The Beekeeper's Son

GIVEAWAY

IRVIN, KELLY
THE BEEKEEPER'S SON

Sometimes it takes a barren landscape to see the beauty of God’s creation.

Phineas King knows better than to expect anything but shock and pity wherever he shows his face. Horribly scarred from the tragic accident that claimed his mother’s life, he chooses to keep his distance from everyone, focusing his time and energy on the bees his family raises. If no one sees him, no one can judge him. So why does he start finding excuses to seek out Deborah Lantz, the beautiful new arrival in town?

Deborah can’t get out of Bee County, Texas, soon enough. Once her mother and younger siblings are settled, she is on the first bus out of this dusty town. She is only waiting on the letter from Aaron, asking her to return to lush Tennessee to be his fraa. But that letter never comes. As she spends time getting to know Phineas—hoping to uncover the man beneath the scars—she begins to realize that she no longer minds that Aaron hasn’t sent for her.

As both Deborah and Phineas try to come to terms with lives that haven’t turned out the way they imagined, they discover that perhaps Gott’s plans for them are more extraordinary than they could have dreamed. But they need to let go of their own past sorrows and disappointments to find the joy and beauty that lies just ahead for them both.

My Review:

A beautiful story about being open to following God's path instead of your own. Both Deborah and Phineas have internal conflicts that cause them to look back instead of forward. They are so mired in what could have been that they nearly miss out on the glorious future God has planned for them. I really took that message to heart. And I'll smugly admit to learning the lesson way ahead of the hero and heroine. :-) At their expense, of course.

There's great tension and conflict within the pages of this book-- so stark at times that it matches the equally stark Texan countryside. An unusual and alluring setting for an Amish story. The author has created a fascinating community in Bee County, Texas. It is struggling to remain viable despite an increasing number of families leaving for more thriving Amish communities. I loved the modern day pioneer spirit of those who stayed.  A fresh angle for this genre and it makes for a compelling read! 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Beekeeper's Son 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 April 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!  

A Wife for Jacob

GIVEAWAY

KERTZ, REBECCA
A WIFE FOR JACOB

His Perfect Bride

Jacob Lapp has loved Annie Zook since childhood. But she's never seen him that way. Once courted—then rejected—by his older brother, Annie's wary of the Lapp men. But now that Jacob is working at her dat's blacksmith shop, he feels he's been given a second chance. It's no secret Annie wants a husband. Yet she's intent on marrying someone older, more established—someone the opposite of Jacob. Can he ever break down the walls she's forged around her fragile heart and prove to her that he's the perfect man for her?

Lancaster County Weddings: Binding two hearts as one in Amish country

My Review:

She's his perfect bride only she doesn't know it -- and he's not about to tell her! Such a conundrum! Kertz has crafted a gentle love story with plenty of conflict and insecurities. While I understood why Annie thought her plans made sense, I wanted to clout her upside the head for being such a dummkopf. And Jacob -- grrr, don't get me started. He's just as bad. If Jacob knew what Annie was thinking and if Annie knew what Jacob was thinking -- well, I guess there wouldn't have been a book, would there? Thankfully, Kertz doesn't seem to mind torturing her characters (and consequently her readers.) The result is a splendid, sweet read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Wife for Jacob 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 April 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Sparrow in Terezin

GIVEAWAY

CAMBRON, KRISTY
A SPARROW IN TEREZIN

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor's story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

Present Day---With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairytale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels she's stumbled into a charmed life---until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy the perfectly planned future she's planned before it even begins. Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future.

1942---Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped occupied Prague in 1939, and was forced to leave her half-Jewish family behind. Now a reporter for the Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, Kája has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear---even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

My Review:

Another stunning offering from Kristy Cambron. Exhilarating and disturbing and complicated to the nth degree.  This sequel to The Butterfly and the Violin continues Sera and Will's tale as they discover another heartrending story of hope born from the holocaust.

I loved the beautiful imagery in the sparrow analogy. It brought me to tears at one point. And that's what is so masterful about Cambron's storytelling -- she knows how to mold her characters into living, breathing entities that a reader can't help but care deeply about. And in the process of discovering them, a reader is blessed to discover more about herself. At least, that has been my experience with this compelling series.

A Sparrow in Terezin is the kind of novel you'll want to savor long after you've reached the last word. Kaja's story will haunt you -- from the depths of despair to the soaring wings of hope. Definitely the kind of novel that makes your life richer for having read it.

*Just a side note: The present day plot -- Sera and Will's continuing story -- might make more sense if you have read A Butterfly and the Violin. It's pretty complicated and carries on from that first book.
I think you could still read A Sparrow in Terezin if you haven't read the first book, but just be prepared to be a little confused with the present day plot. But Kaja's story is well worth a little present day muddle so don't let not having read the first book discourage you from reading this one.

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

http://litfusegroup.com/author/kcambron

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Sparrow in Terezin 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 April 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Kristy is celebrating by giving away a basket filled with goodies inspired by her new book!

