Hi, friends! I’m so excited to share about a new book from YA Christian Fiction Author, Beloved Smart, called The Daily Life of Hailey Grace! Keep reading for info on the book and a giveaway where you can win a free copy! (Oh, yeah, and there’s also a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card! Sweet!)

 

Here’s the Book Blurb:

For Hailey Grace, birthdays suck! She hopes with all her heart that her big day passes without gifts, or even a birthday wish. But with loving parents and two witty best friends who keep her on her toes, there’s no telling what adventure Hailey Grace will be forced to explore this time. Unexpectedly, her best friend Alex challenges her to do something she’s never done before. With that comes a whole new set of rules, and another life Hailey isn’t sure she’s quite ready for. Now questioning all that she has ever believed, she takes Alex up on the dare by asking for something that no one but God can give her. Her request also comes with a twenty-four-hour deadline. As the minutes slowly but surely tick by, Hailey’s life shifts into overdrive and she wonders if she has asked for too much too soon.

 

Click the link below for the giveaway!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8af75d4811/?

 

This post is part of The Daily Life of Hailey Grace Blog Tour. To learn more about the author and her book, check out all these other cool blogs that are part of the tour!

 

Livy Lynn Blog

http://www.livylynnblog.com

My Worst Birthday Ever

January 1

 

R.M Archer

http://rmarcher.com

Guest post from Beloved

January 2

 

Hot Town Cool Girl

www.hottowncoolgirl.blogspot.com

Guest Post from Beloved & Giveaway

January 3

 

Spoonful of Surprises

www.spoonfulofsurprises.com

Giveaway

January 4

 

Uniquely Marie Blog

Hi there!

My Worst Birthday Ever

January 5

 

Smyling Girl

www.smylinggirl.blogspot.com

Guest Post & Giveaway

January 7

 

Bookish Orchestrations

http://bookishorchestrations.blogspot.com

Interview & Giveaway

January 10

 

Victoria’s Book Nook

www.victoriasbooknook.blogspot.com.

Interview

January 11

 

Riley Aline

www.rileyaline.com

Guest post from Beloved

January 12

 

Stories and Soul Speak

www.storiesandsoulspeak.wordpress.com

Guest Post & Giveaway

January 13

 

Once Upon an Ordinary

https://onceuponanordinary.wordpress.com/

Interview

January 14

 

Imperial Scribis

https://imperialscribis.wordpress.com

Book Review

January 15

 

English Mysteries

https://englishmysteriesblog.blogspot.com/

Interview & Giveaway

January 16

 

Novels Dragons and Wardrobe Doors

http://www.novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com

Book Review

January 17

 

Unorthedox Mama

www.unorthodoxmomma.com

Guest post from Beloved & Giveaway

January 18

 

Among the Reads

http://amongTheReads.net

Book Review

January 21

 

In My Book Case

http://inthebookcase.blogspot.com

Giveaway

January 22

 

Authoring Arrowheads

https://authoringarrowheads.wordpress.com/

Interview

January 23

 

Frances Hoelsema’s Blog

www.franceshoelsema.com/blog

Book Spotlight

January 24

 

The Calico Books

https://thecalicobooks.wordpress.com

Giveaway

January 26

 

Home with Hummingbirds

www.homewithhummingbirds.com

Guest Post & Giveaway

January 28

 

Among the Reads

http://amongTheReads.net

Guest post & Giveaway

January 29

 

Writing’s From a God Girl

www.writingsfromagodgirl.wordpress.com

Interview

January 30

 

The Lens and the Hard Drive

https://thelensandtheharddrive.wordpress.com/

Book Review & Interview

January 31

Rebekah Morris and Faith Blum have teamed up for a fun Christmas Duet Blog Tour! Why Christmas Duet? Because both books have titles that have to do with a Christmas song! Be sure to check out all of the blog posts as well as the giveaway.

His Law is Love

Book Description

Will hate and fear drown the song of Christmas love?

Amelia is eagerly anticipating her first Christmas in the west, but she soon finds that her brother-in-law’s worry and her sister’s exhaustion reach far deeper than the cares of a ranch and a family. A rash of fires and cattle thefts is plaguing the area, and the three young orphans they’ve sheltered are under suspicion from their prejudiced neighbors.

As hostilities mount, Amelia seizes every opportunity to help and encourage, but how much can one girl do? Will Reverend Brown win the community over to the true spirit of love? And will help arrive before everything they hold dear is destroyed?

