CelebrateLit

Book Review—Emeline—A Journey

June 17, 2021 by NZ Filbruns 4 Comments

About the Book

Book: Emeline – A Journey with the My Journey companion Journal
Author: Kathy J. Perry
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction Adventure
Release date: November 1, 2020

Emeline:

I can’t ask Pa; I must decide for myself.

What do I really want?

Set in 1890, a period of no phones or refrigerators, thirteen-year-old Emeline has lost both parents and must travel through ten states to reconnect with family in Boston.

On the way, she encounters many people and trials. Some characters are unsavory, ruthless, and violet, wanting only her money and possessions, caring nothing for her life. But all is not bleak: good folks make her trip memorable, giving her help as they are able.

Will she make it, and if she does, will she stay?

Will the events of her journey redefine her life?

This Christian historical fiction adventure will educate, entertain, and inspire young readers.

My Journey:

You Are Unique

What do you believe?

What motivates you?

What are your thoughts, hopes, and dreams?

Find a quiet place and contemplate the questions inside. Journaling is a great way to understand yourself and work through emotions.

Who knows? You might surprise yourself!

My Thoughts:

I rarely read Young Adult books. Almost all that I have seen have to do with romance, include too much sensual matter, or are fantasy, time travel, or some weird futuristic story. I tend to greatly prefer realism, and I don’t think Young Adults need romance. When I read the description of Emeline—A Journey, I was attracted to it because it sounded different. I was not disappointed by the content!

Emeline loved to spend time with her teacher, who reminded her of her mother, who had passed away in childbirth two years ago. Talking about her mother helped so much! Then, one morning, Emeline woke up to find her father dying. His final words to her sent her on a journey across ten states, from Missouri to Boston, to find her grandfather. How could a 13-year-old travel that far alone?

Emeline learned survival skills from Ole Mr. Thompson, and then took off on her horse. When one man after another tried to rob her, and someone finally succeeded in knocking her out, she found herself in the home of the Witherspoons in Indiana. She lived with them for a time to earn money for a train ride to Boston, learning the skills of woodturning, and then finished her journey. Once in Boston, she learned about lithography from her father’s family. Then, where should she go? Should she stay in Boston, or return to the wide-open spaces of the West, where her heart was? All along the way, Emeline spent time reading her Bible, and journaling her thoughts. She learned to depend on God to care for her.

I really liked the content of Emeline—A Journey. It describes life in a simpler time, and shows a girl who has been left alone in the world making the best of what she had, learning to make her own decisions. On the other hand, the writing style could definitely be improved; it felt a bit amateurish. Also, it did not feel realistic that she hardly showed any grief when her father died. She was sad, but quickly got up and going again, never crying much at all. I did appreciate that this book doesn’t portray a girl who can do everything; she knows she needs help from adults, and readily accepts help and advice. I also really liked that there is no romance, other than a few hints that Emeline liked the apprentice at the Witherspoons. I can highly recommend this book for those in the 12-16-year-old group, and I may end up reading it aloud to my children sometime.

I did not get to see the journal, so I can’t comment on it. Have a look at some of the other blogs on this tour if you want to know what people have to say about it.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

After the passing of my parents, I evaluated at what I was doing with my life and my contribution to others. I’ve always had a heart for teaching kids. I’ve been a classroom teacher, a homeschool mom, a tutor, and a substitute for many years. I’ve written, illustrated, and published the Bandana Acres series of Early Reader Chapter Books with solid moral lessons that fill a genre gap between picture and chapter books. Fellow teachers say, “Great! Keep it up. We need more of these.”

As a twelve-year-old, I identified with a fictional orphaned girl and was so impressed with her cleverness and honesty that I wanted to be like her. It was this story that inspired me to write Emeline – A Journey — a story that will educate, encourage, and inspire your tween or teen to find their way as a confident young adult.

A companion book, a consumable guided journal entitled My Journey, will challenge your young adult to important questions and give them lots of room to process their thoughts, hopes, and dreams.

More From Kathy:

Research for Emeline’s story gave me such joy. It amazed me how much I learned about life in 1890 from internet searches, YouTube videos, and library books. Some topics, however, were more difficult than others. I purchased a book about 1800s printing for lithography details. I later gifted this beautiful book to my printer brother-in-law.

With new technology bursting at the seams of the fabric of our lives, could your young adult have an interest in such a time as 1890? Fantasies and futuristic books claim attention and provide an escape from our time and place. But the 1890s was a fascinating time, too, with inventions that would change how we live forever — inventions that we take for granted today. Regardless of the external factors, people then had the same personal issues. People remain people, no matter when or where they live.

I hope that from reading or listening to this book, your tweens and teens will internalize the important character qualities vital for confident, successful adulthood. The companion book, My Journey, follows the same values shown in Emeline’s book and provides a place for personal evaluation and self-discovery.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review—Prairie

June 10, 2021 by NZ Filbruns 2 Comments

About the Book

Book: Prairie
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fantasy
Release date: February 13, 2013

What if you could literally wish your life away?

My name is Jessa Davidson, and I awoke one day in the place of every dream I’ve ever had—the prairie. I don’t know how I got here or where here even is, but I know one thing for certain. I can’t go home again. Ever.

If I’ve learned one thing being in this beautiful place, it’s that no matter how perfect it and its people seem, sin lives in the hearts of men and women in Prairie, too. The differences between Prairie and Pittsburgh? There are too many to count.

