Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Book Spotlight: The Reunion by Natasha D. Frazier

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Reunion by Natasha D. Frazier, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Reunion

Series: Langston Sisters #1

Author: Natasha D. Frazier

Publisher: Encouraging Works

Release Date: October 25, 2022

Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Divorced.

Dragged through the mud by entertainment media outlets.

Determined to rise above her past.

Crystal Langston's plan was perfect: go to her 20th college class reunion to prove her divorce from her abusive ex-husband, NFL player, Dante Green, didn't break her. Her life was thriving outside of his shadow. Though it's been over a year since their divorce, Dante makes a huge announcement during their reunion mixer. His latest stunt results in his death.

And Crystal is the number one suspect!

Marcel Singleton recently launched his political campaign for Houston's District Attorney. Now that his childhood friend is no longer tied to Dante, he attends their class reunion with one goal in mind: to finally tell Crystal how he feels about her. What he didn't expect was that he'd be representing her in a murder case against her ex-husband.

Crystal's life is going up in flames -- fast!

Will Marcel's feelings for Crystal cloud his judgment? How will his involvement with a murder suspect affect his campaign?

And if Crystal is innocent, will the real murderer come for her next?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

Also Available

Excerpt

Crystal glanced down at her hands to see that she’d been squeezing the life out of Marcel’s fingers.

“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” He placed a gentle hand on her back and ushered her toward the building so they could give their statements.

But they didn’t make it inside.

One of the officers, stopped them.

“Ma’am, please place your hands behind your back.”

The officer cuffed her. The cold metal secured around her wrists ensured her that this wasn’t a nightmare. Dante’s murder was real and she was about to be arrested for a crime she didn’t commit.

Her back burned from the accusing eyes of her classmates. All she could think about was who would’ve done such a thing. From all she knew, they were all Dante fans. Her eyes settled on his agent and long-time friend Jacob Jackson filing into the building. Thankfully, his eyes weren’t laser beams because she’d be seared in half by now. His arms were wrapped around Wynter, who was screaming, crying, and pointing at Crystal saying, “Why would you do this to him?”

Her mind reeled back to her argument with Dante. Why didn’t she just leave after her first run-in with him?

About the Author

Natasha D. Frazier

Natasha D. Frazier fell in love with love around the age of twelve because of artists like Babyface, Boys II Men, Whitney Houston, and New Edition. Around sixteen when her mother purchased a romance novel and left it lying around the house untouched, Natasha read it and a spark for the written word had been ignited.

Natasha believes that writing is one of her purposes and contributions to the world. She feels accomplished when she can get a few words written and like blah when life gets in the way. Her hope is that at the end of every novel, readers will feel like they’ve been wrapped in a cozy blanket with a mug of their favorite coffee/tea/warm drink. When she isn’t reading or writing, she is likely watching movies with her family. Natasha resides in Richmond, TX with her husband, Eddie Frazier, Jr. and their three children, Eden, Ethan, and Emilyn. Her greatest joy and commitment is to her family who she hopes to inspire above all else. One of her many mottos in life is: Faith removes limitations. Natasha and her family attend Parkway Fellowship in Richmond, TX, where she volunteers as a small group leader for elementary students. Natasha is also a member of the Houston Area Alumni Chapter of Jackson State University and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Connect with Natasha by visiting natashafrazier.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of McCall Family Series and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 10, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 17, 2023. 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 JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Author Interview: Captive Set Free by Valerie Limmer

Captive Set Free JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Captive Set Free by Valerie Limmer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Captive Set Free

Author: Valerie Limmer

Publisher: Green Sap Publications

Release Date: October 18, 2022

Genre: Non-Fiction, Christian Living

Have you been hurt? Are you hounded by turbulent feelings and looping thoughts? Do you know you need to forgive but aren't sure where to begin?

Captive Set Free is a lamppost along the path of healing, offering engaging stories and examples, explaining how forgiveness fits into our spiritual DNA, and examining mindsets that make forgiving easier or harder. In this book, you'll learn how to

- take concrete steps to forgive;

- be sure forgiveness has taken hold in your heart; and

- guard your spirit from bitterness, both now and in the future.

