Sunday, March 16, 2025

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Jake Roger's Planet by Phillip Wilder

Book: Jake Rogers’ Planet

Author: Philip Wilder

Genre: Christian YA Science Fiction

Release date: February, 2025

Jake is about to embark on a perilous adventure through an alien wilderness filled with hidden wonders and hazards.

While backpacking with his father, Jake Rogers discovers a mysterious portal and accidentally plunges headfirst into an alien world. Stranded on this bizarre planet, he must evade predators, adapt to the strange elements, and navigate the ever-changing landscape to return home. However, as Jake stumbles upon technologically advanced alien ruins, a chilling question arises: Are the aliens still alive?

Even on this terrifying journey, God reminds Jake of the profound verse: “Do not fear, for I am with you.”

Click here to get your copy!

Philip Wilder has been writing since the age of seven. He’s authored two nonfiction books, is a ACFW Genesis Contest finalist, and is currently a Realm Makers Aurora Contest double finalist. He’s spent two years as an undercover missionary in the Middle East, gone sky-diving, and traveled to 35 countries. Philip works with the Great Commission Alliance to train and equip believers around the world. He’s passionate about using fiction to inspire believers to live adventurous lives of faith.

More from Philip

Fear is a dangerous enemy.

At the age of 22, I felt God calling me to become a missionary in the Middle East—not for a week or a month, but a year (that eventually became two). Having never traveled outside the US or moved away from my home city of Denver, I was overwhelmed by fear. I’d be moving to a foreign land where I didn’t know a single person and doing work that wasn’t widely accepted there. I spent many sleepless nights wrestling with God’s gentle prompting.

Fear is inevitable in a Christian’s walk, but its power diminishes as we learn to lean into God and trust Him with the unknown. No matter where a believer is on their faith journey, God always guides us to step outside our comfort zones.

The inspiration for this novel came in 2016 while I was living in the Middle East. While watching The Martian, I realized that even if I were stranded on Mars, millions of miles from humanity, God would still call me to trust Him and not fear. That realization was life-changing: no matter what we face, God assures us nothing is worth fearing if we walk in joyful obedience.

Moving to the Middle East was terrifying and far from easy, but God was always present when I needed Him. In following God to take this step, I realized another beautiful truth: God knows what we need, love, and desire more than we do.

My firm belief is that God has wired each of us to love and enjoy different things because He wants to lead us down a unique path, where He desires to see the deepest parts of our hearts come alive. Walking this path is hard and full of fear. It requires letting go of dreams and trusting God will fulfill the right desires at the right time.

This is the journey Jake faces in Jake Rogers’ Planet. The fears he wrestles with are the same ones I had to navigate to declutter my mind and follow God.

I hope this book will help believers overcome their own fears and follow God. My prayer is that everyone reading this novel will be inspired by Jake’s story to take wild steps of faith to follow God on the wondrous adventure he has in store for them.

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 7
Simple Harvest Reads, March 8 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, March 9
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 10 (Author Interview)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 11
Blossoms and Blessings, March 12 (Author Interview)
The Lofty Pages, March 13
Artistic Nobody, March 14 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 15
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 16 (Spotlight)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 16
Stories By Gina, March 17 (Author Interview)
cecereadsandsings, March 17
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 18
Guild Master, March 19 (Author Interview)
Little Homeschool on the Prairie , March 20

To celebrate his tour, Philip is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, plus a signed hardcover copy of the book, a bookmark, and a vinyl sticker!!

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/00adcf54168

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: A Constant Love by Tracie Peterson

Book: A Constant Love

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: March 4, 2025

Heartache has left them emotionally desolate, but traces of love and healing could forge a future.

In the wake of a harsh winter, Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich are grappling with loss and guilt after the disaster that took the lives of their loved ones. Struggling to cope with his grief, Micah abandons his father’s dreams of a prosperous ranch and cuts himself off from the rest of the world.