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JZ8HGSR

About the Author

Rebekah A. Morris is a homeschool graduate, an enthusiastic freelance author, and a passionate writing teacher. Her books include, among others, Home Fires of the Great War, The Unexpected Request, Gift from the Storm, the Christmas Collection series, and her best selling Triple Creek Ranch series. Some of her favorite pastimes, when she isn’t writing, include reading, playing with her seven nieces and nephews, and coming up with dramatic and original things to do. (Sometimes with the nieces and nephews!) The Show-Me state is where she calls home.

Excerpt

Her attention was arrested by the minister’s deep baritone voice. “Christmas is only a little more than two weeks away, and at this time of year I am reminded of the words of my favorite Christmas song.” He stepped to the side of the pulpit and began to recite the words, but before he had reached the third line, the melody rolled from him and filled the church.

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;”

A thrill–was it of hope?–raced through Amelia, and she caught her breath as the voice seemed to shake the rafters of the church as the minister launched into the refrain.

Not a sound was to be heard when the minister, having finished the first stanza and chorus resumed his place and looked around on his congregation.

“Have you fallen on your knees before the King lately? Have you realized that your soul is not the only soul to have worth? Is not the soul of your neighbor worth as much as your own? Did not our Savior come to save his soul too? As this holy night, this night divine, approaches, let us remember why Christ came.”

 

O Come All Ye Faithful and other short stories

Book Description

O Come All Ye Faithful

Edwin wanted to be home, but instead he crouched in a trench. The English on one side of No Man’s Land and Germans on the other. What a way to spend Christmas. Could anything make it better?

Peace on Earth

Emmie and Elana are estranged sisters, torn apart by an old boyfriend five years earlier. Will they survive a night in the same hotel room after a blizzard forces them together or will peace on earth go out the window?

Silent Night

Christmas decorating had never gone this wrong. Jenna had just started when a crazy, gun-waving woman, walks right in the front door and ties her up in her own Christmas lights. Will Jenna even see her family this Christmas?

The Gift Goes On

Four friends and a year to reflect on. The year had been good for Carlotta, but Priscilla, Remus, and Newton all had at least one trial through the year. A mysterious giver the previous year had helped them all out, though. What would this year’s gifts bring?

O Christmas Tree

Gareth loves Christmas. But more than that, he loves Christmas tree hunting. As the family prepares for their annual trip, Gareth can barely contain his excitement. But what are all the spray bottles for?

Purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JR7FSDT

About the Author

Faith Blum is a small-town Wisconsin girl. She’s lived in, or outside of, small towns her whole life. The thought of living in a city with more than 60,000 people in it scares her, especially after some interesting adventures driving through big cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Faith currently resides in the middle of the state of Wisconsin with her husband and their cat, Smokey. She is blessed to be able to have writing as her full-time career with household work and cooking to do on the side. She loves to paint walls as long as she doesn’t have to do hallways or ceilings.

When not writing, you can find her cooking food from scratch due to food allergies (fun), doing dishes (meh), knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, or spending time with her husband (yay!). She is also a Community Assistant for the Young Writers Workshop and loves her work there. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her on her website.

Excerpt

 

The Christmas lights corded tightly around Jenna’s ankles and wrists. The crazy woman had even plugged them in, giving her body an absurd prettiness considering the situation.

The gun-waving woman gave a slow, self-satisfied smile. “Oh, I must have been good this year. Santa has given me a lovely gift. Many of them, actually.”

Jenna closed her eyes. “Santa isn’t real.”

The woman glared at Jenna. “Of course he is. He’s always brought me either presents or coal. Every year, even when I have no one else around in the house. I was told by all the kids about those fairy tales of Santa not being real, but how does that explain how I always got a present even when neither of my parents had been in the house with me for weeks? Or as I got older and moved away and had no one living with me, I always ended up with presents under my tree.

“Why are you decorating so late in the season, anyway?”

Jenna’s eyes flew open at the question that came directly into her ear. “I… I recently moved out of my parents’ house and didn’t want to get anything unnecessary like decorations. I also thought Christmas would be at their house, but they decided to come here, so now I need to decorate.”

“When are they arriving?”

Was it a sin to lie under duress?

 

Giveaway

Just like Rebekah and Faith teamed up for this tour, they have also teamed up on the giveaway!