If you're tired of being imprisoned by pain and toxicity and want to step into the free and abundant life Jesus has planned for His children, this book is for you.

About the Author

Valerie Limmer

Valerie Limmer is a missionary in Japan. She is neither a therapist nor a theologian, but she has experienced severe abuse from a handful of people. In Captive Set Free, she shares the principles and techniques she's learned in her own life on her journeys towards forgiveness.

Connect with Valerie by visiting valerielimmer.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Author Interview

Q: What prompted you to write Captive Set Free?

Valerie: If we are Christians, most of us have heard about the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, and so on), and the gifts of the Spirit (e.g., pastor, prophet, evangelist). The Holy Spirit also seems to also choose certain life themes for each of us. One person might learn a lot about what it means to be His child, another person might continually learn more and more about God fulfilling His promises, and another might learn about the ways God provides for us. One of my major life themes is forgiveness.

Over the course of my life, I’ve been badly abused by half a dozen different people, starting in childhood. I started writing this book when I was healing from some horrific abuse I’d experienced as an adult. I realized that the things I was learning, the principles and techniques I was applying in my own journey of forgiveness, might be useful to people who might be struggling with the same issues. It’s a beautiful thing to witness God redeeming the horrors we’ve experienced and transforming them into something beautiful that can help other people.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from this book?

Valerie: Forgiving someone who has hurt you is possible! Not only is it possible, but the journey towards forgiveness will deepen you—both your faith, and your understanding of the forgiveness that Jesus offers to you. Forgiveness requires courage and endurance, but you don’t need to have it all at the start. Sometimes starting with a prayer (“Jesus, please help me want to forgive”) is all we can do, and God delights to honor this type of prayer. You will grow through the process, and as you do, Jesus will unlock doors to joy and peace in your heart that you might never have realized were there!

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

If I had to choose something, it would probably be the last line of the book. At the end of each section in Captive Set Free, there are a few questions and exercises to help the reader internalize the lessons of that section and examine his or her own life to help start the process of forgiving. Here’s the quote from the last question:

“Forgiveness frees our minds and spirits from the clutter and distraction of bitterness. With it gone, how will you ‘redecorate’ your mind and life? What will you do with your extra emotional, spiritual, and physical energy?”

I love this question because there’s so much hope in it. Forgiveness isn’t a journey whose end is despair and further hurt. It’s a journey that embraces hope and peace.

Q: How long did it take you to write Captive Set Free?

Valerie: Writing is a hobby, not my profession. So, I write for a few hours a week on my day off. Overall, it took about 5 years, from start to finish: one year for the first draft, three years to edit, and another year to publish.

Q: What do you wish you’d known when you were younger?

Valerie: That I wasn’t going to peak in high school, as I feared, but that as we use our gifts and talents, God honors our desire to honor Him.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Valerie: I normally live in Japan as a missionary; it can be interesting to see how God prepares us to follow Him as He calls us to follow Him into ministry. For instance, I have double-jointed knees, ankles, and toes, which makes it easy to sit seiza (a special way of sitting in Japan, required of ladies in formal situations). This is usually quite painful, even for Japanese women. But not for me!

Q: What are you reading now?

Valerie: The Humans by Matt Haig. I’ve only read one other book by him, which was very good. This fictional story is about an alien who’s come to earth and is inhabiting a human body. He doesn’t understand anything about human culture or customs, and it’s ridiculously funny to see the world through his eyes.