Charlotte has loved Micah her entire life and is determined not to lose him as well. With her mother’s help, she begins coaxing Micah to live again. Despite their enduring heartache, the affection between them deepens, but just as Charlotte thinks her dreams may come true, a scorned suitor threatens everything she holds dear. Micah and Charlotte must embark on a journey of healing and renewal to build a life founded on faith, hope, and love.

Click here to get your copy!

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling author of more than 100 novels, both historical and contemporary, with more than 6 million copies sold. She has won the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.

More from Tracie

A Constant Love is a book near and dear to my heart. The book deals with tragedy and loss that came about during and after the Great Die-Up—a hideous winter of blizzards and desperately cold temperatures that affected the prairie states and up into the Rockies. Many of the ranchers in the areas were completely wiped out and gave up their ranches when their cattle died off in record numbers.

Ranchers and farmers had dealt with the elements turning against them prior to this, but the winter of 1886–1887 was different. The summer of 1886 had brought about record droughts, and many of the crops had failed. The livestock suffered as the grass died off and feed wasn’t readily available. By November, early and heavy snows started and continued. Temperatures dropped to record lows. In eastern Montana the temperatures were said to drop to negative 63 degrees Fahrenheit.

In January, a Chinook wind warmed things considerably, melting a lot of the snow. This just made things worse, however, because when the plunging sub-zero temperatures returned, the water froze a thick layer on top of what little grass the animals had been able to dig down to eat. Mass starvation followed, and thousands upon thousands of animals were lost. In reading about the era and all that happened, I came across comments from people that showed the great despair that flooded the states involved. The hopelessness of it all was overwhelming.

During the same time I was researching and mapping out this book, a beloved family member committed suicide. The devastation we felt was overwhelming, and it all seemed to come together with what I had been reading. I felt that deep sadness and despair. I read that some people had taken their lives after that winter. People were at a loss as to what to do, and in that day and age, the church was not always very kind to the families of those who killed themselves. As I prayed about the book I planned to write, I felt compelled to write about suicide and the ripple effect it has on family, friends, and even total strangers. I wanted to share the hope that I found in God’s Word, and A Constant Love was born.

There are times in our lives when we are overwhelmed to the point of despair, when giving up seems far easier than going on. I pray if you ever feel that way, you’ll reach out to someone and talk it through. But I also challenge those who aren’t feeling that way to be observant . . . to care about those around you enough to get in their business when things just don’t seem right. You might very well save a life. As the Bible says, we need to bear one another’s burdens. I hope you’ll keep that in mind as you read A Constant Love.

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 8
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 8
Devoted To Hope, March 9
Allyson Jamison, March 9
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 10
Simple Harvest Reads, March 11 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Texas Book-aholic, March 11
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 12
Jodie Wolfe, March 12
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 13
Life on Chickadee Lane, March 14
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 14
Stories By Gina, March 15 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, March 15
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 16
Maureen’s Musings, March 16
She Lives To Read, March 17
Books You Can Feel Good About, March 18
For Him and My Family, March 18
Leslie’s Library Escape, March 19
Cover Lover Book Review, March 19
Holly’s Book Corner, March 20
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 20
lakesidelivingsite, March 21
Pause for Tales, March 21

To celebrate her tour, Tracie is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a 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/00adcf54169

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Thursday, March 13, 2025

iRead Book Tours Blog Tour: Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome

Book Title:  Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 284 pages
Genre: Historcal Escapade, Crime Fiction
Publisher:  BQB Publishing
Release date: March 2024
Content Rating:  PG. My book is rated PG for the times some of the mob characters utter mild curse words

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: The Bandit's Redemption by KyLee Woodley

Book: The Bandit’s Redemption

Author: KyLee Woodley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: February 18, 2025

A holdup gone wrong, a reluctant outlaw, and the captive she’s sworn to guard.

