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Blog Tours

Book Review and Giveaway: Cross Shadow!

June 11, 2020 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

Hello again, friends! Today, I’m bringing another book review your way, this time the second book in a series! I read (and enjoyed) the first, A Cross to Kill, although it ended up being outside my comfort zone in some ways. When I saw that the sequel, Cross Shadow, was available, I told my brother about it—who had also read and enjoyed the first book. He asked to be able to read it, and I agreed, providing he would read and do the review for me. So today, you get to hear his thoughts on the book!

I haven’t had time to read Cross Shadow since I’ve been away from home, but I expect it is as good as the last one—and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in here, too!

Disclaimer: We were given a free review copy of this book to read, in exchange for our honest thoughts. Some links in this blog post are affiliate links, which support this blog at no added cost to you.

About the Book:

Cross Shadow by Andrew HuffAll journalist Christine Lewis wants is the truth. All pastor John Cross wants is to avoid it.

Former CIA agent turned evangelical pastor John Cross is busy caring for the small community of believers he ministers to in Virginia. Journalist Christine Lewis is busy with the demand for her talents from top news agencies in New York City. Neither has any time left for their relationship, which began eight months before when they paired up to prevent the detonation of a chemical bomb in the nation’s capital.

But when Christine hears that her stepbrother has been arrested for murder in Texas, they team up again to discover the truth about the crime. Untangling a web of conspiracy, the couple finds themselves in the center of another dangerous situation-and in trouble far deeper than they expected.

With an assassin on the loose, a trusted colleague acting as a double agent, and unreliable artificial intelligence connected to mercenaries who have Cross on their hit list, these two may not get out of the Lone Star State alive.

Elijah’s Review:

You would think that after the exposure of the men who were seeking his life at the end of A Cross to Kill that the world would be safe for John Cross to live quietly. But then he finds another threat to his life when his girlfriend’s stepbrother is accused of murdering a coworker. The evidence is incriminating: There is video footage of the crime, threatening text messages on the phone of the murdered man, and a bloody knife with the accused’s fingerprints. Who actually did the deed, and why are some total strangers intent on killing both John and Christine Lewis?

After I read A Cross to Kill I wished I could read Cross Shadow, so when I got the chance I made it through in record time (even for me!). I really appreciated the fact that even though swearing and such profanities were mentioned throughout the book, the words themselves were left totally out. One thing I didn’t enjoy so much, partially due to my views from the Bible on not resisting evil (Matt. 5:39 and others), was the violence portrayed in this book. Don’t get me wrong—I appreciate the emphasis on wishing to keep from taking human life, but I feel that even the violence that is shown here is more than a Christian, in good conscience, should do.

Another thing I liked was the emphasis on following God’s will for your life. Both John and Christine began wondering in the story whether they were doing what God wished them to do, and in the end, they did make the changes they felt God would have them make in their lives.

I can’t say that the rise and fall of the action in the story was a surprise to me. It was pretty similar to the first book. I did find that the little twists the story took were totally unexpected. Some of them were pretty funny, like Christine’s father who used a wide range of nicknames for friends simply because he had a hard time remembering names!

I am intrigued to see what Right Cross has to bring. Huff has many original ideas and you never quite know what he will have you in for before the last page comes!

Buy your own copy here, or . . .

Enter the Giveaway!

Cross Shadow - tour and giveaway

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Have you read any mysteries or thrillers lately? What were they?

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Blog Tours, Book Reviews, New Books

Jayne’s Endeavour Blog Tour: Special Recipe Post and Giveaway!

June 4, 2020 // Esther Filbrun 9 Comments

Hello, friends!

Well, I have something rather special to share with you today—and something rather unusual for me! It’s a blog tour, but the first one (I think) that I’ve participated in for an author outside the United States. I’m particularly excited about this, though, because the book, Jayne’s Endeavour (don’t you love the British spelling?!) is set in 18th century Australia, and it has a very strong Christian theme to it. How often do you come across a book like that?

