Into Thin Air

GIVEAWAY

PORTER, MARY ELLEN
INTO THIN AIR

The only witness...

When a child is abducted in front of Laney Kensington, she desperately tries to save the girl. But Laney is shot and left for dead; the kidnappers, their dark van and the girl long gone. FBI agent Grayson DeMarco explains she's the only witness to a worldwide child-trafficking ring. And if the kidnappers discover she's alive, they'll be back to finish the job. Yet Laney is determined to find the missing children. Even if it means returning to the search and rescue work she thought she'd left behind. And Grayson is just as determined to keep his sole witness protected. Especially when evidence hints that the real threat is closer than he ever imagined…

My Review:

I love being in at the beginning of an author's writing journey. Into Thin Air is Mary Ellen Porter's debut novel but it reads as polished and experienced as if it were her tenth. Seriously good story. The gripping opening scene propelled me into a tailspin of reading frenzy. Solid suspense, compelling hero and heroine, a cast of interesting and quirky secondary characters (including a few dogs) all conspired to keep me glued to the story. Not to mention some fun humorous bits that cut through the tension of the hair-raising suspense. I even found myself laughing out loud in the middle of some serious actions scenes. Love when an author surprises me that way. A definite must read for romantic suspense lovers.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Into Thin Air 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 June 14 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Hearts Made Whole

GIVEAWAY

HEDLUND, JODY
HEARTS MADE WHOLE

1865Windmill Point, Michigan

After her father's death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren't supposed to have such roles, so it's only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper---even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.

Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He's secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation---the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He's not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who's angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he's in no shape to run the lighthouse, but he's unwilling to let anyone close enough to help. Caroline feels drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope . . . and possibly love?

 

My Review:

 

Hedlund has the ability to carry her readers away to another place and time -- so much so that it's jarring to stop reading and find yourself in the 21st century again! I've always been fascinated with lighthouses. I used to think it would be so romantic to live in one so this Beacons of Hope series is sheer bliss for me.

 

Caroline is a strong heroine who can't afford to expose any vulnerabilities. Ryan is a flawed hero who sees them anyway. The two together seem like a disaster waiting to happen and yet they compliment each other in so many ways -- unknowingly drawing strength from each other. Oh my -- and their first meet? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! And if you like a toe-curling romance then look no further. 

A touch of spine-tingling suspense (that made me squirm a time or two!) adds an extra dimension to an already riveting read. The tension grows taut as treachery abounds and Caroline and Ryan are caught up in sinister subterfuge. Phew! An amazing book that was over way too fast. But there's no way I could have put the brakes on and tried to draw the experience out. It was just too spellbinding. I needed to know what happened. Now! So, yes, Hearts Made Whole comes highly recommended.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group and Bethany House for supplying me with a review copy of this book.

 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/jhedlund

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Heart Made Whole 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 June 14 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

In addition to this giveaway, the author and publisher are holding one of their own. You'll find details for that giveaway below.

Celebrate the release of Hearts Made Whole by entering to win an Afternoon at the Beach prize pack and RSVPing to Jody's June 23rd author chat party!


Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 23rd.Winner will be announced June 23rd at Jody's Facebook party. RSVP here!

June Giveaway - Week One

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:

A Shining Light

GIVEAWAY

MILLER, JUDITH
A SHINING LIGHT

The kind people of Amana have been her guiding light, but her greatest trial is yet to come...West Amana, Iowa, 1890

After Andrea Wilson receives the devastating news that her husband has been lost at sea, she returns home to Iowa with her young son, Lukas. But what she finds there causes more heartache: The family farm has burned and her father has died, leaving Andrea with nothing.

Andrea must rely on the kindness of the people from the nearby Amana village who invite her to stay with them for a time. She discovers much generosity and contentment among the Amanans--especially from the tinsmith, Dirk Knefler, who takes her son under his wing. But is the simple, cloistered life in Amana what Andrea wants for Lukas's future? Is she willing to give up the comforts and freedom of the outside world? And when yet another round of shocking news comes her way, will Andrea ever be able to find the serenity and hope that have eluded her for so long?

My Review:

I find the Amana colonies enthralling and everything I know about them is courtesy of this amazing author and her incredible research skills. I really enjoyed viewing the colonies through Andrea's eyes -- as an outsider looking in. I struggled right along with her as she tried to find a place to belong. Miller has crafted a compelling story of loss and hope in the midst of a fascinating setting.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Shining Light 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 June 7 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Art of Losing Yourself

GIVEAWAY

GANSHERT, KATIE
THE ART OF LOSING YOURSELF

Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.

 

Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together.  But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.

Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?

My Review:

There's a heaviness to this story that I wasn't completely prepared for. A gut-wrenching sorrow that shadows every page. A hard read in so many ways but a real one. And a challenging one because of that glaring reality.

Where is God when you do everything right only it all turns out wrong? That's the question Carmen struggles with as she tries to bury her grief beneath a plastic façade. She's drowning in a wave of hopelessness -- an internal battle of doubt and despair; afraid to let anyone know that she's teetering on the edge of desperate. I kept willing her to open her mouth and talk to someone -- especially her husband! But Carmen has spent her whole life doing 'perfect' to counter the reality of being raised by an alcoholic mother and admitting imperfection is terrifying for her.

