Monday, June 29, 2020

Carol Award Finalists 2020 -- Contemporary Category

GIVEAWAY
First off -- what exactly are the Carol Awards?

They are awards given out by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in recognition of outstanding Christian Fiction in the previous calendar year. So these 2020 finalists are books published in 2019. You might have read them already. You might not. As it happens, I've actually read two of these contemporary novels. I'll include a link to my review in the description.

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the three Carol Award Finalist 2020 Contemporary novels you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in your comment (or an email, if you're entering that way.) If you win, that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the three finalists:

The Death of Mungo Blackwell by Lauren H. Brandenburg, Lion Fiction (Monarch Publishing), editor Jessica Gladwell

The Blackwells are a family with an extraordinary history and astounding traditions, which include attending their own funerals before they die! Their ways are questionable and their stories about deceased relatives are as bold as their red hair, but it is their eclectic wares that keep tourists coming back to their market in the town of Coraloo.

Charlie Price, whose world has come crumbling down after a lapse in judgement leaves him unemployed, finds himself flung into the chaotic world of the Blackwells when he relocates to Coraloo with his socialite wife, Velveteen, and shy son, Gideon. Here Charlie attempts to make a living as a 'picker', reselling under-priced items he picks up at the market. Some of the Blackwells welcome him with open arms, but others resent pickers and want him thrown out of the market.

Charlie soon finds this new way of life under threat and his quest for simplicity seems to be crumbling. Perhaps it's time for Charlie to have a funeral of his own! This charming story of hope will warm your heart and make your imagination soar.

On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Revell -- a Division of Baker Publishing Group, editors Barb Barnes and Andrea Doering.

Sometimes love hurts -- and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on and one who just keeps on moving.

Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island -- a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, and so do the locals. One in particular: Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher, who harbors more than a few surprises.

My Review:
https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2019/08/on-summer-tide.html

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay, Harper Collins Christmas Publishing, editors Jocelyn Bailey and Jodi Hughes

Love, friendship, and family find a home at the Printed Letter Bookshop.

One of Madeline Cullen's happiest childhood memories is of working with her Aunt Maddie in the quaint and cozy Printed Letter Bookshop. But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline's heart toward her once-treasured aunt -- and the now struggling bookshop left in her care.

While Madeline intends to sell the shop as quickly as possible, the Printed Letter's two employees have other ideas. Reeling from a recent divorce, Janet finds sanctuary within the books and within the decadent window displays she creates. Claire, though quieter than the acerbic Janet, feels equally drawn to the daily rhythms of the shop and its loyal clientele, finding a renewed purpose within its walls.

When Madeline's professional life falls apart, and a handsome gardener upends all her preconceived notions, she questions her plans and her heart. Has she been too quick to dismiss her aunt's beloved shop? And even if she has, the women's best combined efforts may be too little too late.

The Printed Letter Bookshop is a captivating story of good books, a testament to the beauty of new beginnings, and a sweet reminder of the power of friendship.

My Review:
https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-printed-letter-bookshop.html

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  one of these Carol Award Finalists 2020 - Contemporary Category, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 4 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

50 comments:

  1. Kav, please throw my name in for The Printed Letter Bookshop. If a bookstore's involved, I'm always intrigued :)

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I absolutely loved this one -- and, yes, bookstores in a book are a must read. Good luck, Cheryl!

      Delete
  2. I would love The Printed Letter Bookshop!!

    eclitton at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think this one is going to ve very popular this week. Good luck, Elizabeth!

      Delete
  3. Bookshops are a favorite of mine so I am going with The Printed Letter Bookshop.
    mauback55 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What would we be without our bookshops? Good luck, Melanie!

      Delete
  4. Printed Letter Bookshop. I will make it unanimous, thus far. I have read On a Summer Tide but not anything yet by Katherine Reay. And who could resist the bookshop setting and your compelling review? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL -- I kinda thought this is the way it would go today. Glad my review could sway you. Snicker. Good luck, CC!

      Delete
  5. I've read both Printed Letter and On a Summer Tide (Coastal Breeze is on hold at my library) so my choice would be "The Death of Mungo Blackwell".

    This is the first time I've ever seen or heard about this book or author. Sounds like an interesting story!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eeep, Trixi, my library branch is opening up on July 13! Only for returns and holds pick ups but it's a start! Sorry, you mentioned libraries and I kinda lost it there for a minute.