Grand Prize: Paperback of each (US only)

1st Prize: eBook of each (International and US)

2nd Prize: eBook of choice (International and US)

Enter here: https://kingsumo.com/g/ocz29j/the-christmas-duet-giveaway

Tour Schedule

November 26

Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory Post

Cover Lover Book Review – Book Spotlights

November 27

Read Another Page – Book Spotlight

Kaylee’s Kind Of Writes – Two Book Reviews

Jaye L. Knight – Excerpts

November 28

Lit Aflame – Book Review and Excerpt

Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections – Book Review of His Law is Love

Jenny Berlin – Excerpts

November 29

Frances Hoelsema’s Blog – Two Book Spotlights

Rebekah Ashleigh – Review of His Law is Love and Book Spotlights

Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors – Book Review and Spotlight

Salsa And Tea – Author Interviews

November 30

Purely by Faith Reviews – Two Book Reviews

Once Upon An Ordinary – Author Interview and Book Spotlights

In the Bookcase – Excerpts

December 1

Books, Life, and Christ – Two Book Reviews

Maidens for Modesty – Two Book Reviews

Chosen Vessels – Two Book Reviews

Harvest Lane Cottage – Two Book Reviews

Jessica Greyson – Book Spotlights

Twin Thoughts – Book Spotlights

Heart of the Rose – Two Book Reviews

Read Another Page – Book Spotlight and Review

December 3

Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway winner

 

 

Welcome! I wanted to tell you about a HUGE sale that is going on this weekend! There are over 150 titles available and they are all either $0.99 or FREE! There are also a long list of paperbacks for sale at incredibly discounted prices as well! And the good news is they are all clean reads! Be sure to go check out this amazing sale here.

 

There is also an amazing giveaway going on! Check this out:

Grand Prize Winner Receives 20 FREE Paperbacks:

Mythical Doorways by Jenelle Schmidt
Faith is the Victory by Faith Blum
Kiera by Kate Willis
Because Anonymous by Diana L. Sharples
After: Book One in The Neverway Chronicles by Savannah Jezowski
Specter: Book Two in The Neverway Chronicles by Savannah Jezowski
Leandra’s Enchanted Flute by Katy Huth Jones
Eagle Eyes by Tammy Lash
London in the Dark by Victoria Lynn
When Beauty Blooms by Victoria Lynn
Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset by Sarah Ashwood
Iced and Nailed by Avery Daniels
There Was Always Laughter in Our House by Sarah Holman
Bridgers: A Parable by Angie Thompson
Love Blind by Angie Thompson
Code by Angie Thompson
Christmas Eve at the Backdoor by Rebekah Morris
The Seven Drawers by Kendra E. Ardnek
He’s Making Diamonds: A Teen’s Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness by Sara Willoughby

 

 

2nd Place Winner Receives 20 FREE E-books:

Gather Round the Fables by Erika Matthews
The Case of the Tabloid Tattler by Perry Kirkpatrick
The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Perry Kirkpatrick
Coffee Shop Christmas by Ryana Lynn Miller
The Land of Cotton by Ryana Lynn Miller
Entertaining Angels, Entertaining Angels Book 1 by Emerald Barnes
Secret’s Kept by Jennette Mbewe
The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue
Beyond Broken Pencils by Julie C. Gilbert
Ashlynn’s Dreams by Julie C. Gilbert
Soldier On by Vanessa Rasanen
Burning Rose by Hope Ann
Iced and Nailed by Avery Daniels
Imani Earns Her Cape by Bokerah Brumley
October by J. Grace Pennington
Disowned by Sarah Addison Fox
My Compass Home by Michaela Bush
Summer Shadows and Necessary Evil by Killarney Traynor

 

Giveaway runs from Continue reading “Black Friday – Cyber Monday Book Sale”

 

About the Book

 

Everything is against them…

Born into slavery, Rapha is a Philistine who is almost twice as big as his Israelite masters. They find any excuse they can to beat him. When he is accused of murder, he runs off into the desert, planning to never return and hate all Israelites forever.

Nava’s mother died when she was born. Since then she has been raised mostly by her father, but her grandmother and grandfather have also helped. Her passion is to help those who need it most, whether it is watching the healer’s young daughter, Rina, or bringing fresh tunics for the Philistine slave who receives far too many whippings. When Rapha runs off into the desert with no water, Nava begs her father to go after him and bring him back safely.