Q: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Valerie: I like to read, cook, draw, learn new languages, and make Japanese wax food models.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of Captive Set Free and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 9, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 16, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

Sunday, January 8, 2023

Author Interview: Stepping Stones by Dr. Joelle Suel

About the Book

Book: Stepping Stones

Author: Dr. Joelle Suel

Genre: Christian Personal Growth

Release date: November 30, 2018

Do you deeply desire to answer the call of God on your life? Are you seeking divine wisdom for the steps and stops to take in your pursuit? Are you willing to count the cost and do whatever it takes? Join author Dr. Joelle Suel in Stepping Stones: 7 Steps to Achieving Your Divine Destiny as she equips all believers to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives while sharing some of her inspirational journey.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Dr. Joelle Suel is founder and Senior Pastor of Glory to Glory Christian Center in Aurora, Colorado; founder and Dean of Glory to Glory Institute of the Holy Spirit; and author of the Institute curriculum and a daily devotion, Today with Dr. J. Her 2018 book, Stepping Stones, equips readers to answer the call of God in their lives. She is in the process of making all of the Institute curriculum available in book format. She earned her Doctor of Ministry degree from the Phoenix University of Theology in 2006. A native of Puteaux, France, she became an American citizen in 2003.

Author Interview with Dr. Joelle

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Dr. Joelle: “We do not compete with others but complete one another.”

Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Dr. Joelle: I hope my book will encourage and empower readers to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives, from faith to faith.

Q: Are you working on another book now?

Dr. Joelle: Yes, my memoir, “Out of Darkness.” I pray to publish it in August 2023.

Q: In what setting do you enjoy writing the most?

Dr. Joelle: I enjoy writing outside, weather permitting. If not, I write on the corner of my dining room table in silence. I also enjoy free writing first thing in the morning, after my prayer time.

Q: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Dr. Joelle: I enjoy ministering to people, walking, and spending time with my grandchildren.

More from Dr. Joelle

Dear reader,

God loves us and counts us precious in His sight. We are full-time ministers wherever we are, and through whatever we do. Where our feet stand is where our pulpit stands. We shine the light of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and glorify Him, often without realizing it. God desires to use all of us in and through our daily activities.

My prayer is that this book will encourage and empower you to answer His call, from faith to faith. I trust the Spirit of God will strengthen you to continue what you are currently doing and lead you into additional steps in your divine purpose.

Below, please find a few quotes from the book to bless you today.

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.–1Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV

Abundant blessings upon you and your family,

Dr. Joelle

What we do portrays a greater message than what we say.
We cannot seek God’s approval and man’s approval at the same time.
The trust in ourselves decreases as our trust in God increases.
When Christ becomes our motive for ministry, doors open for Him, not for us.
Never stop starting.
We cannot expect from others what only God can give.
Humility is the gateway to knowing Him.
What is on the inside comes out under pressure.
We do not complete with others, but we complete one another.
If I criticize who I am, I criticize God Himself.
What we dwell on, we eventually dwell in.
We cannot respect what we don’t value.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 6

Texas Book-aholic, January 7

Beauty in the Binding, January 8 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, January 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 9

deb’s Book Review, January 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 11

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 13

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 14 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 15

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 16

Cover Lover Book Review, January 17

Splashes of Joy, January 18 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Joelle is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Link for giveaway: https://promosimple.com/ps/23681/stepping-stones-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Author Interview: Into the Spotlight by Leslea Wahl

Into the Spotlight JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Into the Spotlight by Leslea Wahl, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Into the Spotlight

Series: Finding Faith

Author: Leslea Wahl

Publisher: Vinspire Publishing

Release Date: October 25, 2022

Genre: Christian YA, adventure, mystery, romance

The devastation of a ruined summer.

The gift of a second chance.

Can Josie learn the lessons she needs to discover her true self?

After a humiliating event and overwhelming peer pressure, 16-year-old Josie flees her home to spend the summer with her aunt on a South Carolina Island. Her fresh start turns into the summer of her dreams as friendships grow, romance blossoms, and a series of thefts surround her with excitement.

However, when tragedy strikes someone close to her, Josie realizes there are more important things than her reputation. As she sets out to solve the mystery she has become entangled in, she not only realizes the importance of relying on her faith but along the way also discovers who God wants her to be.

PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leslea Wahl

Leslea Wahl is an award-winning author of adventurous teen mysteries. She not only writes for teens but is also an avid reviewer of Christian fiction. Her journey to become an author came through a search for value-based fiction for her own children. Leslea now strives to be an advocate for other families battling against society’s secular messages through her faith-based writing and reviews.