      I never heard about Mungo Blackwell either. I just like saying his name. It sounds super unique. Good luck, Trixi!

      Delete
  6. The Death of Mungo Blackwell, please.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, a second Mungo request. Good luck, Jana!

      Delete
  7. Printed letter bookshop is the one I haven't read yet. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  8. Printed Letter Bookshop please😊 melmo2610ATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely the most popular book today. Good luck, Melmo!

      Delete
  9. Would love Death if Mungo Blackwell. I hadn’t heard of it until the Carol Awards finalist nominations. Read the other two books and they were exceptional.
    mindyhoung at msn dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too -- love the other two but Mungo was a surprise. Good luck, Mindy!

      Delete
  10. I'd like to have my name in the draw for On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher. Thanks, Kav!

    psalm103and138atgmaildotcom

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've read and enjoyed The Printed Letter Bookshop. I'd love to win a copy of On a Summer Tide. Thanks!

    pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wasn't the Printed Letter Bookshop awesome? On a Summer Tide is as well. Good luck, Pam!

      Delete
  12. I would love a copy of "The Printed Letter Bookshop" by Katherine Reay if I were the very fortunate one selected. Between the line quoted at the top of your review, that it involves a book store, and its an emotional book of three stories, I'm ready to be "pulled into an emotional upheaval and then spewed me out tender and sore, but renewed somehow" as you so eloquently wrote.

    Thank you for the chance!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bwahahaha! Definitely an emotional read. You'll love it, Kay. Good luck!

      Delete
  13. It is a hard choice but I’ll go with the majority on this one. The Printed Letter Bookshop will be my choice.
    paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet
    Thanks for thinking of this giveaway twist .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We all can't be wrong, right? lol Good luck, Paula!

      Delete
  14. Put me in for The Death of Mungo Blackwell as I read the other two. Thank you. leliamae54(At)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another adventurous reader! Good luck, Lucy!

      Delete
  15. Oooo I'd love to have On Summer's Tide! Is such a pretty cover.

    dmandres5 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pretty cover and great story! Good luck, Melissa!

      Delete
  16. I love Katherine Reay and always buy her books ASAP. I'm choosing outside my reading box and choosing The Death of Mungo Blackwell. I'm so intrigued by the description and looking forward to something with a lot of imagination.
    tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's definitely different right down to that name -- Mungo Blackwell. Good luck, Terrill!

      Delete
  17. I've always wanted to try The Printed Letter Bookshop! iwant2save34 at gmail dot com! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely belongs on your forever shelf! Good luck, android108!

      Delete
  18. I'd love the chance to win On a Summer Tide!

    usedtextbooks5(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. On a Summer Tide. Thanks Kav! Fun giveaway.

    colorvibrant at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Might have to do this with the Christys as well once they announce their finalists. A new blogging tradition is born! Good luck, Heidi!

      Delete
  20. They all look very good! I would pick Suzanne Wood Fisher's On a Summer Tide.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can't go wrong there. Good luck, rubynreba!

      Delete
  21. I'd love to win On a Summer Tide. I've had my eye on that one! Thanks, Kav!
    whthomas13 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a fabulous start to that series. Good luck, Winnie!

      Delete
  22. Hi Kav! Thanks for the reviews. I came here to see what books were Carol Award Finalist and the read your reviews. I already have the two I would choose so not entering this time!
    Thanks again for your amazing reviews a d giveaways!
    Blessings Joy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's really an eclectic mix this year. And so many books I haven't read...or, in some cases, even heard of! Hard to keep up with all the great Christian fiction being published.

      Delete
  23. Please enter me for On a Summer Tide. Have heard good things about that series.

    mo120007ATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  24. The Death of Mungo Blackwell by Lauren H. Brandenburg ~ thanks for entry for this new type of book for me! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
    kathleen[dot]e[dot]belongia[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't now what to make of this book -- it's so very different. You'll have to read it and tell me what you think. Good luck, Kathleen!

      Delete
  25. I still haven't read The Printed Letter Bookshop, which surprises me, because usually any books that take place in bookshops are high on my list to read. Thanks for the chance!

    LLWALTZ [at] gmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love bookshop settings too. Good luck, Laura.

      Delete