I’ve lived in New Zealand for ten years now, and even in that time, have come across very few set in this part of the world, even in historical fiction, and even less that are Christian stories. So I’m excited about this story, and am glad I can share it with you.

But a little disclaimer before we start . . . I haven’t actually read this book yet! Reading has not been a priority of mine these past few weeks, so that hasn’t happened. I’ll try to share a little of what I’ve been up to lately sometime soon, but for now, I’d love to introduce this story to you, because I’m sure it will be great (the first chapter is interesting, anyway!):

JE Blog Tour Banner

I was given a free ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review, although I haven’t actually read the book yet! (Review coming soon, hopefully.) Also, links in this post may be affiliate links, which earn me a small commission at no additional expense to you. Thanks!

Jayne's Endeavour by Lauren Compton

About the Book

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Page Count: 276
Age Range: 12-18
Series: Book 1 of The JOY Series

Mysterious strangers, a Scripture verse, and a threat.

“Reids never give up.” The words once held so much truth. But at eighteen, Jayne Reid is beginning to wonder if she can live up to that standard.

When puzzling strangers appear and odd things start to happen, Jayne and her two younger sisters must find a solution—or lose everything.

What mystery lurks in the shadows of the Australian bush? Who is the man in town who thinks he can buy and bully anyone he wishes? And is it all somehow connected to their new farmhand?

Journey with Jayne as she struggles to change fear into boldness and boldness into a trusting relationship with her Heavenly Father. What adventure lies ahead?

Buy the book: Direct from Author | Amazon | AbeBooks | Book Depository | Add to Goodreads shelf

My Review

What a delightful story! Jayne’s Endeavour wasn’t the book I was expecting to read in the end—much better in some ways, I think, and perhaps not quite as good in other ways, but overall, I really enjoyed this read!

The history, of course, would be one of my biggest reasons for reading this story. There’s little enough Australian literature out there, and an Aussie story from a Christian perspective? Well nigh impossible to find! At least, I haven’t really seen any—and none written by an Australian themselves, if I remember right. The historical setting for this book was well done, I thought. It could have done with a bit more description, but the story was fine as it is. I didn’t get the same “immersed” feeling I’ve gotten reading other historical fiction books, but I suspect the author, in this case, was trying to stick as closely to known history as possible, and I applaud her for that.

I loved watching the sibling relationships in this story. It seemed very realistic, even though the characters weren’t quite as well-rounded as I hope to see in stories. Some parts of the way they acted felt a little forced or manipulated (especially the grieving process), but I feel like I can’t say much, because I don’t know how I would write it differently! But yes—this book is all about siblings, in a way, as there are three sisters and a brother and sister featured in here. I loved both their loyalty and determination to support each other no matter what—and no matter what it would take to help out everyone.

There are many pieces of Jayne’s Endeavor that I really enjoyed. Not everything was wrapped up in this first story, either—there’s a bit of mystery that will hopefully be solved in the next book (please, please?). In all, this was a fairly quick, fun read. As a debut novel, I think it shows good promise for more good stories to come. There were a few stylistic things that I wish were stronger (the setting and description weren’t as deep as I would have liked, and the characters didn’t feel as vivacious as they should have been), but I’m looking forward to seeing where this author goes in the future. If you’re looking for clean Christian historical fiction without romance, this is a great book to read. Recommended for middle-grade readers on up.

I requested a free review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

And now, from author Lauren Compton . . .

Tasty Research!

Australia was settled by a diverse range of social classes—convicts, assisted immigrants, and free settlers. As well as a diverse range of cultures—English, Irish, Scottish, Chinese, and the list goes on! So a lot of what makes up our culture has its roots in other countries. 😀

All the immigrants came holding dear their own traditions, dress, language, and even recipes. And so it is in Jayne’s Endeavour! Though it’s an Australian novel, Jayne’s family immigrated from Ireland when she was just seven years old.