Will Nava’s father find Rapha? Can Rapha learn that not all Israelites are untrustworthy? Will Nava trust her abba and Rapha to Yahweh’s care or take matters into her own hands?

A Beauty and the Beast reimagining set during the time of King David

 

 

Excerpt

Forgotten and untended, the roses grew wild and untamed across the ruins. The only living creatures to see their beauty were the myriad of animals who made the ruins their home.

In a no-man’s land between two nations, the ruins were in a lonely place far from people and civilization. No one alive knew who had lived there, what kind of people they had been, or how they had been defeated.
Local legend said a race of giants had lived in that place. Others said it had been sorcerers and magicians. Yet others claimed it was a place of the gods from a long-forgotten nation. How else could the roses still grow in such inhumane terrain?

But the roses were dying out. Each year fewer and fewer bloomed. Their beauty faded, and no one saw them or cared enough to tend them and make them grow. Rose bushes surrounded the massive ruins, but as this story begins, there is but one lonely rosebud in the entire heap of bushes. One single, solitary rose in the whole of the known world.

 

To purchase, please go to: http://books2read.com/lohowarose

 

Giveaway

 

This book was released on the author’s 28th birthday! So she’s doing a super fun giveaway by sharing 28 fun facts about herself. To enter the giveaway, you need to collect all 28 fun facts and copy them onto this Google form with your email address and name. You will be entered to win the following:

• Trust and Obey paperback
• Lo, How a Rose paperback
• Handmade rose from the author’s wedding
• A Trust and Obey mouse pad

This giveaway is only open to those in the US. For those who are not in the US, you can fill out this form to receive eBooks of Trust and Obey and Lo, How a Rose.

 

Today’s Fun Facts

  1. Faith is outlining a book set in WWI and will be writing it for NaNoWriMo in November
  2. Faith had 3 ushers for her wedding, a now call them the Three Musketeers
  3. Faith went from one brother to one brother and three brothers-in-law
  4. Faith’s favorite writing drink is water

 

To find the other fun facts, check out the blog tour schedule below to know where to look!

 

About the Author

 

Faith Blum is a small-town Wisconsin girl. She’s lived in, or outside of, small towns her whole life. The thought of living in a city with more than 60,000 people in it scares her, especially after some interesting adventures driving through big cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Faith currently resides in the middle of the state of Wisconsin with her husband and their cat, Smokey. She is blessed to be able to have writing as her full-time career with household work and cooking to do on the side. She loves to paint walls as long as she doesn’t have to do hallways or ceilings.

When not writing, you can find her cooking food from scratch due to food allergies (fun), doing dishes (meh), knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, or spending time with her husband (yay!). She is also a Community Assistant for the Young Writers Workshop and loves her work there. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her on her website.

 

 Tour Schedule

 

October 26
Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory Post
Lit Aflame – Book Review

 

October 27
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections – Special post from the author
Kaylee’s Kind Of Writes – Book Review
His Princess Warrior – Book Review

 

October 29
Frances Hoelsema’s Blog – Book Spotlight
sgwilloughby – Book Review
The Treasure Within – Author Interview

 

October 30
Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway Winner

 

 

 

 

Trust and Obey Blog Tour

Faith Blum has a new book. And it’s not a Western. It is a fairy tale retelling set during the time of King Saul. Read on to learn more about the book.

About the Book

Trust and Obey_KindleA wicked priestess, a morally corrupt king, and two children stuck in the middle…

Hadassah and Gidal love their parents and will do anything for them. When Priestess Basmat tell Ehud and Jerusha to pay their debt, they cannot and she takes Hadassah and Gidal as her slaves for two years.

The priestess works them hard, but there are two other servants to divide the load with, so they cope as well as they can. Then King Saul comes in disguise requesting the priestess’s other services—as a medium.

Will Hadassah and Gidal trust Adonai to take care of them? What will happen after Priestess Basmat comes face-to-face with the prophet Samuel?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D939ZPL Continue reading “Trust and Obey – A Fairy Tale Retelling of Biblical Proportions”

Tour Banner.png

Have you ever been shunned for your faith? Amira has in the book Aleigha Israel recently released. And that isn’t the only problem she will face in life. Find out more about the book and be sure to check out the giveaway.

About the Book

AMR3D She knew the decision would change her life. But she didn’t know she’d have to fight to survive.