 
One grand prize winner will receive:

A set of poppy notecards

A poppy pin

A copy of I Never Saw Another Butterfly

A copy of the Mrs. Miniver DVD

Literary tea bags

Tumbler

A copy of A Sparrow in Terezin

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 28th. Winner will be announced April 29th on Kristy's blog.

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

April Giveaway - Week Two

As always, I will contact the winners by email however thanks to the nefarious ways of the Internet my email might land in your spam folder so keep your eyes peeled! :-) If you haven't heard from me by Monday evening please email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca From time to time winners and I don't seem to connect, so I have a month time frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

Lizzy & Jane

GIVEAWAY

Reay, Katherine
Lizzy & Jane

Lizzy and Jane never saw eye to eye. But when illness brings them together, they discover they may be more like Austen’s famous sisters after all.

Lizzy was only a teenager when her mother died of cancer. Shortly after, Lizzy fled from her home, her family, and her cherished nickname. After working tirelessly to hone her gift of creating magic in the kitchen, Elizabeth has climbed the culinary ladder to become the head chef of her own New York restaurant, Feast. But as her magic begins to elude her, Paul, Feast’s financial backer, brings in someone to share her responsibilities and her kitchen. So Elizabeth flees again.

In a desperate attempt to reconnect with her gift, Elizabeth returns home. But her plans are derailed when she learns that her estranged sister, Jane, is battling cancer. Elizabeth surprises everyone—including herself—when she decides to stay in Seattle and work to prepare healthy, sustaining meals for Jane as she undergoes chemotherapy. She also meets Nick and his winsome son, Matt, who, like Elizabeth, are trying to heal from the wounds of the past.

As she tends to Jane's needs, Elizabeth's powers begin to return to her, along with the family she left behind so long ago. Then Paul tries to entice her back to New York, and she is faced with a hard decision: stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane, or return to New York and the life she worked so hard to create?  

My Review:

Astonishingly real and raw -- almost painful to real in places. Reay shows the complexities of a dysfunctional family as they struggle with the cancer in their midst. We live it all through Elizabeth's point of view. What an incredible journey of growth. I could feel her stretching and clawing her way through the grim reality that surrounds her. Sometimes she's brilliant and other times she falls back into protective mode and I just want to shake some sense into her. But I'm always on her side, cheering her on, praying she has the courage to emotionally heal herself and her family. A riveting read that has definitely changed me for the better.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Lizzy & Jane 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 April 12 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Alaskan Homecoming

GIVEAWAY

WILSON, TERI
ALASKAN HOMECOMING

Second chance reunion

Ballet dancer Posy Sutton is only back in her hometown of Aurora, Alaska, until her injury heals. It's a decision that'd be easier to stick to if she didn't keep bumping into her charming ex-boyfriend, Liam Blake. After six years, she should be over him—but instead all she can see is the mistake she made when she left him. She's not sure she can handle choosing between Liam and ballet a second time…if Liam is even willing to risk his heart again. When her time in Alaska is up, will she and Liam be part of the sweetest dance of all?

My Review:

Upbeat and fun -- a wonderful venue for this author's quirky sense of humour. She really knows how to make a reader smile. And swoon. But Alaskan Homecoming isn't all fun and games. There's definitely a serious side to Liam and Posy's romance. What do you do when a dream drifts from your grasp? Do you pursue it? Let go? Or adapt it to fit in with a new dream? A light-hearted book with plenty of food for thought. Can't get better than that.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Alaskan Homecoming 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 April 12 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Buried Secrets

GIVEAWAY

HANNON, IRENE
BURIED SECRETS

After seven years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant has hit a wall. Ready for a kinder, gentler life, she takes a job as a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes the resources of her department. A call for assistance brings detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, to her doorstep. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn't want this dead person telling any tales—and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried.

My Review:

There are two things that made this book stand out for me. The first is the unique way Hannon approaches the romance. Instead of the usual scenario where the hero and heroine are pitted against each other, with emotional obstacles to overcome, it doesn't take Mac and Lisa long to figure out they have a mutual attraction going on. But they are professionals and that means they won't act on that attraction until they close their active case. The romantic plotline is deliciously full of anticipation that is shared with the reader. And the thinly disguised flirtation sprinkled in their routine encounters is sheer delight.

The second thing that really struck me about Buried Secrets is the way the suspense is delivered. It reads like a television episode. Think Castle or NCIS maybe. The reader becomes part of the investigation, following the clues right along with the detectives, though we have the added advantage of a some villain POV scenes that give us an edge over Lisa and Mac. It's a slow, deliberate build until the nail-biting conclusion filled with action and angst that lasts for about seventy pages! Mercy, my heart nearly stopped a time or two! A stunning start to a new series by an incredibly gifted suspense author.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Buried Secrets 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 April 12 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!