I grew up hearing the words of the Apostle Paul. “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

Here in Prairie, they’re not a lesson. They’re a warning.

I’ve been given a gift—the greatest desire of my heart. A life in the place of my dreams, a chance at love and family, a sense of real belonging.

Can I hold onto it? Time will tell—time I may not have if I can’t learn to be content.

Prairie is the first book in the Journey of Dreams, a series of related but stand-alone contemporary Christian fantasy novels exploring truths in a whole new way.

My Thoughts:

Almost six years ago, I won a paperback copy of Prairie in a giveaway that Chautona Havig did. She sent it to me, and I fell in love with this story! It is so good. I don’t like fantasy, as a rule, but I loved this book. When I read it again last week in preparation for this review, I loved it again. What a gentle story, with such great lessons. I loved watching Jessa learning the way of life in Prairie, and learning to be content. What an important lesson for all of us. One paragraph especially stood out to me; when I looked back just now, I found that I quoted the same thing in my review back then! “Jessa, it’s pride. Why does anyone do anything that others have done wrong? Why don’t the consequences of other’s sin prevent people from making the same mistakes? We’re prideful people. We think we’re above consequences. We’re sinners who won’t acknowledge our frailty.”

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good story with a lot of depth to it!

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More From Chautona:

When Your Novel Teaches You an Important Lesson

I’ve told the story before, but I’ll tell it again. Prairie began as a dream. For several days in a row, I fell asleep and found myself lost in the sway of prairie grasses undulating to the strains of “Theme from a Summer Place.”

It’s a bad habit of mine, but despite being in the middle of a writing project, I wrote down my thoughts—my impressions. Two strange things happened.

First, the story came out in first person. Folks, I don’t write in first-person perspective. Not my novels, anyway. I don’t enjoy reading it, and I really don’t enjoy writing it.

Jessa, however, demanded I let her tell her story… her way. So I did. And it’s one of the fastest novels I’ve ever written.

There’s irony in that.

You see, I didn’t know where that story would go. My dream only replayed the scene of Jessa waking up on the prairie and not knowing how she got there—only knowing she could never go home. Beyond that, I hadn’t a clue.

And though I wanted to rush through so I could see where the story would take me, and though I wrote at breakneck speeds, the story unfolded at its own pace.

The people of Prairie live a different life from anything you’ve ever seen—and yet it is mostly very familiar. One thing, however, sets it apart.

Time.

Only in Prairie does time not work as it does here, and that changes everything. The story begins slowly and for a reason. Line by line, observation by observation, step by step through the grasses and down rutted lanes, the story draws you out of the breakneck speed of modern life and into a world that, if you aren’t careful, will whiz by faster than is even possible.

Here in our world, that is.

There… you’d better watch out.

Has anyone ever warned you not to wish your life away? It’s just a gentle reminder that if you’re always eager for today to end in hopes of a more exciting tomorrow, you may find you never lived.

In Prairie? It might actually happen.

To purchase your copy, click here.

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To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review—The Elnora Monet

May 19, 2021 by NZ Filbruns 2 Comments

About the Book

Book: The Elnora Monet
Author: Rachel Skatvold
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Release date: April 27, 2021

Islanders call him the Elnora Monet.

Is that island speak for “pompous, arrogant jerk?”

When Carly Mulligan volunteered to make house calls on Elnora, she never imagined treating the richest cat on the islands. What other feline has his own wing in a mansion like the Belshaw Estate?

After a wrong turn in the mansion, Carly stumbles across a secret room—one filled with incredible paintings. Perhaps there’s something more to the man than she first thought.

Most people envy Jean-Luc Belshaw’s position. The heir to a lucrative business and family fortune, he should have everything he could dream of.

But Luc dreams of days past. Days when he traveled the world with his wife and painted the breathings of his soul disappeared with Angeline’s passing. Faith and inspiration gone, he wonders if returning to France to take his place in his father’s business is the right thing to do.

Carly has a few relational demons of her own, and she’s reluctant to trust him, but Luc’s paintings draw her in even as his story touches a long-empty place in her heart.

Only God can transform two broken pasts into a work of art.

The Elnora Monet continues the Elnora Island romances of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.
The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

My Thoughts:

I have been reading glowing reviews about the books in this series and how great they are, so I decided to request a review copy of The Elnora Monet. It was a good way to read a book by an author I had heard of but never read, as well. I didn’t realize until I started reading it that it was a billionaire romance.

Carly was working as an assistant to her veterinarian sister Kendall. They ran a clinic out of an RV, and made house calls on the islands. Her first call, in this story, was to treat a cat who lived in his own wing of a mansion! What kind of person would have space like that? She treated the cat—and then wandered into another wing and found herself snooping before she realized what she was doing. She couldn’t believe the paintings she found in there; there was more to Luc, the cat’s owner, than she had at first thought.

As Carly got to know Luc better, he had to face memories from his past. He used to paint a lot—until Angeline died. Since then, he had not painted at all, but Carly’s snooping brought him face-to-face with his past. What should he do about it? He couldn’t stop thinking about the snoopy young veterinary assistant, either. As the two spent more time together, she had to face up to her hang-ups about men. Could she allow herself to get close to Luc?