When Amira put her faith in Christ, she knew life wouldn’t be easy. But hiding her conversion from her Muslim family soon becomes the least of her worries. Continue reading “A Marvelous Redeemer Blog Tour”

 

Having seven sons is a honor above no other. Which is why she is a disappointment. The only girl of seven children, she brought shame to her family. Who knew something like this could be turned into a book, but Rachel Rossano has done just that with her book, Seventh Born. Read on to learn more about the book and enter the giveaway.

About the Book

In a world where seventh born sons are valued for their strength and power, she is born a daughter.

Zezilia Ilar is the disappointment. Born after six brothers, she was supposed to be the son to restore her family’s prestige. She intends to remedy her shortcomings by being a dutiful daughter, marrying well and producing children, preferably a set of seven sons. But when someone offers her an alternative, she begins to dream of more.

In a society that worships a goddess, he follows the Almighty.

Hadrian Aleron, as a seventh son of a seventh son, stands to take up the second highest position in government, Sept Son. His main qualification for office is his birth. Despite preparing for this role from childhood, he does not desire what is to come. As a follower of the Almighty, he knows he will be the target of many, and his faith might eventually lead to death.

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079Z2PPJL
iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seventh-born/id1351646000
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/seventh-born-2
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seventh-born-rachel-rossano/1128018000

About the Author

Rachel Rossano lives with her husband and three children in the northeastern part of the United States. Homeschooled through high school, she began writing in her early teens. She didn’t become serious about pursuing a career as an author until after she had graduated from college and happily married. Then the children came.

Now she spends her days being a wife, mother, teacher, and household manager. Her evenings and free moments are devoted to her other loves, writing and book cover design. Drawing on a lifelong fascination with reading and history, she spends hours creating historical feeling fantasy worlds and populating them with characters who live and breathe on the page.

Follow Rachel on:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RachelRossanoRambles
Twitter – https://twitter.com/RachelRossano
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/+RachelRossano
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/rachelrossano/
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1430209.Rachel_Rossano
Blog – http://www.rachelrossano.com/
Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Rossano/e/B004MV17GE/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/anavrea
Newsletter Sign Up – http://eepurl.com/4sbsv

Giveaway

Rachel is giving away an eBook of her book. You can enter here. Your odds of winning increase with every person you refer so spread the word! Good luck, and I hope you win!

Excerpt

A humid haze filled the air, smothering my ability to breathe. Stale air filled my senses as I focused on the temperature outside the windows. Sunlight, bright and hot, flooded the world, painting the grass brown and wilting the plants. Only the trees, tall and strong, seemed unaffected by its blistering gaze.

A tentative trace of plum, cool and sweet, touched my tongue. It beckoned me to linger on the taste, much pleasanter than the oven beyond the windows. I pushed the thought away and continued to admire the trees as they stood motionless in the nonexistent wind.

“Well done,” Errol commented from his place behind his desk. Considering the topic of study, he had allowed a temporary lifting of the no talking ban. “You can release the image now.” He closed the book as I slowly withdrew my focus from the heat. “You have now mastered the ability to block Thought-leading with Image-fixation. Well done.” He scribbled something in his notebook before setting it aside.

“Now let us try shutting out completely. This will be your first line of defense. Image-fixation, Mental-blocks, and Safety-zones are all tools for when they have gotten through your defenses, which are Walling, Sealing, and Shuttering.”

“And these are all defensive forms against interrogation?” I asked to make sure I was clear of what to use when.

“Correct.” Errol readjusted himself in his seat. “Walling is a defensive measure that Talents in precarious positions use at all times. Within their thoughts, they build a wall around certain topics. For example, a Talent who is undercover among other Talents must wall off all topics, facts, and ideas that are not in keeping with his persona. By doing so, he protects them from detection by a mind brush, random thought exchange, or sending.”

“So the Sept Son must use this.”

“Constantly,” Errol agreed. “Now choose a thought that you do not want me to access.”

Choosing the image of Selwyn watching Candra hammer a nail, I carefully built a mental stone wall around it.

“Ready?” Errol asked.

I nodded. Instantly, plum filled my taste buds. I watched with interest as he skimmed my thoughts, nudging gently at some, while completely avoiding others. Then suddenly he was at the wall.

