Chain Of Mercy By Brenda S. Anderson + GIVE AWAY

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Chain of Mercy by Brenda S. Anderson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! Be sure to check out my fun guest post below from Brenda!

About the Book

Title: Chain of Mercy
Series: Coming Home
Author: Brenda Anderson
Publisher: Independently published through The Mosaic Collection (2nd ed.)
Release Date: April 22, 2014 (1st ed.)
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Christian)

A devastating argument
One reckless decision
An unforgivable sin 

Successful Manhattan businessman Richard Brooks is living the dream, drunk with success and all its trappings, until one reckless decision turns his dream life into a living nightmare. 

Richard flees to Minneapolis where he repairs ancient boilers instead of solving corporate problems, and he's determined to live the solitary life he now deserves. 

Executive Sheila Peterson has other plans for the handsome custodian. Richard appears to be the perfect match for the no-strings-attached romance she's after, but she soon discovers that he's hiding more than the designer clothes in his closet. 

Richard can't deny the allure of a relationship with Sheila. The closer they get, though, the greater the risk that she will discover not only who he used to be but also the unforgivable sin he committed that reckless night. 

 PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Guest Post:

What do you like best about starting a new series? Do you like getting to know the characters as they're fleshed out as you write, making a new "world" come to life from your imagination, watching as the story in your mind comes to life on the page, or...?

Personally, I appreciate Christian fiction that tackles the grittier side of life. How do you determine the level of "grit" you use in a story and what that topic will be?

I’m always glad to meet readers who appreciate stories with some “grit” in them. Personally, that’s what I love to read, and when I put my fingers to the keyboard, that’s what comes out. I prefer stories that deal with real life, and that have imperfect, relatable characters. Think Nancy Drew vs. Trixie Belden. Even when I was young, I preferred Trixie over Nancy because Nancy was too perfect, and I couldn’t relate to her whereas Trixie was always messing up.

As for determining which lines to cross, that varies with each book.

In Chain of Mercy, a story that includes abortion, you have to allude to sex. One character is a prodigal and another never believed, so that determines the author’s first step. Those characters aren’t going to believe or behave as Christians would. Another book of mine, A Beautiful Mess, is about a couple who divorced after he had an affair. As far as what to include, I never go behind closed doors, but I will not ignore that something is going on behind that door.

The topics I choose often come from the news. I’ll hear a news story and wonder, what happened afterward? Or what made those people act that way? And I’ll have to “finish” their story from my perspective and ask God to show me the heart that He sees, often in very broken people.

Years ago, I’d watched an interview with a woman who’d fought for years for her husband’s release from prison, and she finally won that battle. The interviewer asked how they were doing now, and she replied that they were divorced. My first thought was, you loved him enough to fight hard for him but couldn’t stay married?

Well, that story needed to be explored, which meant including scenes inside a prison. I couldn’t have prisoners speak on the page as they would in real life, so I had to come up with creative ways to allude to the course language without putting it in print. Sometimes it was as simple as “he cursed” and other times it might be something like, “the language that poured from his mouth was worse than the water in a cesspool.” It shows reality without sharing every detail.

In a way, the allusion creates an illusion for the readers. The story is still gritty, it still deals with real life situations, without having to create an exact replica of the scene.

Thank you for hosting me!

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About the Author

Brenda S. Anderson writes authentic and gritty life-affirming fiction that shows God at work in people’s messy lives. She enjoys live sports and theater, walking along the shores of Lake Superior, and sharing hot cocoa with friends and family. She lives near Minneapolis with her newly retired husband and their mischievous twin kitties.

Connect with Brenda at brendaandersonbooks.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a book box which includes a paperback copy of Chain of Mercy and locally crafted, book-related items like a Booktrovert glass tumbler, bath balls, a bookish tote, bookmarks, and much more!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 28, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 4, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for book box. Winner outside the US will receive a $30 Amazon gift card and ebook. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

For A Lifetime By Gabrielle Meyer

For a Lifetime

by Gabrielle Meyer

Publisher: Bethany House

Series: Timeless

ISBN: 9780764239762

Oh, this series! It has captured me completely. If you love unique stories that transport you to another place and time, do NOT miss any of these! As part of her launch team, Gabrielle Meyer sent me a copy of her book for review.