I did not enjoy this story very much, unfortunately. If I had realized that it’s pretty much straight-up romance, I would have passed on it. I don’t mind some romance in a book, but I much prefer if there is a story apart from that. I also really don’t like billionaire romances, come to find out! I like more realistic, every-dayish stories! So, bottom line: I probably won’t be requesting very many more review books from this series—I’ll be back to my policy of being very picky—but most ladies would love this book.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: There are passionate kisses in chapters 13, 15, and 17.

About the Author:

Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author and stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing inspirational romance and encouraging blogs. Rachel completed her first series, the Riley Family Legacy Novellas in 2014 and is now working on the Hart Ranch Series, set in the Montana wilderness and the Ladies of Ardena Series, set in medieval times. She is also a contributing author in the Whispers in Wyoming and Brides of Pelican Rapids Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons. You can find more information about Rachel and her books on her website: www.rachelskatvold.com.

More From Rachel:

Thank you for helping celebrate the release of The Elnora Monet by following this Celebration Tour hosted by Celebrate Lit. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about the characters and what inspired the story. Please follow the other stops on this tour and don’t forget to enter in the giveaway. Thank you!

It has been a wonderful experience working with the talented authors and editors in the Independence Islands Series. Each of these stories has a heartwarming message of faith and the characters always teach me something new. Ever since writing Kendall Mulligan’s story in Her Merriweather Hero, I’ve been excited to share her free-spirited younger sister’s story.

Carly had many struggles in the first book, questioning what purpose God had for her life. This time around, her feet are more grounded, but she still has some growing to do when it comes to faith. Carly has been a fun character to write about because of her witty extroverted personality and some of the humorous predicaments she ends up in…one of them including getting caught snooping around a billionaire’s mansion.

While not outspoken as Carly, I can relate to the character’s search for direction. Sometimes it is difficult learning to trust, especially during troubling times, but we can rely on God’s promises. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight.” This verse means so much to me because I know even when I can’t understand something, He is behind the scenes guiding me in the right direction. For Carly, it leads in a direction she never expects, but it is worth it in the end.

Certain parts of the story were inspired by my mom. If you have read Her Merriweather Hero, you know the Mulligan sisters are originally from New England, close to where my mom grew up. I love hearing about her memories of spending time at Nantasket Beach, drinking orange pop, and putting chips in her sandwich so they wouldn’t blow away. Even though I grew up in the Midwest, I still put chips in my own sandwich because of watching her do the same thing and her fridge is always stocked with orange pop to this day. Little bits of my mom’s childhood are weaved into this story, making it close to my heart.

I hope you have enjoyed learning a little more about characters and story behind The Elnora Monet. Now continue reading for a summary of the book and giveaway. Blessings!

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review—I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children

March 18, 2021 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

About the Book

Book: I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children
Author: Linda Wood Rondeau
Genre: Non-fiction
Release date: Second Edition 2019

God indeed has a sense of humor. He chose children to teach us too-smart adults what it means to be his child, the very special relationship the believer enjoys with our Heavenly Father. We adults experience the same chaos, misadventure, and heartaches as our charges. Through a child’s example, we learn how God nurtures us with his infinitesimal patience. This easy to read, often hilarious treatise, uses cartoons, witticisms, anecdotes, quotes, and scripture study to bring home these truths. A veteran social worker, Rondeau draws upon her many experiences in working with families as well as her personal experiences as a mom. “You will want to keep this book close at hand for those moments of weakness and pass it along to your friends.”

My Thoughts:

When I saw the title of Linda Wood Rondeau’s book, I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children, I was immediately intrigued. Haven’t all of us, as parents, experienced that? I’ve often thought, and sometimes said, that my children have taught me a lot of patience—especially the ones who had dyslexia, and seemingly couldn’t learn to read (but that’s a story for another time).

This short book is divided into six sections. They are titled Persevere, Teach, Lead, Order, Protect, and Serve, and each one has several short devotionals in it. These each include a funny or wise saying, such as “Sometimes we lead only because everyone is behind us.” After this saying, there is a Scripture verse, and then a short story. It might be a story about parenting from the author’s own experience, or some other story. This is followed by a list of Scripture references to look up, and then some thoughts and study questions. Each devotional is wrapped up with a prayer. Each section begins with a comic that gives a bit of a chuckle—I liked the one about not being able to teach driving because I can’t parallel park myself! It was very true-to-life for me.

I was given an ebook for this review, but I think a hard copy would be much more useful. This would be a good study for mothers to go through; there are many good thoughts to meditate on, and each entry is short enough that it won’t take a lot of a busy mother’s time. I appreciated what I read in I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

The author of the acclaimed Hosea’s Heart and Miracle on Maple Street, LINDA WOOD RONDEAU, a veteran social worker, writes from the heart of personal experience. Her blog, Snark and Sensibility, embodies her sense of humor, a trait she believes God gives parents for survival. A resident of Hagerstown, Maryland, the author shares her days with her husband and best friend in life, Steve. Readers may visit her website at www.lindarondeau.com. Contact the author on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Excerpt from the book:

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.

And by him we cry, Abba, Father

(Romans 8:15)

JUST LIKE MY DADDY

The courtroom was silent, waiting for the judge to make a decision—a decision to determine not only where little Joshua would live, but also what his name would be.

