughts of rights and respect and stepped out of the sliding glass door onto the patio, wrapping her sweater around her chest against the wind.

        Inhaling the crisp early morning air, she sought a whiff of something in the cold scent-barren day to prove she wasn’t alone. At least cold was relative here in Southern California, not below zero like in Buffalo where she spent her childhood. Was it only February? Spring was still around a corner. Or two.

        The yipping of the terrier next door and the soft chirping of a cedar waxwing broke the quiet.

Purchase Link: Amazon

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Links to All Excerpts: 

Excerpt One: https://janemouttet.wordpress.com/2021/04/23/faces-of-courage-epic-book-launch-excerpt/

Excerpt Two: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/faces-of-courage-book-excerpt/

Excerpt Three: https://tabithabouldinauthor.home.blog/2021/04/20/faces-of-courage-book-launch/

Excerpt Four: http://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/faces-of-courage-book-excerpt/

Excerpt Five: https://www.fictionbooklover.com/posts/faces-of-courage-book-excerpt/

Excerpt Six: https://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/2021/04/23/faces-of-courage-epic-book-launch-by-susan-k-beatty/

Excerpt Seven: https://moments-of-beauty.blogspot.com/2021/04/epic-book-launch-faces-of-courage-by.html

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About the Author:

“Courage: The intersection of faith and grit”

Susan K. Beatty is passionate about finding courage through faith and grit, particularly through the trials of breast cancer. Her daughter is a metastatic breast cancer “thriver” and has been an inspiration for her writing. Susan retired from a full-time job in 2017 and is now pursuing a novel-writing career. Her first novel, “Faces of Courage,” is in revision. Susan is the author of “An Introduction to Home Education” (AKA “California Homeschool Manual”), was the assistant director of the SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference and is the president of her local ACFW-OC Chapter. She is a professional writer/journalist. Susan is proof you can begin a fiction writing career after age seventy.

Book Review: 50 Pentecostal & Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know

About the Book:

Empowering Stories from Spirit-Filled Leaders Who Blazed the Trail.

Throughout history, countless believers have gained renewed strength and purpose by following in the footsteps of faithful servants of God who showed them the way. In sparkling prose and fascinating detail, Dean Merrill captures the bold, often surprising stories of fifty such leaders--notable Pentecostal, charismatic and Spirit-empowered trailblazers, including

• Smith Wigglesworth, bold as a lion
• William J. Seymour, igniting Azusa Street
• John G. Lake, making room for the Healer
• Aimee Semple McPherson, everybody's sister
• David du Plessis, bridge-builder
• Leonard Ravenhill, sounding the alarm
• John and Elizabeth Sherrill, scribes of the renewal
• Jesse Miranda, up from the barrio
• David Wilkerson, straight shooter
• Cindy Jacobs, the "general"

By taking you into the private worlds of these men and women of God, Merrill helps you feel the quickening pulse of fearless obedience to the Holy Spirit. Let their stories fill your own heart with courage for the road ahead.

Read an excerpt from 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know on the publisher's website.

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My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know by Dean Merrill. Although I grew up in a conservative, Pentecostal church, I knew very little about any of the men and women featured in this collection. Each mini-biography devotes four to six pages to providing condensed background information of the individual, an overview of the person’s spiritual journey and undertakings, and a perspective on how the man or woman impacted the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. Although the biographies are kept short, many people reappear throughout the book and I thought the author did well tying it all together. I also appreciated that the author did not attempt to hide the short-comings of some individuals.

Reading 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know opened my mind to the diversity of Spirit-filled life. I was raised a certain way, I attend a church that operates differently than I was raised, and this book shines the light on how the Holy Spirit does not fit into a particular box. He ministers through diverse methods, peoples, and belief systems.

As I read the stories of healing and spiritual gifts, my own faith was strengthened and my desire for the fullness of the Holy Spirit grew. I recommend 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know by Dean Merrill to any Christian who enjoys biographies or is curious about the Holy Spirit.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.