It's Retro Ruthy Saturday!

GIVEAWAY

Since I am reviewing a book that is difficult to obtain since it's part of a Guideposts book club series, I decided to have some fun and offer up a Retro Ruthy Giveaway! Winner gets to choose any book by Ruth Logan Herne that's still in print (or in ebook format). All you need to do is determine which book you'd like to win and add it in a comment or email (kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca) and if your name is drawn that is the book you win! Look below the review for more details.

HERNE, RUTH LOGAN
A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Priscilla Latham Grant has inherited a lighthouse. So with not much more than a strong will and a sore heart, the recent widow packs her SUV, says goodbye to her lifelong home in Kansas, and heads as far east as one can possibly go without swimming!

On the quaint and historic island of Martha's Vineyard, just off the coast of Massachusetts, Priscilla comes face-to-face with adventure - one that includes rediscovered family, new friends, old homes, and head-scratching mysteries that crop up with surprising regularity. But when her contentment is interrupted by treasure hunters searching for a fabled chest of antique gold coins, the only way to find peace is to solve the mystery herself. Along the way, she realizes it might be than chance that brought her to Martha's Vineyard.

My Review:

Meet Priscilla Latham Grant, the next Jessica Fletcher (Murder She Wrote)  -- only without the body count! Ruth Logan Herne has set the stage beautifully in this first book of the multi-authored Mysteries of Martha's Vineyard series. It's like Nancy Drew for grownups!

Love the setting and admit to crushing on the lighthouse! Squeealll!!! Priscilla gets to own a lighthouse! And not just any lighthouse -- one with a hidden treasure attached to it! She's definitely not in Kansas any more! And she might be a reluctant sleuth, but she proves to have a knack for mystery solving.

There's lots to love about Priscilla. She has the courage to leave everything she knows and journey halfway across the country to claim her inheritance. And reconnect with long-lost relatives who may or may not be friendly. Plus she has the kind of sweet tooth I can relate to...a boon to the local bakery! Then there's her soft spot for critters...especially a certain stray dog. That cemented us as besties right there. But it's Priscilla's matter-of-fact faith and open heart that truly won me over.

With her new-found cousins as sidekicks, an intriguing coastguard neighbour and a town full of potential suspects, Priscilla sets out to solve her first mystery...and takes us along for the ride. A light-hearted cozy with spunk.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Since this book is only available through Guideposts https://www.shopguideposts.org/a-light-in-the-darkness-mysteries-of-martha-s-vineyard-book-1.html

We're doing a Retro Ruthy Giveaway -- any book by Ruth Logan Herne still available in print at Book Depository or Christian Book 

OR 

if you're okay with ebooks -- any Kindle editions -- which will be a lot of her older Love Inspired books as well as her self pubbed novels.

Just write the title of the book you would like to win in a comment or email it to me -- kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca

Ruthy has written over 30 books so I'm going to help you out a bit by listing the ones still available in print. 

Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 1 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

LOVE INSPIRED STILL IN PRINT:



BOOKS IN PRINT OTHER PUBLISHERS:

I Will Not Fear : My Story of a Lifetime of Building Faith Under Fire

GIVEAWAY

BEALS, MELBA PATTILLO
I WILL NOT FEAR : MY STORY OF A LIFETIME OF BUILDING FAITH UNDER FIRE

In 1957, Melba Beals was one of the nine African American students chosen to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

But her story of overcoming didn't start -- or end -- there.

While her white schoolmates were planning their senior prom, Melba was facing the business end of a double-barreled shotgun, being threatened with lynching by rope-carrying tormentors, and learning how to outrun white supremacists who were ready to kill her rather than sit beside her in a classroom. Only her faith in God sustained her during her darkest days and helped her become a civil rights warrior, an NBC television news reporter, a magazine writer, a professor, a wife, and a mother.

In I Will Not Fear, Beals takes you on an unforgettable journey through terror, oppression, and persecution, highlighting the kind of faith we all need to survive in a world full of heartbreak and anger. She shows how the deep faith we develop during our most difficult moments is the kind of faith that can chance our families, our communities, and even the world.

Encouraging and inspiring, her story offers hope that faith is the solution to the pervasive hopelessness of our current culture.

My Review:

An inspiring memoir of a courageous woman.