During the writing of this novel, I had fun experimenting with some Irish fare! This was definitely a fun (and tasty) part of my research! 😀 And the recipe I’m about to share was particularly scrumptious! In fact, I’m going to have to make it again sometime soon!

Yvonne undid Jayne’s braid, and began to run the brush through her sister’s matted hair. Jayne felt her muscles relax. Despite her best efforts, her eyes started to shut. Her head slumped forward, and the brush caught in her hair tugging it at the roots. Her senses reawakened, Jayne sniffed deeply. “Something smells good.” She motioned to the pot hanging near the edge of the fire. “Is it Colcannon?”

–Chapter 3, Jayne’s Endeavour

Colcannon

Colcannon (Cabbage and Potatoes) is an Irish dish that is simplistic, yet homely. It’s a fine example of making do with what you have in a tasty and filling way!

Ingredients:

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes
boiling salted water
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup warm milk

500g (1 lb) cabbage, finely shredded
1 tablespoon butter
6 shallots or spring onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley (optional)

Method: Peel and chop potatoes. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, return to pot, and shake over heat to dry. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir in half of the warm milk. If necessary, add more milk until you have reached a good consistency (not too stiff or dry and not too runny!).

Place chopped cabbage in a separate saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook until tender. Drain thoroughly in a colander. Melt butter in the saucepan, add cabbage, and mix well over heat.

Stir the cabbage into the potato mixture, add shallots (or spring onions), salt, and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley, if desired.

Recipe Notes: This makes a good side-dish, as well as a hearty and filling meal in its own right!


Do you like trying new recipes from different countries!? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to know some of your favorite dishes! 😀 (From Esther: I’ve always loved trying out different cuisine! We have a favorite family dish that originated as a Hungarian recipe!)

About the Author

Lauren Compton lives in Australia on a sheep farm—surrounded by mountains and plenty of Aussie wildlife! From a young age she has loved books and writing-related things (yep, that includes spending ages in the writing supplies department!). Now she has embarked on a mission to write books that both entertain AND encourage. Her desire is to weave stories that point readers to her Heavenly Father while at the same time being a whole lot of fun!

Connect with her here: Blog | Goodreads |Amazon | Newsletter

Tour Giveaway!

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Join in the Rest of the Fun!

Be sure to follow along for author interviews, fun posts, and exclusive giveaways!

Monday 25th May
Abby Rose @ Photos by Abby Rose  |Review

Tuesday 26th May
Leona @ Great Books for God’s Girls |Review and Excerpt

Wednesday 27th May
Becky @ Blossoms and Blessings | Review and Exclusive Giveaway
Erika @ Resting Life | Review and Excerpt

Thursday 28th May
Katja @ Old-Fashioned Book Love |Review
Malachi @ Brainstorms with Rain |Book Spotlight

Monday 1st June—Release Day!!
Kaitlyn @ Maidens for Modesty |Review and Guest Post
Lauren @ Novels That Encourage |Release Day Post

Tuesday 2nd June
Rebekah @ Read Another Page |Review and Author Interview

Wednesday 3rd June
Kassie @ Soldier Girl Stories |Review and Exclusive Giveaway
Esther @ Purposeful Learning |Book Spotlight, Recipe, Review

Thursday 4th June
Amanda @ With a Joyful Noise | Book Spotlight, Guest Post, Review

Monday 8th June
Ryana Lynn @ Life of Heritage |Review, Author Interview, Exclusive Giveaway

Tuesday 9th June
Michaela @ Tangled Up in Writing |Review and Book Spotlight
Abigail @ Read, Review, Rejoice | Book Spotlight and Guest Post

Wednesday 10th June
Sydney @ Singing Librarian Books | Review, Excerpt, Author Interview

Thursday 11th June
Tara @ Tower in the Plains | Review and Recipe
Laura @ Beautiful Things |Book Spotlight
Lauren @ Novels That Encourage |Tour Wrap Up

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Blog Tours, Book Reviews, New Books

Book Review: A Cross to Kill

December 11, 2019 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

Hello, friends! I’m back after an extended, yet unintended, hiatus! I’ll have to tell you about my November sometime soon…it was quite the month!

