Monday, April 14, 2025

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Land of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron

Book: Land of Dreams (Home to Green Creek Series Book One)

Authors: Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Historical

Release date: April 1, 2025

From Norway to America, they must strive for resilience amid unpromising new beginnings.

On the ship to America, Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson makes a solemn promise to a dying mother, vowing to watch over her five-year-old daughter, Ruth. Together, Amalia and Ruth trek to Iowa to claim the farm and former boardinghouse that Ruth has inherited, despite opposition from a difficult cousin. Struggling with an empty house and scarce resources, Amalia resolves to return the boardinghouse to its former purpose, aided by the kindness of strangers and the resilient spirit of her young charge.

As Amalia and Ruth fight for their new home, a trail of orphans shows up on their doorstep, and Amalia makes a promising friend in Absalom Karlsson, the magistrate’s son. With each challenge they face, Amalia and Ruth find hope in believing that faith and determination can overcome even the most daunting of trials.

Click here to get your copy!

Christian Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres. Land of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron is the most recent book in this genre that I have read. It is Book 1 in the Home to Green Creek series.

I began reading this book and I knew I couldn't put it down anytime before I finished the book. The setting is 1888, Norway to America. The main characters in this story are Amalia Gunderson, Ruth and Absalom Karlsson. Amalia is a Norweigan immigrant who is making her way to America. Ruth is a 5yr old girl whose mother dies aboard the ship going to America. Amalia also lost her parents on the ship to America. She honors Ruth's mom wishes and takes Ruth on the journey to Iowa with her and care for her. Amalia and Ruth arrive in Iowa to begin cleaning up the boarding house that Ruth has inherited. Trials and Tribulations await them as they try to settle into life in Iowa. Amalia finds a friend in Absalom Karlsson. I really LOVE that Amalia finds faith in turning to God to help them overcome the obstacles they are facing. The relationship between Absalom and Amalia was heartwarming. I really LOVE how the book focuses on Immigration and the History of those times. The book is one of Faith, History, Family and Relationships. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction. FANTASTIC BOOK!

Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies. She makes her home in Tehachapi, California.

More from Lauraine

Different stories come about different ways. One of the things I’ve learned through these years of writing is the value of slowly waking up and paying attention to what was going on in my mind. I saw a young woman standing at the railing of a ship tossing on rough seas. A gray day. And I heard the splash as her father’s body sank into the waves. I sniffed, mopped my eyes and settled back, hopefully to sleep awhile longer. But the dream, if that was what it was, continued. A little girl named Rut, or Ruthie, joined Amalia at the rail, slipped her hand into the young woman’s and asked if she could please come, her mother wanted to see her. And my internal game of what if continued for these people on a cholera attacked ship from Norway to Amerika.

I knew a new story had begun but had no idea where it was going. As I said, I treasure that time between sleeping and waking when I can part the curtains to my subconscious mind and see what it has been playing with. What a gift God has created in us.

Around about the same time, something brought a story that one of my aunts on my father’s side told me when I asked her what she remembered of her growing up years. Auntie Harriet chuckled and asked, “Have you heard of the rutabaga years?” I shook my head and settled in to listen. They were a family of eleven children, my dad being the eldest, they lived in a big two story house with a huge garden, a flock of chickens and bad weather. Late spring freeze, early fall freeze and much of the produce killed off. All but the root crops, and rows of rutabagas. Many were dug and stored in the cellar, lots left in the ground, to be dug up later. Rutabagas can be fried, boiled, mashed, grated, turned into soup and stew, mixed with other vegetables, added to pancakes, even turned into pie. Ah, yes, the rutabaga years, Auntie Harriet said she didn’t particularly care for rutabagas for a long time after that. But in the mean time, they became part of Amalia and Ruthie’s new life at a big house Ruthie inherited in Green Creek. North and West of Decorah Iowa in 1819. Come join a delightful cast of characters in Land of Dreams.

