By Way of the Moonlight

GIVEAWAY

MUSSER, ELIZABETH

BY WAY OF THE MOONLIGHT

Two courageous young women, tied together by blood and shared passion, will risk everything to save what they love most.

For as long as she can remember, Allie Massey, a gifted physical therapist, has dreamed of making her grandparents' ten-acre estate into a trauma recovery center using equine therapy -- a dream her grandmother, Nana Dale, embraced wholeheartedly. But when her grandmother's will is read, Allie is shocked to learn the property has been sold to a developer.

Decades earlier, headstrong Dale Butler's driving passion is to bring the prized filly her family lost to the Great Depression, but with World War II looming she's called upon in ways she never could have imagined. And while her world expands to include new friends and new love, tragedy strikes close to home one fateful night during the Battle of the Atlantic, changing her life forever.

As Nana Dale's past comes to light in Allie's search for answers, Dale's courage and persistence may be just what Allie needs to carry on her grandmother's legacy and keep her own dreams alive.

My Review:

So, I'd heard so many good things about this book in online chatter that I had to buy the audible edition even though I was waiting on a paperback copy...it was just taking way too long to arrive and I was in the mood for a richly layered emotional read right now! lol I can get kinda cranky impatient when my reading life is thwarted. 'Course, Murphy's law had my book arrive the day after I downloaded it from audible. :-) But I really enjoyed Susan Bennett's narration so I'm a happy customer and now I can do a giveaway of the paperback so it's all good.

I'd categorize 'By Way of the Moonlight' as Women's Fiction with strong romantic undertones. And honestly, I was a blubbering mess by the end. I'm not sure I can do justice to this book in a review. 

The way the author builds both timeline stories to a crescendo of gobsmacking revelations is so amazing that it defies description so I'm not even going to try! Just know that the impeccable pacing picks up speed as the novel progresses and you'll reach a point where you won't be able to put the book down so consider this your FYI -- clear your calendar and prepare to become so immersed in Dale's and Allie's lives that you won't care you even have a 'real' world to get back to. 

(True Confession: I got to a point near the end that I actually sped up my listening speed to 3x because I was so greedy to know everything right away! Then, once I'd settled down a bit I went back and listened to it all over again at proper speed while I sniffled into my hankie.)

Other random thoughts about 'By Way of the Moonlight':

All kinds of cover love!!! The stark simplicity of the silhouette is so eye-catching and I love that smoky blue background. 

Love the all consuming 'horsiness' of this novel -- it channels my junior equestrian reading obsession from back in the day -- Black Beauty, Misty of Chincoteauge, The Little White Horse etc. And the Equine therapy is an extra draw. The author really captures the miraculous wonder of the program.

I'm also enamoured with the incredible, salt-of-the earth secondary characters who provide guidance and wisdom that are passed down through generations. Like this:

"It will never be enough, Dale, until you decide that you already have it all. You settle in your mind a grateful heart, a content spirit, and everything else will be gravy, girl." (p 120)

This is a resounding theme throughout both timelines as both Dale and Allie come to terms with dreams vs reality. 

'By Way of the Moonlight' is an enthralling, uplifting, emotional adventure -- a novel I will cherish and reread many times over the years. A new 'Classic' for my listening library.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  By Way of the Moonlight, 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 27 2022 . Offer open to 

When I Close My Eyes

GIVEAWAY

MUSSER, ELIZABETH
WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES

Won't they find out about The Awful Year?

There is one story novelist Josephine Bourdillon shirked from writing. And now she may never have a chance. Trapped in her memories, she lives in a coma.

The man who put her there is just as paralyzed. Former soldier Henry Hughes failed to complete the kill. What's more: he failed to receive payment -- funds that would ensure surgery for his young son.

As detective investigate disturbing fan letters, a young but not-so-naive Paige Bourdillon turns to her mother's tormented past for answers. How bad could remembering The Awful Year truly be compared to the one they are living?

Set against the flaming hills of North Carolina and the peaceful shores of the Mediterranean Sea, When I Close My Eyes tells the story of two families struggling with dysfunction and finding love is stronger than death.

My Review:

So, I'm sitting here in such a stunned stupor of overflowing emotion that I'm not sure if I'm going to make any sense. What a powerful redemptive story! Fraught with the agonies of broken lives and shattered dreams, nevertheless, these characters are lifted out of their pain and fear by the grace and love of a Saviour who has been waiting for them.

Utterly compelling. Told in three first person points of view -- Josephine, a comatose woman living in her past, her seventeen-year-old daughter, Paige and, wait for it...Henry, the hit man who put Josephine in the hospital. Each character is so well fleshed out and easy to relate too -- yes, even Henry. Their words just flowed off the page and into my heart until I felt like I was a part of them. And the way their lives intertwine is magical.

A profoundly stirring celebration of forgiveness and grace and the power of love.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  When I Close My Eyes, 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 May 16 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Two Crosses

GIVEAWAY

MUSSER, ELIZABETH
TWO CROSSES

The glimmering Huguenot cross she innocently wears leads her deep into the shadows. When Gabriella Madison arrives in France in 1961 to continue her university studies, she doesn’t anticipate being drawn into the secretive world behind the Algerian war for independence from France. The further she delves into the war efforts, the more her faith is challenged. The people who surround her bring a whirlwind of transforming forces—a wise nun involved in the smuggling, a little girl carrying secret information, and a man with unknown loyalties who captures her heart. When she discovers a long hidden secret from her past, it all leads to questions about trust, faith in action, and the power of forgiveness to move beyond the pain of the past.

