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Showing posts with label Thomas Nelson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thomas Nelson. Show all posts

Monday, October 9, 2023

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?: Romance Edition 💗

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're answering the bookish cry of WHAT'S THE BUZZ with a special ROMANCE EDITION.  That's right!  Who doesn't love a good romance?  Am I right?  The titles on the docket today are spread throughout the genre that quite literally has something for everyone.  A few have been released, while a few others are coming up fast, but one other thing they all have in common...I would highly recommend them all!  Ready to add to your TBR?  Here we go!



Townsend Harbor, Book 3
by
Kerrigan Byrne & Cynthia St. Aubin
Release Date:  08/29/23
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

As much as I've enjoyed getting to know this series, I can honestly say that I think THIS ONE was my favorite thus far!  Grant it in book one, we have a bookstore owner getting it on (eventually) with a mysterious recluse that seems to have nothing but her best interests in mind, and yes, they make a damaged (who isn't?), yet mind blowing couple...all making it memorable for certain.  Book two gave us the story of the newcomer in town selling hot double cups of...joe with a side of snappy sarcasm, whit, and wonder, all while equally ticking off and intriguing the local man with a badge that was recently made single (after book one!), until hot under the collar becomes more hot, and sans collar (and then some!), granting us an unexpected couple, but a great fit all the same.  Now, book three, we have opposites attract with the story of the best friend meeting the less than blue collar man of her never dreamed dreams...and while he may be a lot to handle, so is she, in her own way, and remarkably they GET one another...not just get it on.  The layers that are peeled back on each of them, revealing how much more they BOTH are despite the way they get pigeonholed by people, really speaks to embracing your true self, learning to love you first, and not being afraid of letting someone in, nor letting them back out again!  It's just as hot as the others, but it didn't feel like quite as much focus was on ONLY that, giving me more of the story aspect that I love and adore!





by
Melissa Ferguson
Narrated by: Talon David, Kayla Jackson
Release Date:  09/26/23


In this double novella from Thomas Nelson, you get two GORGEOUS Christmas stories in one fabulous package...or in this case, audio book!  That's right!  I listened to this one through NetGalley (did you know that was a thing?!), and quite honestly fell in love with it!  As opposed to the prior novel featured, this one is squeaky clean, but that doesn't mean there aren't moments of sparkage, moments of closeness, or moments that will make you wear a silly grin and sigh (yes, I totally did this!).  Dashing Through the Snow .... gives us a woman on the romantic holiday trip of a lifetime, having to go it solo thanks to her now ex-boyfriend pulling the plug on the most wonderful time of the year.  Willow seizes the day, thanks to her pushy but loving friend, and not only revels in the spirit of the season, but finds that while her heart may be wounded, it doesn't mean she won't love again...perhaps sooner than she thinks!  Pining for You... delivers the story of Skye and Theo which takes place on a Christmas tree farm.  Old wounds are healed, recreated, and potentially healed once again, but a lot of old truths are brought into a clarifying light, allowing these two matched at heart to find a start in the here and now.  Of the two, I gotta play favorites with the first, but I have no regrets in listening to the second. 







Beachside Kisses with My Bodyguard
Hallmark Beach Small Town Romance, Book 1
by
Release Date:  10/11/23

Alright guys and gals, so we're back on track with this one where I'm getting the scoop out to you before the release (woo hoo!).  This time, we're heading to Hallmark Beach as we read and share the first novel in the new series...much love to the author for the chance to be a part of the ARC team!  I loved the setting.  I loved the characters.  I loved how the Princess was so much more than just royalty, even when many kept trying to label her for past mistakes.  I loved that she was eventually able to put that behind her, and discover what she truly wanted in both love and life so that following her dreams was simply the next most logical step, even if she did have to sort out exactly what they were in order to take that step.  I loved our fearless Muscles (obvious nickname, but cute nonetheless!), and his noble desire to keep HIS desire off the table, and under lock and key.  The back and forth between them was a little torture, but sweet and as it eventually leads to a HEA that we readers love with all our hearts; it was totally worth it.  The other story line running through it, regarding her brother's "normal" wedding, was a spectacular way to keep things moving along, build a little tension, and also capitalize on creating a memorable setting with notable side characters that (if rumors are true) will be getting their own stories in the future!