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 12
Devoted To Hope, April 12
Life on Chickadee Lane, April 13
Texas Book-aholic, April 14
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 14
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 15
lakesidelivingsite, April 15
The Avid Reader, April 16
Girls in White Dresses, April 16
Pens Pages & Pulses, April 17
Bizwings Book Blog, April 18
Leslie’s Library Escape, April 18
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 19
Stories By Gina, April 20 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, April 20
Betti Mace, April 21
Books You Can Feel Good About, April 21
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 22
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 23
For Him and My Family, April 23
Cover Lover Book Review, April 24
Holly’s Book Corner, April 25
Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 25

To celebrate her tour, Lauraine is giving away the grand prize of a $25 gift card to the Baker Book House website and 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/00adcf54198

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iRead Book Tours Blog Tour: The Author's AI Toolkit: From Concept to Publication by Hank Quense

Book Details:

Book Title: The Author's AI Toolkit: From Concept to Publication by Hank Quense
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 83 pages
Genre: Non-fiction-Reference-writing, research and publishing guides
Publisher: Strange Worlds Publishing
Release date: March 1, 2025
Content Rating: G: It contains only technical information of interest to authors and writers

Unlock the power of AI in your writing journey with "The Author's AI Toolkit."

This groundbreaking resource offers a wealth of practical AI applications, expertly crafted to elevate every aspect of your craft. From brainstorming and drafting to publishing and marketing, discover how AI can revolutionize your workflow and amplify your creative voice. With clear examples and actionable strategies, this comprehensive guide empowers you to navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Whether you're a seasoned author or an aspiring wordsmith, harness the potential of AI to streamline your process, overcome challenges, and take your writing career to new heights.

I have always been a fan of Non-Fiction book as I feel they are helpful and insightful. The Author's AI Toolkit: From Concept to Publication by Hank Quense is the latest book in this genre that I have read.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) isn't something that I was intersted in, I was actually trying to avoid it. A few months ago my interest was peaked and I started to really look into what AI can do in this modern technology era. I was given the opportunity to read this book and I immediately wanted to read it.

WOW, this book starts off rather interesting and only gets better throughout the book. The book is targeted towards Author's, Writers and Publishers. The book is divided into 5 sections:

Planning

Writing

Publishing

Marketing

Author Business

The author delves into each section and explains really well how AI is an asset to Authors and many aspects of writing books. AI can take what could take a year or more to write and help the authors streamline the writing process as well make corrections for the author along the way. The author was able to put a lot of valuable information in a Short book. The book is definetly one that I would recommend to anyone who would use AI. GREAT BOOK!

Amazon
B&N ~ BAM
add to goodreads

Hank Quense has self-published his books for over 12 years.

His fiction works include the Gundarland series, the Princess Moxie series and the soon-to-be-published Zaftan series.

His non-fiction books cover fiction writing (Creating Stories), self-publishing (How to Self-publish and Market a Book, Self-publish a Book in 10 Steps), marketing (Book Marketing Fundamentals) and author business (Business Basics for Authors) and Creating Your First Novel.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ X ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

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Sunday, April 13, 2025

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: The Daughter of Rome by Angela Hunt

Book: The Daughter of Rome (The Emissaries Book 3)

Author: Angela Hunt

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Biblical

Release date: March 4, 2025

In Nero’s Rome, Calandra helps her father, a renowned sculptor, complete the most significant commission of his illustrious career. But then a catastrophic fire nearly destroys the imperial city, leaving Calandra reliant on a group of Christians–unusual individuals unlike any she has encountered before. Intrigued by their worship of the Son of an invisible God, Calandra grapples with her mistrust, only to find herself indebted to these believers as they help her rebuild her shattered world.

When Emperor Nero begins constructing his opulent Golden House, the people of Rome grow resentful, suspecting him of starting the fire in order to clear the land for his immense palace. Needing a scapegoat, Nero points at those who follow the Jewish Messiah, forcing Calandra to make an impossible choice between right and wrong, friends and family, love and death.

Click here to get your copy!

