Category: book tour

December 22, 2020

A Natural History of Fairies

This enchanting natural history of fairies, compiled in the 1920s by the botanist Professor Elsie Arbour for her niece, is now unveiled for readers of today in A Natural History of Fairies.

About A Natural History of Fairies

Featuring a gold foil–embossed cloth cover, a ribbon marker, and sprayed gold edges, this book is full of colorful sketches and precise notes detailing the secret life of fairies and their important role in the natural world.

Inside, you will discover the wide and wonderful array of different species of fairies around the globe and explore where and how they live. Delight in this world as you learn all about:

The anatomy of a fairy (Land-based fairies have individual, separated toes, just as humans do. However, many species of water fairies have webbed feet.)
The life cycle of a fairy (When walking in the heather, be careful of the tiny flutterpillar of the Wicklow Fairy, decked out in greens and purples.)
Clever fairy camouflage (Reed fairies living in wetlands usually wear striped clothes to hide among the tall reeds.)
Fairies around the world (Meet the Lily Hopper of sub-Saharan Africa, the Queen Fairy of New Guinea, the Penguin Fairy of the Antarctic, and many more.)
Fairy habitats (Fairies make their homes in all types of places: woodlands, jungles, deserts, the Poles, and even human homes.)

Concluding with a reminder that we must protect the endangered habitats of fairies, and all other creatures too, this is a book to be treasured for a lifetime.

My Thoughts

I love learning about folklore and the beliefs of others when it comes to mythical creatures, like fairies. How can you not want to believe that these beautiful creatures are real? I love the authors approach to fairies – so many times in history, science has thought something has not been real but later proven to be real (platypus and the giant squid as mentioned in this book!).

First, I have to say how stunning this book is – the cover of the book is just incredible and hard to put in to words. It is gold foil-embossed and you will find yourself running your hand over each line. The beautiful fairy in the middle of the cover, is just a preview of what is to come. The illustrations are stunning and bring the fairies to life page after page in their gentle, earthy tones.

I loved learning all fairies – from their anatomy, to their life cycle, fairies of the world, their connection with animals and plants, language and so much more. It is approached in such a wonderful way that reminds us that sometimes we have to believe (and how can you not believe in such wonderful, magical creatures).

A Natural History of Fairies is a stunning, incredible gift for young readers – they will fall in love with the knowledge sharing and the stunning illustrations. It is a special gift that will be treasured for years to come.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Emily Hawkins is a writer and editor of children’s books for all ages. She wrote the New York Times bestseller Oceanology, as well as several other titles in the Ology series, which has sold over 16 million copies worldwide. She holds a first-class English degree from Nottingham University, and now lives in Winchester with her young family.

Jessica Roux is a Nashville-based illustrator and plant and animal enthusiast. She loves exploring in her own backyard and being surrounded by an abundance of nature. Using subdued colors and rhythmic shapes, she renders flora, fauna, food, and many other things with intricate detail reminiscent of old world beauty. Her first book with Frances Lincoln is A Natural History of Fairies (September 2020).

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 15, 2020

The Stone Wall Book Review

Will Anna find true love and the truth about her grandmother’s past in Lancaster County? Or will she find only heartbreak?

About The Stone Wall

Anna is eager to begin a new chapter as a Lancaster County tour guide in the area where her Plain grandmother once stayed. Anna wishes she could talk with her grandmother about those days, but the elderly woman suffers from Alzheimer’s, and beyond a vague hint about an old stone wall, much about that time is a mystery. Thankfully, Martin Nolt, a handsome Mennonite, takes the young Beachy Amish woman under his wing for her training, familiarizing her with the many local highlights, including Peaceful Meadows Horse Retreat, which serves children with special needs. The retreat’s mission inspires Anna that she returns to volunteer, and she quickly strikes up a friendship with Gabe Allgyer, the young Amish widower who manages it.

As Anna grows closer to both Martin and Gabe, she finds herself faced with a difficult choice. Will Anna find true love and the truth about her grandmother’s past in Lancaster County? Or will she find heartbreak?

My Thoughts

The Stone Wall is a beautiful blend of past and present, where we see love come full circle.

