“Reintegration” by Ashley Bogner

Hello readers! Today I’m happy to be celebrating this new release of Ashley’s! This is her first published novel, and it looks quite exciting! Congrats, Ashley!!

 

 

A perfect citizen. A captured rebel. One decision could destroy them both…

 

As a Regulator, seventeen-year-old Katherine Holliday’s duty is to protect the people of the Federation from a group of violent rebels who have exiled themselves to the mysterious wilderness. When one of these rebels is captured within the Federation, the government leaders propose an alternative to execution, a procedure they call Reintegration. The procedure involves erasing the rebel’s memory and attempting to make him a member of society. The rebel, a young man named Matthew, is not the violent criminal Katherine expects, and she can’t help but befriend him. A few weeks after Matthew’s Reintegration, Katherine realizes the procedure failed and she is now presented with a choice no one else can help her make. Can she warn her superiors that Reintegration failed, which could mean death for Matthew? Or will she defy everything she knows to help him escape—and risk her own execution?

 

 

AUTHOR BIO:

When Ashley Bogner was in third grade, she decided she would be a published author when she grew up. Ashley is a homeschool graduate and has lived in seven different states. She completed a year of Bible college and in the fall will begin pursuing a degree in Communication Studies. After college, her plan is to work in the Christian publishing industry. When not writing, she can be found baking, posting book reviews on her blog, and watching her favorite movies over and over to the point of memorization.

 

 

Connect with author Ashley Bogner:

Blog: http://www.ashleybogner.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleybognerwriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@AshleyBWriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16953932.Ashley_Bogner

“Just Look Up” by Courtney Walsh ~ Review

“Just Look Up” by Courtney Walsh

Review copy from Tyndale Publishers Reading Program

My Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

After tirelessly climbing the ranks of her Chicago-based interior design firm, Lane Kelley is about to land her dream promotion when devastating news about her brother draws her back home―a quaint tourist town full of memories she’d just as soon forget. With her cell phone and laptop always within reach, Lane aims to check on her brother while staying focused on work―something her eclectic family doesn’t understand.
Ryan Brooks never expected to settle down in Harbor Pointe, Michigan, but after his final tour of duty, it was the only place that felt like home. Now knee-deep in a renovation project that could boost tourism for the struggling town, he is thrilled to see Lane, the girl he secretly once loved, even if the circumstances of her homecoming aren’t ideal.
Their reunion gets off to a rocky start, however, when Ryan can’t find a trace of the girl he once knew in the woman she is today. As he slowly chips away at the walls Lane has built, secrets from his past collide with a terrible truth even he is reluctant to believe. Facing a crossroads that could define his future with Lane and jeopardize his relationship with the surrogate family he’s found in the Kelleys, Ryan hopes Lane can see that maybe what really matters has been right in front of her all along―if only she’d just look up.

 

 

My Thoughts:

I’ve only read one other of Courtney Walsh’s books, but I enjoyed that one quite a bit, so I was glad to get the chance to read/review this one as well.

I liked this book – especially Ryan. He was a great character. So sweet and selfless, but not without his own faults and struggles. Lane was a well crafted character too, though I personally didn’t relate to her quite as well, but there were times where I could.

This was definitely a romance book, but not a deep Christian book. There was a bit in the beginning/middle, but only a little and nothing really fully developed/focused on it. The faith strand just wasn’t a very major part of the book. It was clean, and there were mentions of God, and His role in our lives, it just wasn’t the focal point of the story.

The message of not being so connected to the online world etc. was good, and the story  was written well. It all flowed very nicely and was engaging.

So while I think I preferred the other book I’ve read by this author, “Just Look Up” was still a good read.

“Out of the Ashes” by A.M. Heath ~ Book Spotlight

(I know that by the time this post goes live, the facebook party will have long been over, but the banner image is so nice, I wanted to still use it!)

Hello readers! Today I am sharing in the celebrations for “Out of the Ashes”‘s release with a book spotlight! Congrats on the release, A.M. Heath!

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

About “Out of the Ashes”:

Sometimes peace is won through battle. 

Haunted by the memories he can’t escape, Ralph Williams wants to be left alone to lick his wounds. He doesn’t understand why he’s forced into the company of the one woman he least desires. Can God bring him healing through such uncomfortable circumstances?

