Friday, April 11, 2025

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: The Wanderer's Legacy by Natasha Woodcraft

Book: The Wanderer’s Legacy (The Wanderer Series Book Three. It can be read as a standalone.)

Author: Natasha Woodcraft

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: April 10, 2025

Adah lives trapped between the life she yearned for and the life she chose. Childless and desperate, she’s failed to produce an heir for her once-devoted husband, Lamech. As his love turns to obsession and control, Adah finds herself drawn to whispered legends of a mysterious Wanderer.

When Lamech takes a second wife, Adah’s world shatters – sending her fleeing to her family home. There, a fragile sense of freedom awakens long-buried hopes. But her body hides a secret that will propel her back into the heart of danger.

As survival becomes a daily challenge, can a legend offer her the salvation she craves? Or does someone else hold the power to help her dwell in safety?

Click here to get your copy!

Christian Biblical Fiction is an interesting genre. The Wanderer’s Legacy by Natasha Woodcraft is Book Three in the Wanderers Series. It can be read as a Standalone book.

I will say that it took me a couple chapters before I understood the storyline. I have read Genesis 4 many times in my lifetime, but this book wasn't so clear to me at first. The main characters in this book are Adah, Lamech and Tzillah. Adah and Lamech are married and childless. The fact that Adah hasn't been able to bear children for Lamech really burdens their marriage, especially as Lemech become controlling. Adah decides to leave and go back to her family, when Lamech decides to take a second wife(common in early Biblical times though not encouraged). I LOVE how Adah felt FREE from the burdens of marriage and bearing a child for Lamech. Adah had been living who a hardened heart, but after leaving she really feels Jesus calling her and gives her life to Jesus. I really LOVE the growth in the story and that I was finally able to get past the first 2 chapters. Adah had more strength then she really knew she had. I LOVED reading Adah's story. I think though who love Biblical Fiction will really enjoy this book. GOOD BOOK!

Natasha Woodcraft lives in the UK with her family of boys and menagerie of animals. She holds an honours degree in Theology and believes stories have power to communicate deep truth and transform lives. Her novels explore God’s redemptive purposes for ordinary, messy people living in biblical times.

More from Natasha

I wrote The Wanderer’s Legacy because I believe stories have the power to communicate deep truths and transform lives, and Bible stories are no exception! Lamech, the first man to have two wives, features way back in Genesis 4, after Cain & Abel and before Noah. It’s not even a story, really, it’s a little poem stuck at the end of a chapter. What is it doing there, and what can it teach us about God’s goodness during a really dark time in humanity’s history?

That’s what this novel is about. It was an excuse to engage deeply with that story and the result is full of biblical truth that I hope will draw the reader closer to Jesus, understanding how his redemptive purposes are woven through the fabric of the whole Bible, even obscure little poems that almost feel like a sidenote.

Rather than telling you more, I’m just going to share the opening with you, to give you a taster…

“Adah presses her back to the pillar, squeezing into its evening shadow. Her heavy breathing is almost as loud as the heartbeat pummelling in her head. Surely someone will hear?

Her chance to escape diminishes with every moment of delay. She is a desert jerboa – alert, aware of every sight and smell, yet frozen in place as she awaits her predator’s pounce.

Azurak should be occupied. Her son arranged it when she pleaded with him on hands and knees, eyes streaming in desperation. But Adah is sure she hears him. His rasping breath and distinct blood-soaked-campfire smell linger, fusing her feet to the ground.

Unless it’s someone worse than Azurak. Perhaps her husband will find her.”

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 10 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, April 11 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 11
Simple Harvest Reads, April 12 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 13
Artistic Nobody, April 14 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, April 15
Guild Master, April 16 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, April 16
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 17
Vicky Sluiter, April 18 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 19
For the Love of Literature, April 20 (Author Interview)
Devoted Steps, April 21
Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 22 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, April 23 (Author Interview)

To celebrate her tour, Natasha is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Amazon gift card and a paperback 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/00adcf54196

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Dawn of Grace: Mary Magdalene’s Story by Jill Eileen Smith

Book: Dawn of Grace: Mary Magdalene’s Story

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Biblical

Release date: February 18, 2025

From her earliest days, Mary Magdalene has known fear and loss at a level so deep she has no hope of surfacing. Bound to the demons within her and incapable of freeing herself, Mary walks in shadow–until one day she encounters a healer, a rabbi who is radically different from the religious leaders and family members who could do nothing to help her. One touch from Jesus and Mary is never the same.

Now Mary’s one mission in life is to serve the one who freed her. She is determined never to leave his side, fearing that if she loses him, she’ll return to her former bondage. Even when the unthinkable happens and her savior is arrested and sentenced to execution, she cannot abandon him as so many others did. Let her be buried in his tomb, for she cannot live without him.