I was familiar with the Little Rock Nine and the integration of Central High School, but reading Melba Pattillo Beals' first hand account has made a powerful impact on me. I really don't have words to describe the horror and anger and sheer disbelief I felt as I read of the ordeal these students went through. And the fact that no one in the country seemed to be inclined to help them. Politicians, officials, law enforcement, even the principal and teachers entrusted with their well being were culpable in the torture of these teens.

This is definitely a tale of overcoming as Melba's entire life was shaped by those few years. I appreciated her honest account of a complicated life, including her walk of faith. Life is messy but God will always see us through -- that's the core takeaway for me. And the author illustrates that over and over again in examples from her own life.

Melba Pattillo Beals went on to become a journalist and reporter, breaking barriers as both an African American and a female in a male dominated profession. There's a wealth of wisdom in what she shares on so many topics, giving readers an opportunity to dig deeper into controversial issues. Each chapter closes with an inspirational quote which would make a great starting point for discussion in a book club group.

"Our relationship with God in faith is a two-way street -- we cannot ask for help from Him without being available to render help when called upon" (p 146)

By sharing her own personal struggles, triumphs and failures, I feel like the author has challenged me to take stock of my life, my thoughts, my actions, my relationship with Christ. I've come away feeling stretched and recommitted and determined to live with greater intention and deeper faith.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of I Will Not Fear, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 1 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Littlest Target

GIVEAWAY

BLACK, MAGGIE K.
THE LITTLEST TARGET

Nanny and baby on the run...

When her boss's wife is murdered before her eyes, nanny Daisy Hayward flees with her infant charge. But she can't escape danger. Someone wants the baby and will kill Daisy to get him. In the Canadian wilderness, a paramedic saves them, but when Daisy is framed for murder and labeled a kidnapper, will Max Henry help her...or turn her in?

A taut thriller in the True North Heroes series

My Review:

Is this not the cutest cover ever?! That little fella is going to keep books flying off the shelves, he's that irresistible! And so is this page-turning romantic suspense. Take a deep breath and maybe make sure your oxygen tank is full before you dive into this heart-pounding adventure. The taut, hair-raising opening scene sets the pace and intensity for the rest of the story.

Daisy is in desperate straits -- thrown into an unthinkable situation that unravels with alarming ferocity. Trust doesn't come easy -- even for the kind and compassionate paramedic determined to help her. It isn't in Max's DNA to walk away from someone in need and even though he isn't sure what to think about Daisy's claims, he's determined to stick by her side. And if dodging villains and cops isn't enough to keep a reader on the edge of her seat, the gnarly romance sure is! It's all a perfect blend of complicated crazy!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Littlest Target, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 1 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Road to Paradise

GIVEAWAY

BARNETT, KAREN
THE ROAD TO PARADISE

An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true -- that's what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God's gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It's 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in Mount Rainier's long shadow.

But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father's death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and it's crowd of visitor's seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator's daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.

When Margie's former fiance sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park's pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?

Karen Barnett's vintage national parks novels bring to life President Theodore Roosevelt's vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty unmarred."

My Review:

You know how you meet a book and instantly know that you're destined to become bosom friends? The energy crackles from page to fingertip and you're hooked before you've cracked the spine open (not that I'm an advocate of spine cracking, mind you, that's just an expression.) Well, The Road to Paradise is that kind of book for me. So I was prepared to be spellbound but the humour took me totally by surprise. It's pure understated genius and I giggled my way through the first few chapters as Barnett cleverly sets the stage for one very captivating read.

Margie is a tree sprite in human form while Ford is all no-nonsense mountain man. She's rapturously poetic about nature, can spout verse and quotes from renowned naturalists -- a book-taught city girl with a love for the great outdoors. He's as pragmatic as they come and doesn't have a romantic bone in his body so when some Senator's socialite daughter wants to play naturalist on his mountain for the summer, well, he's less than thrilled.

And there's poor Margie, naively anticipating a warm welcome as she prepares to sit at the feet of the master. "Margie sighed. Ranger Brayden -- born on the mountain, untainted by human society. He sounded like the embodiment of Rousseau's noble savage. "I'm positive we'll get along splendidly." (p 3)

Bwahahahaha! That untainted by human society bit? Yeah, that means he's kinda grumpy. And set in his ways. Unpolished. Short on patience. But he's..excuse the pun...stuck between a rock and a hard place. Because he has orders from the boss:

"Find a way to make it work. Show her a good time. " He snorted, a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth."Who knows? Maybe she can turn you into a gentleman."