Not able to have children of their own, my son and daughter-in-law have adopted five children through the foster care system. Each addition to the family has been considered a blessing—especially so with Joshua. Joshua, who had been in foster care since early infancy, was free to be adopted. When the agency called my son and daughter-in-law who already had one adopted son and another whom they hoped to adopt, they opened their hearts to welcome the youngster into their burgeoning nest. Finally, all the legal work was over, and the family accompanied Joshua for his day in court.

The judge motioned Joshua to approach the bench. From his austere heights, the magistrate pointed to someone in the room. Each time, Joshua was asked, “Who is this?”

“Those are my brothers,” Joshua said, referring to the other adopted children. “That’s Mommy,” he explained as he pointed to my daughter-in-law.

Then the judge’s attention focused on my son who positioned Joshua in his arms, allowing the child to see the judge at eye level. “And who is this man holding you?”

Joshua’s eyes widened. He took his little hand and touched his father’s face as he squealed in delight, “THAT’S MY DADDY!”

The judge, assured of Joshua’s placement in a loving family, told John and Melissa that Joshua was now their legal son. Then the judge asked Joshua, “Do you know what your new name is?” Joshua hugged his new father and blurted with excitement, “Joshua John Barringer, just like my daddy!”

Sad are the indictments against Israel’s kings who “walked in the ways of their fathers” to commit vile acts of murder and idolatry. Sadder still are the descriptions of those sons who choose evil over the Godly example of their fathers. David was revered as a man after God’s heart because he cherished the relationship he had with his Heavenly Father more than any earthly treasure. When he sinned, he could not rest until his spirit was one again with the God he adored.

When we received Christ, God adopted us into His family. He holds us in His arms so we can touch His face. We are privileged to call him “Daddy, God.”

He asks us to be holy as He is holy. He asks us to look inside our hearts and say, “I want to be just like You.”

To purchase your copy, click here.

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To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review—Catching Hope

March 11, 2021 by NZ Filbruns 2 Comments

About the Book

Book: Catching Hope
Author: Kathy Cassel
Genre: Young Adult, action/suspense
Release date: February 1, 2021

Catching Hope—a pursuit fraught with danger.

Newly adopted Lexi Michaels is taking her first real vacation as she, twin brother Levi, adoptive brother Chad, and new cousin Jen head to Haiti where their dad, a pediatrician, will be volunteering in an island clinic. But who is the man who displays such hatred for the Michaels when they arrive at their resort? Is an attempted burglary as random as it appears? Will Jen ever accept the newcomers to the family? When the four teens set out to explore Haiti’s sights and history on their own, an unexpected encounter and natural disaster plunge them into adventure and danger. With their very survival at stake, can the four teens work together or will Lexi’s dream of a “forever family” end in tragedy?

My Thoughts:

There were some things I really liked about Catching Hope. I requested it for review because I thought it sounded different and very interesting. I mean, how many books have you read that are adventures set in Haiti? This was the first one I have come across!

Lexi tells the story in first person; she and her twin brother Levi have both recently been adopted. With their adoptive parents and brother Chad, and a cousin, Jen, they are visiting Haiti. Their adoptive father is a doctor, and often comes to Haiti to volunteer for awhile. Lexi is excited about being in a foreign country, and she enjoys the beach—but the attempted robbery on the first night shakes her up. Jen’s attitude is hard to know how to handle, as well. Will Jen ever accept Lexi and Levi?

When a trip to explore an old mission goes wrong and the teens find themselves prisoners of some evil men, they must pull together to survive. Levi’s diabetes and autism add more challenges, and then a natural disaster strikes. How will the children escape—and can they manage to avoid recapture before they find their way back through the wilderness to their parents? One aftershock after another keep them unsettled, and Levi has to have food and water or he won’t last long. What can they do?

Through everything that happens, Lexi discovers what was missing from her life. She also learns more about love. The changes in Jen through the childrens’ experiences were just as interesting to me, though. I liked reading about the things Jen revealed about herself. As a mother, that was probably the most challenging part of the story; she felt like everything her parents did and said was for show, rather than because they loved her. On the other hand, Levi and Lexi’s new family genuinely loved them and each other. Those were the elements of the story that I liked the best! Children will love the adventure part of the story, as the teenagers had to face one danger after another through most of the book. I would recommend this book for children over 12; younger children might struggle with it because of the intensity of the action. I thought about reading it aloud to my older children, but decided against it because the 6-year-old would hear it as well, and I am guessing it might give her nightmares.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: Kidnapping, earthquakes, robberies, and being locked in a dungeon may be too much for children.

About the Author:

Kathy Cassel lives in the Florida panhandle with her husband and four of their eight children, five of whom are adopted. She is a motorcycle rider, scuba diver, and loves spending time with her family. Her debut novel, Freerunner, was published by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. in 2019.

More From Kathy:

My Experience with Haiti

Prior to the 2010 catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that caused immense damage to the country of Haiti, many people would not have been able to tell you that Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola just a two hour flight from Miami.

I knew where it was because our family had adopted a child from Haiti in 1997. At the time the earthquake took place, my husband and I were in the process of adopting twins from a different orphanage in Port au Prince Haiti. It had been over three years and our adoption was not yet complete. During those three years I visited the twins at the orphanage five times. Other family members went with me on some of those trips, and at one point, all of our children still living at home went to visit the orphanage.