On the brink of despair, Mary is about to discover that while the life of faith is never perfect, perfect love casts out fear–and Jesus makes all things new.

Click here to get your copy!

Christian Biblical Fiction is a very interesting genre. Dawn of Grace: Mary Magdalene’s Story by Jill Eileen Smith is the latest book in this genre that I have read.

I will be honest in that Mary Magdalene is a Biblical Woman of the Bible that I have never really read too much about. I was always very confused as to who Mary Magdalene is. I began reading this book and almost didn't want to finish it. I am glad I kept reading as it gave me more insight as to who Mary Magdalene really is. Mary Magdalene was demonic until one day a Rabbi heals her. She had finally come to Jesus and her life changed forever after that. Mary is determined to help others find Jesus and live a better life. I really LOVE how the author writes a Fiction story that is really close to the Biblical story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Biblical Fiction. Good BOOK!

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther’s Story, Miriam’s Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, Daughter of Eden, and The Ark and the Dove. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times. Jill lives with her family in Michigan.

More from Jill

Dawn of Grace, Mary Magdalene’s story, is a biblical novel based on the life of Mary Magdalene. Step into first century Israel during the time of Jesus Christ and meet the woman whom Jesus healed from demon possession. See how her life went from one of despair to one of grace.

We learn, through Mary’s point of view, what it might have been like to follow the rabbi, Jesus, throughout Galilee and Judea for at least part of His ministry. She is with Him as often as possible, and one of the few women in His circle who stayed with Him all the way to the cross—and watched Him die.

In her grief, Mary learned where they buried Him and determined to return after Shabbat to anoint His beloved body one more time. But when she arrived, He was not where they had lain Him. Distraught, Mary searches for answers until she hears Jesus call her name. She is the first to see the resurrected Messiah, and she is never the same again.

In Dawn of Grace, we imagine how the things we read about in the gospels might have played out through Mary’s eyes. The Bible tells us that she helped support His ministry out of her means, and she is mentioned often as one of His devoted followers. What emotions did she experience as she went from learning about a coming kingdom to hearing her Messiah speak about His coming death and resurrection? The men didn’t understand. Did she? What did she feel in that moment when she thought all hope was lost?

I hope you will gain a new perspective of what it might have been like for one of the New Testament’s most famous women, one who lived in a world where women were not given much notice or status. Yet Jesus included them, and even elevated them. The Scriptures tell us that there is no difference between male and female in God’s eyes. He loves us all. Mary got the chance to see God’s care for her and all women in a way she never expected. God’s love for all is the same today.

Inspired by Fiction, April 3
Lights in a Dark World, April 3
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 4
Texas Book-aholic, April 5
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 6
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 7
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 8
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 9
Life on Chickadee Lane, April 9
Stories By Gina, April 10 (Author Interview)
Devoted Steps, April 10
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 11
Cover Lover Book Review, April 12
For Him and My Family, April 13
Pause for Tales, April 14
EmpowerMoms, April 14
She Lives To Read, April 15
Holly’s Book Corner, April 16

To celebrate her tour, Jill is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback 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/00adcf54191

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Thursday, April 10, 2025

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham

Some Like it Scot JustRead Takeover + Review Tour

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: Some Like it Scot

Author: Pepper Basham

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: April 8, 2025

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together?

Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people's stories. She's built a career as "Miss Adventure," known for saying yes to anything new--country, food, or experience--and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures.

Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman.

Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn't venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme's comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister's death, he's even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan.

As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs? And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what's familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart? How could their very different worlds share the same page of life's story when "home" is in two very different places? But maybe home--and the future--isn't quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person.

Christian RomCom books have become a genre that I really enjoy. Pepper Basham in one of my favorite authors. Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham is Book 4 in the Skymar series. I started the series at Book 3, but I went back and read Books 1 and 2.

WOW, I truly enjoyed this book from the very beginning. The 2 main characters in this story are Katie Campbell and Graeme MacKerrow. Katie is a Podcaster and World Traveler. Katie's travels usually have some sort of mishap, but she finds the mishaps fun. Her current assignment takes her to Scotland for a visit at Craighill House. Her "mishap" for this trip is that she literally bumps into and falls into the arms of Graeme, a Scottish Man. The 2 begin to get to know each other and discover that one thing in common is that they have lost a sister. Katie begins to realize that Graeme is someone special and they begin to really enjoy each others prescense. Katie also now understands that coming to Scotland was more then just a working trip. It was a way to heal from the grief, discover more about herself and find someone she enjoys being with. Graeme is a wonderful Scottish Man and he really complements Katie. I laughed and cried while reading this book. It was also a heartwarming story. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian RomCom books! AMAZING BOOK!