Life in the American West hasn’t been easy for French refugee Lorraine Durand. She has precious few connections and longs to return to her native land. So when the man who rescued her from a Parisian uprising following the Franco-Prussian War persuades her to help him with a deadly holdup, she reluctantly agrees. Despite his promises otherwise, the gang kidnaps a man, forcing Lorraine to grapple with the fallout of her choices even as she is drawn to the captive she’s meant to guard.

Jesse Alexander must survive. If not for himself, then for the troubled sister he left behind in Los Angeles. At the mercy of his captors, he carefully works to earn Lorraine’s trust, hoping he can easily subdue her when the time comes. But as they navigate the treacherous wilderness and he searches for his opportunity to escape, he realizes there may be more to her than he first believed.

With danger lurking at every turn, they must decide whether to trust each other enough to plan a combined escape or risk falling prey to the gang’s devious schemes.

Click here to get your copy!

Chrisitan Historical Romance is one of my favorite genres. I also enjoy reading book from New Authors. The Bandit's Redemption by Kylee Woodley is the most recent book I have read that fits both of these aspects. It is Book 1 in the Outlaw Hearts series.

WOW, this book had me captivated from the first page. The setting is 1875 in Idaho and Utah. The 2 main characters in this book are Lorraine Durand and Jesse Alexander. Lorraine is a French Refugee who longs to go back home to be with her family. She gets caught up with a Gang, the man who rescued her from the Franco-Prussian War is part of this gang and agrees to help them pull off a Kidnapping. The Kidnapped man is Jesse Alexander. Jesse is from Los Angeles and he really wants to get back to Los Angeles to be with his sister who is really struggling with things. Jesse decides he will gain Lorraine's trust in order to be able to escape, as Lorraine is his guard. I really become intrigued with the storyline at this point because they both are falling for one another and Lorraine becomes soft hearted to Jesse. I really like that the author was a little untraditonal in that she made the Lorraine the Bandit and Jesse was the HERO. Lorraine and Jesse realize that they must rely on God to help them with their life circumstances. The book is one of Faith, Romance, and Trust. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Romance. FANTASTIC BOOK!

KyLee Woodley is a cheery romantic who loves to write about bygone days and heartwarming romance with a pinch of adventure. She teaches preschool at a lab school in Texas, where she lives with her husband of eighteen years and their three teenage children. On weekends, KyLee cohosts and produces the Historical Bookworm Show, a steadily growing author interview podcast for history lovers and readers of historical fiction.

In her spare time, she cares for a rescue mutt—Lucky Dog—a feisty feline named Hazel, and three adorable Boston Terrier puppies. She listens to Cricket Country and K-Love radio, reads classic books with her children, and watches Marvel movies with her husband, who might resemble Superman.

More from KyLee

A Pinch of History on Our Heroine

The heroine of The Bandit’s Redemption started as simply a female outlaw and evolved into a complex, troubled, and fascinating woman. Firstly, Lorraine’s parents defied cultural norms in France simply by marrying. Her father was a French soldier and her mother was Romani. Such a marriage was frowned upon because the Romani people were considered outcasts throughout all of Europe. Her father died when she was fairly young, and so Lorraine was raised among her mother’s people.

When Lorraine’ was old enough, she attended the Château d’Écouen—a school for the daughters of less prestigious French military officers. But, doing this meant being separated from her mother and her people. The Romani people were typically nomadic, traveling from place to place and sometimes camping in the French countryside. Lorraine finished school and moved to Paris with her mother, who was no longer able to travel with her troupe due to poor health.

In 1870, Napoleon III, Emperor of France, declared war on the German Confederation and so the Franco-Prussian War began. The conflict lasted six months, and during this time, German soldiers advanced into parts of France and laid siege to Paris. In January of 1871, the two countries signed an armistice, and France had to pay reparations amounting to five billion francs plus interest.