This was an eye opening experience for my family. In fact, I volunteered us to do the daily wash. That meant hand washing clothes and sheets for 135 orphans using large metal tubs and harsh soap, then rinsing the clothes in other tubs before hand wringing them and hanging them on clotheslines. Once home, my children no longer complained about unloading the dryer!

Cooking was done in large pots over open fires and mainly consisted of rice and beans, or red sauce over rice. The cooks originally prepared the food in a wooden shack, but more than once one of them would get so hot she’d pass out, so an outdoor area was set up for food preparation.

After the earthquake, there was a mountain of paperwork to be done to get refugee status for children in the orphanages who had families waiting for them. Finally the children were brought to the United States, although some of the orphans went to other countries too, to be united with their forever families. Sadly, many were held in the airport for days before being released. For our family, the long wait was over January 25, 2010. Now our family is complete with three birth children and five adopted children, three of whom are from Haiti.

Some of the places mentioned in the book resemble real places in Haiti, although they have been fictionalized. I hope you will not only read Catching Hope, but will also take time to learn more about the country of Haiti.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review—Justified Means

January 14, 2021 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

About the Book

Book: Justified Means
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian Suspense
Release date: January 7, 2013

How could she not be terrified?

When Erika Polowski is abducted from her bed and held captive without explanation, she has one goal. Get away before they kill her.

Keith Auger’s job as an agent is to keep Erika safe—even if it means keeping her locked in an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere. At gunpoint.

What should be a routine “involuntary extraction” goes south when someone finds out where they’re hiding. Add to that a coworker with a chip on her shoulder and too many unexplained “accidents,” and it all adds up to one unlikely, terrifying explanation.

There’s a mole in The Agency.

He’s promised to protect her, but can Erika trust a man whose job it is to hold people against their wills? Does his deep faith make it any better or just a whole lot creepier.

And just who wants Erika dead anyway?

The Agency Files: They’ll do whatever it takes to keep their clients safe. Period.

Grab this first book in the series today.

My Thoughts:

I first read Justified Means a few years ago. I remember turning pages about as fast as I could, to find out what happened to Erika. Would she be all right in the end, or would whoever was after her catch up? Who was supplying information of her whereabouts to the wrong people? When I reread the book for this review tour, I knew she had escaped, so didn’t “have” to read so fast, and I enjoyed all the little details that Chautona included. (For a better review, read the one I wrote after I read the book the first time, here.)

I received a free copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More From Chautona:

Isn’t That Idea a Bit Crazy and Farfetched?

Black ops teams. They’re the stuff of TV shows and movies. I have no doubt such things exist—military groups that have to exist and work outside the normal scheme of things to give those who answer to the public plausible deniability or some such thing.

Then one of those “what if?” questions hit me. They’re an occupational hazard, those “what if?” questions. They appear out of nowhere and start crazy thoughts in your head. Ones like, “What if a private company existed to do things that couldn’t be tied to the government in any way—no money exchanged?”

What if sometimes a protection company had to work outside the law in order to do the job they needed to do? What if that meant they might just have to abduct someone to save his or her life?

Those of course led to the granddaddy of all questions. What if that someone didn’t appreciate being saved?

The Agency was born and with it their motto: Whatever it takes.

That’s what they’ll do to keep their clients safe. Only the wealthy can afford their services. Some of the poorest of the poor receive them. But it always boils down to one primary goal. Protect their clients at all costs.

Even if the client doesn’t want protection.

Is the idea a bit crazy and far-fetched? Yeah… probably. But I wouldn’t be surprised to discover there are similar agencies out there, and if there are, I hope they save lives with the sort of compassion my guys have.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

Book Review—Ghosted at the Altar

December 17, 2020 by NZ Filbruns 2 Comments

About the Book

Book: Ghosted at the Altar
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian fiction, Christmas romance
Release Date: September, 2020

He’s goin’ to the chapel and he’s gonna get… ghosted?

Guys don’t always “get into” the whole wedding thing, but there’s one thing Mitchell Bogaert has been anticipating for the last two years–that first glimpse of Brenna coming to meet him at the altar. So, when the back doors open to reveal a missing bride, he’s shocked, disappointed, hurt, angry–pick your negative emotion. It probably fits.

Brenna Kinsey didn’t know she’d bolt at the last minute, but now she’s trying to figure out what happened and how to prevent it happening again before Mitchell decides she’s not worth the emotional trauma–or the town drama!

Lauren Kinsey, on the other hand, is more than just the kid-sister bridesmaid. She’s a self-proclaimed sleuth and determined to ferret out the problem, arrive at a solution, and get things back on track before broken hearts shatter into more pieces than Humpty Dumpty.

Time’s running out, only the bride and groom don’t realize it. How will Lauren fix this mess before the “clock strikes midnight” and there isn’t a ghost of a chance to save the marriage that never got a chance to be?

My Thoughts:

Some books are a given—I know before they are even written that I will read them, and like them. Ghosted at the Altar is one of those. If Chautona Havig writes a book, I will read it, and I will like it. There is just no question about that. A couple of years ago, she wrote The Ghosts of New Cheltenham; this one is a sequel, telling the story of what happened to Mitchell and Brenna two years later.

Mitchell couldn’t wait to see Brenna coming up the aisle to him. Imagine his shock when the doors at the back of the church opened—to nothing. Where was Brenna? What happened to her? As for Brenna, she had no idea she would bolt from the altar until she found herself running desperately through the streets. What could have happened? What could fix this?