 

Tour Schedule

 

April 9
Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory post
Just A Glimpse – Guest Post
Faith, Loyalty, Adventure Blog – Book Review

 

April 10
Rachel John Writes – Book Review
Annie Louise Twitchell – Book Review
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima – Character Spotlight

 

April 11
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae – Character Spotlight
Romantic Typewriter Gardens – Guest Post
The World of the Blue Bells Chronicles – Book Review

 

April 12
Rebekah Lyn Books – Book Spotlight
Frances Hoelsema – Book Spotlight
Hunting for Truth – Book Review and Guest Post

 

April 13
Reading On The Edge – Book Spotlight
Ember’s Reviews – Book Review
With a Joyful Noise – Character Spotlight
Views from the Window Friend – Book Review

 

April 14
Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway winner

Take a look at this exciting new young adult action and adventure novel, The Student and the Slave, now available for purchase! This is the third book in the Krillonian Chronicles, after The Collar and the Cavvarach and The Gladiator and the Guard.

 


The series is set in an alternate world that is very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

The Collar and the Cavvarach by Annie Douglass Lima


First, a Little Information about Books 1 and 2: 
Book 1: The Collar and the Cavvarach

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?


Click here to read chapter 1 of The Collar and the Cavvarach.
Click here to read about life in the Krillonian Empire, where the series is set.



The Gladiator and the Guard by Annie Douglass LimaBook 2: The Gladiator and the Guard

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?

Click here to read about life in the arena where Bensin and other gladiators are forced to live and train.


 

 

And now, The Student and the Slave, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!

Book 3: The Student and the Slave


Is this what freedom is supposed to be like? Desperate to provide for himself and his sister Ellie, Bensin searches fruitlessly for work like all the other former slaves in Tarnestra. He needs the money for an even more important purpose, though: to rescue Coach Steene, who sacrificed himself for Bensin’s freedom. When members of two rival street gangs express interest in Bensin’s martial arts skills, he realizes he may have a chance to save his father figure after all … at a cost.

Meanwhile, Steene struggles with his new life of slavery in far-away Neliria. Raymond, his young owner, seizes any opportunity to make his life miserable. But while Steene longs to escape and rejoin Bensin and Ellie, he starts to realize that Raymond needs him too. His choices will affect not only his own future, but that of everyone he cares about. Can he make the right ones … and live with the consequences?

 

EXCERPT

In this excerpt, Steene realizes that the arrangements he has secretly been trying to make for his escape may come to nothing after all.

“Guess what? I’ve got two pieces of good news,” said Raymond when Steene joined him in the dining room for lunch the next day. “Those clothes I ordered for you arrived this morning, and it’s just in time, ’cause now you’ll be able to bring them with you to Jarreon and look all professional. We’re leaving tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?” Steene froze with the tray in his hands. “But I thought your dad’s trip wasn’t until the eleventh.”

“He decided to leave early.” Raymond was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement. “He’s going to take me sightseeing before his work starts, and we’re going to do all kinds of fun stuff. I can hardly wait. This was exactly the sort of thing I was hoping would happen when I quit going to regular school.”

Steene set the tray down and handed Raymond a bowl of stew, his mind spinning. Tomorrow. But he hadn’t heard back from Ellie yet. He’d assumed they still had several more days. How will I find out the details about the escape plan? “I should probably wait here for now and fly to Jarreon closer to the start of the tournament.”

“What? No way!” Raymond looked horrified. “You’re my coach. I can’t get ready for a tournament without your help!


Click here to order The Student and the Slave from Amazon for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through November 31st!

 


About the Author:

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and
later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her
husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at
Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since
her childhood, and to date has published fifteen books (three YA action and
adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her
students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides
writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction),
scrapbooking, and international travel.

 

Connect with the Author Online:
Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus

Now, enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of the first two books in the series!



 

 

October Banner

Yesterday we began a countdown. To what? The release of J. Grace Pennington’s new book, October. Yep, she named her book after the month we are in. Check out the great giveaway, and the other posts in this countdown!

About the Book

CoverFor Emily Baxter, life is simple. Her world is made up completely of school, church, and the community in the small farming town she calls home. All that changes one fateful Sunday, when a new girl shows up at Pleasanton Baptist—a girl unlike anyone Emily has ever seen. A girl with long red hair, crystal green eyes, and style and posture like royalty.

A girl named October.

