Blog Tour: Waiting for Sunrise - Awesome Summer Read!

For years, one of my author friends, Fay Lamb, has raved about Cedar Key, Florida—a small island off the west coast of Florida close to where the coastline bends to become the Florida Panhandle. Fay has described the place as a wonderful haven for writers to find their muse and spend sun-splashed days writing, beach combing and eating great seafood has made me want to go there. But, so far, I never have.

Thanks to author Eva Marie Everson’s Cedar Key series, however, I am able to vicariously enjoy this little spot of heaven on earth.

A while back, I devoured the first book in the series, Chasing Sunsets, and now Revell Publishing is releasing the second book, Waiting for Sunrise. I devoured that story as fast as I did the first.

Waiting for Sunrise begins in the forties and carries the reader through the fifties and into the sixties. I love that time period for stories, and because of that, I am always able to find nit-picky misused details in stories that are not of that era. In this case, Everson did her homework well.

 

But more than that, it’s a study in how one person’s bad decision can sometimes affect others for years to come. Or maybe it’s not so much a bad decision, but one reluctantly made because the person feels they have no choice.

Patsy Milstrap’s mother had to make such a decision regarding Patsy when Patsy was old enough to remember. Patsy wants to erase her past forever, and tries to stuff it down and ignore it, but the pain remains. Her husband hears about Cedar Key and in a kind gesture, takes Patsy there for a few days of escape. There on Cedar Key Patsy comes face to face with a familiar face from her past, and she can find no way of escape.

Everson weaves a story of healing and forgiveness, lacing it with Southern charm that keeps you turning the pages until you get to the last. Then you want to say, “More please.”

So go get yourself a copy, settle onto a porch swing with a big glass of sweet tea at your side, and give it a read. You won’t regret it!

And to encourage you to look into this book even more, Eva Marie is running a contest to win a free Kindle Fire. Go to her website at and sign up!

A copy of this book was provided to me by Revell Publishing for purpose of review. The opinions expressed here are totally my own.

ACFW Authors Bring Good Reads to Start the Summer!

Hi all,

With June comes the question, "What books are you taking to the beach, cabin, or maybe just your own back deck, to read this summer. Here's a feast of new June releases from ACFW authors to start you on the right track.

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Lily (Song of the River) by Diane Ashley and Aaron McCarver -- Desperate for financial independence, Lily Anderson has embarked upon a riverboat venture. Will she learn to trust God's leading or head into disaster? Lily's partner, Blake Matthews, is initially stymied, then smitten by the Mississippi miss. Can he anchor her heart, or will Lily fall for another man's wiles? (Historical from Barbour).

A Promise for Miriam by Vannetta Chapman -- Miriam King loves the children of Pebble Creek and is content teaching in the one room schoolhouse, then Gabe Miller steps into her life and everything changes. (Contemporary Romance from Harvest House).

Sophie's Daughters Trilogy by Mary Connealy -- The little girls from Petticoat Ranch are all grown up with love stories of their own...you didn't think Sophie's Daughters would grow up to be quiet little things, did you? (Historical Romance from Barbour).

Love in Disguise by Carol Cox -- When Ellie Moore wins a job as an undercover Pinkerton operative, she finds that playing a part in real life is far different than acting out a role onstage. Will the man who captures her heart still care for her when he learns the woman he's fallen in love with doesn't exist? (Historical Romance from Bethany House).

A Dream of His Own by Gail Gaymer Martin -- Quinn O'Neill feels to blame for his family's death and longs to release the guilt he feels, and when he meets Ava Darnell life takes a positive turn as he helps Ava earn his trust...but suspicion nearly undermines their relationship while he perseveres to encourage Ava to have faith that dreams of healing and family just might become reality. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired).

End of the Trail by Vickie McDonough -- Brooks Morgan won Raven Creek Ranch in a poker game, but when he goes to claim what's his, he finds a woman with a shotgun living in his house-and she claims she isn't leaving. (Historical Romance from River North (Moody Publishers).

Proof by Jordyn Redwood -- What does a victim do when DNA testing sets a guilty criminal free? (Medical Suspense from Kregel).

Walks Alone by Sandi G. Rog -- A Cheyenne warrior bent on vengeance. A pioneer woman bent on fulfilling a dream. Until their paths collide. (Romance from White-Fire Publishing).

The Hidden Life by Adina Senft -- An Amish spinster finds love where she had given up hope in the second book of the Amish Quilt trilogy. (Contemporary from Faith Words (Hachette).

Winning the Widow's Heart by Sherri Shackelford -- When Texas Ranger Jack Elder stormed the isolated Kansas homestead, he expected to find a band of outlaws. Instead, the only occupant is a heavily pregnant woman-and she's just gone into labor. A loner uneasy with emotion, Jack helps deliver widow Elizabeth Cole's baby girl and can't get back on the trail fast enough. The robber and murderer he's after killed one of Jack's own, and he vows to catch the man. But when he returns to check on Elizabeth and her little one, he discovers that she may hold the key to his unsettled past-and his hoped-for future. (Historical Romance from Love Inspired).

Double Exposure by Susan Sleeman --When photographer Jennie Buchanan unknowingly captures a drug-cartel meeting on film and the cartel tries to kill her, her ex-boyfriend risks everything to expose the truth-about the drug smugglers, the past and the future together he still wants. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

The Director's Cut by Janice Thompson-- Full of the humor and crazy family dynamics Janice Thompson fans have come to love, this colorful story gives you an inside look at Hollywood and a healthy dose of romance. (Contemporary Romance from Revell).

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer -- All he ever cared about were his brothers and his land, but when a good deed goes awry, Travis Archer is stuck with a bride who endangers both. (Historical Romance from Bethany House).