Enter Lauren, kid-sister, bridesmaid, and amateur sleuth. She set herself to finding the “why” of her sister’s flight, and fixing the problem. Brenna had to get married to Mitchell—she just had to! And time was running out. How could Lauren and Mitchell get everything solved so that Mitchell and Brenna could still get married?

This is a great story. It isn’t a deep one; I would consider it more fluffy than otherwise. It is a good glimpse into what effect past trauma can have on your life, and the need for forgiving yourself for dumb mistakes and moving on, accepting other people’s forgiveness for what you’ve done. If you enjoy light romance and second chances, give this book a try.

I received a free copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

More From Chautona:

How Did One Silly Story Become a Favorite Series?

Dickens and his revival of the “ghost story” at Christmas inspired the kick-off book in a series I’d planned almost twenty years ago. The little village of New Cheltenham first appeared in None So Blind and Thirty Days Hath…. However, the touristy village with its obsession with all things English was actually conceived almost twenty years ago!

That first book… still isn’t in print. I’ve reimagined it, and it will be coming out soon. However, Dickens… well, that guy has a way of getting under your skin, and what better place for a Dickens Ghost Storytelling Contest than in a village that looks ripped from England’s countryside?

The Ghosts of New Cheltenham was born. I actually thought it would be a great way for me to force myself to finish that book I’d started so long ago. But then Amanda Tru sent me a message that said, “We’re going to do one about wedding dresses,” and Something Borrowed, Someone Blue became the second book instead. I wanted more of Mitchell, Brenna, and the loveable Lauren, so I concocted a story that would give me just that.

Is it any wonder, then, when Amanda messaged again with our next collection theme of jilted brides or grooms, I immediately thought, “Oh, dear! What if Mitchell got ghosted at the altar?” That is the fastest title I’ve ever come up with!

Because one more Christmas story in New Cheltenham wasn’t quite enough, I set a third one there this year! The Bells of New Cheltenham. In that one, Mitchell is done with this ghost storytelling stuff and starts a contest of his own!

While you can read these books as stand alones (both mine and the ones within the collections), mine will be a richer reading experience if they are read in the following order

The Ghosts of New Cheltenham (read the companion short story free on Kindle Unlimited HERE)

Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (in The Wedding Dress Yes CrossRoads Collection)

Ghosted at the Altar (in the Five Gold Rings CrossRoads Collection)

The Bells of New Cheltenham. (in the Melodies of Christmas Love Collection)

(note, the last two really can be read in any order.)

How did my silly idea for a plasmaphobic guy who had to tell a ghost story to inherit spark one of my favorite series? All things considered, how could he not?

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Book Review—What You Said to Me

December 3, 2020 by NZ Filbruns 3 Comments

About the Book

Book: What You Said to Me
Author: Olivia Newport
Genre: Christian Fiction
Release Date: November 2020

Book 4 in the Tree of Life Series: A Father-Daughter Genealogy Team Link Faith Journeys on Family Trees

When 15-year-old Tisha Crowder gets caught shoplifting, attorney Nolan Duffy tries to protect her from consequences that could rattle her already troubled life. His daughter, Jillian, feels like she’s the one being punished instead—by having Tisha assigned to work with her on a backlog of genealogy files. Tisha doesn’t seem interested in taking the job seriously, and Jillian’s patience wears thin. Besides, everyone in Canyon Mines knows the Crowder family has experienced generations of brokenness. Then a sliver of hope turns up in long-ago words in plain sight, challenging shrouded assumptions about Tisha’s family. Now Jillian is the one who can walk with Tisha back to 1893 and uncover where everything went wrong in the first place—and save her from the past.

What You Said to Me is the fourth book in the Tree of Life series by Olivia Newport. You’ll want to return to the lovely Colorado mountain town of Canyon Mines again and again to explore and celebrate unforgettable family stories that will inspire you to connect with your own family histories and unique faith journeys.

My Thoughts:

I’ve been reading the Tree of Life series since the first one was published. I have enjoyed all of them, but they keep getting better and better. Each one features Jillian, a genealogist, who meets a troubled person and unravels their family tree to find out why they react the way they do to things that happen. In the first two books, it felt somewhat forced, but the third and fourth felt a lot more natural. I especially liked this fourth book, What You Said to Me.

Jillian is stunned when Nolan, her father, informs her that she needs a helper—and furthermore, the helper is arriving now. Yes, she knows that the dining table is buried under piles and piles of old folders that need to be organized for the project she’s been hired to do—but surely she can handle this without 15-year-old Tisha Crowder’s help? And Tisha’s attitude doesn’t make it any easier. What is behind the girl’s attitudes and actions, anyway?

The story flips back and forth between Jillian, Nolan and Tisha, in Canyon Mines, Colorado, in the present, and a family in 1893 Denver. I found myself caught up in both stories, eager to see how the two intersected. I also wanted to see if there was any way that Jillian could help Tisha out of the generations of bitterness, anger, and distrust that plagued her family and caused her problems. Nolan was sure she could—but how?

One thing I really like about this series is that there isn’t a lot of romance. There is a little, in the third book and also in this one, but it’s a very minor element. A few kisses were alluded to, but not much more. I also enjoy Nolan and his cooking and opera singing! He’s a very fun character. There is not a strong Christian message, but the story is very clean and reflects a Christian worldview. As I said to begin, I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the next one. There are loose ends from books three and four that have not been tied up yet!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and CelebrateLit, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to find where faith and passions meet. Her husband and twentysomething children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak.