Anna is feeling a calling, she is not quite sure what it is but she trusts in God and in her heart. She feels that she is being called to the gorgeous Lancaster County as she tries out a not so new role as a tour guide. She has heard bits and pieces about her grandmother’s time there but as she now suffers from Alzheimer’s, it is hard to speak to her about this new journey (something that hurts her as the two were so close). But this trip sparks something in her grandmother’s mind and she shares small pieces from her past – a stone wall and waiting for someone. Anna is not quite sure what it means but would love to understand the connection, as her Grandmother means everything to her.

Anna finds adjusting to the different lifestyle easily, she is welcomed into the community and is viewed as a blessing by those she meets and stays with. Her heart though is torn in two when she meets two young men – one whom she knows her parents would want her to pursue and the second, one she feels a deep connection with but she knows her parents would not approve.

Anna is an amazing character, full of strength, compassion and determination. She has a gentle, kind soul and you can see this in her interactions. It takes her a while to see what her heart already knew and my heart was sore for her with this decision she must make. It is her faith in God that brought me so much joy, she has a deep connection to her faith and trusts in herself and the decisions she makes are what has been chosen for her. I loved how we saw love come full circle and how the story ended, it made me cry! This is a beautiful story from start to finish.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Beverly Lewis penned her first story at age nine while living near Lancaster County Amish farmland, where she grew up. She welcomes her many reader-friends each day on Facebook and personally replies to fan mail. Lewis lives with her husband in Colorado near their family. Visit her website at www.beverlylewis.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

November 15, 2020

Something Worth Doing Book Review

Based on a true story of a pioneer for women’s rights from award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick will inspire you to believe that some things are worth doing, even when the cost is great.

About Something Worth Doing

In 1853, Abigail Scott was a 19-year-old school teacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When financial mistakes and an injury force Ben to stop working, Abigail becomes the breadwinner for her growing family. What she sees as a working woman appalls her, and she devotes her life to fighting for women’s rights, including their right to vote.

Follow Abigail as she bears six children, runs a millinery and a private school, helps on the farm, writes novels, gives speeches, and eventually runs a newspaper supporting women’s suffrage, Something Worth Doing explores issues that will resonate strongly with modern women: the pull between career and family, finding one’s place in the public sphere, and dealing with the frustrations and prejudices women encounter when they compete in male-dominated spaces. Based on a true story of a pioneer for women’s rights from award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick will inspire you to believe that some things are worth doing, even when the cost is great.

My Thoughts

Something Worth Doing is a powerful book about standing up for what is right, the struggles and frustrations that women face as they balance work and family and the fight that women have faced to gain basic human rights.

Abigail is a fighter, she stands up for what she believes in and doesn’t back down. She also has a softer side to her, something that she doesn’t really let others see. She loves her family and husband, she just finds it unfair the position that she is constantly put in. That she must consistently put family and others before even herself. I loved that she had the courage to stand up for herself to the men in society (how could male friends of her husband come over and expect to be fed?!) and that her husband for the most part defends and supports her. Throughout the novel, Abigail re-invents herself to keep her family going. She was a teacher, than wife and mother, add in author, running a millinery, private school and then a newspaper! She does all of this to support her family and to show the world (and her own daughters) the real worth of a woman. That women can do anything a man can do and that we should never bend to society.

Abigail does pay a price for her determination and her never ending fight for equal rights. She is treated poorly by others in society, her brother is awful to her and she misses out on events and important moments with her family (I found at times, it felt like she was made to feel guilty for having to choose). This is the constant, impossible position that we as women are put through all the time. We must choose between family and work – choose your work and you are a bad Mom, choose your family and you are viewed as not working hard enough.

This is an excellent novel that highlights the struggles that women have faced, how hard they fought to get us where we are today and how hard we are still fighting today. A definite must read for all young adults and adults alike.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 books, including One More River to Cross, Everything She Didn’t Say, All Together in One Place, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road We Traveled, and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2016 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award. Jane divides her time between Central Oregon and California with her husband, Jerry, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Caesar. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 12, 2020

A Haven for Her Heart Book Review

Can love prove stronger than prejudice and past mistakes? Or will Olivia’s secrets destroy any chance at a future together?