Connect with Leslea by visiting lesleawahl.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Q: What was the inspiration behind Into the Spotlight?

Leslea: When I was writing my first teen novel, The Perfect Blindside, I wanted to make my teen characters authentic, so I began observing my children and their friends, taking note of their mannerisms, dialogue, etc. It got me thinking, what if an author interfered too much in her child’s life? That is the beginning premise of the story. Josie’s mother’s writing has inadvertently caused all kinds of problems for Josie, releasing a series of cruel jokes and bullying. To get escape the situation, Josie spends the summer at her aunt’s home on a South Carolina island. There she meets all kinds of interesting people and becomes involved in a mystery plaguing the small community.

Q: How long did it take you to write this story?

Leslea: This story was originally published under a different title—An Unexpected Role. This fall, I moved it to a new publisher, who gave it a new title and cover. The original story took 5 ½ years from the time I came up with the idea for the story to when it was initially published.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Leslea: Choosing a favorite quote is tough because Josie is such a fun character. She is very dramatic, which makes for some really great scenes. This quote describing herself tells you all you need to know.

“I’ll give you the condensed version—I leap before I look, and chaos ensues.”

Q: What do you hope readers take away from Into the Spotlight?

Leslea: The underlying message of this book is about discovering who God wants you to be. We all struggle with that question, but teens especially can get so caught up in their world, trying to fit it, that they lose sight of what makes them unique and special.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?

Leslea: I like to include my pets in each of my books. My labradoodle Kahlua is featured in Into the Spotlight. Also, there is a scene featuring a certain sea creature that is based on an event that happened to my family during one of our vacations. While I’ve fortunately never caused any issues for my children, I do like to sometimes include some little tidbits from our lives.

Q: What are you reading now?

Leslea: I became an author after searching for fun, adventurous books with good messages for my own kids. I not only try to write these kinds of books, but I have also begun reviewing faith-based books so other families can find edifying fiction. I write reviews for four different online sites and post them on my website as well. Every other month, I send out my News, Clues, and Reviews update with book recommendations for the whole family. Because of all that, and the two book clubs I belong to, I read a lot of books. One book I’m currently reading is titled Heaven’s Relief by Ruth Apollonio.

Q: How many bookcases are in your home?

Leslea: What a fun question! I won’t bother counting the ones in my husband’s office or the kids’ rooms. But there are six large bookshelves in the room my family has begun calling the book warehouse. I am part of a wonderful group of authors, CatholicTeenBooks.com, and I house quite a few of those authors’ books as well as my own. But my favorite room in my house might be my study, where my husband built me bookshelves that cover an entire wall to display my books and some of my favorite items.

Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Leslea: I love to travel with my family and spend time in the mountains.

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Into the Spotlight, bookmark, bible verse magnet, and designer soap!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 4, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 11, 2023. 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

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

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

2022 Favorite Nonfiction Reads

It always brings me pleasure to look back on my reading and choose my favorite books. 2022 held so many good reads that I decided to separate the fiction from the nonfiction. In no particular order, here are my favorite nonfiction reads with their book blurbs and review links (if applicable).

The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson

Reading Great Literature as a Spiritual Discipline.

How do we become better people? Initiatives such as New Year's resolutions, vision boards, thirty-day plans, and self-help books often fail to compel us to live differently. We settle for small goals--frugal spending, less yelling at the kids, more time at the gym--but we are called to something far greater. We are created to be holy.

Award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson explains that learning to hear the call of holiness requires cultivating a new imagination--one rooted in the act of reading. Learning to read with eyes attuned to the saints who populate great works of literature moves us toward holiness, where God opens up a way of living that extends far beyond what we can conjure for ourselves. Literature has the power to show us what a holy life looks like, and these depictions often scandalize even as they shape our imagination. As such, careful reading becomes a sort of countercultural spiritual discipline.

The book includes devotionals, prayers, wisdom from the saints, and more to help individuals and groups cultivate a saintly imagination.

👉 Read my review.

Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander, M. D.

The #1 New York Times bestselling account of a neurosurgeon's own near-death experience.

