Despite just meeting each other, Tillie and Noah’s lives have been mysteriously intertwined for many years in Ta’Mara Hanscom’s The Pretender. From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart-and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride’s deception.
Join Ta’Mara in celebrating the release of the second printing and new covers by entering to win her $75 prize basket giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
A copy of The Pretender
A $75 Amazon gift card
A decorative box containing measuring cups, ten recipes from the book, a potholder, a kitchen towel, pepper and salt grinders, kitchen utensils, and an olive oil dispenser
Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on October 11. The winner will be announced October 12 on the Litfuse blog.
Disclosure: This is part of a blog tour that I received a digital copy of a book for. All opinions expressed are my own. This giveaway is run by Litfuse.
In Many Sparrows, either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would.
About Many Sparrows
In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories. The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Clare and their four-year old son Jacob on a remote mountain trail.
When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can to recover her son . . . especially when her second child is moments away from being born.
Clare will face the greatest fight of her life, as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob’s life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do-be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?
My Thoughts
Many Sparrows is the story of the power of a Mother’s love, strength, compassion, forgiveness and understanding. It is powerful and the emotions pour off of the page. Lori has a great way of dragging you into the story and you feel as if you are side by side with Clare on this journey.
The journey focuses on the Inglesby family as Philip (who has never been a man satisfied with his lot in life) forces the young family and his pregnant wife to travel across the dangerous frontier. When he is murdered, Clare is alone in the wilderness with her young son and begins to go in to labour. As her labour begins, Clare does not want to frighten her son and moves further off. It is in these moments, that her young son is kidnapped and claimed by the Shawnee’s as their own.
Jeremiah enters into her life and finds so much of himself in her. He helps her through her labour and together they set off to find her young son. Jeremiah is more than just her guide, he becomes a friend and teacher. Possibly even something more?
The novel focuses on Clare’s ultimate goal to reunite her family and move forward into the future. We watch as she struggles with her faith, her courage and as she learns compassion and forgiveness for the people who have taken away the most precious gift she has.
Many Sparrows is an amazing novel from start to finish and I could not put this one down!
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of this book here.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of “Burning Sky,” recipient of three Christy Awards, “The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn,” Christy-nominee “The Wood’s Edge,” and “A Flight of Arrows”.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart—and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride’s deception.
About The Pretender: A Blackguard in Disguise
Set in South Dakota in 1975, where eighteen-year-olds could order 3.2 beer in a bar, and loaded guns were kept under the counter.
Frankie Valli sang “My Eyes Adored You,” and American soldiers returning from Vietnam struggled with their new reality.
It’s within this tumultuous season of American history that Tillie Caselli meets Noah Hansen, and they are never the same again. Their lives were mysteriously intertwined—and had been for many years—yet they had no idea.
From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart—and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride’s deception.
My Thoughts
This is a powerful story of love, hope, lies, regret and fate. In our story, Tillie is a young woman who has spent her life focusing on her art and yearning for the day she would find her knight. She was always taught the difference between a blackguard, the type of man who would use a woman and leave her, and a true knight, the man who you want to marry.
Noah has always been viewed as the rebel in the family. He drinks, goes to work but wastes his money and still lives with his brother despite his advanced age. He is hurting on the inside and uses his actions to display how he feels. His behaviour is so bad that he has friends of friends praying for him to come right – including Tillie’s Mother who has never met him.
In a twist of fate, Tillie and Noah meet. While Tillie is cautious at first, she sees the real Noah. The Noah that he tries so hard to hide from others. Noah is in love with Tillie from the moment he meets her. She makes him want to be and do better and push himself to become the man his family knew he could be. They have a short romance before Tillie leaves with a promise to return so that they can be married.
In a cruel twist of fate, Tillie believes that Noah is not the man she thought he was. The two are torn apart but never speak about what happened. They lose contact but never stop yearning for each other. Both become lost, heart sore and shadows of their former selves. The people who should be there for them, hide information from them thinking it will help heal them.
This was a beautiful story that I could not put down. My heart was just so sore for this couple! Their lives were ruined and futures changed in one second due to a simple misconception and later when others refused to tell the truth. As we watch the story unfold, you can see how a simple lie can destroy a person. This is a definite must read novel – I loved every moment of it! I felt like the ending is leading into a second book and I really hope that she does continue this story.
Born and raised in South Dakota, Ta`Mara loves to write about the Great Plains and the beauty and people of Italia. While her husband and children manage their two pizza ristoranti, Ta`Mara works full-time on The Caselli Family Series, and ministers to women. It is Ta`Mara s prayer that as the readers explore the truths in these volumes, they will come away with a new perspective on love, forgiveness, obedience, and God’s plan for marriage.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
With school starting up this month and the return of many after school activities, the focus on family down time can be pushed to the back burner. While we sometimes have to do a give and take at home, it is so important to carve out time for your family. This could be setting aside twenty minutes a day or a couple of hours together once a week. It is important to choose what works for your family so that way you know you will stick to it.
The best way to use that family time? Play fun and interactive games and activities that get you talking and laughing!
Raincoast Books has put together nine games, activities and books that help strengthen the family bond through laughter. We tested out Royal Bingo and After Dinner Amusements: Family Time and had an amazing time!
This majestically illustrated bingo game features portraits of 64 royal icons from around the world. Spot famous faces like William and Kate, or meet some less familiar figures such as the playboy prince Wenzeslaus of Liechtenstein. Each royal is further brought to life in an accompanying booklet, which details their personalities, foibles, gaffes and romances. Who will reign supreme?
