Yours is the Night

GIVEAWAY

DYKES, AMANDA

YOURS IN THE NIGHT

A mysterious song in the forest...

a discovery in war-torn France...

a journey toward hope.

The trenches of the Great War are a shadowed place. Though Platoon Sergeant Matthew Petticrew arrived there with a pas long marked by shadow, the realities of battle bring new wounds -- carving within him a longing for light, and a resolve to fight for it.

One night, Matthew and his comrades are enraptured by a sound so pure, a voice so ethereal, it offers reprieve -- even if only for a moment. Soon, rumours sweep the trenches from others who have heard the lullaby too. "The Angel of Argonne," they call the voice: a mysterious presence who leaves behind wreaths on unmarked graves.

Raised in the wild depths of the Forest of Argonne, Mireilles finds her reclusive world rocked when war carshes into her idyllic home, taking much from her. When Matthew and his two unlikely companions discover Mireilles, they must embark on a journey that will change each of them forever...and perhaps, at long last, spark light into the dark.

On the 100th anniversary of the dedication to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier comes an emotive tale inspired the courageous soldiers of World War I.

My Review:

So many emotions...

So few words...

I'm gobsmacked and awestruck and totally incapable of writing a cohesive sentence so here's my review in a random gushing sprint:

One of the greatest romances ever. Seriously. It goes much deeper than swoons and toe-curls into the realm of sacrificial love. And how faith can bring even more depth to already unlimited emotions. Just stunning.

Lyrical text transported me into the pages of this book until I forgot it was a story and that these characters weren't real.

And, oh, these characters!!! Multiple points of view and I loved them all. The way the author shows growth in every single one. How their faith grows in startling, goosebumping 'hallelujah' moments. As well as the quieter moments of conviction. Moved me to tears so many times.

Speaking of which...mega tissue box alert...I cried buckets. Great, heaving, ugly-cry sobs by the end. My heart is still bruised and it kinda hurts to breathe. But there was just as much happy crying as sad crying. Phew! Wonderfully cleansing to let all those emotions ride roughshod over me for a time.

I want to say so much more but these characters...their journeys...are best experienced with fresh reader eyes. Just know that they will become real and you'll laugh with them and cry with them and sometimes want to smack one or two upside the head. But mostly, you'll just want to sink into their stories and soak up the wisdom and hope that comes from lives well lived.

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

*Added note: Though I had a paperback copy for review purposes I couldn't resist purchasing the audible edition as well. I really think that this multi-performer cast enhanced my enjoyment of Yours in the Night. They certainly brought these characters to life for me. Vibrant. Brilliant. Emotional. If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, I highly recommend this one.

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy Yours is the Night, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 30  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Kissing Tree

GIVEAWAY

JENNINGS, REGINA

WITEMEYER, KAREN

DYKES, AMANDA

DEESE, NICOLE

THE KISSING TREE

In this Texas-sized romance novella collection, courting couples, decades apart, leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak's bark.

In Regina Jennings' Broken Limbs, Mended Fences, a small-town teacher has her credentials questioned by a traveling salesman.

In Karen Witemeyer's Inn for a Surprise, two opinionated collaborators with conflicting visions must turn a doomed business venture into a successful romantic retreat.

From Roots to Sky by Amanda Dykes follows a young WWII naval airman who heads to Texas to meet the sister of a lost compatriot.

Heartwood by Nicole Deese is a modern-day romance about the groundskeeper of a historic inn who's reunited with someone from her past while she fights to save the town landmark.

My Review:

Unique voices linked together by a common theme make this a stunning novella collection. Absolutely love the generational aspect where the kissing tree is highlighted throughout the ages. And i also love the way the first and last novellas bookend the collection. Giggles to start and a tear or two shed at the end. :-) Brilliantly done.

Broken Limbs, Mended by Regina Jennings -- Has a great comedic start and that thread of humour is woven throughout the inevitable angst as the hero and heroine find themselves on opposing sides of an impossible challenge. A nice mix of love and laughter with a few toe-curls on the side.

Inn for a Surprise by Karen Witemeyer -- That great play of words in the title promises exactly what this novella delivers. Readers will be 'in for a surprise' over just how much fun and swoony-ness the author packs in a concise word count. Barnabas and Phoebe's story of practicality versus romance thrilled me to my toes.

From Roots to Sky by Amanda Dykes -- Lyrically exquisite. Such a tender, moving love story spiked with humour and that desperate yearning we all have to belong.

Heartwood by Nicole Dees -- Sniffle. I'm still misty eyed now that it's all over and Dees closes things out with a heart-thudding, tummy-swirling reunion romance that has me happy/sad sighing. 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Kissing Tree, 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 winners announced on Saturday January 30 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Set the Stars Alight

GIVEAWAY

DYKES, AMANDA

SET THE STARS ALIGHT

In an aged brick cottage in London, the magic of the past comes alive each night for the family of a humble watchmaker. In her father's fireside stories, Lucy Claremont's fascination with the high seas begins, leading her to devote her life's work to discovering the whereabouts of a legendary lost ship. But when tragedy strikes, it's childhood friend Dashel and his knowledge of the stars that may help her solve the puzzle.

Two hundred years earlier, three young lives are altered forever when a shepherd rescues the privileged son of a powerful admiral. As the children grow, war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, deep love, and a story of betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption that fades into obscurity as centuries pass.

As Lucy and Dash explore mysterious ruins on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers -- and the healing -- they so desperately seek.