Thousands of people have had near-death experiences, but scientists have argued that they are impossible. Dr. Eben Alexander was one of those scientists. A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress.

Then, Dr. Alexander’s own brain was attacked by a rare illness. The part of the brain that controls thought and emotion—and in essence makes us human—shut down completely. For seven days he lay in a coma. Then, as his doctors considered stopping treatment, Alexander’s eyes popped open. He had come back.

Alexander’s recovery is a medical miracle. But the real miracle of his story lies elsewhere. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence. There he met, and spoke with, the Divine source of the universe itself.

Alexander’s story is not a fantasy. Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence but only a transition.

This story would be remarkable no matter who it happened to. That it happened to Dr. Alexander makes it revolutionary. No scientist or person of faith will be able to ignore it. Reading it will change your life.

Prayer Without Pretending by Angela Ashwin

If you feel one way and pray another, maybe it's because you're afraid to let God know how you really feel. Angela Ashwin believes that honesty is the key ingredient in any healthy relationship.

But many of us feel uncomfortable being angry or depressed in front of God. Instead, we insist on being politely insincere whenever we pray, thus building a wall between ourselves and God that no amount of time or technique will overcome.

Frustration, guilt, distraction, grief, fear, and even pride can be the raw material for our prayers, if we will consent to being who we really are in the presence of God. Whether we have hurt someone or been hurt ourselves, we can bring our sins and our pain to God and let him decide how to handle them.

God is big enough to deal with our anger and loving enough to dispel our fears. Prayer without Pretending is a book to help you open up to the grace that comes from living in God's presence as you really are.

Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito

Becoming a better, happier mom starts with the stories you tell your kids.

As a mom, you want to nurture a strong family, but fear steals your joy. Sometimes you wonder if you're failing your children or whether you're cut out for this.

Beloved writer and mom of seven Jennifer Pepito understands. She was intent on loving her children well, but fear and worry pushed her around. Ultimately, she found her joy in a most surprising place: the pages of classic literature she was reading aloud to her children every day. These stories helped her reclaim the wonder of childhood for herself and her children.

In Mothering by the Book, Jennifer takes you on a fascinating, whimsical journey that will bring freedom and fun to your parenting--one great book at a time.

👉 Read my review.

Suncoast Empire by Frank A. Cassell

Silver Medal Florida Book Awards Nonfiction.

In the early 20th century, Bertha Palmer was one of the best-known and wealthiest women in America. She was an art collector, women's rights advocate, businesswoman, owner of Chicago's Palmer House Hotel, and had elegant homes in Chicago, Paris, and London.

In 1910 she traveled to the small and rough settlement called Sarasota on the west coast of Florida. For some reason, she decided to spend much of each year for the rest of her life on one of America's last frontiers, investing in cattle and farming, creating communities out of marshlands, pine forests, and tropical jungles. The society queen and social reform advocate excelled as a frontier entrepreneur, just as she had in every other endeavor in her life. She managed to make a good deal of money and to change Sarasota forever.

👉 Read my review.

Sunday, January 1, 2023

December 2022 Reading Recap & January 2023 TBR

My December 2022 Reads:

Christmas break provided me with extra reading time and I'm thankful for it. 😊 I managed to complete my 2022 Goodreads challenge of reading 75 books this year. In a few days, I'll be posting my lists of favorite reads.

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

Suncoast Empire: Bertha Honore Palmer, Her Family, and the Rise of Sarasota by Frank A. Cassell - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

Giving Your Words by Sally and Clay Clarkson - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

A Life Renewed by Olivia Rae - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review available 1/12/23.

In Love's Time by Kate Breslin - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

Entertaining Angels: True Stories and Art Inspired by Divine Encounters by Anne Neilson - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph with a gender-swapped, fantasy setting. Interesting, with some really good spiritual truths.

Just Enough Luck by Aspen Hadley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - My favorite of The Drake Duology. Fun to read once.

Just Enough Magic by Aspen Hadley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Winter at the White Queen by Denise Weimer - ⭐⭐ - Though I received a finished copy, the novella held a weak story and errors in spelling and grammar (particularly in the first few chapters).