About A Haven for Her Heart

Homeless after being released from a women’s reformatory in 1939
Toronto, Olivia Rosetti is taken in by an angel of mercy, Ruth Bennington. The two discover they share a painful past and together decide to open a maternity home for troubled women.

Despite the success of the home, Olivia is haunted by her inhumane treatment at the reformatory and the way her newborn son was taken from her. She feels undeserving of love–until she meets businessman Darius Reed. Although his attention makes her heart soar, he can never learn of her past.

Greek widower Darius Reed is determined to protect his daughter from the prejudice that killed her mother. He’ll ensure her future by marrying a woman from a respected Toronto family. But when Darius meets Olivia, he’s immediately drawn to her beauty and compassion.

My Thoughts

I had so many emotions as I read this incredible novel. I cried, I laughed, I felt pride and I also felt anger. I was angry that women were treated this way (and up until quite recently!) and the fact that we are never taught about this, it is almost as though they would prefer to sweep this part of our history under the covers.

Olivia is an incredible young woman, her strength, her compassion and perseverance is inspiring. Her fiancé is off fighting in the war and before he left, they had one special night together which resulted in a pregnancy. Her very religious and Italian family take advantage of a law that has Olivia imprisoned. During this time, her child is taken from her and unspeakable things are done to her. When she is let out of prison, she is left alone in the world as her parents have disowned her and erased her from their lives. Instead of giving up, she meets a woman with a similar past and together they envision a future where women are respected, treated with compassion regardless of the situation they find themselves in out of wedlock. They open a maternity home for women who are pregnant and they quickly become quite popular.

Olivia and Ruth face constant pressure from society to close their facility but together they bring compassion and hope to these young women. When Olivia meets a young man, my heart is so happy for her but can she forgive her past to allow her to have an incredible future full of the love she deserves? Can she balance the work she does, with her own traumatic past and the healing that her mind and body need?

I loved every moment of this book, I didn’t want it to end (to be honest I would love to read a second installment!). Olivia’s character is raw, honest and real. We feel her pain, her insecurity but also her fighting spirit, compassion and love. Not only is this a well told story but it encourages you to do your own digging into the way women were treated during this time period. You feel outrage and want to know more (and why is this never taught to us?). A Haven for Her Heart is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Susan Anne Mason’s historical novel Irish Meadows won the Fiction from the Heartland contest from the Mid-American Romance Authors Chapter of RWA as well as the Christian Retailer’s Choice Award for Debut Novel. A member of ACFW, Susan lives outside of Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two children. She can be found online at www.susanannemason.net

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

November 11, 2020

Our Friendship Matters Book Spotlight

Can they find a way to resolve their differences, putting them to the side and learn to accept each other’s viewpoints? Or is their long friendship finished for good?

About Our Friendship Matters

Leah and Sasha are 17-year-old friends who had been close to one another since elementary school, but as the summer approaches they find their friendship tested in ways they never anticipated. Following graduation, Sasha’s privileged life and perception of the world around her is suddenly altered when an old childhood friend persuades her to join in a campaign against an injustice after his best friend is killed by the police. But joining the protest has unforeseen consequences for Sasha, distancing her from Leah, who becomes jealous of Sasha’s new friends and finds herself on the opposing side, protesting alongside her group of new white friends. As the tension mounts between the two bitterly opposed factions, a tragedy strikes and threatens to make Sasha and Leah enemies. Can they find a way to resolve their differences, putting them to the side and learn to accept each other’s viewpoints? Or is their long friendship finished for good?

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author

Kimberley B. Jones is a small country girl from St. George, SC. She followed her heart in college writing children books. Recently she decided to challenge herself and branch off to novels. She is your typical nomad who moves from place to place. Not by choice, but her husband serves in the military. She has a bachelors and masters in early childhood education. Kimberley is represented by Rhetaskew Publishing company and is best known for her debut novel, Our Friendship Matters. When she is not writing, she is either thinking of another topic or reading. She loves writing , it gives her a chance to escape into another human character and express herself, other than being your typical mother and wife. If you don’t want to be on her bad side, then she needs her white chocolate mocha every morning. Some days Folgers breakfast blend coffee is okay.

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

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Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.