Rational Fear or Irrational?

Most people have some kind of phobic-like fear such as heights, spiders, or water. For me it's lightning. I've never been struck by lightning, and don't know anyone personally who has. Yet, ever since childhood I've never liked it.

And, as an adult I came to like it less when I would hear about fires started by lightning strikes, and then the most recent thing, people being struck by lightning because a bolt hit the umbrella they were using thanks to the metal handle and pole. It's like walking around with a lightning rod in your hand!

Some of you may be thinking, "She's a Christian. Doesn't she trust God for her safety?" And my answer to that is: yes, I do trust God, but I also say He gave me a brain and common sense that tells me it's not safe to be out walking with lightning shooting from the sky. Yet, I see people doing it all the time.

I live in a condo complex with only non-assigned outdoor parking available. I love the grassy front yard my windows look out over, and then beyond that, the cul-de-sac, and beyond that the parking. If I park in front, I have to cross a parking lot, the cul-de-sac, and then take a long sidewalk up to my building's front door.

If I park in the back where I do, I might park a tad closer to my building, but to get to MY backdoor I have to walk under a canopy of very tall trees. And we all know the warning that's been out there for years. Don't stand under a tree during a lightning storm! So if such a storm is in progress when I arrive home, I sit in the car and wait it out. At least now I can get radar on my cell phone, so I can  know how long my wait will be. If it looks like it's never going to end, I do give in and race, heart pounding, for my door, praying the whole way. LOL

Last night was one of those nights. I had been enjoying a lovely dinner with my Bible study group when we looked outside and saw dark clouds approaching. Then someone said, "There's lightning we'd better make a dash for our cars." I froze and told them I'd wait it out and to go on head. I took the teasing for a while, because they thought I was joking. I finally said, "No joke." They tried to convince me it was better to make a run for my car, and when it was apparent no one would leave me there, I agreed. One friend even offered to follow me home and walk me inside! I told her no, I wasn't that much of a wimp. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

By the time I arrived home, having to park further away because all the close-in slots were taken, lightning was streaking across the sky right over my head. Walk through those trees? No way! The clouds were moving fairly fast, and it hadn't started raining yet. So I waited and, suddenly, a kid ambles along, bouncing his basketball. No fear in the boy, but here sat a woman in her car many years older than he, afraid to open the door. So, I said a quick prayer and made a dash for the door.

As you can see because I'm writing this, no sudden bolt of lightning shot out of the sky and struck me dead on the spot. But, that doesn't mean I'm going to fearlessly walk in from my car the next time a storm happens.

Somehow I think this will end up in a story somewhere.

Book Review: The Pursuit of Lucy Banning

I haven't agreed to review very many books lately due to my own deadlines, but when Revell Publishing offered a copy of The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport, I jumped at the chance.

The story is set in Chicago in 1893 just as the World's Fair was about to open. This is Book One of a series of historical romances set on an actual street in the city called Prairie Avenue, where during the late 19th century many of the well-to-do of the city built lavish homes.

Although the Banning family is fictional, Newport name drops familiar names such as the Pullman family (think train cars), the Field family (think department store), and the Kimball family (think pianos). The street reads like a Who's Who in the up and coming business world of Chicago in that day.

Although Lucy comes from a well-heeled family, her interests lie more with helping at a local orphanage and taking college courses, which she does on the sly. She's expected to marry the son of her parents' best friends and wears the young man's ring. But, the more involved she gets with the orphanage and getting an education, planning a high society wedding just isn't at the top of her to-do list. And when her brother introduces her to a young architect who has just moved to town....well, you'll have to get a copy of the book for yourself to find out what happens.

I loved this story from beginning to end. In fact, the other night I sat here reading way past my bedtime because I was so close to the end of the story. It was well worth losing sleep!

You can learn more about Olivia Newport by going to her website or her FaceBook page. And you can purchase the book on line, in both print or ebook formats. Or at your local brick and mortar store. Don't miss it!

The Noticer is a Story Worth Noticing

I am red-faced about this one. A long, long time ago, the people at Thomas Nelson Publishing sent me a review copy of The Noticer by Andy Andrews. I read the book, enjoyed the book and the touching story, then thought I'd reviewed it.

I got busy writing my novels, doing ministry work at church, etc. and went on with my life in general. Since I've been facing deadlines of my own, I haven't requested many reviewer books from any publishers, but I recently received a notice from Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze program, offering a review copy of a book I'm interested in. I went on line to request it and there sat a picture of The Noticer, showing I'd never reviewed it and still owed a review!

I still have the book, and I remember it well because of the heart-touching story about a young man, down on himself and homeless, spending most nights under the Gulf State Park Pier. Maybe the opening stuck with me because I visited that pier about ten years ago during a visit to Alabama to trace my maternal family origins, and I could easily visualize the setting. An older man enters the scene and the young man's life is changed forever. The young man is the author Andy Andrews. And the story is true.

It is more than the fact I had visited the opening setting of the book that caused it to stick with me all these many months. The real reason being the message of encouragement the old man had for the younger man and for the readers of this book.

It was quite popular a few years back, but something this good should still be promoted today, so I'm going ahead and offering this encouragement to check it out.

The book description provided by the publisher describes it well:

A moving story of common wisdom from the bestselling author of The Traveler’s Gift.

Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But they all have their share of problems – marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, and many of the other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.

Fortunately, when things look the darkest – a mysterious old man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. Communicating what he calls “a little perspective,” Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. In his simple interactions, Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what they can do about it.

Based on a remarkable true story, The Noticer beautifully blends fiction, allegory, and inspiration.

You can also visit this video for more information.

The message this story evokes is relevant now, just as it was back when the book first came out, so check it out for yourself!