My Review:

B-b-b-b-but it can't be over. I need more! More stories. More hope. More answers!!!!! Sob!!!! I might just whine my way through this review. :-(

I am absolutely enamoured with Amanda Dykes' storytelling style. She wields the power of her words with exact precision, striking blows to my heart at every page turn. And the way she weaves together two distinct storylines is sheer heaven. 

One of the highlights for me is the emphasis the author places on storytelling. There's this lovely comparison to stories being the scaffolding we build our lives upon. I can't give you the exact quote, because, even though I had the book on hand, I listened to the audible edition (still having eye problems.) 

That concept really stuck with me and I've been thinking about all the different types of stories that have shaped my life -- touching my heart and mind and contributing to who I am today. You know how they say your life flashes before your eyes when you die? Well, I'm pretty sure mine will be a kaleidoscope of plots and settings from every book I've read since I become so immersed in my stories. :-)

And this one put me in such a mood. Melancholy at first -- in fact, there's a dark thread that weaves its way through both timelines -- but Dykes shines a light into that darkness. Just flashes at first, and then, gradually, the whole mood brightens as hope winds itself around both tales.

Romance and adventure. Heartbreak and sorrow. And a wealth of memorable characters all clamouring to share their stories. Absolute bibliophile heaven!

Book provided by Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications.

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a paperback copy of Set the Stars Alight, 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 Sunday October 17 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Love at Last : 3 Historical Romance Novellas of Love in Days Gone By

GIVEAWAY

HUNTER, KRISTI ANN
CAMDEN, ELIZABETH
DYKES, AMANDA
LOVE AT LAST : 3 HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVELLAS OF LOVE IN DAYS GONE BY


Three acclaimed, award-winning Christian historical fiction authors' romantic and intriguing novellas are combined in one Readers will be delighted by these inspiring stories of love in print for the first time.

Kristi Ann Hunter's A Search for Refuge tells of solictor Nash Banfield, hiding from society in a market town, and Lady Margaretta Fortescue, on the run from a mysterious threat and in desperate need of refuge.

Elizabeth Camden's Summer of Dreams follows the whip-smart daughter of an army general determined never to marry a man in uniform, and a charismatic West Point cadet just as determined to change her mind.

Amanda Dykes's Up from the Sea follows the granddaughter of a Southern lumber baron and the local lumberjack who helps her investigate the legend that could save her family's land.

My Review:

A trifecta of super authors make this a historical fiction reader's dream!

Please note: these novellas have all been published in ebook format but this is the first time they've been compiled into print format. Perfect for the discerning reader's keeper shelf.

A Search for Refuge by Kristi Ann Hunter -- I read this series inside out so it was nice to fill in some of the missing pieces through reading this novella. Loved being present at the inception of Haven Manor! Nash and Margaretta's love story is sweet and intense and threatened by a cruel, power-hungry man. Cue a page- turning frenzy and call me one blissfully happy reader!

Summer of Dreams by Elizabeth Camden -- It's 1886 and Evelyn's father considers her "biologically unsuited" for pursing an education in engineering but that doesn't stop her from creating some ambitious projects on her own. When a rakish West Point cadet lends assistance on a complicated electrical issue sparks fly! Only she's vowed to never become involved with an army man and he's already committed to the Engineering Crops. Yep, it's complicated. Camden packed a lot of emotional depth into this 'not so doomed' romance as both Evelyn and Clyde struggle with issues from their past threatening their future.

Up From the Sea by Amanda Dyke  -- "Lord, you created the dark just as you created the light. Help me find life there, and not fear." (p 252) A lyrical, evocative tale that explores what really matters. It's 1925  and Savannah is a displaced Southerner in the wilds of Maine trying to reconnect with her deceased mother's family. She's a farmer's daughter and they are nouveau riche thanks to the marvels of the stock market. But her mother has left her a story and a map and Savannah's determined to uncover treasure buried long ago with the help of a taciturn lumberjack. And yes, I swooned all over Alastair!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Love at Last, 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 25 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Whose Waves These Are

GIVEAWAY

DYKES, AMANDA
WHOSE WAVES THESE ARE

In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose...and rocks. Its message? Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the harbor village on the cehind the eoast of Maine, and he sets his callused hands to work.

Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when GrandBob, the man who gave her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is the one in need of help. But what greets her is a mystery: a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Memories of stone ruins on a nearby island ignite a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

Together with the handsome and enigmatic town postman, Annie uncovers the story layer by layer, yearning to resurrect the hope GrandBob once held so dear and to know the truth behind the chasm in her family's past. But mending what has been broken for so long may require more of her and those she loves than they are prepared to give.

My Review:

"Sometimes the best way to love is to choose to let go." (p 108)

Whose Waves These Are defies description. A heart-stomping, sob-wracking, goose-bumping kind of a read. It's left me so tongue-tied and addlepated that I'm grappling for words here. And this is a debut novel! It really does boggle the mind.

First, it's the sheer beauty of the prose. This is the kind of book that begs to be read out loud so that the wordsmithing can be savored. "He's maybe thirty-five, but the look on his face is older, much older. Shadowed and resolute, with a wildness about him. Like someone has anchored the wind and trapped it, chains and all, inside him." (p 46)

Dykes' words conjure up vivid images so raw and real that it hurts. But it's a healing kind of pain. And she brings such reverence to these stories -- two timelines, generations awash in tragedy and hope. And the way they merge into a kaleidoscope of emotional change!

Expert pacing. Brilliant plotting. Characters to adore. This book has it all. Definitely in my top 10 reads this year (and maybe every year!)

"He said it was time to be a part of the unbreaking, of the making of something. He told me there was a Carpenter who was going to build me right up, too." (p 75)

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Whose Waves These Are, 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 August 31 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!