Ford gritted his teeth. "Unlikely." (p  9)

The way their relationship develops is sheer brilliance. And if that was all there was to this story I'd be a happy reader but there's so much more! Like a truly despicable villain with absolutely no redeeming characteristics. It's pure joy to hate him. I know that sounds terrible but sometimes a reader wants to let loose some righteous indignation!

And the piece de resistance is the powerful conversion story that blew me away with its imagery and heart. Simply stunning.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance at winning a copy of The Road to Paradise, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 1 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Lethal Licorice

GIVEAWAY

FLOWER, AMANDA
LETHAL LICORICE

Too many sweets spoil the murder

Harvest, Ohio is a long way from New York City, where Bailey King left a coveted job as head chocolatier to take over Swissman's Sweets, her Amish grandparents'candy shop.Now, while caring for her recently widowed grandmother, she plans to honor her grandfather's memory by entering the Amish Confectionary Competition. But between lavender blueberry fudge and choclate cherry ganache truffles, Bailey may have bitten off more than she can chew when the search for a missing pot-bellied pig turns up a body suffering from sugar overload -- the fatal kind.

A candy maker from a neighboring town who wanted Englischer Bailey disqualified for being an outsider, Josephine Weaver died from an allergy from an essential licorice ingredient. The suspects include: Josephine's niece, a young woman going through her rumsprings, or running around time, and Bailey herself. Now it falls to Bailey, who's sweet on the local sheriff's deputy, to clear their names and entice a killer with a cast-iron stomach for cold-blooded murder.

My Review:

Amanda Flower is my go-to cozy mystery author and I am loving this new series with it's clever and catchy titles! And my hero Jethro is back -- the charming troublemaker who just happens to be a polka-dotted pot-belly pig with plenty of attitude! In fact, as the story begins we discover that Jethro is on the ham...er, lam...and the craziness amps up from there.

Harvest may be a small Amish town but it is no stranger to murder just as Bailey is no stranger to being a suspect! Her naturally inquisitive mind and kind-hearted desire to help lead her on another crime solving spree. Love the quirky humour and unconventional characters! And the Amish connection makes me just plain happy.

I adore Bailey's Amish grandmother who is the source of steadfast calm in the midst of chaos. "Every person has to make a decision about how she will live her life. That is no different in the Amish world or the Englisch world. It is the free will that Gott gave us. It is not only a choice, but a responsibility to choose." (p 159) That theme of choice plays out over and over again in various ways as the story progresses.

And one of those choices might involve a certain sheriff's deputy who tries to keep Bailey out of trouble long enough to solve the murder before she does! It's a lost cause though, because she doesn't know how to butt out and even though Aiden finds that exasperating, he can't help but appreciate her spunky doggedness. A sweet stirring of romance with the promise of more to come in future books has me wearing my Cheshire grin.

And though this is book two in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Though, I highly recommend Assaulted Caramel too just because why wouldn't you want twice as much of this quirky goodness?

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you want a chance to win a copy of Lethal Licorice, leave a comment below ore email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca.  If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 1 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Heart's Appeal

GIVEAWAY

DELAMERE, JENNIFER
THE HEART'S APPEAL

London 1881
He never expected to see her again. Then she appeared with a most unexpected request...

Strong-minded and independent, Julia Berney has come to London to study medicine and become a doctor -- a profession that has only just opened up to women. When she witnesses a serious accident, her quick action saves the life of an ambitious young barrister named Michael Stephenson. It's only later that she learns he could be instrumental in destroying her dreams for the future.

Coming from a family that long ago lost its status, Michael Stephenson has achieved what many would have thought impossible. Hard work and an aptitude for the law have enabled him to regain the path to wealth and recognition. His latest case puts him in the middle of a debate over the future of a women's medical school. He's supposed to remain objective, but when the beguiling and determined Julia reappears with an unexpected entreaty, he begins to question what he's made most important in his life. But Julia may be hiding her own motivations. As the two are tangled into spending more time together, will their own goals be too much to overcome?

My Review:

I fell in love with the Bernay sisters in The Captain's Daughter (the first book in the London Beginnings series) so I was thrilled to my toes when The Heart's Appeal made it's way into my TBR pile -- though not for long since I gobbled it up right away! Delamere has a talent for creating vivid images that make a reader feel like she's living the book rather than merely reading it. I also love the way she weaves real facts into her fiction. We get a grim look into the seedier side of London as well as the infuriating obstacles women faced as they fought for the rights we take for granted in this century.