The months that follow are filled with magic—the magic of ordinary things, of finding pictures in the stars, of imagination and a new sense of beauty. But as time goes by, Emily begins to sense that her enchanting new friend may have secrets that could break the spell. Is October really all she seems to be?

About the Author

Author photoGrace Pennington has been telling stories since she could talk and writing them down since age five. Now she lives in the great state of Texas, where she writes as much as adult life permits. When she’s not writing she enjoys reading good books, having adventures with her husband, and looking up at the stars.

Preorder here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076JMZCYX/

Excerpt

We laid in silence for awhile, watching the stars appear one by one, adjusting slowly to the cooling temperature of the summer air.

            “What should we do tomorrow?” I asked at last.

            “Whatever we want.”

            I giggled. “What will we want?”

            She poked my shoulder. “We can’t decide now, silly. That messes up the magic.”

            “Magic?”

            My question had been in the most teasing tone possible, but her reply was as serious as I had been silly. “Whenever a decision is made in the heat of the moment—when we allow ourselves to be carried on joy or sorrow or mere simplicity and quiet—whatever it is, a moment of magic is created. Not always good magic, of course. But magic, nonetheless.”

            From anyone else, it would have been the most absurd thing imaginable. I would have laughed. But here, under the stars, with that hint of wonder I had never heard in anyone else her age—I believed it.

            “Then let’s have a magical day tomorrow,” I said.

            It was dark, but I could feel her smile.

Giveaway

Grace has generously offered a paperback book of her new book as her giveaway prize. You can enter at this link.

Tour Schedule

October 25, 2017
Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory post
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae – Character Spotlight
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima – Character Spotlight
Lisa Swinton – Queen of Random – Book Spotlight
Audrey Rich – Book Spotlight

October 26, 2017
Frances Hoelsema – Excerpt
Jaye L. Knight – Character Spotlight and Excerpt
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke – Review

October 27, 2017
Liv K. Fisher – Author Interview and Excerpt
Opinions, Thoughts, and General Rambling – Character Spotlight and Excerpt
Leila’s Bookshelf – Book Spotlight
Britbear’s Book Reviews – Guest Post

October 28, 2017
Rebekah Lyn Books – Excerpt
In the Bookcase – Review
Roxbury Books – Character Spotlight and Excerpt
Grace Pennington – Special author’s post

October 29, 2017
Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway Winner

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About the Book

After duty as an ambulance driver in World War I, Ellie Morgan returns to Chicago to take up her share of the work in her grandparents’ department store. Ellie doesn’t want to alienate her family or disappoint them, but despite a six year effort to settle in, she feels increasingly trapped in store routine. Meanwhile, her grandmother urges her to marry a local politician and help him succeed in his chosen field. Ellie’s grandfather, however, wants to see her happy and independent. “Go west, young woman, go west,” he advises, paraphrasing a popular quotation of the day. So with Granddad’s help, Ellie secures a job on a ranch in Colorado and sets out to prove that she has the necessary character to succeed at a third vocation.

When Aldon Leitzinger meets Ellie’s train in Clifton Colorado, he introduces himself as the foreman of the ranch. But the more people Ellie meets in the community, the more apparent it becomes that she is in demand to fill a number of roles for which she is not prepared. Desperate to prove herself, she settles in to please everyone, a task that puts her at risk of failure in every attempt at finding a new and happier life.

Buy now on Amazon!

About the Author

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West, available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

Giveaway

DiVoran has five prizes for five people! First to go will be the beautiful art cards and then we’ll have the two eBooks. Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt

 

At the Train Station

She looked up into the eyes of a tall man with silver-blond hair. He held her carpetbag in one hand and a deep brown Boss of the Prairie Stetson in the other. She didn’t know yet who he was, but she knew from working in her grandparent’s department store back home, that he had good taste in hats. His frayed khaki shirt, however, looked as if it were part of a uniform from the Great War.

 

Tour Schedule

July 10
Bookish Orchestrations – Tour introduction
Rebekah Lyn Books – Author Interview
Janice’s book reviews – Review

July 11
Frances Hoelsema – Book Spotlight
Rachel Rossano’s Words – Author Interview
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections – Character Interview

July 12
Shout Outs – Book Spotlight

July 13
Laurel’s Leaves – Author Interview
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae – Book Spotlight
Old Things R New – Book Spotlight

July 14
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima – Book Spotlight
Stephany’s BLOG Snippets – Character Interview

July 15
Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway Winners

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