Paris had been besieged by the Prussian army during which time privation ravaged the city. When the French government rescinded the wartime moratorium on debt repayment, the working class of Paris, whose industry and commerce had stalled during the war, revolted. The movement was spearheaded by a group known as the Paris Commune. Prussia allowed the French government to deal with the civil unrest, and after a two-month standoff, French troops took back Paris during the Bloody Week—May 21-27, 1871. The death toll is not known and has been debated by historians for years. It is certain to be in the thousands. Some members of the Commune who survived were sentenced to death, imprisoned, or sent to penal colonies. Other people accused or suspected of being involved were arrested and imprisoned without trial.

Lorraine was swept up in the arrests but rescued by a man who had been close friends with her father during his life. She immigrated to America because she believed she had no other choice. Settling in a new land where she felt like an outcast, after never fitting in at school or among her mother’s people—because she was half French and half Roma—Lorraine determined to remain isolated. She refused to speak English, only ate French foods, and purchased her clothes from French seamstresses. To make a living, she joined the Sells Brothers Circus with a few of her friends from home. There she used her horsemanship in an equestrian act.

Her life was relatively predictable for the next few years until that friend of her father’s, who rescued her following the Bloody Week and brought her to America, asked for her assistance in a robbery. She refuses, until she learns the money will go towards freeing the people they left behind in France. This is where the book picks up. Lorraine is torn between the desire to stay in the predictable routine she’s built in the East and assisting her people who were unjustly condemned. Will the moral compromise and inability to leave her past behind cause Lorraine to lose the battle for her soul or will she find redemption with a God who heals even the deepest wounds?

Stories By Gina, March 6 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 6
Pens Pages & Pulses, March 7
Texas Book-aholic, March 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 10
Vicky Sluiter, March 11 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 12
For Him and My Family, March 13
Cover Lover Book Review, March 14
lakesidelivingsite, March 15
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 16 (Author Interview)
Devoted To Hope, March 16
Holly’s Book Corner, March 17
Pause for Tales, March 18
For the Love of Literature, March 19 (Author Interview)

To celebrate her tour, KyLee is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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/00adcf54167

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JustRead Tours Blog Tour: A Star Appears by Addison Dixon

A Star Appears JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Star Appears by Addison Dixon, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: A Star Appears
Series: The Star & Cicatrix Legacy #1
Author: Addison Dixon
Publisher: Starstruck
Release Date: March 4, 2025
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Riley has never had the confidence to stand up to the school bullies—until one of them harasses his friend Caroline. But his act of courageous defiance causes a mysterious black star to appear at the corner of his eye, setting in motion a series of events that will change his life forever.

The star marks Riley as the third star bearer in a prophesy that spans hundreds of years. Thrust into the otherworld of Leíso, he must defeat Iradocc, a demolic who’s intent on spreading Dark Magic through Leíso and the Human World . . . and who is determined to see Riley dead.

The first two star bearers failed. Now, only Riley can stop Iradocc before it’s too late. If he doesn’t, the Dark Magic will permeate both worlds, and everyone will die. But can Riley overcome his fears and believe in himself enough to save the world and those he loves?

A Star Appears is the first book in The Star & Cicatrix Legacy series, a magical and enchanting fantasy about family, friendship, loyalty, and courage.

Young Adult Fantasy is a genre that I began reading a few years ago, when my boys got interested in it. A Star Appears by Addison Dixon is the latest in this genre that I have read. It is Book 1 in The Star & Cicatrix Legacy series.

I have to say I really didn't get into the book until the Second Chapter. The storyline started slow, but then picked up and I started to get interested in the book. The main character in this book is 16 year old Riley. Riley has always been one that keeps to himself and never has had a lot of courage. That changes the day he see his friend Caroline getting bullied at School. He immediately stands up to the Bullies and from that point he has changes in his life. A Star appears in the corner of his eye. He finds himself fighting for his life and fighting against demons in the fantasy world. I really LOVE that he finds courage when most of his life he was very timid and shy. The book is filled with Twists and Turns, the characters were very interesting. The books is really strong on Fantasy and Adventure, and is geared towards teens. I HIGHLY recommend this to Teens and those who LOVE Fantasy, Dark Worlds and more. GOOD BOOK!