Well, today I have a special treat. Or shall we say, I’m sharing a book that was a special treat to me? I’ve been enjoying some great mysteries lately—just started one this morning, in fact—but I read one back in November that I ended up really enjoying. Not all of it was my favorite, but overall it was great. If you’ve ever read and enjoyed any thriller or suspense novels, I’d suspect you would like it. But first, here’s the back cover copy.

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. They help support this blog, at no added expense to you. Thank you! Also, I was given a free review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of the work.

About the Book:

A Cross to KillJohn Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God’s calling. He’s not the sort of man one would expect to have a checkered past.

But the truth is that the man behind the pulpit preaching to his sheep was once a wolf—an assassin for the CIA. When John decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to pay penance for all the lives he took. He vowed never to kill again.

Now someone wants the peaceful pastor to pay for his sins with his own life. And when a terrorist out for revenge walks into the church, John’s secrets are laid bare. Confronted with his past, he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow–even when the people he loves are in mortal danger? Will his congregation and the brave woman he’s learning to care for be caught in the cross fire? In the end, his death may be the only sacrifice he has left to offer . . .

Andrew Huff’s thrilling debut is not only a riveting story of suspense, it’s also a deep exploration of the moral quandaries that face those who choose to follow the Prince of Peace in a violent world.

Read the first two chapters, provided by Kregel, by clicking here.

What I Thought:

I really enjoyed A Cross to Kill! During November, I had a lot going on and not a lot of time to read, so with what time I did have, I wanted something fun and engaging. This book fit that criterion perfectly, and I found myself sucked in right away. I enjoyed it so much that I told my brother about it, and he, too, ended up reading the book. I thought it would be fun for you to hear what he had to think about it, so I’ll share his review below.

I felt like this story had some great themes about trying to hold to our convictions and honor the Lord, while still delivering an engaging story. Some parts were unbelievable for me, and I definitely would not want to watch this as a movie, but seeing the main character trying to do what was right was great. The gospel message also came through here, which I appreciated. I don’t know if I would want to read the sequel to the story, because of the amount of violence in here (that was the one part I didn’t enjoy that much), but the mystery and characters and story plotting in general were all superb. If you’re looking for a gripping, fast-paced ride with Christian themes, check this out.

As I mentioned before, I requested a free review copy of this book, and that is the copy both of us read. 🙂

And now, for Elijah’s thoughts (thank you, Elijah!):

Recently my older sister told me about a book that she was reading at the time, giving it high acclaim. “An adventure novel” was her label, and so A Cross to Kill turned out to be.

John Cross, a former CIA member, now pastors a small out of the way congregation belonging to the Rural Grove Baptist Church. The congregation believes that he lost a good government job and that is why he became a pastor, but the truth is that he was one of the CIA’s top field operatives. He still does some work for the CIA, but he desperately wishes to bury most of what he has done deep in the past. All this starts to change with the very last mission he does for the CIA, rescuing an American reporter who was about to be executed by terrorists in Turkey. Though utmost secrecy was kept about the whole matter, Christine Luis remembers too much about her near-death experience and seeks out her savior. When they meet, they realize that there are evil plots afoot, endangering themselves and many of those around them. Can they uncover the truth in time to save the lives of many others? And what about Cross’ past—can he hide his lie to his congregation forever?

When I first heard about the book, I wasn’t too excited about it. But that changed over the course of the first few chapters. The pace started fast and rarely slowed down throughout the book. There were many points I appreciated. Though it doesn’t give a theological explanation in the book, Cross made a stand against killing. Similarly, it doesn’t tell the gospel message as such, but it shows the result of turning to Christ; seeking forgiveness for wrongdoing and a complete turnaround from the old man to the new.