Summary:

Grace and Hope are identical twin sisters born with the ability to time-cross together between 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, and 1912 New York City. As their twenty-fifth birthday approaches, they will have to choose one life to keep and one to leave behind forever--no matter the cost.

In 1692, they live and work in their father's tavern, where they must watch helplessly as the witch trials unfold in their village, threatening everyone. With the help of a handsome childhood friend, they search for the truth behind their mother's mysterious death, risking everything to expose a secret that could save their lives--or be their undoing.

In 1912, Hope dreams of becoming one of the first female pilots in America, and Grace works as an investigative journalist, uncovering corruption and injustice. After their parents' orphanage is threatened by an adversary, they enter a contest to complete a perilous cross-country flight under the guidance of a daring French aviator.

The sisters have already decided which timeline they will choose, but an unthinkable tragedy complicates the future they planned for themselves. As their birthday looms, how will they determine the lives--and loves--that are best for both of them?

My Review:

How do you put into words a book that simultaneously wrecked you and made your heart happy? Where to even begin...

The author has done it again. She's pulled me in and beguiled me with her incredible story writing and characters who easily worked their way into my heart. This time we have twin time travelers. HOW is she going to pull this off do you ask? Oh, she does and she does it marvelously. For a Lifetime was more than I could've hoped for!

Hope and Grace do seem different on the surface level. Grace is the typical oldest sibling. She's responsible, thoughtful, selfless, and kind. Hope is feisty, hard-headed, challenging, and gruff. But, both women are passionate about what's important to them, put fear behind them when something needs doing, and loves the other one more deeply than we can ever imagine.

With this set during the Salem witch trials, it's definitely a nail biter! People are being accused of witchcraft left and right. Their father isn't interested in protecting the girls. He isn't interested in them period aside from how they can serve him. Let's just say I have a few choice words for this man, as well as many others in this village. Thank goodness their parents during 1912 are much more pleasant!

In the other timeline they live in, the world is changing so rapidly. Hope is fearless in wanting to be the first woman pilot to set records and help her family. Grace's journalism puts her family in a rough spot so both girls do what they can to help raise the money they need. Hope will do it by attempting flights that have never been done by a woman. Grace will do her part with writing exclusive articles. To say both ladies have their own challenges would be putting it mildly.

There's more to unravel throughout the story than I can possibly mention here, but everything the twins encounter in the months leading up to their 25th birthday, when they must choose which time to live in, you'll have felt like you've lived a lifetime with them.

I had moments where my heart soared with joy. Then there were the times when I was yelling, "NOOOOOOO!" at my book. My heart and mind went through the wringer in the two days it took to read it. I'll admit to being surprised at the tears that flowed at one point in the story as well. I'm telling you, the story captivated me!

Of course, the thread of faith throughout the story is a strong one. I thought it was so interesting comparing the Quakers to the Puritans. What a scary time to live in, but understandable why people like Hope didn't know what or how to believe in God. I appreciated how the author handled it for both women.

About the Author:

Gabrielle Meyer (GabrielleMeyer.com) is an ECPA bestselling author. She has worked for state and local historical societies and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides along the banks of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. By day, she's a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and nonfiction filled with hope.

The Song Of Sourwood Mountain By Ann H. Gabhart

the Song of Sourwood Mountain

by Ann H. Gabhart

Publisher: Revell

ISBN: 9780800741730

I'm such a huge fan of Ann H. Gabhart's writing. She gives the reader such a vivid sense of the hills of Kentucky in her stories. I couldn't wait to read her newest release, The Song of Sourwood Mountain. Revell sent me a copy for review.

