Lullaby by the River Blog Tour by Temperance Johnson

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Lullaby by the River by Temperance Johnson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Lullaby by the River ‎
Series: Amish River
Author: Temperance Johnson
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Genre: Amish Fiction

An unique Amish love story.  

A wounded woman with no way out…unless she marries her ex. 

After unexpected abuse, quiet and happy Priscilla Yoder thinks her life can’t get worse. But then she finds out she’s pregnant, and her family and church insist she marry the man who hurt her. When a man she used to love, a man who wants to leave the Amish, offers to marry her, she doesn’t see a better option. 

Danny Taylor, charming bad boy of his Amish community, is ready to leave the plain life. But when a woman he used to love finds herself in danger of marriage to an evil man, he can't resist offering marriage to keep her safe. Only problem is, he didn’t expect to fall for his bride so fast. She's softening his tough heart and showing him that there’s a good side to the Amish. As they grow closer, he realizes this gorgeous woman in pain has giant walls, and it will take both patience and faith if he wants to scale them. 

Caring for Danny was never what Priscilla wanted. And she never expected his faith to bring her closer to God. 

But when Danny’s past wounds resurface, and as Priscilla learns to hope again, can they trust God to make their relationship more than just a marriage of convenience?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

My Review

Lullaby by the River is not your average Amish book. It tackles the tough subject of rape and compares Amish and Christian faiths. The subject is well written without going into graphic descriptions. It's a story of a young Amish woman, pregnant and forced by her parents to marry. The father of the baby is a rapist, and Pricilla clings to her last hope for peace. The storyline is exceptional and takes you deep inside the characters, Pricilla and Danny, as both struggle with their marriage and the upcoming birth of the baby. It is a page-turner. Danny and Pricilla search for redemption, stronger faith in God, and forgiveness through Jesus. Their journey is heartbreaking, but the author gives the reader a powerful, positive, uplifting message. All things are possible with God. It's a great read. I received a complimentary copy from the author; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

Also Available

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About the Author

Temperance Johnson has always loved to read and write. As one of eleven children, she read from her older sister's books. With that, her love for both reading and writing has only continued to grow. Passionate about the subjects of adoption, family, and faith, she started the Liberty Chronicles and now her Amish fiction. In her free time, she plays with her ponies and many nieces and nephews. Her horses even made it into her stories. She enjoys spoiling her ten nephews and twenty-three nieces.

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

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a $20 Baker Book House gift card and a print copy of Lullaby by the River!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 8, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 15, 2025. 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. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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

I Dream for You: Imagining God's Love and Plans for Your Life by Kate Wood

 Description

A mother’s dreams for her child begin before they are born and continue as they grow and discover dreams of their own. From Kate Wood, the writer of the award-winning Wood and Spoon blog and author of Her Daily Bread comes this beautiful picture book about a mother’s love, God's plans, and the vast potential in every child.

https://a.co/d/7EHCTDG

My Thoughts

The book is large and filled with love—the love of a mother, but most importantly, the love of God. Each child is born with unconditional love from God, who has a purpose for our lives. The book discusses possibilities and how a parent wishes the best for their child.

The illustrations depict various nationalities and the fact that we are all loved by God. Every child has dreams and hopes as they grow and learn who they are meant to be. The book reminds us that dreams are fueled by love.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

                                                     Created with Microsoft AI Creator

Wondering What to Give the Children for Easter: Consider The Jesus Storybook Bible and God's Great Love

 

The Jesus Storybook Bible

Trusted and treasured for over a decade, The Jesus Storybook Bible has been introducing children to God’s wonderful story, and the Savior at the center of that story.

 With over 6 million copies sold, The Jesus Storybook Bible is the quintessential book for parents, grandparents, pastors, and anyone else who wants to share God’s Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love with children. 

While other kids’ Bibles contain stories from the Old and New Testaments, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible, pointing to Jesus as our Savior. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the Story unfolds, children will clearly see that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation—and at the center of their story too.

                                                          Created with Microsoft AI

The Jesus Storybook Bible includes stories from the Old Testament and New Testament in a way children can understand. Every story whispers the name of Jesus.

The Bible has beautiful illustrations, so children will be drawn to them as they listen to or read the stories. This would be a wonderful addition to your home children's library and a great gift to share with others.

https://amzn.to/43p28sn

                                             

                      My Little Library of God’s Great Love

4 in 1 box set! These simply written board books remind little ones of God’s enduring love, nearness, and protection. From the author of the bestselling The Jesus Storybook Bible, Sally Lloyd-Jones, and award-winning illustrator Jago, bring you this 4-book boxed set of board books, which encourages young and old alike to remember that we are all loved in very special ways by God. Featuring- Loved: The Lord’s Prayer, Found: Psalm 23, Near: Psalm 139, Known: Psalm 139.