Perfect Imperfections
by
Release Date:  10/24/23
🔥🔥🔥

Last, but certainly not least, we have the forthcoming release from an author whose work I've read several times, and the love for those stories just keeps growing!  This particular title is near and dear to the author's heart because it features a character with OCD. You may know what it is, heck you might even have it or know someone who does, but a few important things to remember...it varies from person to person, the compulsions or rituals they perform are specific to them and not something that can simply be turned off, and a person with OCD is just that a PERSON with ocd...they are not their diagnosis; they are themselves.  Unique, original, and with their own idiosyncrasies, just like the next person.  No one is exactly the same as the next, but all deserve love, kindness, and acceptance.  In this story, the characters are true to themselves.  There are no magical turn of events that solves their problems.  There are no potions or amount of attention that removes their symptoms, or diagnosis...and that is SIMPLY PERFECT.

I adored Ellie for everything she did, and everything she was.  From her problems to her solutions, her witty wardrobe (so would wear those shirts!) to her care of others, the way she interacted with the animals to how she handles Sullivan...and now I'm getting off track.  (LOL!)  There is not a moment that I felt a disconnect from her character, or a falsity in her personality.  She was simply her, and eventually learns to love that even more about herself.  Sullivan was a perfectly imperfect specimen of a man that most woman and their mother's would go gaga for..but for me, though his outer beauty can't be denied, his inner beauty is a real heart breaker.  He adores his little girl (who wouldn't?  Charlotte is a doll!), cares for all of his patients beyond the clinical aspect of medicine, takes the white coat off at home but leaves the amount of care and understanding that he has remains because it's simple him.  Watching these two come together was PURE MAGIC.  I laughed, I gasped, I blushed, and grinned like a lovelorn schoolgirl, and by book's end the HEA was in the bag!


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Special thanks to all the authors (and publishers!) listed above for the chance to read and share these amazing works (as well as the copies for review!).  (THANK YOU!)  For more information on any of the books featured, feel free to click through the links provided.  Several are available now, while the others are coming soon, so be sure you don't miss out on all the bookish love!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!







Friday, October 23, 2020

TLC Book Tours presents... PLAYING WITH FIRE by Billy Hallowell - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we welcome TLC Book Tours for a stop along their current tour featuring a work of nonfiction perfect for the reading season.  How so?  Well, it deals with our fascination with "the dark side", and all those things that go BUMP in the night...the irony of the fact that I'm typing this while watching Twilight:  Breaking Dawn, Part 2 in the background, is not lost on me either.  Grant it, they are sparkly vampires, but let's not get into THAT discussion right now.  Anyway...today's title in the spotlight is on deck, so let's get intellectually dangerous and peek between the pages of today's book of choice and blog tour guest...


Playing with Fire:
A Modern Investigation into Demons, Exorcism, and Ghosts
by
Billy Hallowell
9780785234500
Emanate Books


About the book...
What is our fascination with the other side?

Join investigative reporter Billy Hallowell as he delves into the strange phenomena of supernatural activity. Themes of demonic possession have overtaken Hollywood, with countless films and TV shows delving into the age-old struggle against evil. Why?

Yet, with so much focus on the topic there seems to be very little public knowledge and discussion about the real-life nature and reality of demons.

In many foreign countries, however, supernatural activity is often recorded and discussed
Government officials watch a nine-year-old boy walk up a wall
A sheriff hears a demonic voice over his radio
Doctors witness a child exhibit extra-human strength

It’s no surprise international media took note. Quite often, though, many people remain silent about their experiences or resort to quietly whispering about what they’ve seen, heard, or felt for fear of being labeled insane or crazy.

The truth is, even pastors, priests, and clergy who have observed firsthand accounts of possession and deliverance can succumb to the strange and terrifying effects of intense spiritual warfare.

For people of faith, Playing with Fire will address these core questions:
Are demons active today?
If they do, indeed, exist, what are they? Are they fallen angels? Nephilim?
Can demons inhabit human beings?
If they exist, what can be done to stop them?