More From Olivia:

Careful Words

“You didn’t just say that.” Or, “I can’t believe you said that.”

Have you ever said that in retort to someone whose comment offended or wounded? I know I have. But what cuts me even more deeply is when I say to myself, “I can’t believe I just said that.”

The words of a parent at wit’s end, a spouse harboring hurt, a friend saddened by misunderstanding, an employee feeling undercut—they have all been my words. And they came out too fast to swallow back before they did their damage.

I hope I have also had the words of a parent who set aside busyness to listen, a spouse offering loving encouragement, a friend checking in with someone going through a tough patch, a coworker curious to see how I could help rather than compete. Those are the kinds of words I’ve never regretted, never had to repent of, never had to do rebuild from.

I certainly didn’t write What You Said to Me because I think I get it right all the time or even most of the time. Far from it! In our culture of rushing and achieving and—let’s face it, sometimes just getting through the demands of the day—sometimes our words are the last thing we are careful with. Yet they have the longest lasting consequence in our relationships and families—sometimes for generations. The dual-timeline story traces how words that injure became a pattern in one family line until one girl finally fought back to find healing for her future.

My challenge for myself, and all who read What You Said to Me, is to be the person who speaks healing words of hope so that “I can’t believe you said that” becomes “Thank you for saying that.”

If you have a particularly poignant experience of how another’s words impacted you, I’d love to hear from you.

Olivia Newport

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Book Review—Bells of New Cheltenham

November 20, 2020 by NZ Filbruns 2 Comments

About the Book

Book: The Bells of New Cheltenham
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian fiction, Christmas romance
Release Date: October 15, 2020

Who knew that Christmas carols were love songs?

Justine Driscoll sure didn’t. Peace on earth? She’s heard of that. Holy and joyful? Something about that, too. But love songs sung by a bride about the birth of her bridegroom? That’s just weird stuff right there.

Weird or not, though, once Justine decides to enter a short story contest using a Christmas carol as the inspiration, she discovers love in the carols she investigates, in the story an ex-Army guy tells, and in the little tourist town of New Cheltenham.

“But what do the words mean?”

Ken Torsney is used to fighting for causes he believes in. He just never imagined he’d go from Army “warrior” to spiritual warrior in the span of one question from a stranger. Justine is like no girl he’s ever known— hungry for the gospel even as she rejects it.

He’s falling for her, and that’s bound to break his heart.

Love is in the air in New Cheltenham this Christmas. Again.

My Thoughts:

A couple of years ago, Chautona wrote The Ghosts of New Cheltenham, which involved Mitchell being required to tell a ghost story in order to get his inheritance. The Bells of New Cheltenham has a much nicer theme! I enjoyed reading it as it was written, and again after it was all done.

Mitchell entered the ghost story telling competition two years in a row; this year he can’t bring himself to enter. What can he do instead? He has a bright idea: Sponsor a different kind of contest! His idea is simple; the contestants are to write a short story based on a Christmas carol. He prints up flyers and posters and gets the word around town.

Justine wanders into town with all her possessions on her back. She listens to the carolers going around the streets singing one Christmas carol after another, and then sees the flyer about the short story contest. It catches her attention, even though she knows nothing about the Bible, Christmas, or Christianity. Ken, one of the carolers, notices her interest in the carols and offers to tell her the story behind the one she thinks sounded quite depressing. She wants to hear the whole story, even though she is trying to reject it. Ken, finding himself very attracted to her, knows he has to be careful not to fall in love with someone who isn’t a Christian—but he very much wants to spend time with her and answer all her questions about Jesus and the whole Christmas story! Meanwhile, she must win that contest—it would solve all her problems!

This is a great story with a unique premise. Chautona has carefully woven the entire story of why Jesus came to earth into this story, without being at all preachy. You must read this story about how Justine discovered love in everything around her. It’s delightful! Oh, and the scene in Chapter 8 where Ken talks about buying weed? It makes me laugh out loud every time I read it! (About four times now, since after I read it aloud to one son he wanted me to read it to the rest. I could hardly read, for laughing so hard.)

I received a free copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

More From Chautona:

3 Things That Make My Christmas Heart Sing

I didn’t have a ghost of a chance.

The message popped up in my messenger at exactly the moment I sat down. This is significant, because I get dozens of Facebook messages every day, and often, they get buried when a new one supersedes it. So, as you can see, it’s a near miracle that I ever saw the message at all.

The message offered me a spot in a collection of novellas—a Christmas collection. Yep. Not a ghost of a chance.

Still, I tried to be responsible, you know? After all, I had quite a few books due at the same time already. Bookers on the Rocks, The Last Gasp, my Christmas Lights Collection “noella,” and my CrossRoads Collection “noella.” And those didn’t include anything I wanted to write in spring or summer.

Then she added another layer of temptation. This collection had a theme. That theme? Christmas carol inspired romances.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love music, Christmas, and specifically, Christmas music?

The other authors in the set had already made their carol selections. She sent a list of those that had already been claimed. I read them with great trepidation. See, I already had two carols I’d want to use in the story for this collection that I hadn’t even agreed to participate in yet.

No one had chosen “The Holly and the Ivy” or “The Bells on Christmas Day.”