The Little Library of God's Great Love comes in four board books for young children. It comes in its own pocket for placement on a shelf. Each covers a story about Psalms 139, 23, and the Lord's Prayer. It's a sturdy washable set for young hands. Easy-to-read text for children to understand. The illustrations are brightly colored and are appealing to the eyes. Start your children off with an introduction to God.

https://amzn.to/43p28sn

                                                                   Created with Microsoft AI

Have a Blessed Easter!

Foster's Leash by Sarah Sommer Book Tour

 

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Foster's Leash by Sarah Sommer
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7),  38 pages
Genre:  Children's Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot Kids
Release date:  April 2025
Content Rating:  G - Picture book intended for children. No mature language or themes.

Book Description:

Fostering animals isn't easy. Suddenly, you're living with a strange dog that needs your help. And once you’ve finally bonded, it’s time to say goodbye. But hard things are worth doing, especially when they change lives.

Follow along to see rescue dog Pepper and her foster family navigate the foster process, the feelings that come with it, and how one leash makes all the difference.

Buy the Book
Mascot Books
 Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
Bookshop.org ~ Books-A-Million
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Sarah Sommer is an award-winning children’s picture book author who aims to tell stories that evoke emotion. As a former professional musician, Sarah values the way words, art, and stories come together in picture books. Having fostered many German shepherds, Sarah is passionate about animal advocacy and helping others. Sarah wrote this book to showcase the foster process and inspire others to open their hearts and homes.

connect with the author:  website ~ facebook  ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

MY REVIEW

5 Star

Fosters Leash is a well-written and illustrated book about fostering a pet and the sadness of letting them go to their forever home.

The brightly colored illustrations will catch children's eyes, and the written text will evoke emotions as the pages are read. Children will learn that fostering a pet involves compassion, strength, and courage to do the right thing for the pet.

The summary in the back of the book explains the reality of fostering so that the parent and child can discuss opportunities in their community and whether or not to become involved.  

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

Enter Competition

Review of When the Sky Burned Blog Tour by Liz Tolma

 

About the Book

 

Book: When the Sky Burned (A Day to Remember Book 6)

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release date: March 1, 2025

A Tornado of Fire and Embezzlement Sweep through a Community  

Enjoy a series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.

Promising painter Mariah Randolph longs to have her canvases displayed in the world’s best museums, and Hollis Stanford, the heir of a railroad tycoon, is her ticket to success. The railroad’s bookkeeper, Jay Franklin, discovers discrepancies and is convinced that Hollis is stealing from the company. But any proof of his dirty dealings go up in smoke when fire utterly destroys the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, October 8, 1871.

The fire leaves Mariah blind, but Jay befriends her and even helps her to start painting again. But a trip to Chicago to return Hollis’s daughter to him could put both Mariah and Jay in more danger than even the fire that devastated the town and their lives.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

5 Star

When the Sky Burned is one of the best historical fiction stories I've read this year. The vivid descriptions of the fire's devastation and people's loss captured my attention. I couldn't stop reading and was amazed as each circumstance brought betrayal, secrets, and lots of unexpected action with a twist as I waited to see what would come next.

The author has woven historical details along with a heart-wrenching yet inspirational story. The characters are so well-fleshed out, stripped down to their flaws and strengths, that I couldn't help rooting for them. Young Angelina's plight brought tears to my eyes. Despite their losses, the main character's faith shines through, filling them with hope.

The ending wrapped everything up nicely. I highly recommend you read this one.

The author provided me with a complimentary copy; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

 

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast.

 

 

 

More from Liz

I stared at my computer screen in front of me. For years, I had been searching for my great-grandmother, Anna. I got no good information. Census records in the US weren’t helpful. Some listed her birthplace as Czechoslovakia, while others had it as Austria. I had heard before that she might have been born in Czechoslovakia before, but never Austria. There were no records that I had come across that listed the city or town where she was born.

Until that one day. While searching for my great-grandmother, I ran across a passport application recorded in Warsaw, Poland, for an Anna with the same last name, though spelled differently. Her birthday was listed as 1903, which matched the birth year I knew for my great-grandmother’s niece. As I read through the application, my heart was pounding. This Anna was born in the United States but went to Dubne, Poland, with her family in 1906. It was now 1923, and she wanted to return to the US, and she would be living with…

I started to cry when I saw who her sponsor was. My great-grandfather. The name and address were correct. There could be no doubt about it. It had taken me years, but I finally made the jump to Europe and discovered that my great-grandmother was not born in Czechoslovakia but in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now Poland.

Of course, good little researcher that I am, I had to find out all I could about Dubne, the town they were from. That’s when I first came across the term Lemko. What on earth was that?

Lemkos are a Slavic people that settled in the Carpathian Mountains of Southern Poland, Northern Slovakia, and Western Ukraine. They are also known as Lemko Rusyns, Rusyns (especially those born in Slovakia, like my great-grandfather), and Carptho-Rusyns. The mountains kept the world at bay, and they developed their own language, customs, and form of Christianity. For the most part, they were very poor, many of them eking out a living from the rocky ground.