Frank Harper thought he had left the war and its turmoil behind, but the home to which he has returned is anything but peaceful. When racial tensions arise in Maple Grove, Frank finds himself on a battlefield once more. He’s desperate for peace, but at what cost?

When George Chandler heads off to wed his beloved bride, things don’t go as expected. Just as George starts to get comfortable with what he believes is God’s new plan for his life, history threatens to repeat itself. Will he fight for the woman he’s come to love, or will he let her go?

The War Between the States has destroyed more than just a nation. In four years, it has damaged bodies and wounded souls until the people think that nothing is left. Will they find the healing they so desperately need from the God that loves them?

 

Check out these books on Amazon:
Where Can I Flee

In the Shadow of Thy Wings

Out of the Ashes

 

 

About the Author:

 

Besides being an Indie Author, I’m a wife, mother of four, children’s Sunday School teacher, sweet tea drinker, history fanatic, romantic, bubbly, lover of broccoli, and cake decorator who has a soft spot for Christmas trees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
What I’m not is a laundress (or at least not one who keeps up very well), a duster, tall, or patient in a doctor’s office.

 

Contact Links: 
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AMHeathfanpage/
Blog: https://amheathblog.wordpress.com/
You’ll also find me on Pinterest, Goodreads, and Twitter but I’m most active on Facebook and my blog.

 

 

Giveaway!!

You can either click on the image or this link to enter the giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b7851a908/?

 

 

Follow along with the tour:

 

July 31: Karen Hadley @ Karen Sue Hadley : Book Review

Aug. 1: Krista Noorman @ by Krista : Book Review

Aug. 2: Becky Dempsey @ Blossoms and Blessings : Book Review

Aug. 4: Alicia Ruggieri @ A Brighter Destiny : Book Review and Interview

Aug. 7: Dana Kamstra @ D.L. Kamstra  : Book Review

Aug. 9: Laura Wilson @ Blue Eye Books : Book Review

Aug. 11: Amanda Tero @ With a Joyful Noise : Book Review

Aug. 14: Deana Dick @ Texas Book-aholic  : Book Review

Aug. 15: Virginia Winfield @  Bigreadersite : Book Review

Aug. 16: Raechel Lenore @ God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae : Spotlight

Aug. 18: Debbie Curto @ Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations  : Book Review and Interview

“Exiles” by Jaye L. Knight ~ Release Post and Character Spotlight!

Jaye L. Knight’s newest novel, Exiles, has been released! How exciting, yes?! Exiles is the fourth book in the Christian fantasy series, Ilyon Chronicles. Read about it below, along with a special Character Spotlight,  and be sure to check out the other blog stops on the tour by visiting the official tour page. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

About the Book

Exiled after their defeat in Samara, the Resistance struggles to find allies in their quest to restore King Balen to his throne and put an end to the emperor’s tyranny. When the crete people refuse to lend their aid, Balen leads a group to Dorland to reason with them and win their support. However, enemies prove to be everywhere, and they find themselves in a fight to keep Dorland from becoming Daican’s latest conquest.

Back in Landale, the arrival of a new enemy forces Trask and Anne to tread more carefully than ever. Tensions are rising, and the enemy is determined to test Anne’s loyalty and root out the location of Trask and the Resistance once and for all.

Feeling trapped within the walls of Valcré, Prince Daniel must contend with an ever-eroding relationship with his father. As their clashes escalate, the situation becomes potentially life threatening when his loyalty is called into question. His sister seems bent on branding him a traitor and actively seeking to condemn him to the fate of those put to death in their father’s new arena. Daniel is certain his father would never execute his only son and heir, but with other forces at work, it might not be that simple.

One small misstep could prove fatal for all.

 

 

Character Spotlight

 

Appearance: Shoulder length dark hair, amber eyes, fit build, 5’10” tall. 
Age: 47
Race: Human 
History: Daican is the emperor of Arcacia. His father died unexpectedly, leaving him the throne when he was only seventeen years old. It is his goal in life to honor his father’s legacy and create the Arcacian empire his father was working towards.