Playing with Fire will explore the theological underpinnings surrounding demonic forces. Relying on firsthand accounts, newspaper reports, and Christian experts, Billy Hallowell will take readers through the various views and perspectives surrounding supernatural activity.






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Do you believe?

If you take a moment, it's actually a hard question to answer, no matter where your religious faith lies.  I mean, most have experienced that mysterious breeze when no source can be found.  Many have felt that phantom touch, turned, and found no one there.  Quite a few have even had moments themselves where they feel they have communicated with someone or something otherworldly or previously of our own...and some are rather well documented.  These are the matters that this book delves into, in an everyday aspect, but with secular roots.

I can't say it was exactly what I thought it would be, as I suppose my own curiosity with those otherly things was peaked by the initial tease from this book, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.  It shed light on some of those more well known cases, shared the behind-the-cloisters viewpoint of those that have had dealings with same said events, and took a closer look at the impact of these darker matters on our lives in general today.  

So if you're looking to be spooked, don't...it's not about that.  This is about where things got their starts, how we've handled it throughout recent years, and a potential way to move forward with our curious thoughts in tact, while saving adequate space in our souls for our true saviors.



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About the author...


Billy Hallowell has been working in journalism and media for more than two decades. His writings, interviews, and social commentary have appeared in Deseret News, TheBlaze, Human Events, Mediaite and FoxNews.com, among other outlets. He has served as the faith and culture editor of TheBlaze, senior editor of Faithwire, and he has written four books. Hallowell has a BA in journalism and broadcasting from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York, and an MS in social research from Hunter College in Manhattan, New York.

 


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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours and the Thomas Nelson team for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Emanate Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, so click on over to your favorite online retailer or order for curbside pickup from your local brick and mortar to snag your copy today! Be sure to CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE TOUR making its way through Instagram and the blogosphere for more bookish fun!


Instagram tour:
Monday, September 21st: @jessicamap
Tuesday, September 22nd: @sweetbookobsession
Wednesday, September 23rd: @bookpairings
Thursday, September 24th: @_ebl_inc_
Friday, September 25th: @spookypumpkinqueen
Saturday, September 26th: @thecityofdarkclockwork
Sunday, September 27th: @fearyourex
Monday, September 28th: @ve_xo
Wednesday, September 30th: @one.chapteratatime
Thursday, October 1st: @katieneedsabiggerbookshelf
Friday, October 2nd: @thebookend.diner
Saturday, October 3rd: @nurse_bookie

Review tour:
Tuesday, October 6th: A Dream Within a Dream
Wednesday, October 7th: @the.magicalpages
Friday, October 9th: Well Read Traveler and @wellreadtraveler
Monday, October 12th: Mom Loves Reading and @mom_loves_reading
Tuesday, October 13th: The OC Book Girl and @theocbookgirl
Wednesday, October 14th: PhDiva Blog and @thephdivabooks
Thursday, October 15th: Books Cooks Looks
Friday, October 16th: @readinggirlreviews
Monday, October 19th: Hallie Reads and @h.szott
Monday, October 19th: The Lit Bitch and @thelit_bitch
Tuesday, October 20th: Tabi Thoughts
Wednesday, October 21st: @brabsandbooks
Thursday, October 22nd: From the TBR Pile
Monday, October 26th: The Hi Reader and @thehireader
Tuesday, October 27th: Barks Beaches Books and @barksbeachesbooks
Wednesday, October 28th: @dropandgivemenerdy


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Monday, September 17, 2018

TLC Book Tours presents... WHITE AS SILENCE, RED AS SONG by Alessandro D’Avenia

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

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Today, we're joining TLC Book Tours for a stop along their current promotion starring a new Young Adult release via Thomas Nelson.  It just hit US bookstore shelves earlier this month, but was already being eagerly devoured by Italian fans and beyond.  Yep, that's right...it has so much appeal, so much success that it was translated and brought to our sunny shores for our reading enjoyment.  The result...it's been received with open arms, and is being toted as an instant pick for fans of a particular novel involving faults and stars, but reading is a personal experience and not every person receives the same message, thus my conundrum...but I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's get this introduction done properly already...as we meet and greet today's blog tour guest and book of choice...


