Friday, May 3, 2024

Earning the Mountain Man's Trust

About the Book

Book: Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 9, 2024

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Naomi Wyatt has finally given up on the man who once promised to love her for the rest of his life—then disappeared with no way to contact him. She’s now a single mother with a beautiful baby girl to provide for, a daughter whose red hair reminds her daily of the man she gave her heart to. She has to move on though, so when Jonah Coulter asks for her hand in marriage, she knows she would be hard-pressed to find a better husband for herself and father for her sweet daughter. He’s a Coulter, after all, and he’s proven to be a good friend during her darkest hours.

But when her first love rides onto the ranch property saying he’d been searching for her for months, her heart is shredded once again. Before she has time to catch her breath though, a new threat appears on the horizon. This time she has far more at stake than her heart, and only a Divine hand can turn this disaster for their good.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain family saga filled with a second chance romance, love triangles, hidden treasure, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Naomi Wyatt travels west to put the past behind her and start a new life with her young daughter, Mary Ellen. When her fiancé, Eric LaGrange, shows up at the Coulter Ranch where Naomi is living and is now a part of their lives, things get really interesting. You see, Naomi is now engaged to Jonah Coulter more out of a sense of safety than love. What happens with the three of them is what makes the story one to read. I really enjoy the Coulter family and anyone who gets to become part of the family or ranch is sure to be accepted and loved. As the book ends, there is a mystery that is left unsolved, and I will be waiting to see what happens. I am sure it will be good! While this is part of the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch, it can be read as a standalone. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of the book that was provided by the publisher through Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Storytelling vs. Historical Authenticity?

I’ve been a fan of historical fiction for as long as I can remember, all the way back to the Mandie books by Lois Gladys Leppard and the Sadie Rose books by Hilda Stahl. Does anyone remember those series?

When I started thinking about my first novel, there was no doubt it would be a Christian Historical Romance set in the west. By my second book in, I had narrowed my focus to frontier life in the Rockies. My happy place!

It can be challenging to write about a time I haven’t experienced and cultures that don’t exist in the same form anymore. I love reading first-hand accounts to help me bring a particular time period to life. I often visit historic forts and talk with those who have studied the time period and setting in greater depth.

Three years ago, My family and I set out on a 28-day epic road trip to tour many of the state and national parks across the country. We spent about half of our time in Wyoming and Montana, exploring Yellowstone and Glacier, and tour historic and ghost towns. We spent more than one night tent camping in primitive camping!

These experiences definitely make it easy for me to slip into that world as I write. The characters come alive in my mind, and I see the story like a movie in my head. Writing Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust was especially fun to write, as we return to the Coulter Ranch. I fell in love with not just Naomi and Eric, but also sweet little Mary Ellen, their one-year-old daughter who Eric meets for the first time in this book.

I pray the story comes to life for readers as much as it has for me! J

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , April 23

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

Pause for Tales, April 24

Madi’s Musings, April 25

Alena Mentink, April 25

Devoted To Hope, April 26

Texas Book-aholic, April 26

Lighthouse Academy Blog, April 27 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 28

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, April 29

Wishful Endings, April 29

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 30

lakesidelivingsite, April 30

Cover Lover Book Review, April 30

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 1 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 1

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 2

For Him and My Family, May 2

Book Looks by Lisa, May 3

Melissa’s Bookshelf, May 3

Betti Mace, May 4

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 4

The Lofty Pages, May 5

Holly’s Book Corner, May 5

An Author’s Take, May 6

Blossoms and Blessings, May 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b143/earning-the-mountain-man-s-trust-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

A Spring at the Greenbrier

About the Book

Book: A Spring at the Greenbrier

Author: Sandra Merville Hart

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 30, 2024

Marilla will sacrifice anything for her family. So when her sister’s doctor suggests daily sulphur spring baths, an amenity her family could never afford, Marilla takes a job at The Greenbrier resort bathhouse in order to give her sister the care she needs. When her sister befriends another girl staying at the resort with a similar health condition, Marilla finds herself crossing paths with the girl’s handsome, charming, older brother. And despite their growing attraction to each other, courting Wes must remain a dream. After all, resort staff cannot court guests and Marilla will not risk her sister’s health for her own happiness.

Wealthy resort guest, Wes Bakersfield, has dreams for a future and plans to make his family’s business his own. And while he finds himself drawn to Marilla, despite their differing social classes, he can’t help but wonder if she is really interested in him, or in his wealth.

Can the couple find the trust to help their love succeed, or will their differences pull them apart?

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Bathing in the hot springs of the elite the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia was helpful to those who had arthritis and other ailments. Here we find resort employee, Marilla Stevens, acting as a bath attendant for those guests needing assistance. As part of the perks for working there Marilla is allowed to have her sister, Katie, use the hot springs in hopes of seeing if it helps her with the effects of polio.