Christian Historical Fiction is a favorite Genre of mine. The Daughters of Rome by Angela hunt is Book 3 in The Emissaries series. I have read Book 2 in this series. Each book is a good standalone book.

I began reading and was immediately captivated by the storyline. The 2 main characters in this book are Calandra and Hadrian. Many characters are carried over from Book 2 also. The setting is Rome BC. Calandra is set to help her dad with one of his most noteworthy sculptures ever. A FIRE nearly destroys the city and leaves Calandra's Dad assignment in limbo. Calandra is in contact with Hadrian as his dad, a Senator, is the one who ordered the statue of Nero. They are both helping their fathers and through this a BOND is formed. The story really focuses on the percussions of Christians during this time. I really felt that Calandra was in a tight situation with decisions that needed to made. The author does a GREAT job at keeping to the Biblical facts yet making the story fictional. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Biblical Historical Fiction. WONDERFUL BOOK!

Angela Hunt is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 160 books, with nearly 6 million copies sold worldwide. Angela’s novels have won or been nominated for the RWA RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Christian Book Award, and the HOLT Medallion. Four of her novels have received ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award, and Angela is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Romantic Times Book Club and ACFW. Angela holds doctorates in biblical studies and theology. She and her husband make their home in Florida with mastiffs and chickens.

More from Angela

Dear Reader:

Thank you for joining me on this blog tour for THE DAUGHTER OF ROME, book three in the Emissaries series. The book stands alone, but it includes characters from books one and two, so people who have read those books will have a fuller understanding of who those people are. But no worries! If you haven’t read the first two books, you’ll still have no problem reading THE DAUGHTER OF ROME.

When I shaped the idea for this series, I had just finished The Jerusalem Road books, which centered on Jews who lived during Jesus’ life and ministry. I wanted to keep writing in this time period, so I shifted my focus from the Jews to the Gentiles—specifically, the people who came to faith through Paul’s ministry.

The first book in the series, THE WOMAN FROM LYDIA, is concerned with the seller of purple who hosted the Philippian church in her home. The second book, THE SISTERS OF CORINTH, features two competing sisters who lived, naturally, in Corinth. And the third book, THE DAUGHTER OF ROME, is about a young sculptress who lives in Rome during the time of Nero.

I have been fascinated by this time period ever since reading THE SILVER CHALICE and THE ROBE in my childhood. What would it have been like, I wondered, to live in a time when you could be executed simply for saying you believed in Jesus? Americans don’t really know what that’s like, but people in other parts of the world still deal with that danger today. The Bible tells us that this kind of danger is not going away—it will be prevalent during the end times as well. So I wanted to explore the world of the ancient Romans, and hoped to pull some lessons from it that will apply to us today.

I’ve also been amazed at what we can still see of ancient Greek and Roman art—how did they sculpt those massive statues? One such work, the Colossus, was so large it stood in the harbor and ships reportedly entered beneath it!

THE DAUGHTER OF ROME features one other fascinating element—a question that garners as much debate as “who killed JFK?” The story takes place during the time that the Great Fire of Rome nearly leveled the entire city, and to this day, no one is certain how it began. The people blamed Nero, Nero blamed the Christians, and it may have been a kid illegally cooking his dinner at the racetrack.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading the story as much as I did writing it. Thanks for coming along on the tour!

Angela Hunt

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 4
Batya’s Bits , April 4
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 5
Mary Hake, April 5
Texas Book-aholic, April 6
Inspired by Fiction, April 7
She Lives To Read, April 7
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 8
Lily’s Corner, April 9
Lots of Helpers, April 9
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 11
EmpowerMoms, April 11
Devoted To Hope, April 12
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 13
Books Less Travelled, April 13
Devoted Steps, April 14
Sylvan Musings, April 15
Holly’s Book Corner, April 15
Cover Lover Book Review, April 16
For Him and My Family, April 17
Pause for Tales, April 17

To celebrate her tour, Angela is giving away the grand prize of a $25 gift card to Baker Book House’s website 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/00adcf54192

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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.”