White as Silence, Red as Song
by
Alessandro D’Avenia
Thomas Nelson

About the book...
“I was born on the first day of school, and I grew up and old in just two hundred days . . .”

Sixteen-year-old Leo has a way with words, but he doesn’t know it yet. He spends his time texting, polishing soccer maneuvers, and killing time with Niko and Silvia. Until a new teacher arrives and challenges him to give voice to his dreams.

And so Leo is inspired to win over the red-haired beauty, Beatrice. She doesn’t know Leo exists, but he’s convinced that his dream to win her over will come true. When Leo lands in the hospital and learns that Beatrice has been admitted too, his mission to be there for her will send him on a thrilling but heartbreaking journey. He wants to help her but doesn’t know how—and his dream of love will force him to grow up fast.

Having already sold over a million copies in Italy, Alessandro D’Avenia’s debut novel is considered the Italian The Fault in Our Stars. Now available in English for the first time, this rich, funny, and heartwarming coming-of-age tale asks us to explore the meaning—and the cost—of friendship, and shows us what happens when suffering bursts into the world of teenagers and renders the world of adults speechless.



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Okay, first things first...let's talk cover and title.
The simplicity of the cover matched with the striking color palette totally drew me in.  I gave pause when I saw the red butterfly fluttering among the stark whiteness of its surroundings.  It made me stop and wonder, what drew it to be there?  How did it feel to be standing out so boldly against its surroundings?  The title...made me curious.  I know some people see feelings, emotions, and situations in colors, so I was half expecting to encounter someone along those lines, though even I can see how silence may be easily interpreted as white...just like white noise, background...filler.  So, from the start, it had extra points in its corner.

Second things second...let's talk story.
I admit, for a good portion of the book, I was seriously wondering exactly where we were going with this.  I mean, was it something lost in translation?  Was I simply not getting it?  What under the heavens above was I missing that would explain all the noise I was reading into what had seemed to be such a grand story?  I'll say this...it took a while...and I'm talking up until about the last 3rd or 4th or the book to really get in there, up under all the talked about feelings, and what ifs, to the nitty gritty, and begin to understand what people were really doing, really feelings, really saying as they went about their lives while others had theirs crumbling down. 

Image result for red dwarf star

I gotta say I really admired Beatrice, when we finally got to know her, for her desire to lift others up as she herself was being torn down, for her strength of faith which is hard to keep even in the best of times, and for her ability to inspire others even from afar  Silvia was another favorite because despite the supposed deception, she loved with all her heart, gave with all her soul, and cared enough not to take, but to wait, until the moment finally arrived for her to have her time in the sun.  Though Leo was our main voice here, I found it harder to feather out his state of mind without the echo effect created by those around him.  He was so involved in his quest to have the brightest star be his that he forgot to even look at the sky.  Good thing he had some great friends to fall back on, even when things looked beyond all hope. 

In the end, it wasn't the glorious read I was hoping for (and no, I've not read The Fault in Our Stars --yet-- but I thoroughly loved the movie), but it was memorable.  Like the constellations that dot our night skies, it is something that I can look back on and remember when, while still trying to puzzle out the mysteries that lie within...not a bad thing, just a different thing.  Recommended for Young Adult fans in their teen-dom and beyond...


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About the author...


Alessandro D’Avenia holds a PhD in Classical Literature, and teaches Ancient Greek, Latin and Literature at a high school in Milan. White as Silence, Red as Song was his first novel,published in Italy in 2010. It sold a million copies in Italy, has been translated into over twenty languages and was released as a film in 2012. Alessandro has since published four more books, the latest of which, Every Story is a Love Story, was published in October 2017.



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Image result for tlc book tours logo
Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the Thomas Nelson team for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, THIS TOUR, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Thomas Nelson, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!





Friday, August 3, 2018

TLC Book Tours presents... THE LOVE LETTER by Rachel Hauck!

HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're joining TLC Book Tours for a stop along their current promotion featuring the latest release by author Rachel Hauck via Thomas Nelson.  It's a work of Christian Fiction with both a Historical and Romance element running side by side.  All three play rather well together delivering a reading experience that won't wither away from memory like so many yellowed pages in the wind.  

Image result for love letters

Speaking of pages, the tale celebrates, among other things, the (somewhat) lost art of letter writing!  Anyone out there actually have (at some time) a pen pal that you actually WROTE to?  *raises hand*  Back in elementary school, sure did...and then again when my family moved way down South and my Northern friends were keeping in touch.  I still remember getting those envelopes from the mailbox and reading the pages with delight...which was only equally matched by joy of penning a response.  Now I know, email is so much faster, and yet there's something about an actual handwritten letter that holds a certain mystique, a certain tangible element of the relationship between those corresponding that makes it a truly magical experience.  But enough about me, let's get to the book!  Today's book of choice and blog tour guest is...


by
Rachel Hauck
9780310351009

About the book...
Romance has never been actress Chloe Daschle’s forte—in life or on screen. But everyone knows who to call for a convincing death scene . . . and it might be killing her career.

When Chloe is given a peek at the script for an epic love story, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and request an audition for the lead female role, Esther Kingsley. The compelling tale, inspired by family lore and a one-page letter from the colonial ancestor of scriptwriter Jesse Gates, just might break her out of this career-crippling rut. Jesse would rather write about romance than live through it after his past relationship ended in disaster. But once on-set together, the chemistry between Jesse and his leading lady is hard to deny.

Centuries earlier, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow wrote their saga off the silver screen. Esther’s Loyalist father opposes any relationship with Hamilton, but Esther must face her beloved father’s disapproval and the dangers of war in order to convince Hamilton of their future together. Hamilton has loved Esther for years, and on the eve of battle pens the love letter she’s always wanted—something straight from the heart.

Set in stunning upcountry South Carolina, The Love Letter is a beautifully-crafted story of the courage it takes to face down fear and chase after love, even in the darkest of times. And just maybe, all these generations later, love can come home in a way not even Hollywood could imagine.








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It's a story that transcends generations, so deeply embedded in their bloodline that the love found would not let go despite the loss of body and soul. It takes us on a journey from past to present to make-believe, all the while building our hope, strengthening our reserves, and pointing us towards faith in a higher power, instructing us to embrace that endless love and just let it all go, for while our stories are our own, they are guided by the one that created all.

Image result for heart in heartbeat

There are two, nay three story lines that run through these pages...past, present, and the director's cut, so to speak. The present was my favorite, getting lost in Chloe and Jesse's tale as they fought what they felt, while truly trying to open their hurt hearts to one another. You could feel the disconnects, ride the swell of emotion as happier times took hold, and wander through the uncertainties as the ending arrived in all its splendor. The movie angle was my second love, and the way things played out despite the bad influence of the studio was simply stunning. Last place goes to the historical tale being shared, but only just. You see I cared deeply for Esther and Hamilton, but the heartache their tale brought was almost too much to bare...including the conclusion.

Image result for two couples silhouettes           Image result for two couples silhouettes

I gotta say, the ending of the true story (the historical one) was absolutely killing me. I mean, I was already thinking... what in the world have I just spent my time reading, allowed my heart to become attached to, only to ultimately be left bereft, adrift, and seriously lacking any benefit from all the torture, separation, and strife?!? I got it, putting trust in Him led to a life well lived, a lot in life that was satisfying, and happiness...but seriously, like that? And they were happy? I just couldn't swallow my disbelief... but lucky for me, the story wasn't quite finished, and a HEA was still in the cards...sorta. (You'll have to read it to see!)

In the end, it was a wonderfully rich story with so much more to offer then just a well written tale. It shared aspects of history worthy of exploration, tales of the heart in times of war and peace, hope for the romantic in us all, and a reminder that we're not the only one behind our wheel. Whether in the highs or throes of life, we're never truly going it alone.



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About the author...


Rachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pet and writes from her ivory tower.




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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the Thomas Nelson team for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, THIS TOUR, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its book birthday June 2018, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


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