Summary:

The doors she thought were closed forever are starting to open up . . . just a crack

Though the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean's hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher--until Gordon Covington shows up.
 
No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in Eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that.
 
With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who just might end up becoming the family she always yearned for.

My Review:

One of the many things I love about this author's stories is that they're about so much more than just the main characters. Usually it's just about as much of whole town or group of people included in the story. That definitely goes for The Song of Sourwood Mountain. On top of that, her stories always make me feel like I've just sat at the feet of a southern grandmama telling a tale.

The story started out so funny with Gordon asking Mira to marry him. Reading the exchange between the two was funny and sad. Poor Gordon, so awkward with his request and Mira dumbfounded by it just as much. But God...

As we know, we make our plans, but God knows our beginning through our end. Things won't always go as expected, which Mira (and in turn Gordon) found out. Talk about doors being closed when you think you're supposed to walk through them.

I was surprised at how little time the story covered because how well it was written, I felt like I'd really gotten to know Mira and Gordon. I absolutely adored getting to know Ada June, a girl without a mama or a family to call her own, but she has family in the way of Bo, her faithful companion. Do you ever get emotional with stories? I can tell you, I unexpectedly cried twice while I was reading!

The author is SO gifted in writing stories about the people in the hills (and hollers) of Kentucky. She sets a stage that gives me the sense of being there. And she seems to do it so effortlessly. The "ways" of the people come across exactly as I would've imagined them in this time period. It was incredibly believable. Life is hard, but their way of life is so well known to them. They have to rely on each other and that's evidenced throughout the story whether it's taking care of the preacher and his new wife, Ada June, or Elsinore.

I wish I could start the book all over again with new eyes because I loved the story so much I want to experience it a second time like it was the first. I have a feeling Mira and Ada June will stay on my mind and in my heart for a long while.

About the Author:

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of many novels, including In the Shadow of the River, When the Meadow Blooms, Along a Storied Trail, An Appalachian Summer, River to Redemption, These Healing Hills, and Angel Sister. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm's fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. Learn more at AnnHGabhart.com.

A Run At Love By Toni Shiloh

A Run at Love

by Toni Shiloh

Publisher: Bethany House

Series: Love in the Spotlight

ISBN: 9780764241512

I was so happy to be able to join the author's launch team for her second book in her Love in the Spotlight series! Of course, my love of horses pulled me to the story as well. I was sent her book for review.

Summary:

A CONTENDER RUNNING FOR THE ROSES

As a Black woman in a field with little diversity, Piper McKinney is determined to make her mark on the horse-racing world. Raised on a Thoroughbred farm in Kentucky, Piper's dream is for her horse to win the prestigious Kentucky Derby. With the help of her best friend and trainer, Tucker Hale, she gains national attention but must grapple with the complications that arise when a journalist delves into her past as a transracial adoptee.

A BEST FRIEND RACING FOR LOVE

In an effort to win Piper's heart, Tucker formulates a plan to train Piper's horse to victory, hoping to prove himself to her, her parents, and his own self-doubts. Then a shocking scandal hits the media, implicating both Piper and her parents, and she and Tucker will have to survive the onslaught to find their way to the winner's circle--and each other.

A ROMANCE WORTH THE CHALLENGE

My Review:

Where are my romance readers? A Run at Love is a story you do NOT want to miss. It'll give you all of the heart eyes.

Piper is an adult, but as a the adopted only child of white parents, she's trying to find her identity apart from them. Not an easy task when they're famous parents in the horse racing world. Tucker is the family's horse trainer who has had eyes only for Piper ever since he's known her. Most of the beginning of the story revolves around the two of them dancing around their feelings for each other even though they're only "best friends."

The author covers a lot of important topics in this story, a couple of which are adoption and transracial families. I really appreciated how the author approached the diversity, especially in the horse-racing world, which I know next to nothing about. It seemed realistic how people would focus on a Black woman being the owner of a horse in these big races, but also being the daughter of white parents. So many times I just shook my head because of the insensitivity of questions from reporters and others in the field.