I don't think I've read about a hero and heroine so diametrically opposed in nearly every way! Their chance encounter is ingenious and opens the door for so many delicious dilemmas. Julia, so set on missionary work in Africa once she's completed her medical schooling. So driven by her own ambitious objectives that she's in danger of overlooking God's plans in her rush to follow her own. And Michael is driven by his desire to reclaim family status -- in fact it almost consumes him out of a misplaced loyalty to his sister. He's definitely a 'modern' man with no need of spiritual guidance.

And yet there's no denying the spark of interest that isn't easily doused whenever these two get together. As guards are lowered, attraction grows despite the impossibility of  their situation. She has every intention of becoming a student at the women's medical school his client is intent on destroying. I honestly couldn't see a way out for Michael or Julia -- not without major concessions that seemed unfair. But Delamere cleverly weaves a stunning tale of love and sacrifice and the power in unwavering faith.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Heart's Appeal, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT or DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 1 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

March Giveaway -- Week Four

Wow -- what an awesome week!!!! I'm giddy and tizzy and a little bit tipsy on all the book love! So many great books to look forward to this spring! Thanks to all for sharing your wishlists with me! And for allowing me to eeep out among peeps who understand. :-)

WON BY PAM K.

WON BY LINDA MOFFITT

WON BY BECKY SMITH

WON BY MELISSA OLDAKER

WON BY TERRILL R.

WON BY CC

WON BY DIANA FLOWERS

WON BY JACKIE SMITH

WON BY TRACEY HAGWOOD

WON BY AGBOSS

WON BY AMADA CHAVEZ

WON BY LEA

You know the drill -- I will notify the winners if they included their email. If not, it's up to a winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca with their snail mail info. If I can't connect with a winner within a month, the win is forfeited. Books will be sent out once they are released. I have a pretty nifty way of keeping track of everything but I welcome any gentle nudges as release dates loom on the horizon. :-)

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:



So, I'm not really giving away a clone of Ruth Logan Herne though that would be awesome because she cooks and bakes and gardens and is a childcare ninja plus she's a good storyteller. But I am going to be giving up a Reader's Choice pick of one of her books. That's because I'll be reviewing her cozy mystery, A Light in the Darkness, which is kind of hard to get a hold of. It's part of a book club through Guideposts. Anyway, since I can't send you a copy of the book, I figure you can choose which of her books you would like to receive. Look for more details on Saturday.

Reader's Choice - Retro-Reads

GIVEAWAY

What's a Retro Read you ask? Any Christian Fiction novel published in 2017 or earlier. Here's your chance to catch the one that got away! Just make sure it's still in print...or in ebook format if you're okay with that. To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including title(s) of the book(s) you would like to win.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section each day and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES

Publication dates must be 2017 or earlier

Christian Fiction only please!

You can offer up to 3 suggestions a day

BUT

they need to be made in

three separate comments

(easier for me to tally)

No email entries this week

(too hard to keep track of

due to the # of responses)

NEW -- entrants must submit their own selections

(not piggyback on somebody else's login) -- NEW

Open to International Readers

I'm all about spreading the good news about

Christian Fiction all over the globe!!!

It's helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one comment (per day) If you choose not to include your email, it will be up to you to contact me with your mailing info if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on

Sunday March 25 2018

Reader's Choice - Christian Fiction

GIVEAWAY

Spring has sprung (in climates south of me, at least!) And that means that publishers are getting ready to shower us with new releases. Everybody -- SQUEEEPP -- together! I am so excited!

So here's how this thing works: You recommend Christian Fiction with release dates in April, May or June 2018 (up to three a day) and you have a chance at winning one of your recommendations! BUT it's a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

PLEASE NOTE: email entries are not eligible this week. :-(

IT'S CHRISTIAN FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Christian Fiction genre that you would like to win.

Christian Fiction

Any genre including previous selections you've made on other days and also for specific genres not covered this week such as Women's Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative etc.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section each day and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES

Publication dates must be

April, May or June 2018

Each day is genre specific so

only submit books from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to 3 suggestions a day

BUT

they they need to be made in

3 separate comments

(makes it easier for me to tally)

No email entries this week

(too hard to keep track of

due to # of entries)

NEW -- entrants must submit their own selections

(not piggyback on somebody else's log in.) -- NEW

Open to International Readers

I'm all about spreading the good news about

Christian Fiction across the globe!!!

It's helpful if you include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one comment (per day) If you choose not to include your email it's up to contact me with your mailing info if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on

Sunday March 25 2018