They lived in “black houses,” called that because the poorest people couldn’t afford to have a chimney built. The smoke from the cooking and heating fires stayed inside the house and covered the walls with black tar. If you look at the cemetery records from Dubne, you would be old if you lived into your fifties. Conditions were brutal.

The most the average Lemko could afford was one sheep or one pig. Since this was their most prized possession, they couldn’t take the chance of a wild animal or a neighbor taking it away, so it lived in the house with them.

With all of them. Up to eleven people would live in a two-room house. When I mentioned that in What I Left for You, my editor questioned if I had made a mistake. No, I didn’t. I have no idea how they fit all those people in there, but they did. As I was tracking one branch of our family tree, I kept coming up with people living in house 43. Over and over and over. They stuffed that house full. Grandparents, parents, and children all lived together. They may not have had much, but that forged the Lemkos into strong and resilient people.

I’m proud to be Lemko-Rusyn, and I’m thrilled to share this story with you. I infused Helena, the historical heroine, with as much of the Lemko spunk and spirit as I could. Last October, my daughter and I had the privilege to travel to Poland and Slovakia and see the Lemko homeland for ourselves. It helped me to write a better, richer story because I now understand where they came from and who they were. Enjoy Helena’s story and her journey during WWII and beyond. I hope you come to understand and appreciate the Lemko people as much as I have.

                  Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 27

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 28

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 28

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 29

Simple Harvest Reads, March 30 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Texas Book-aholic, March 30

Betti Mace, March 31

Lily’s Corner, March 31

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 1

Devoted Steps, April 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 3

Blogging with Carol, April 4

Connie’s History Classroom, April 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 5

For Him and My Family, April 5

Stories By Gina, April 6 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 6

Bizwings Book Blog, April 7

Cover Lover Book Review, April 7

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, April 8

Jodie Wolfe, April 8

Holly’s Book Corner, April 9

Pause for Tales, April 9

                   Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54187

Review of Princess Paris Finds Her Purpose by Demi-Leigh Tebow

 

Anti-trafficking advocate and former Miss Universe and Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Tebow encourages young readers to find their purpose and help others in need in her first children’s book about a princess who loses her crown, starring Demi’s real-life dog Paris the dalmatian.

When her crown is stolen, Princess Paris fears she’ll never get it back. How can she represent her king without her crown? She doesn’t feel much like a princess and worries all the animals on the Royal Savanna won’t take her seriously without it. But as each animal Paris meets faces a unique problem, she discovers that being a princess requires more than wearing a shiny crown.

This adventurous story

is paw-fect for ages 4 to 8 ,focuses on finding your purpose and being kind,is a creative conversation starter between parents and children about helping others, andis a perfect choice for a nursery display or a baby shower or birthday gift. Take your children on this adventurous African safari with Paris, Kobe, and Chunk (the whole Tebow Pack!) and show them that helping others is the greatest purpose of all.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D8VLBJ93

My Review

Princess Paris Finds Her Purpose is a fun children's book. The colorful and beautiful illustrations will make you smile as you visit the many animals of the Royal Savannah and follow Princess Paris's adventure.

There is a wonderful lesson taught through the reading of the story that will uplift children. The hardcover book is sturdy, and I was happy with the quality. It is one that adults and young children will enjoy reading.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

Julie

Review of New Release- Amish Country Killer by Mary Alford

 

An unsolved mystery…

Seeking the truth could be fatal.

Reopening the investigation of her mother's disappearance puts chief of police Diana Fisher in someone’s lethal sights. As she delves deeper into the mystery, a murderer resurfaces, targeting the Amish community. Detective Micah Nissley, whose fiancée went missing a decade ago, joins forces with Diana to stop the threats and bring the killer to justice. But can they uncover the connection between Diana and the culprit before she becomes the next victim?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CWP4KT4Q

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today Bestselling Author, Mary Alford, loves giving her readers the un-expected, whether it be in a rugged mountain setting or a peaceful Amish community.

Her titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestselling List, Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling List, and have been finalists in the Daphne Du Maurier award of excellence, The Beverly, The Maggie, and The Selah Awards.

Mary is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Face-book and Twitter or any social platforms listed at www.maryalford.net.

My Review

Amish Country Killer is one of the most intense stories I've read lately. It's so good that it hardly gives you time to breathe between the chapters. Non-stop action that will leave you breathless, wondering what will happen next. The connections to the serial killer will tempt you to try to solve the secrets but will have you shaking your head.

Diana and Micah's characters had many layers, and the spiritual aspects of the story were woven seamlessly. I enjoyed turning the pages to watch everything unfold, and the ending wrapped everything up nicely but will surprise you. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. A positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

Julie