I thought the scandal was interesting, yet not surprising because of the world they all live in. Piper had a lot to deal with in a very short period of time. Thank goodness for Tuck being by her side the whole way. I liked how the author helped Piper and Tucker work out the possible struggle of their races for the reader as they were sharing their thoughts. 

Oh my word, the faith that's infused throughout this entire story is absolutely wonderful! I was so thankful how strong that thread was with all of the characters. A lot of Truth spoken by them.

I'm already looking forward to Chris's story!

About the Author:

Toni Shiloh is a wife, a mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. Her novel In Search of a Prince won the first ever Christy Amplify Award. It has also been praised by Oprah Daily, POPSUGAR, Library Journal, and Booklist and is a Parable bestseller. Her books have won the Christy Award and Selah Award and have been finalists for the Carol Award and the HOLT Medallion. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Toni loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. Learn more at ToniShiloh.com.

Darkness Calls The Tiger By Janyre Tromp

Darkness Calls the TIGER

by Janyre Tromp

Publisher: Kregel

ISBN: 9780825448508

Can I say that people who say Christian fiction never tackles hard topics or gets gritty in their storylines hasn't read CF lately! I have been loving books that have been publishing lately that dive into deep storylines, and when I heard about Janyre's book Darkness Calls the Tiger was coming out, I HAD to get onto her team! She sent me her book for review.

Summary:

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary.

As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai's father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages.

War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance.

Afraid he's losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?

My Review:

Where to begin to share my thoughts on this deep and powerful story. I couldn't even have imagined what I'd read in Darkness Calls the Tiger had I tried. Yes, it's set during WWII, but not the WWII you'd be thinking of.

I will say that this story isn't an easy read. War stories typically aren't, but this one is next level. It's raw, and dark, and gives you a clear understanding as to why people have PTSD to the nth degree! I "enjoy" war stories because they remind me of the resilience of human beings, people overcoming the odds, overcoming death. Thankfully, reading them with a Christian worldview, there's hope infused into those stories. Like Moran Kai, sometimes people have to dig deep (deeper than we could ever imagine) to find and hold onto that faith.

We meet Kai as a wide-eyed little girl. Then, everything changes. Her entire world is turned upside down. She and her parents are living as missionaries in this small village in Burma. Years later, she and her father are still in the village when the Japanese start to infiltrate the Kachin Mountains. Ryan shows up to come alongside them as a missionary. Not long after, Kai's father heads into the jungle and leaves them to take care of the villagers.

It's so interesting how the author weaves in their beliefs and understanding of God together, but also how they're still somewhat attached to their former ways. Kai has been around these people all her life and she has learned their ways. Many of the people don't trust her because of reasons I won't reveal, but it has a profound impact on her when the villagers have to flee for their lives.

What Kailyn goes through for the entirety of the book is absolutely traumatizing, but when is war not? Nothing is left out in this story. Horrific things happen left and right. YET, there's always this underlying faith that stalks Kai like a tiger. Will she give in to the light or to the darkness? Ryan, despite all of his effort, can't keep her safe, but the choices she makes for so many painful reasons, leads them on a journey that's treacherous and filled with destruction.

I'll admit that this story isn't going to be for everyone, but it certainly was for me. It's not an easy read, but there's a force that pulled me to keep going. It's heavy, but the people endure. It's dark, but there is always a spot of light drawing the characters to keep doing the "first thing's first". My heart was twisted and wrung out by the time I finished the story, but like spring shoots of green begin to sprout and a teeny tiny ray of sunshine begins to unwind it.

I hope you'll give this story a chance because I think you'll find it powerful and gives hope in the end!

About the Author:

Janyre Tromp is a developmental book editor who has worked in the publishing industry for more than twenty years, spending time in both marketing and editorial. When she isn’t writing, she’s a Bible study leader, writers conference speaker, ACFW member, wife, and mom of two kids and their menagerie of slightly eccentric pets. Visit her at janyretromp.com.