I did not agree with the stand taken in the book on several levels. First of all, after his conversion, he repressed his conscience at several points in the story as far as “borrowing” cars went in order to get to where he needed to go. Another thing I would like to mention is his level of violence. He would not go so far as killing someone—or so he told himself. But a point that was brought out in another book I read recently was that “the road to gross sins is walked with small steps.” Like I mentioned before, he had made a vow against killing which I respect (as much as one can when referring to a fictitious story!) but I still do not like the lead in that direction taken in the story. As a final point, I didn’t appreciate the position of pastor he took in the light that he was just a new Christian. 1 Timothy 3:6 speaks on this subject. I believe that it clearly states that a young believer should not be put in a position of authority in the church. This is a general point, I will admit, not a blanket statement. If a new believer has matured enough in their Christian life I see no problem with him taking the position of pastor. But godly caution should be exercised and I personally think Cross took the position too early in his Christian life.

I appreciate that though he lived a lie throughout the story, he faced up to the truth when it did come out. And the congregation showed a good attitude when they accepted his apology and forgave him.

I was impressed with the story overall. The weaving of the story-lines is masterful and (if you are like me) as soon as you start the book, you won’t want to put it down until you have finished it.

Buy your own copy here, or…

Enter the Giveaway!

A Cross to Kill tour and giveaway

There is a giveaway going on right now, too! Enter below for your own chance at a copy of this story.

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I’m looking forward to getting back to writing more regularly again! It seems like far too long. For now, what are you reading or have been reading lately? I’ve read some other great books the last while besides this one, so hopefully I can share them with you soon, too!

Filed Under: Books, Uncategorized Tagged With: Blog Tours, Book Reviews, New Books, Reading

Protecting the Poor: My Latest Favorite Medieval Fantasy!

August 29, 2019 // Esther Filbrun 3 Comments

Hello, friends! I’m here again today to share a new book from one of my favorite self-published authors, Amanda Tero. I’ve been reading her books for years now, and have enjoyed every single one! I really enjoyed reading The Secret Slipper two years ago when that released, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating the time when Protecting the Poor would be coming out—and here it is now!

(Some links in this blog post are affiliate links—your purchases through these links help support this blog at no extra expense to you. Thank you! Also, Amanda Tero generously sent me a free ecopy of this book.)

Although I haven’t enjoyed all fantasy books I’ve read, I have really enjoyed the Tales of Faith series. I need to re-read the first two, because it’s been a while, but I believe this book is probably my favorite of the lot. Perhaps it’s because Robin Hood’s story has always intrigued me; perhaps it’s because of the faith woven into the story in a way I really appreciated, I don’t know. But if you like reading medieval stories with a good faith base, I’d recommend this. It’s fun, but also really good.

Guest Post from Amanda:

It is always interesting to see the theme of a story unfold. When I started Protecting the Poor, I wasn’t fully sure where Noel’s and Dumphey’s journeys would take them. They are two very different characters—and one thing that I find unique is they both have strengths that the other person envies. Noel is the shy, quiet type, but he is grounded firmly in what he believes is right and wrong Biblically. Dumphey tends to be more headstrong, leaning on his own understanding, but one of the first to take action when he feels it’s needed. In Protecting the Poor, they both have to learn to do something that God is leading them to do, but they are scared to do it. Have you been there before? What helped you to follow God regardless of your fears?

About the Book

Sheriff Feroci is now lord over the province, and Abtshire has become a pit of injustice. Being forced into the lord’s service does not give Dumphey as many opportunities to help the poor as he desires. When attempts on his life drive him into the forest, this freedom opens a world of possibilities for helping others. But how can he do so when he is running for his life? And does God want him to do more than simply feed the poor?

Noel has always hidden behind the shadow of his older brother, Dumphey. When life forces him to stand on his own, will he still follow God in the corrupt world in which he lives? Would God really call him to do something that is beyond his power to do?

As Lord Feroci’s sinister plot comes to light, each lad has a choice to make. A choice that could cost them their lives.

Find on Amazon  |  Add to Goodreads

Giveaway!