Author’s Notes: For me personally, Daican is one of the most interesting antagonists I’ve written about so far. I knew from the beginning, I wanted him to be both likeable and relatable. When Kaden tells Kyrin that Daican is manipulating her in the first book of the series, while that’s naturally what he would think in their position, it’s actually not true. Daican’s charm and kindness toward Kyrin in the beginning were genuine. He genuinely liked her and wanted her to be comfortable and content in Auréa Palace. He had no reason to feel otherwise. It wasn’t until Davira started bringing him condemning information on Kyrin that things change. Then his kindness became a mask to cover his suspicion.

Daican is cunning and calculating, but he is also equally charming and genuine until you cross him. Then heaven help you. He’s very driven, so any threat to his goals is dealt with swiftly and without mercy. What I find most interesting about his character is how he very much mirrors my heroes. He’s very dedicated to his faith in his false gods. He’s not just some power-hungry emperor. He truly believes he’s serving his gods by trying to root out and destroy believers in Elôm. His love for his father and for Davira are very real and deep. In fact, his close relationship with Davira very closely mirrors the close relationship Kyrin had with her father.

With just a few changes to his thinking, Daican could have actually been a strong ally to my heroes. Unfortunately, they have opposite beliefs.

 

 

 

 

Available now on Amazon!

Haven’t discovered the world of Ilyon yet? The first three Kindle books are on sale August 11^th – 14^th!

You can find them on Amazon.

 

 

About the Author

Jaye L. Knight is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless tea addict with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy.

 
Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a themed giveaway pack! Prizes include an autographed copy of Exiles, a pewter dragon necklace by treasurecast, and a sword letter opener! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

“The Road to Paradise” by Karen Barnett ~ Book Review

“The Road to Paradise” by Karen Barnett

Book One in the Vintage National Park series

Review copy from Blogging for Books Program

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow. 
But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.
When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?
Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: “There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children’s children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred.”

My Thoughts:

I shall start out this review by commenting on the cover – because it’s beautiful, is it not? I read some other reviews of this book, and several others have said that the cover is what drew them to the story, and I have to agree. It’s so unique, and well-put together; it really attracts the eye! And even the back-cover has intricate little details that match the story so well. Very impressed!

Now onto the inside. :)

“The Road to Paradise” was a good book ~ well-researched and presented. Margie was a very likeable character, and Ford was marvelous as well. I liked how Margie was so determined, and how important her faith was to her. I was glad to see a book touching on the ‘be ye not unequally yoked’ part of romances as that is so often disregarded or swept under the rug.

Their romance was sweet, though for my personal tastes, there was a bit much at some points – with the kisses, etc. Nothing inappropriate, just definitely a romance book.

The setting was great – the whole air of the Mountain and its surrounding was charming. Enjoyed that quite a bit. :)

I liked this book just fine – it was a good one, and I don’t really have any complaints (besides personal preference of how far romance goes). I’ve seen that many people have absolutely loved this book, and I’m glad! For me, it wasn’t an “adored” book, but I didn’t dislike it either. I enjoyed reading it for sure. :)

“A Matter of Trust” by Susan May Warren ~ Book Review

(click on image to go to its amazon page)

“A Matter of Trust” by Susan May Warren

Book Three in the Montana Rescue Series

Review copy source: Revell Publishers Program

My rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

 

About the Book:

Champion backcountry snowboarder Gage Watson has left the limelight behind after the death of one of his fans. After being sued for negligence and stripped of his sponsorships, he’s remade his life as a ski patrol in Montana’s rugged mountains, as well as serving on the PEAK Rescue team. But he can’t seem to find his footing–or forget the woman he loved, who betrayed him. 

Senator and former attorney Ella Blair spends much of her time in the limelight as the second-youngest senator in the country. But she has a secret–one that cost Gage his career. More than anything, she wants to atone for her betrayal of him in the courtroom and find a way to help him put his career back on track. 

When Ella’s brother goes missing on one of Glacier National Park’s most dangerous peaks, Gage and his team are called in for the rescue. But Gage isn’t so sure he wants to help the woman who destroyed his life. More, when she insists on joining the search, he’ll have to keep her safe while finding her reckless brother, a recipe for disaster when a snowstorm hits the mountain. 

But old sparks relight as they search for the missing snowboarder–and suddenly, they are faced with emotions neither can deny. But when Ella’s secret is revealed, can they learn to trust each other–even when disaster happens again?

 

 

My Thoughts:

This series has been just excellent. And so easy to get caught up in and then get lost in!