My Review:

Originally published in 1996 and then re-released in 2012 this gem fought its way to the top of my retro TBR pile until I had to take notice. I say fought because I kept passing it over for no other reason then that I was unfamiliar with the book's backdrop and history. In fact, I had no idea there even was an Algerian war in the early 1960s or the horrific atrocities committed under the name of religion and race. Sound familiar? I found eerie parallels in modern day conflicts.

Astonishingly good. Musser knows how to cast a spell that will hold her readers captive until the very last page...at which point there will wailing and gnashing of teeth because this is the first book in the Secrets of the Cross trilogy and while there is some resolution there's still a cliffhanger ending.

Truly compelling. Characters, plot, intrigue and especially the moving testimony of forgiveness that is expertly woven throughout. God touches lives in this novel in unexpected ways. Gabriella, so solid and resolute in her faith struggles for answers to questions she never thought she'd have to ask. And the wisdom and strength of Mother Griolet is inspiring. A mesmerizing read that held me spellbound.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Two Crosses please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 13 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Among the Magnolias

GIVEAWAY

ALEXANDER, TAMERA
GRAY, SHELLEY
LOVE, DOROTHY
MUSSER, ELIZABETH
AMONG THE MAGNOLIAS

In the most turbulent decade of our nation's history, four Southern women---destinies forged by birth, hearts steeled by war---face near impossible choices on their journeys in life . . . and in love.

To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander
Savannah Darby would do almost anything to revisit her family home. So when new owner, Aidan Bedford, a Boston attorney and former Union soldier, seeks to redecorate the house for his fiancée, Savannah jumps at the opportunity. But the clock is ticking. Can she find the box her father supposedly hid there during the war before her assignment is completed? And before she sees yet another battle lost on the home front. This time, one of the heart.

An Outlaw's Heart by Shelley Gray
When Russell Stark returns to Fort Worth, he's determined to begin a new life. But when he arrives at his mother's homestead, he discovers she's very ill, and the woman he loved is still as beautiful and sweet as he remembered. With time running out, Russell must come to terms with both his future and his past.

A Heart So True by Dorothy Love
Abigail knows all too well what is expected of her: to marry her distant cousin Charles and take her place in society. But her heart belongs to another. A terrible incident forces Abby to choose between love and duty.

Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser
Emily has a secret: She's in love with one of the freedmen on her family's plantation. Meanwhile, another man declares his love for her. Emily realizes some things are not as they seem and secrets must be kept in order to keep those she loves safe.

My Review:

Four well-known authors join forces to create one exceptional novella collection.

A Heart So True by Dorothy Love -- A woman caught between love and duty. Righteous indignation was front and center as I read this novella. Abigail's father is...well, I don't have words. A stark look at how women were treated as commodities.

To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander -- Sqqqueallll!!!!! So thrilled to discover Savannah Darby's story in this collection. She captured my attention in To Win Her Favor and I was so hoping that the author would share more about this intriguing character. And voila -- here it is -- Savannah's very own story. A rags to riches tale that captured my heart.

Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser -- A difficult look at post civil war plantation life in Georgia. A mini history lesson packed with emotional depth and fragile hope. Totally captivating.

An Outlaw's Heart by Shelley Gray -- This novella has ties to A Texan's Honor and I was thrilled when I put the pieces together -- especially since I read the book three years ago! Talk about writing talent when plots and characters stick with an avid reader years later! A very special second chance love story that breathes hope for a future despite all odds.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Litfuse Publicity Group for supplying me with a review copy of this book.

http://litfusegroup.com/author/fairmagnolias

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Among the Magnolias please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday August 9 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

 

Join the authors in celebrating the release of Among the Fair Magnolias by entering to win their Southern Hearts Kindle Fire Giveaway and RSVPing to their August 13th author chat party!

The Sweetest Thing

GIVEAWAY!

MUSSER, ELIZABETH
THE SWEETEST THING

Anne "Perri" Singleton's world is defined by the security of family, the camaraderie of friends at an exclusive Atlanta girls' school, and an enviable social life. She isn't looking for new friends when Mary Dobbs Dillard arrives from Chicago. Besides, "Dobbs", the passionate and fiercely individualistic daughter of an itinerant minister is her opposite in every way.

But just as the Great Depression collides disastrously with Perri's well-ordered life, friendship blossoms -- that friendship that will be tested by jealousy, betrayal, and family secrets.

With her endearing characters and poignant storytelling, Atlanta native Elizabeth Musser vividly re-creates the charm of her beloved city amid the poverty and plenty that shaped the 1930s.

My Review:

If you only read one more book this year, make it this one.

Stunning doesn't begin to describe the spellbinding combination of unforgettable characters, exquisite word choice and a rich, deep plot that will leave you mulling it over long after you close the book.

Musser's 'voice' is so clearly southern that it is a pleasure to read each finely-crafted word. She creates pictures and atmosphere with them and tells a timeless story you'll be better for having read.

This is an epic coming-of-age tale. Two girls as opposite as can be, meeting during one of the most unsettled times in the history of the United States. Musser captures the desperation and despair but also the hope, courage and dignity of people forced to face the unthinkable every single day. Dobbs and Perri take turns telling their story -- each girl's distinctive voice building both plot and tension.

The spiritual threads in The Sweetest Thing are profound. It's the age old struggle of finding faith and keeping it. Musser does it justice in a gritty, real, honest way. And oh -- this book is filled with so much hope! It really made my spirits soar despite the harsh realities that can be found throughout the plot. Just like real life.

Can you tell I loved this book? ! If you'd like a chance to win a copy see below.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".



Giveaway: Leave a comment if you would like a chance at winning a copy of The Sweetest Thing. The draw will be held on Sunday July 3. If Blogger doesn't let you comment you can also email at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca.