Category: Litfuse

November 19, 2013

Stones for Bread Review & KitchenAid Mixer #giveaway

Stones for Bread is a novel written by award winning author, Christa Parrish. Stones for Bread follows the story of a solitary, bread artisan Liesl McNamara. Her whole world is devoted to bread. The cultivation of yeast and the perfection of her craft is almost a religion to her. The art of making bread was passed down to her from both her Grandmother and Mother. Bread is her life and this makes life simple for her. This simplicity begins to change when her head baker brings in his troubled grandson, her waitress (and only friend) submits Liesl’s bakery to be on a flashy television show and her delivery man shows romantic interest in her. Her quiet existence which she has come to depend on becomes changed forever when her bakery is featured on the television show. She is forced to confront long hidden family secrets, her own insecurities and fears in order to move forward.

Stones for Bread was an emotional and honest read! Christa Parrish touched on real life topics that many of us can relate to. Liesl’s withdrawal and devotion to bread is something we can all relate to when we lose a loved one. We hang on to these little parts of our loved ones so we can remain connected to them, in this case Liesl’s connection was through bread. Bread is her heritage, her life and connection to those that she has loved and have passed on. It becomes difficult for her to let people in to this love, to let people love her and for her to trust. The same is so true for so many of us when we have dealt with pain and loss. It is so easy to become caught up in her pain that it is difficult to trust. Yet we all must make this journey to trust others again. To allow others back in to our lives. To love and let ourselves be loved again. Stones for Bread was an emotionally packed journey to self discovery. To find more reviews and information on Stones for Bread visit here.

Rating: 4.5/5

You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Christa Parrish is an award winning author of three novels. When she is not writing, she home school’s her three children. You can learn more about her here.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Christa Parrish is celebrating her fourth novel, Stones for Bread, with a KitchenAid Mixer giveaway.

#StonesforBread KitchenAid Mixer Contest #ChristaParrish http://bit.ly/1aBTNz9

Easy steps to enter:

1. Follow Christa Parrish and TNZ Fiction on Pinterest.

2. Then Pin the Stones for Bread book cover (below), the contest graphic (above), or both, and link to this post (using this URL: #StonesforBread KitchenAid Mixer Contest #ChristaParrish http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/stones-for-bread-by-christa-parrish).

3. Then fill out THIS SHORT FORM to let us know. (There are also some additional ways to earn extra entries, as well as an option for non-Pinterest users. It’s true—people like that do exist!)

Questions? Email info @ litfusegroup dot com.

Winner will be announced on 12/9 on Christa’s Facebook Page.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for the purpose of a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 15, 2013

Dear Mr. Knightley #review #giveaway

Dear Mr. Knightley is the debut novel from Katherine Reay. Dear Mr. Knightley follows the story of Samantha Moore, a young woman who has a hard and difficult life. She grew up in an abusive home and was orphaned at a young age. She was sent from one foster home to another. She hid her pain in her love of reading, especially the works of Austen, Dickens and the Bronte sisters. She developed such a close connection to these books that she begins to relate herself and those around her to those characters. She is given an incredible opportunity to apply to a journalist program at a prestige school where she is accepted. Her benefactor, Mr. Knightley, would pay for the the schooling as long as she writes frequent letters to him. The story takes a twist when she meets Alex Powell and falls in love.

Dear Mr. Knightley is written in the format of letters – almost as if it is Samantha’s personal diary as we follow her journey of self discovery. We are able to witness her most personal feelings and feel each moment with her. I felt like I was part of the novel and at times I just wanted to be able to reach out to her and hug her. Her story is a story that many of us can relate to or have met someone in these same shoes. We have all dealt with betrayal of trust in some form and it has left scars on our hearts. Learning to trust and allowing someone into our lives is so difficult especially when we have been hurt before. Throughout the novel you wanted to just reach out to Samantha and guide her, to tell her to trust her heart and let people in. This was the first novel I have read in over a year that has actually moved me to the point of tears. It was such an emotional story of pain, love, trust and hope.

Rating: 5/5

You can find more information and purchase the book here. If you would like to find more reviews on this book you can do so here.

And the GIVEAWAY part!

Debut author Katherine Reay is celebrating the release of her delightful novel, Dear Mr. Knightley with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway, a fun Favourite Austen Moments Pinterest contest, and an Austen-themed Facebook Party.

One winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire HDX
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
Handmade Austen-themed items (scarf, mug, bracelet, and necklace)

Two ways to win! Enter today by clicking one of the icons below or participating in the Pinterest contest (see banner below)—or BOTH!

But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 3rd. Winner will be announced at the “Dear Mr. Knightley” Austen-themed Facebook Author Chat Party on the 3rd. Join Katherine (and Austen fans) for an evening of book chat, prizes, and an exclusive look at Katherine’s next book.

So grab your copy of Dear Mr. Knightley and join Katherine on the evening of December 3rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST. Hope to see you on the 3rd!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions expressed are my own.

November 6, 2013

The New Isfits from JustinBlaney: A completely new genre of fiction #review

I’m partnering with Justin Blaney to help him spread the word about his fun new book series, Isfits.

He’s launching the series with a Kickstarter campaign — he wants to turn these fun/unique stories into full-color, hardback, glossy-paged books.

Who’s Justin? Justin Blaney is a virtuoso, he does a little of everything, but one of the coolest things he does (besides writing amazing stories) is run an organization called Innovate for Jesus (resources for pastors, ministry leaders, non profits, authors, etc.). The site features people like Francis Chan, Rick Warren, Pete Wilson, Matt Chandler, Mary DeMuth, and more.

Besides the super cool graphics, what is special about Isfits? Justin is releasing his Isfits series in the general kids book market rather than as Christian releases. His hope is to spread the gospel message to children who aren’t normally exposed to Christian content.

What Is Isfits?

Postmodern fairytales & cautionary confessions
A cast of characters sampled from icons of adolescence, re-imagined.
A completely new genre of fiction. Since that’s hard to describe, let’s call it a graphic novel like you’ve never seen before.
Nearly 200 original designs, optimized for inspirational display in your home, office.

Click here for more information. If you’d like to sign up to review the first book in the series, Cinderella Goes to the Potty (It’s a five-minute read! You’ll love it!) email info {at} litfusegroup {dot} com (and be entered to win $100 Amazon.com gift card!). And if you’d like to learn more and support Justin’s Kickstarter, GO HERE.

The Review: Cinderella Goes to the Potty! I was very excited to read the new Isfits book from Justin Blaney; Cinderella Goes to the Potty. I have never heard of an “Isfits” before nor a graphic novel so this was new to me! In this book, Cinderella has been scratching a line on the ceiling for 999 nights when the clock strikes midnight. She had made a promise to herself that she would not remain in the room to see the 1000 strike. When the clock begins to chime on the 1000 night, Cinderella is forced to make a big decision – a decision that will change her life! The novel was short but intense and upbeat. It is written in a way that makes you want to keep turning the page. It has an intense way of writing that draws you in to the story. You can almost imagine the characters as alive, a suspenseful music playing faster and faster as you approach the ending of the novel. The artistry in this novel is incredible. The pages jump out at you with skill and draw you into their world. If you are interested, you can purchase the book here. Disclosure: I received Cinderella Goes to the Potty as part of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 2, 2013

12 Days of Christmas! #review #giveaway

Christmas is a special time in our family. Christmas is a time for us as individuals to reflect on our lives, our faith and our loved ones. It is a time to give thanks for all the blessings that we have in our lives, big or small. A time to reflect on our actions and our future – where we have come from and where we want to go.

I was blessed to usher in the Christmas spirit by participating in The 12 Days of Christmas Book Tour through Litfuse Publicity. They have rounded up four fantastic books that will warm your hearts, give thanks for your life and encourage you to continue to grow in spirit and mind.

Plain Peace is written by Beth Wiseman and is the story of Anna Byler. Anna is a young Amish woman who is entering her Rumspringa (a time in the life of a young Amish individual that they are given to explore their youth, the outside world and ends when they chose to be baptised into the community). Anna’s Grandfather is the Bishop of their community and enforces strict rules upon the community. She meets a young man named, Jacob, who is recovering from his own troubled family history and is drawn to him.

Plain Peace is an extraordinary story of self discovery and personal strength. We see our main characters grow in strength and wisdom throughout the book as they struggle through personal tragedies. It reminds us of forgiveness and change that every individual is capable of. I fell in love with the spirit of Anna on her road to self discovery. You can purchase the book here.

Rating: 5/5

A Christmas Gift for Rose is written by Tricia Goyer and is based on a true story. Our main character, Rose, was born during the worst of the Great Depression and was raised in an Amish family. She discovers that she was actually born into an Englisch family but was abandoned by her family due to the poverty of the Great Depression. She suffers through self doubt on her road to discovery.

A Christmas Gift for Rose is a heart warming book that is hard to put down. It teaches us about true sacrifice, love and self strength. It forces us to look at ourselves and realize that family are the ones who love and nurture us. Rose’s strength through such a difficult time in her life teaches us about sacrifice and true love.You can purchase this novel here.

Rating: 5/5

Silent Night is written by Colleen Coble and centres around the life of Bree Matthews. Bree has a career in the field of search and rescue. As she prepares for the Christmas season alongside her husband, we find that she has been suffering from the pain of miscarriage. Her sister in law arrives and seems to have more information on a missing person case than Bree feels comfortable with. We follow Bree on this case and her road to fulfilling her dream of having a baby.

Silent Night touched me in so many ways. Having suffered miscarriages in the past before myself, the pain of this runs deep. Holidays tend to force the pain to the surface. Through out the book we are reminded of how to make peace with this pain and move forward. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 5/5

Holy Night is also written by Colleen Coble and is based around the lives of Leia and Bane. They are planning their wedding in the beauty of Hawaii when their whole lives are turned upside down with one phone call. Leia’s sister, who suffers from Down Syndrome, has been kidnapped and has ordered her to call off the wedding. Leia is forced to secrecy or her sister would be murdered.

The issue of trust is played up through out the whole of Holy Night. Trust is essential in every relationship, either in a marriage or in families. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

Do you want to know more about these books and authors? You can find more reviews and information about these books here.

Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction are hosting the 12 Days of Christmas! They’ve teamed up with three of their authors for a Merry Facebook Party on November 12th {5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern}. Colleen, Tricia, and Beth will host an evening of book chat, Christmas traditions, and of course plenty of presents!

But wait! There’s more! Each day between now and November 12th a different book (10 copies of each book) will be given away on the Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Facebook Page. Ring in the holiday season and warm your heart with some great reads from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan!

Click here to ENTER each day’s giveaway here. RSVP for the Christmas Party here!

Good luck and hope to see you on the evening of the 12th!

Disclosure: I received a copy of each of these books for the purpose to review them. The opinions expressed are my own.