That ghost slowly transformed into the ghost of my resistance.

All that remained was for me to come up with a story idea. I mean, why join a collection if you can’t even decide what to do with it?

That’s when it happened.

There’s always this moment when the first idea germinates, sprouts, and pushes up through the fertile soil of my imagination. My favorite moment. And it hit me. What if the theme for the collection was my story idea? My character could enter a contest that requires a short story based on a Christmas carol.

And once I had that idea, the rest came in a whoosh! Mitchell, from The Ghosts of New Cheltenham could be sick to death of this annual ghost storytelling contest and decide to create his own contest. And then… well…

The Bells of New Cheltenham was born.

If you’ve not read The Ghosts of New Cheltenham, you’ll follow this “noella” just fine. It is meant to be a stand-alone. However, if you want a richer reading experience, I recommend reading The Ghosts of New Cheltenham, followed by the companion short story, “The Ghastly Therapist” first. Both are available through Kindle Unlimited. Additionally, if you send your receipt (or a screenshot of the final page of the eBook from Kindle Unlimited) for the Melodies of Christmas Love collection to chautona@chautona.com, I’ll send YOU the bonus short story—the one Justine Driscoll writes in this “noella.”

But I promised to tell you three things that make my heart sing at Christmas.

The way people are often just a little kinder and a little more giving and understanding.
The joy that seems to fill every part of life—family, friends, parties, presents, church services, reading, singing…
The music that plays everywhere—and often sings of a Savior’s love.

What makes your heart sing at Christmas?

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Book Review—Sand & Mistletoe

October 22, 2020 by NZ Filbruns 1 Comment

About the Book

Book: Sand & Mistletoe
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance (Holiday)
Release Date: November 24, 2018

What’s Christmas without family drama, an accident, and mistletoe?

If you ask Portia Spears, it’s a horror movie—especially since she’s never the one caught under that mistletoe. And who thought it was a good idea to spend the last Christmas as a family unit away from their family home?

Her bossy older sisters, that’s who.

Christmas at his parents’ house with his son—just the way Reese Whitaker likes it. But a chance encounter on the beach might just change everything. How often do you meet someone who loves kids and knows American Sign Language?

Not often. Trust him.

However, with just two weeks to get to know each other and two families that couldn’t be more different vying for their time, will they even have a chance to test out that mistletoe they found?

Find out today in Sand & Mistletoe.

My Thoughts:

I read this book when it was first published, and was not overly impressed with it. I read it again now, for this tour, and enjoyed it much more! There is still a bit too heavy an emphasis on romance for my taste, but there’s so much more, too. The book started out with Portia struggling majorly to appreciate her sisters, and just wanting out of the family drama. I liked the way that ended, though, and I enjoyed reading a book that has so much about a deaf boy and sign language. I haven’t seen many books that featured that! I liked the way Duncan was included in the times his father and Portia spent together. This isn’t a deep, heavy book, but it’s fun and worth reading when you are just wanting a light Christmas read.

I received a free copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

More From Chautona:

What Happens When an Author Rewrites History

To be fair, almost none of us wanted to be there.

And really, that wasn’t fair. Two of our daughters planned as a “destination Christmas” bash for the whole family—just a nice getaway in San Diego for the “last” Christmas we’d probably all be in the same place on the same days. The kids were getting older, getting married, and even moving out of state. It was a beautiful thing for them to try to do for us.

But Havigs are homebodies who like their traditions, and most of us left in Ridgecrest weren’t too thrilled being “dragged” four hours south to celebrate Christmas in a beautiful house on a cliff overlooking the San Diego countryside. It had everything, game room, lots of space, yards, hiking trails, an infinity pool, a hot tub…

Yeah. That hot tub kicked off the weekend with a splash all right. With no lighting around it, and no railing either, my husband stepped out of it and right off the ledge—down a hill (at least fifteen feet), bouncing off boulders and thankfully, stopped by a fence. Otherwise, he’d have rolled for a LONG way.

Get this. He broke nothing. Don’t even ask me how (because we all know Who took care of that, right?).

Still, I spent my Christmas Eve sitting in an ER waiting for someone to tell us the damage (superficial scrapes and deep bruising). The whole time I thought, “This has got to be a book.”

Two years later, it was.

I say this at the end of the book, but I need to say it again.

People who know our family will recognize some of my kids (I left four of them out of the story). They will also say, “Wait, she’s not like that!”

And that’s the point. I put just enough of real people in it to really capture the feel of the personalities, meshed some quirks (including the ones that got left out), and then set them in a stressful situation and really way over-exaggerated actual responses. I want to say this here again. None of us acted just like I portrayed us in Sand & Mistletoe (although, frankly, I wouldn’t have blamed a couple of them if they’d wanted to). Unlike A Bird Died, I didn’t even try to stick to facts.

Instead of San Diego hill country, I put us at my favorite beach—Ventura. I stuck our rented beach house where the Pierpont Inn is/used to be (don’t even know if it exists anymore). Reese’s parents live in the house I lived in when I was nine—right there on Pierpont just a block from the beach. And where they went to get mistletoe… one of my favorite places in the world.

So, here’s my version of the tale—the one I wrote instead of told. Just like Francie Nolan learned from her teacher in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. When I tell the story, I tell it exactly how it happened. However… I wrote what should (not) have happened! (this is much more interesting than the real story).

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