Gracie isn't even sure God exists at all. He certainly hasn't shown up in her life so far. Still living with her alcoholic mom, she's chosen the exact opposite coping mechanism than her sister. Gracie is a rebel. A cynic with an impenetrable wall around her heart...until her latest escapade lands her living under Carmen's roof.

Ganshert alternates perspective between the sisters, using 1st person POV and it really works to take the reader deep into the psyche of both Carmen and Gracie. It makes the read more poignant and heart-wrenching.

And while The Art of Losing Yourself is a heavy read, there are moments of light and laughter worth savoring. A certain incident with a goat comes to mind. And Gracie's sarcastic wit.

But ultimately, this is a powerful story of hope. The kind of hope only faith can bring you. And with that faith comes the ability to trust. And when you have trust you can have relationships. Such a beautiful testimony of the richness of living.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Art of Losing Yourself 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 June 7 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Proposal at Siesta Key

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD
THE PROPOSAL AT SIESTA KEY

A young Amish woman, yearning for freedom, crosses paths with a handsome Mennonite celebrity in a deeply moving tale of friendship and self-discovery—the second installment in the unforgettable New York Times bestselling author’s new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.

Penny Troyer rarely disobeys her parents. In the years since her sister’s tragic death, they’ve wanted nothing more than to keep her safe…even if it means never leaving the house.

But tonight, she’s bending the rules because Michael Knoxx, the most famous member of The Knoxx Family Singers, a traveling Mennonite Evangelical family —is scheduled to speak. Penny has heard of Michael—how he lost part of his leg in a terrible accident and uses the experience to inspire others—and knows she must meet him. So, for the first time ever, Penny stands up to her parents and goes out on her own.

Though he speaks about living life to the fullest, Michael knows he needs to take his own advice. Life on the road is grueling and Michael wants to slow down, to rest…to perhaps meet someone who sees him as a man, not just a celebrity. So when a twist of fate allows him the chance to stay a little longer in Pinecraft, Michael knows God is showing him a new path, especially when he discovers how much he and Penny Troyer have in common.

But new friendships can’t stop time. Soon, Michael's time in Pinecraft will be over and he'll be back on the road. Her time with Michael has brought her happiness, but will she be able to follow her heart? Or will she be faced with the one thing she’s sure she'll never have the courage to do?

My Review:

There's something so magical about the way Shelley Shepard Gray writes. Her words just seem to flow, creating vivid images in my mind. I get a shiver of bibliodelight when I open one of her books, eager to be transported into another life for a time. So I'm afraid I devoured The Proposal at Siesta Key in one sitting and it was over much too soon!

This is the second book in the Amish Brides of Pinecraft series but there's no need to read the first one (though you ought to!) before reading this one. It reads beautifully as a standalone, though there are a few overlapping characters fans of the first book will be happy to meet up with again. And one over-arcing thread that I'm thinking is going to turn romantical, simmering on the back burner.

Penny's unusual backstory really intrigued me. It's shaped her right into adulthood and, in a way, this is her coming of age story. She begins to discover her strengths and potential. In contrast, Michael is definitely living out his potential but once he meets Penny he starts rethinking his future. A deliciously simple yet complicated love story that's sure to satisfy.

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

http://litfusegroup.com/author/sgray

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Proposal at Siesta Key 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 June 7 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Chasing Sunsets

GIVEAWAY

KINGSBURY, KAREN
CHASING SUNSETS

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes the second novel in a brand-new series about divine intervention and the trials and triumphs of life—the dramatic story of a woman desperate to find deeper meaning in her life.

Growing up in a comfortable home, Mary Catherine wanted for nothing. Though she loves her wealthy parents, their lifestyle never appealed to her. Instead, Mary Catherine pursues meaning through charity work, giving away a part of herself but never giving away her heart.

Mary Catherine lives in Los Angeles with her roommate, Sami, and volunteers at a local youth center with coach Tyler Ames and LA Dodger Marcus Dillinger. Despite Mary Catherine’s intention to stay single, she finds herself drawing close to Marcus, and their budding romance offers an exciting life she never dreamed of. That is, until she receives devastating news from her doctor. News that alters her future and forces her to make a rash decision.

Inspirational and moving, Chasing Sunsets is the story of one woman’s deep longings of the soul, and the sacrifices she’s willing to make in search of healing.

My Review:

There's an ethereal quality to this series that I find very appealing. You don't need to have read the first book. Angels Walking, in order to enjoy this one, but there are some character overlaps as well as a bit of a romantic spoiler in Chasing Sunsets.

I love the notion of angels walking among us and Kingsbury does a wonderful job of portraying both their power and vulnerability as they serve God on earth. That added a whole new dimension to the read for me.

Though this is mainly Marcus and Mary Catherine's story, the author tells the tale from multiple viewpoints that converge together into a resounding climax of hope for so many futures. Even so, there's plenty left unresolved and I'm clinging to that hope until A Brush of Wings releases in spring 2016!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Chasing Sunsets 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 June 1 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!