Also Available:

Pepper Basham

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

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

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Some Like it Scot and hairy coo themed gift box!

(1) additional winner will receive a print copy of Some Like it Scot!

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 9, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on April 16, 2025. 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.

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

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: The Rancher's Unexpected Bride by LauraLyn Keller

Book: The Rancher’s Unexpected Bride

Author: Lauralyn Keller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: March 25, 2025

In the rugged Montana Territory, a Boston socialite’s bid for freedom collides with a rancher’s quest for a family.

According to Boston’s elite society, Ella Mountbatten has it all: status, prestige, and a bright future. What they don’t know is that her life as a socialite has become a gilded cage of abuse and oppression under the control of her cruel fiancé and domineering parents. Desperate to escape, Ella flees Boston and seeks refuge in the small town of Harmony Springs, Montana Territory, where her former friend now resides as the sheriff. But with her family determined to drag her back to Boston, Ella’s hard-won freedom—and her very life—hang precariously in the balance.

Rancher, Cody Brooks, is ill-equipped to be the guardian of three orphaned children. But that’s the situation he’s in after the death of his best friend. Now, what he needs is a wife to help provide love and stability to his makeshift family. So when a runaway heiress arrives in need of protection, it seems a marriage of convenience may be the answer to both their prayers.

But with danger closing in from Boston and the challenges of building a new life together, Cody and Ella must confront their deepest fears and desires. Can their marriage of convenience blossom into true love, or will the shadows of Ella’s past tear apart the fragile hope they’ve found in Harmony Springs?

Click here to get your copy!

Christian Historical Fiction is a favorite genre to read. The Rancher's Unexpected Bride by Lauralyn Keller is Book 1 in the Second Chances in Harmony Spring.

I was engrossed in the book from the first few pages. The setting begins in Boston and the majority of the book is set in Harmony Springs, Montana. The 2 main characters of this book are Ella Mountbatten and Cody Brooks. Ella is a Boston Socialite who feels she is being controlled by her parents and her fiancé. She finally decides to flee and heads to a small town in Montana, Harmony Springs. A former friend of hers is currently the Sheriff of this town. Cody Brooks, a resident of Harmony Springs, finds himself being the caregiver of his best friends 3 children after the friend dies. Cody doesn't feel ready to be the parent of 3 children under 6. He and Ella meet when she arrives in town and he recognizes that she needs a safe place to be. A friendship between Cody and Ella begins and Cody realizes that Ella might be an answer to prayer. He knows the kids need a mothers and Ella needs a safe place, especially with her Dad and fiance wanting her to return to Boston. I truly enjoyed this storyline. Ella and Cody's relationship grew as they got to know one another. They also began to have Faith in God that he will protect the family on their new journey. The book is one of Second Chances, Faith, and Family. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Romance. WONDERFUL BOOK!

Lauralyn Keller loves to combine history and romance in stories that touch the heart. She lives in beautiful Colorado and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and reading.

More from Lauralyn

Stories have a funny way of percolating in my mind. I’ll be driving or doing dishes or some other mundane activity, and all of a sudden, an idea pops into my head. What my mind does with it then determines the course of a story.

Here’s a peek at my thought process for The Rancher’s Unexpected Bride.

Marriage of convenience stories are fun—maybe I could write one. Oooh, and I love Montana. It should take place there. Historical, of course, since stepping back in time is also fun. Hmmm….who should the characters be? Maybe a socialite….or an heiress….where would someone like that be from? Philly? New York? Ooh, I know—Boston! Yeah, Boston. Let’s see, her name can be Ella, though that doesn’t sound terribly high society. Maybe Ariella, but she prefers being called Ella. And she wants to leave town because she feels that society life is suffocating her. Hmmm, that doesn’t quite seem like a strong enough reason. Oh! She comes from a stuffy family….with harsh parents….and an abusive fiance. That’s why she runs away. I can iron out the details later. Okay, so Ella runs from Boston to Montana. Now, who’s her love interest? A farmer might work, but why would they agree to a marriage of convenience? I suppose Ella could be a mail-order bride….hmmm, no, that might not work. She needs to leave in a hurry (the why to be determined later). Maybe the guy (let’s call him Cody—that’s a good name) is a widower raising young kids and needs a wife to help. Or….no, he took in the kids after their parents died. That’ll create an immediate need for a wife. Perfect! Actually, I think he should be a rancher instead.

And just like that, a story is born. Sometimes it comes to me in moments, other times in weeks. This story developed over a couple of years. I wrote one draft, decided it was too fluffy, and ended up giving it a complete rewrite. I’m very happy with how Ella and Cody’s story turned out. It’s a sweet, love-comes-softly romance, and I hope you enjoy it.