This is a unique story as Marilla helps a young girl named Ina Bakersfield and her family, including her older brother Wes who she would never have met otherwise. The friendship that Inga and Katie develop was a nice addition to the story as it not only helped the girls, but brought both families together. The secondary story of the Bakersfields being on the leading edge of the automobile age and the manufacturing aspect make this interesting and one that I enjoyed learning about.

The faith of Marilla’s family, combined with the caring natures of Wes and Marilla make this an inspiring story. It is part of the Romance of the Gilded Age Resorts and is a standalone.Read this if you want to escape to a lovely romance from a bygone age.

I received this complimentary book from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known yet fascinating facts from American history to include in her stories. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. She is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.

More from Sandra

In A Spring at The Greenbrier, Book 7 in Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Series, Marilla, our heroine, is as desperate as her mother to find healing for her younger sister’s polio. When the doctor recommends daily bathing in the sulphur springs, her family cannot afford the cost. Marilla transfers to the bath wing at The Greenbrier where her new boss allows her to bring her sister at the end of each day after the guests have finished their bathing sessions. It makes for a long day yet the sacrifice is worth her exhaustion if the springs can help her ten-year-old sister.

The Greenbrier, a beautiful and elegant resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, first received its fame from healthy benefits of drinking the sulphur springs and bathing in its waters.

Both the hero and heroine in A Spring at The Greenbrier have younger sisters who can benefit from heated spring baths.

The bulk of my research for this story was for the springs and what illnesses benefit from them. I had to discover the illnesses for which doctors recommended the baths historically.

Soothing soaks in hot springs are recommended even today. They can boost blood circulation, reduce pain, improve skin conditions, reduce stress, decrease inflammation in joints, and detoxify the body.

Most resort guests in the early days drank tumblers of the water before each meal. A resort doctor in the 1800s cautioned taking a maximum of 12 glasses daily. Health benefits for the bowels, liver, kidneys, and skin most often appeared between three to six weeks. The resort began to sell it in bottles at drug stores. It was labelled as A Natural Laxative.

Major renovations were done by new owners for a grand reopening in September of 1913. Marilla, our heroine, begins working at the Women’s Department of the new bath wing. Female guests enjoyed heated sulphur spring baths in bathing rooms. Doctors sent their wealthy patients to the springs with a recommended regimen of bathing that might also include drinking the spring water. The temperature of the water, the frequency, and the length of the baths were set by their doctor.

Folks suffering from a variety of ailments sought benefits from the spring waters, including gout, rheumatism, arthritis, neuritis, dyspepsia, jaundice, scurvy, hay fever, malaria, bronchitis, asthma, and chronic diseases of the skin, stomach, bowels, and liver.

Mineral waters can harm people with aneurisms in the heart and large arteries, cancer, tubercular consumption, and some brain complaints.

The springs were of great benefit for folks suffering from chronic complaints. These benefits happened so gradually that patients started to feel better “without being able to account for it.”

So there were a lot of conditions to choose from for my two ailing girls in my story.

A Spring at The Greenbrier is a nostalgic story set in 1914. I invite you to read the whole series!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 1

Book Looks by Lisa, May 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 2

Devoted To Hope, May 3

Texas Book-aholic, May 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 5

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 6 (Author Interview)

She Lives To Read, May 7

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 7

Blogging With Carol, May 8

Simple Harvest Reads, May 9 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For him and My Family, May 9

Blossoms and Blessings, May 10

The Lofty Pages, May 11

Bizwings Book Blog, May 11

Connie’s History Classroom, May 12

Holly’s Book Corner, May 13

Pause for Tales, May 13

Life on Chickadee Lane, May 14

Cover Lover Book Review, May 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sandra is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b35d/a-spring-at-the-greenbrier-celebration-tour-giveaway

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Darkness Calls the Tiger

About the Book:

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:

I don’t normally read books that are set in war, but Ms. Tromp’s book, Shadows in the Mind’s Eye, was so powerful that I wanted to read it. This was a complex story in not only the political events, but also in the lives of Kailyn Moran, Ryan McDonough, and the missionary village where they live. Kailyn is tormented by the legends that surround her and a feeling like she never belongs anywhere. She must work through difficult emotions she has as she loses those dear to her as they encounter the Japanese that close in on them.

The dynamic nature of love, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice all play a significant part throughout the telling of this intense historical tale. You will have a range of emotions as you see the war through both Kai and Ryan’s perspectives. Evil tried to win, but God’s light of goodness always shines through, even in the darkest of times.

I received a complimentary copy of the book. A review was voluntarily given, and all opinions are my own.

Monday, April 29, 2024

A Pocket of Stars

About the Book:

She’s always dreamed of catching the eye of the earl next door.
But is he the man her heart truly desires?

Miss Annabella Pettiford has long dreamed of capturing the attention of the undeniably handsome Lord Waverly. Now, returned from finishing school, she is no longer a gangly wallflower, but a poised and confident woman ready to turn heads wherever she goes. Dare she hope her newfound allure will be enough to captivate the stylish and gallant Lord Waverly?

