Book, Books Everywhere!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Revealing by Suzanne Woods Fisher (The Inn at Eagle Creek) Litfuse Blog Tour

About the book:

Naomi King, soft spoken, loyal, and easily overlooked, has a gift. She sees what others can't see. Intuition, she calls it. Others in Stoney Ridge don't know what to make of it and dismiss her hunches and inklings altogether.

When a young woman arrives at the Inn at Eagle Hill with a shocking secret about Tobe Schrock, Naomi fears the worst. She can't ignore the feeling that something sinister is at work--- something more than a threat to the tenuous love begun between her and Tobe.

As signs mount, they begin to point to Jake Hertzler, the elusive mastermind behind Schrock Investments' downfall. Soon, events spiral hopelessly out of control and Naomi must decide whether to listen to her head or her heart.

In this riveting conclusion to The Inn at Eagle Hill series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher pulls out all the stops with a fast-paced tale of deception, revelation, and just the right dose of romance.

My thoughts:

Sometimes we think we know exactly how we want things to go in our lives, but the more we push at them the less they follow that direction. Each of the characters in this book has to do a bit of letting go of micromanaging and has to have a bit of trust that there is a plan for them.

Mim is still hiding that she is writing for the Mrs. Miracle column, Bethany can't seem to get Jimmy to see that they should get engaged, Rose is torn between the past and the present what to do to make ends meet for her family, Naomi is hiding a pretty big secret and all of this is upset when a woman comes to the Inn with some big stories. Something seems off, but they can quite decide what to do about her and her claims.

Having faith, working together, accepting help from the community and getting to the bottom of what really happened to Schrock Investments circle around through the every day events at the Inn and in the town. I was sad to see that this is the conclusion of this series, as it would have been nice to visit again and see what has happened with this close knit community.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/ywEHT

Landing page:

http://litfusegroup.com/author/sfisher

About the author:

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Inn at Eagle Hill series, Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California.

Download Suzanne's free app! http://bit.ly/10Tygyi

Find Suzanne online: website, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes an extraordinary novel of fear, friendship, courage, and hope that Kirkus Reviews says "will have readers up until the wee hours," School Library Journal raves is "fast-paced and captivating," and E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars, calls "a thrill a minute."

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a poor town of twelve thousand people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors. She'd never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game; he's sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he's not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My thoughts:
I enjoy reading Lauren Oliver's books and watching how she helps her characters decide between right and wrong when they have a lot of outside forces working around them. In this small, poor town, every high school senior contributes to a pool of money that will go to the winner of the game of Panic during the summer. Even those who do not wish to contribute are coerced into doing so. Heather has never planned to compete, until she finds out something shocking on the first day of the game and makes the big jump that puts her in the game.

Poverty has eaten away at many of these families. Some are living in trailer parks, some small apartments, some in falling apart or junky homes. Everyone could really use the pot of $67,000, the largest the prize has ever been, but the game is more than a game. Two years ago the final challenge left one girl in a wheelchair for life. The possibility of getting hurt is very real and increases with each secretive challenge as the number of players declines through elimination and fear of continuation.

Heather longs to be away from her single mother, who smokes and drinks inside the tiny trailer she lives in with her sister, Dodge has a very serious grudge to settle, Natalie is dreaming of a future that seems unlikely, and Bishop is supportive but staying in the background. As secrets are revealed about each of them, along with other players, a while different picture of the town emerges. The past winner who is now balding, heavy drinking and no more successful than he was when he won is an eye opener. Maybe winning the big prize isn't enough to change your whole life, maybe it takes more than money.

The ride through, the feelings of panic for the truly dangerous challenges, the angst about the future, while skating along a ledge of independence stream through this book with the addition of a couple tigers, some shot guns and secrets galore.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780062014559
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 3/4/2014
Pages: 416

Meet the Author

Lauren Oliver is the author of the young adult novels Before I Fall and Panic, as well as the Delirium trilogy—Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem—which have been translated into more than thirty languages and are New York Times and international bestsellers. She is also the author of two novels for middle-grade readers, The Spindlers and Liesl & Po, the latter of which was an E.B. White Read-Aloud Award nominee. A graduate of the University of Chicago and New York University's MFA program, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Monday, July 21, 2014

When I Fall In Love by Susan May Warren Litfuse Blog Tour

About the book:

Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she'd vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled-or maybe yanked-away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.

Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.

Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace's faith will face its toughest test yet.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/z5Ijj

My thoughts:

This book pulled me in right from the start. It was fun to stop back in and see how Eden and Jace were doing from the book It Had to Be You. It was nice to see them moving along and getting things squared away from their wedding. That said, I think it would be just as easy to jump into this book even without the last one. Everything of note that needed to be known about the last book is mentioned or reviewed so that if a reader is new, nothing will be missed.

Grace has lived her life being safe. She is a homebody who hides behind her food and rarely leaves home. She has a very hard time with change and taking a chance. Max is a hockey player with fears about his own future, fearing the family disease that may be in the cards for him. He never dates a woman more than once and keeps to himself, not wanting anyone to get too close and risk hurting them if he gets sick. They are thrown together on a Hawaiian cooking vacation that Max goes on regularly during the off season and Grace has been given as a gift from her sister and her husband.

Cooking together and exploring together, the two become close and Grace starts to come out of her shell. She asks for guidance and tries to believe that it is okay to take a chance. It takes losing what she thinks she wants to really listen to God and trust that everything will work out in the end, that there is a plan and she needs to trust. It is hard to let go of our self made walls of self preservation, but Grace takes hers down and learns about living life to the fullest even if it may come with an expiration date.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/z5Ijj

About the author:

Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors.

Find Susan online: website, My Book Therapy, Twitter, Facebook

Blog Tour Schedule
Landing page: http://litfusegroup.com/author/swarren

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Rival Hearts by Tara Randel (Litfuse Blog Tour)

About the book:

They both want the promotion. But will they find out that it is worth the cost?

Molly Henderson and Ben Weaver have been rival magazine writers for the same publishing group for years. When both come up for the same promotion, they find themselves in an unexpected competition to win the spot. Molly, editor of Quilter's Heart, and Ben, editor of Outdoor Adventures, must switch roles, each working for the other for one month, then submit an article at the end of their quests.

Can girly-girl Molly survive the outdoor adventures that Ben has planned? Can Ben navigate the perils of the social dynamics of quilting events without destroying a valuable quilt in one short month? More importantly, in this he-said, she-said situation, will Molly and Ben give in to their attraction and fall in love, no matter who wins?

Landing page:

http://litfusegroup.com/author/trandel

My thoughts:

We all get into our comfort zones and then have a hard time getting out of them. Molly had a lot of allergies when she was young so, while her older brother played tons of sports and spent hours outdoors, her parents kept her inside where she was safe from harm. She translated that into her adult life and never tried anything outdoorsy until the day he boss issued a challenge. Molly, the editor or a quilting magazine, and Ben, the recently hired editor or a outdoor adventure, are both up for a new position. The challenge is they each have to do a task for the opposite magazine. Ben has to make a quilt with a quilting group and Molly has to enter a kayaking competition.

Ben and Molly get a chance to go outside of their comfort zones, get to know one another and grow and change. By the end of the story they are both different than how they started due to their own journeys and the friendships they form along the way. I love this quote from page 186 made by one of Molly's quilting friend. "The moral of the story is about supporting each other. No one is an island, Molly. Having people in our lives enriches us. It is as simple as that." Meeting new people, being in new situations and getting to know others is what life is all about. If we allow ourselves to get too comfortable, we stop growing and living. Through making quilts and getting outdoors and helping women in need, these characters learned about themselves and enriched their own lives.

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

About the Author:

Tara Randel is the author of five romance novels including Lasting Love, Melody of Love, and This Time Love. A member of ACFW, Tara is also the lead author of the new Annie's Mysteries series (see AnniesMysteries.com). Tara lives in New Port Richey, Florida.

Connect with Tara: website, Facebook

About Quilts of Love: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. The Quilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014