The Roads We Follow By Nicole Deese

The Roads We Follow

by Nicole Reese

Publisher: Bethany House

Series: A Fog Harbor Romance

ISBN: 9780764241192

IF you don't have an auto-buy author, may I present to you, Nicole Deese! She should be at the top of your list! She invited me to be on her launch team, and I accepted wholeheartedly! This series has been exceptional! She sent me her book for review!

Summary:

A cross-country road trip. A secretive box of journals. An unforgettable summer romance.

As the youngest daughter of a country music legend, Raegan Farrow longs to establish an identity away from the spotlight and publish her small-town romances under a pen name. But after her dream is dashed when she won't exploit her mother's fame to further her own career, she hears a rumor from a reliable source regarding a tell-all being written about the Farrow family. Making matters worse, the unknown author has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous until publication.

Raegan chooses to keep the tell-all a secret from her scandal-leery sisters as they embark on a two-week cross-country road trip at their mother's request and makes it her mission to expose the identity of the author behind the unsanctioned biography. But all is complicated when she discovers their hired bus driver, Micah Davenport, has a hidden agenda of his own--one involving both of their mothers and an old box of journals. As they rely on each other to find the answers they seek, the surprising revelations they unearth will lead them down an unexpected road of love and reconciliation.

My Review:

You ever have a book you know you're going to love just because of all of the other ones you've read by an author and STILL end up being blown away? Yea, that happened to me once again with The Roads We Follow! There are so many layers and dynamics throughout it that it'll be difficult for me to wrap it all up with a neat bow.

The story is told from two perspectives: Raegan and Micah. Their families have a history together; one that is bittersweet. Raegan's famous country singing mama surprises her 3 daughters by pretty much forcing them on a road trip. Micah becomes their bus driver after connecting with Luella, the matriarch of the family.

Raegan wants to have an identity apart from the family business, but her older sister, Adele, runs a tight ship and there's no straying. Middle sister, Hattie, who Raegan is charged with keeping an eye on, is in a downward spiral. Micah has recently learned a bit of family history which is his impetus for ending up behind the wheel of their bus. Little do they know that this road trip and Micah are going to have a profound, lifelong impact on all of them.

Man, this was such a roller coaster ride of emotions. From Raegan learning about a tell-all that puts her mother, father, and family business in a terrible light, to Micah's secret, Hattie's shattered world, Adele's need for control, and Luella trying to keep her family together, we're along for the ride!

Secrets have a way of destroying families and ruining friendships, even when done with good intentions. Lack of communication can do the same thing. Both are evidenced in this story. What I loved about Raegan and Micah is that even though they just meet, there's an innate sense of trust. While their budding friendship hits a few bumps in the road, I enjoyed watching them grow as people and becoming better versions of themselves while they're together. They work as a team and it's a joy to read.

The author has this beautiful gift of drawing the reader into the heart of the story - for each character. You can see the perspectives of each person and have empathy towards them. Well, except for one person - who we'd all like to give the "what for"!

And it's so clear that the Lord is the centerpiece of this story. His healing, forgiveness, and making all things new are evident throughout. I'm incredibly grateful for stories like this. It's not forced or thrown in here and there. It's woven in so naturally throughout.

While I can't wait for book three, I'm just happy to rest in the satisfaction of getting to know the characters in this story and wonder how they're all doing now!

About the Author:

Nicole Deese (nicoledeese.com) is a Christy and Carol Award-winning, bestselling author of hope-filled, humorous, and heartfelt contemporary romance novels. When she's not sorting out character arcs and story plots of her own, she can usually be found listening to an audiobook and multitasking at least four different chores at once. She's a hoarder of sparkling water, a lover of long walks and even longer talks with friends, and a seeker of fun and adventure at all times. She lives in small-town Idaho with her happily-ever-after hubby, two freakishly tall teenage sons, and one princess daughter with the heart of a warrior.