Mr. Benedict Drake staunchly opposes his best friend’s pursuit of the once-overlooked Annabella. Convinced that his friend’s self-destructive tendencies spell disaster for any match with Annabella, Benedict hatches a plan.

As he works to separate William and Annabella and introduce her to other gentlemen, an alarming realization dawns—Benedict is falling for Annabella. Entranced by her poise, grace, and shared enthusiasm for life, Benedict finds in her a unique connection. However, it may be too late. How could she ever care for him once she learns all he has done to keep her from the man she first desired?

My Review:

Annabella has always pictured herself since she was a child being courted by the fun-loving and carefree Lord William Waverly. His very serious friend, Benedict Drake is always by his side and seems to dampen any dreams that Annabella about this. Fast-forward five years and Annabella is home from finishing school. Not much has changed with William and Benedict, but Annabella has grown up and now sees her dream coming true as William begins to show an interest in her. But, what happens when that dream might not be exactly the way she wants it to happen? I loved seeing Annabella realize that her perceptions of these two men may not have been correct.

Benedict was my favorite. His seriousness that is often mistaken as being harsh is not true. He is actually a deeply caring friend and one who is loyal to his friends and family. The courtroom scene is my favorite and perfectly in line with Benedict’s character.

Things to Love:

The Waverly manor

Scowling

Humor

Bullet pudding

Flowers

Stars

Enemies to more

The Drake brothers

This is the second book in A Gentleman’s Heart series, but it can be read as a standalone. However, the first book is fabulous! You will want to read that one too!

I received a complimentary copy of the book. A review was voluntarily given, and all opinions are my own.

Friday, April 26, 2024

The Sleuth of Blackfriar's Lane

About the Book

Book: The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: April, 2024

Wife. Mother. Homemaker. Detective. Kit Forge wears many hats, and if that’s not enough, she’s partnered with her father to open a new detective agency. It’s hard to be all things to all people, but Kit never shies away from the impossible. Despite her hard work and good intentions, some things fall through the cracks.

Namely, her husband.

But Jackson barely notices. He’s too busy putting out his own fires. As the new chief inspector of a busy London station, he must salvage the disaster left behind by the former police chief—an obstacle made all the harder when the superintendent breathes an ultimatum down his neck.

Against her father’s advice, Kit takes on a case involving a missing child, one in which she and Jackson become a little too emotionally involved. . .and end up endangering their own little girl in the process.

Can Kit and Jackson learn that just because they can say yes doesn’t mean they should?

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Aw, Jackson and Kit! It is great to see them again as they are settling into married and now have an adorable baby daughter. Jackson has taken on more responsibilities with the police force and the busyness of the staff and his cases. Kit enthusiastically jumps into her role as a partner with her father in an enquiry agency. She has street smarts and a network of people who can help her with her first case. I have loved the series, but I especially loved this story. This is not only a story with a mystery to solve that gets more complicated and more complicated, but you also get to see Kit and Jackson’s relationship continue to develop. Kit is a spitfire and you are not sure what she will do, but you can count on finding her taking risks to track down clues and see justice prevail. Jackson is the perfect balance for Kit. He’s patient, daily eats his burned breakfast without complaint, and wholeheartedly supports Kit’s decision to be a detective. I enthusiastically recommend this book for many reasons, and here are just a few: amazing side characters baby Bella the armadillo circus mayhem humor faith-filled message a complex mystery Favorite Quote: “Pursue love instead of dwelling in past failure. That path can only lead to a denial of the present and a forfeiture of the future.” A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Barbour Publishing through Celebrate Lit and through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.

About the Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan.

More from Michelle

Oh Inspiration…Wherefore Art Thou?

There are several questions I am asked frequently as an author.

“Hey, how much money do you make?”

“Can you help me get my book published?”

“How come it takes you so long to finish a story?”

But probably the most common query is this: what sorts of things inspire you? Now that is a question I can go on and on about! Don’t panic, though. I’ll be brief.

Story ideas come from every place imaginable. I’ve had plot thoughts from watching kids’ movies or even from eavesdropping at a coffee shop (note: beware what you say in public). TV series are also a favorite of mine, so much so that my latest release, The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane, is loosely based on one of my all-time favorite PBS series.

Have you seen this show? If not, do yourself a favor and ride that pony. If you have, then you know what I’m talking about. Either way, you should know that, the main character, is a detective in Victorian London—a very sassy yet classy lady. And that’s what struck me light a lightning bolt.

This woman is Kit, the heroine in my Blackfriars series, like right there on the big screen.

So, for book III, I decided I’d let ol’ Kit open her own private investigation agency with the help of her father, a recently retired police sergeant. Of course much intrigue and chaos ensues, just like in my all-time favorite PBS series, bringing the Blackfriars series to a satisfying end.

Inspiration honestly comes from anywhere, so next time you’re rubbing elbows with an author, beware. You just might end up as a character in their next book.