“A Matter of Trust” was full of adventure, danger, and a good romance.

I hadn’t previously read many “Search and Rescue” series before this one, but my was it gripping! And now I’m even more excited to read SMW’s other SAR books.

But yes, this book. I loved the snowy setting because I love the cold. And spending time in a cold book made me imagine it was just a little colder here. ;)

Gage is a very strong character. I wasn’t sure if I’d fall in love with him as a character or not at first, but I shouldn’t have worried at all. Out of the three book heroes of this series I think maybe he’s at the top of my list…it’s hard to decide for sure though, because I love Sam as well, and Pete, and Ty…Okay, so these books have swoonworthy characters.

And the leading gals! They’re amazing. Ella was a very likeable character, and I could relate to her in her desires to be “perfect” before God but realizing that even if we’re not perfect, He loves us anyway – unconditionally.

And that brings me to the faith strand. These books are pretty short, but there’s always a faith strand, which is a big draw for me. And while they are not super loud, they are also not just sideline plots either – the message is woven in the story and touched on throughout it. It’s gentle and beautiful. Trust was the theme of this book, of course, and I really appreciated this as it was a much-needed reminder for me. We can trust God in ALL things, because He is good in ALL things. Love that lesson!

So yes, I very much enjoyed this book – loved it, in fact. This series, if you haven’t gathered, has made me very happy. :)

“I have a feeling God put us exactly where we needed to be to get away, so – no, I don’t hear any laughter. I hear God saying, “You messed up, but that doesn’t mean I did. Trust Me.”” Pg 187

“Her words echoed back to her about God, ‘You messed up, but that doesn’t mean I did. Trust Me.’ She wasn’t sure where they’d come from, but they lingered, hung on.

Maybe that was the key – just because she’d made a mistake with her life didn’t mean that God has, and it hopefully didn’t change the way God saw her. Still flawed but worth loving anyway.And if God loved her despite her failures, maybe she could let go of trying to control everything, start trusting Him.” pg 197

“Suit and Suitability” by Kelsey Bryant ~ Book Review

(click on image to go to the book’s amazon page)

 

“Suit and Suitability” by Kelsey Bryant

Part of the Vintage Jane Austen collection

Review ecopy from the author

 

About the Book:

 

The mystery surrounding their father’s criminal accusations is almost as hard to solve as the many puzzles springing on their hearts. 

Canton, Ohio, 1935. Ellen and Marion Dashiell’s world crumbles when their father is sent to prison. Forced to relocate to a small town, what is left of their family faces a new reality where survival overshadows dreams. Sensible Ellen, struggling to hold the family together, is parted from the man she’s just learning to love, while headstrong Marion fears she will never be the actress she aspires to be. When a dashing hero enters the scene, things only grow more complicated. But could a third man hold the key to the restoration and happiness of the Dashiell family?

 

My Thoughts:

 

To start out, I must confess that I haven’t read the original “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen, but I have watched the two movie adaption’s very many times, and next to Persuasion, it is at the top of my list for Jane Austen favourites.
“Suit and Suitability” was a very close retelling to the original (I am basing off the movie, remember), and throughout it, I really felt like I was pretty much watching the movie itself, only it being set in the 30’s in Ohio/New York. The characters were very close to their real representatives, and the plot-line very near the real one. There were a couple differences, and a bit of a twist at the end, but for the most part it had all the great things that make it Sense and Sensibility.
We got to know more of Marion in the beginning, and I was afraid we wouldn’t get to know Ellen at all, but about a little before halfway that changed, and their stories were told equally, which I appreciated. It’s nice to have a book where there are two main characters.

For me, it did get a little long, and I often knew what was going to happen of course, but I did still enjoy the telling of it. The setting was good, and I liked the 1930’s dialogue quite a lot. That was a nice touch.
And what this book did have that the original does not, is the soft but good undertones of Faith and our trust and reliance on the Lord. It was only slight in the beginning/middle, but towards the end it got stronger, and there was a good reminder/lesson of trusting God through all things, even the bad, at the end. I was glad to have that lesson be included, as when watching the movie I always bemoaned the fact that this story could be so perfect for Godly lessons of many kinds. :)

So yes, if you enjoy the story of Sense and Sensibility, you’ll enjoy this one!