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

Addison Dixon is a young adult fantasy author who grew up playing in the forest and telling stories to her family. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, archery, swimming, taking walks in the woods, and gaming. She is also an editor who enjoys helping writers of all ages grow in their craft.

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

(3) winners will receive a $20 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 11, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 18, 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 Amazon accounts only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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

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Monday, March 10, 2025

iRead Book Tours Blog Tour: Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times®, Volume 2 by Pam Gittleman

Book Details:

Book Title:  Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times®, Vol. 2 by Pam Gittleman
Category: Children's Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 46 pages
Genre:  Children's Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot Kids, an imprint of Amplify Publishing Group
Release date:   Mar 4, 2025
Content Rating: G.  This book is appropriate for all ages and targets kids 2-5.

What happens to the baby (owlet!) rocking in the cradle in Rock-a-Bye Baby? Will Old Mother Hubbard find anything in the cupboard to five to her dog? And who (or what!) will be tound in the tub in Rub a Dub Dub?

Read all about the beloved characters from traditional nursery rhymes in this endearing collection of nine updated rhymes that nurture kindness, empathy and gratitude! Coupled with discussion questions and emojis to support the social and emotional intelligence of preschoolers, each rhyme will and delight and educate a new generation of children.

Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times®
Helping to Raise Kind Kids, One Rhyme at a Time!

Children's books are an important part of a Young Child's life. I enjoy reading with and to young children. My boys are now grown, but I read to Children at Church and my young Great Nieces. Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times Volume 2 by Pam Gittleman is the most recent book that I had the honor and privilege of sharing with Little Ones.

WOW, I can honestly say I truly enjoyed this book from the very beginning. The Nursery Rhymes are ones that I am familiar with and enjoyed as a child. I LOVE how the author takes it to another level with changing parts of the Nursery Rhymes to words that help the Children understand emotions. The pages also contain emoji emotions for the Children to select which emotion the Nursery Rhyme was expressing. The Illustrations are BEAUTIFUL and AMAZINGLY colorful. I really think this is important as it grasps the little ones attention while being read to. I also really LOVE the use of QR codes in this book so that Parent and Child can follow along via audio and/or find additional resources that go along with the book. I am QUITE amazed at how wonderful this book is! I HIGHLY recommend this "reinvented" Nursery Rhyme book for Toddler Age and Preschool Kids and Parents! GREAT BOOK!

Mascot Books
Amazon ~ B&N ~ BAM
Bookshop.org
add to Goodreads

Pam has been an early childhood music educator for over twenty-five years with a passion for singing, rhyming, reading stories, and making music with preschoolers.

When Pam noticed that some children seemed unfamiliar with traditional nursery rhymes, and that parents and teachers were avoiding them because of their outdated, dark, and inappropriate nature, she set out to update them. Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times® provide a memorable way to build language, musicality, and literacy through songs, stories and rhymes that nurture kindness, empathy, and gratitude. The inclusion of resources that support social and emotional learning (SEL) make it easy for parents and teachers to engage with the children they love.

The rhymes in the book can also be enjoyed as songs on the "Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times" album recorded by Raffi and Lindsay Munroe, on the EP recorded by Laurie Berkner titled "Laurie Berkner Sings Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times" and in videos on the Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times® Show on YouTube.

Pam has also made it her mission to share what she has learned about how to effectively integrate music and stories to support SEL and language skills in early childhood settings. She provides engaging and interactive sessions to early childhood teachers and caregivers to support their professional development and build their confidence in using music and rhymes with the children they care for. She is also available for school visits.

Aside from sharing stories and songs with young children, Pam loves dogs and dark chocolate. She lives in New York with her husband, and loves when her children, grandchildren, and granddogs come to visit!

connect with author:
website ~ website ~ YouTube ~ X/twitter ~ facebook ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ instagram ~ goodreads