Who doesn’t love learning about the royal families? When I saw this game I thought immediately of my Mom who is a HUGE royalty fan. She loves the English royal family but will read books, magazines and more about all the royal lineages. This game was pretty cool as you were able to learn about more than just the popular royal names and you were given a bit of background about each one. It takes Bingo to a whole new level while being great for young and adult players a like although I have a feeling that adults will love and appreciate this one a tad bit more!
This is a fun little twist on classic games and activities and offers easy amusement during family dinners, holiday gatherings and road trips! This miniature deck of cards features fifty thoughtful and playful questions about the past, present, and future – a great way for family members to connect and learn new things about one another.
This was an amazing way to get our kids and us talking about our family – what we loved and more! It had great questions and thought starters. We pulled it about an hour before bed time and let the kids choose three questions. While we answered the questions we also found ourselves discussing even more about what we want to see more of in our family time, what we want to do in the upcoming year, etc. We also set a monthly mini golf challenge and formed our teams. It was fantastic to have this time dedicated to talking about us.
From a gorilla in a party hat to a hedgehog rat-a-tat-tatting on his drum, these animal friends from different habitats—the jungle, farm, woodland, and Arctic—know that togetherness is something to celebrate. Featuring twelve double-sided uniquely die-cut pieces by artist Junzo Terada, this fun puzzle offers (nearly) endless combinations, providing hours of entertainment.
The newest book from Herve Tullet magically responds with bursts of color and moving shapes, empowering children by letting their imaginations liberate and direct each page’s reaction. Tullet’s books define the genre of participatory bookmaking, encouraging readers to explore and interact with the physical book in all its dimensions. The reward is tremendous: a journey of whimsy and sheer fun that extends well beyond the book’s pages.
Who’s safe when there are cannibals hiding among you? That’s the question at the heart of this fast-paced game of social deduction in which cannibals and pioneers face off in a fight for survival. Set in the winter of 1846, players are members of the ill-fated Donner Party wagon train, stranded atop a mountain with no food. Rowdy, outrageous, and full of deception, this party game packs a delightfully wicked twist!
Based on a unique and original format, this game contains 20 story-telling puzzle pieces printed on both sides. Each piece can be interchanged or flipped over to allow for all kinds of plot twists and turns, and there are even two alternative endings! When all the puzzle pieces are used, they stretch out to over 8-feet long to tell your own mega ghost story!
Press out, slot together and play with your very own T-Rex, Triceratops, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Pteranodon. Created by talented paper artist and engineer Sato Hisao, each of these detailed 3D models comes with easy-to-follow assembly instructions. No scissors or glue required!
Graphic design guru Tim Leong presents STAR WARS trivia via playful pie charts, bar graphs, and other data-driven infographics. From a Venn diagram of Yoda’s idiosyncrasies to an organizational chart of the Empire to a line graph of Grand Moff Tarkin’s management decisions, STAR WARS SUPER GRAPHIC shines a new light on the much-adored universe. Equal parts playful and informative, this visual love letter to the vast STAR WARS universe will enchant fans of all ages.
Mix and match with this classic matching game, which includes 36 robust, jumbo-size cards featuring charming illustrations by Greg Pizzoli that will have kids ready to pack up their bags and explore the world! Children will adore pairing colorful images of suitcases, taxis, stop signs, and other classic travel imagery as they develop memory, concentration, and identification skills.
The Giveaway!
Now my Canadian readers have the chance to win one of the above games or activities of their choice to help them plan out their own family activity night! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
I love love love party planning. I look forward every year to planning our boys birthday parties. They are both summer babies so it gives me quite a bit of flexibility with the themes, planning and execution of their parties (not to mention we have generally had great weather). We usually only include family and close friends but every year I like to come up with a new theme and recipes to try out.
While I love planning birthday parties from the pre-planning to the actual day of, trust me I do still get overwhelmed.
As parents, we have a huge amount of pressure on our shoulders to throw the most memorable and fun party ever for your child. But really it shouldn’t be like that! The focus at the end of the day is your child and them reaching another important milestone. Sadly though, 2 out 3 parents feel pressure to be party perfect with 69% wishing that birthdays could be easier to make special.
So how do we simplify the birthday planning process and make the day special for our child?
Don’t invite every person your child has ever known or come in contact with. Keep it simple – family and a few friends. The day becomes easier and a lot less stressful when there are fewer people. The bonus? Family love helping out – use this to your advantage, maybe have a few family members bring over a special dish, ask for help with the clean up and help with supervision during the party. Every year we keep the invite list low and put the focus on our son and ask everyone to come prepared to get wet in the pool. My family gets to play with our boys and I have the pressure of direct supervision off of my shoulders so I can focus on having everything ready for our guests.
Keep the meals simple – think hot dogs, burgers and pizza. One year I went all out making exotic dishes but really and truly all my children and their cousins wanted was the basics. Funny enough, the adults felt the same too. If you plan ahead a couple of months, you can take advantage of sales and stock up on hot dogs and meat.
Instead of doing elaborate decorations, choose one focal point for the party. For us, that has always been the loot bags. For a Spider Man theme one year, I wrapped up the loot bags in spider webs and the kids loved it (although it was quite a pain to put together). We also did plastic fish bowls one year for a Nemo themed party and filled them with treats. You really don’t have to go over board when choosing loot bag items, some parents purchase a gift card whereas I like to include water balloons, plastic bouncy balls and candy.
Start the morning of your child’s birthday off with an extra special birthday wish from the characters from some of their favourite shows on Netflix, including LEGO, Troll Hunters, My Little Pony, Skylanders and much more! What child wouldn’t love a special birthday song going out to them from their favourite character to watch on tv?
Check out this quick trailer to learn more about Birthdays On-Demand on Netflix.
Above all else, enjoy each and every moment of the planning and the actual day. Your child is one year older and wiser! Cherish every moment on their special day.
What do you do on your child’s birthday to make it memorable?
Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.