There’s a giveaway going! One U.S. Winner will receive the complete paperback Tales of Faith series, and one International Winner will receive the complete eBook series. Enter here, or click the picture above.

Order Paperbacks

Do you want to get a signed copy of Protecting the Poor? Order here!

About the Series:

Read my review of Befriending the Beast here  |  Find it on Amazon  |  Add on Goodreads

Read my review of The Secret Slipper here  |  Find it on Amazon  |  Add on Goodreads

About the Author

Amanda Tero began her love for words at a young age—reading anything she could get her hands on and penning short stories as young as age eight. Since graduation, she has honed her writing skills by dedicated practice and study of the writing craft. She began her journey of publication with a few short stories that she had written for her sisters and continues to add to her collection with other short stories, novellas, and novels. It is her utmost desire to write that which not only pleases her Lord and Savior, but also draws the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Connect with Amanda:

Email: amandaterobooks@gmail.com  |  Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Blog  |  Goodreads  | Amazon

Blog Tour

Here are links to all the other bloggers who are participating in the release of Protecting the Poor!

Monday – August 26, 2019
With a Joyful Noise – Protecting the Poor Release Post
Life of Heritage Corner – Interview, Review, Giveaway
Great Books for God’s Girls – Interview, Review
Peculiar Miss Darcy – Interview
Honey Rock Hills – Review
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations – Spotlight, Review, Guest Post

Tuesday – August 27, 2019
We’ve Got Pockets – Review
Maidens for Modesty – Giveaway, Guest Post
A Brighter Destiny – Spotlight

Wednesday – August 28, 2019
Soldier Girl Stories – Interview
Purposeful Learning – Spotlight, Guest Post 

Thursday – August 29, 2019
Rachel Rossano’s Works – Spotlight, Guest Post
In My Bookcase – Review, Giveaway

Friday – August 30, 2019
Losing the Busyness – Spotlight, Review, Giveaway
Resting Life – Guest Post 

Saturday – August 31, 2019
Blossoms and Blessings – Spotlight, Review, Guest Post
Verbosity Reviews – Spotlight, Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae – Review
Reading on the Edge – Spotlight

Monday – September 2, 2019
With a Joyful Noise – Giveaway Winner Announced

Do you want to be involved in Amanda’s next release? (I want to be; I’m quite excited about this one!)

Wedding Score is open for reviewers, bloggers, and influencers. Sign up here.

What was your recent favorite fantasy read?

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Blog Tours, Book Reviews, New Books, Reading

Kees and Colliers: Series Spotlight!

August 8, 2019 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

Today, I have something special to share with you—a spotlight of a series by an indie author I’ve had the privilege of getting to know a little through the medium of her stories!

Whenever I can, I try to help different authors (especially self-published authors) with their publicity work. It’s incredibly difficult to do marketing these days—I struggle with it myself!—and one way we as readers can help authors is to share their books with our own people, which in this case is you!

First, let me introduce Kellyn Roth to you:

Kellyn Roth is a Christian & historical author from North-Eastern Oregon. Kell is a ranch girl, homeschool graduate, proud sister of four, proud auntie of five, and owner of two goofy border collies, two presumptuous cats, and a very active betta fish. Check out her website, kellynrothauthor.com, for more info.

Author Website: http://kellynrothauthor.com/
Blog: http://kellynroth.blog/
Reveries Co: http://reveriescompany.com/
Coach Kell: http://coachkell.com/
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest: @ReveriesofRuby

(Some links in this blog post are affiliate links—your purchases through these links help support this blog at no extra expense to you. Thank you! Also, Kellyn generously sent me free ecopies of all these books.)

Over the past month or two, I’ve taken time to read all the books in this series, except Goldfish Secrets, a short story.

Here are my quick thoughts on the books, in the order I read them:

(And by the way, I wouldn’t recommend reading them in this order…you’ll hear why in a bit.)

I enjoyed The Lady of the Vineyard, book 1. It’s not a heavily detailed plot, by any means, but I enjoyed the lessons it had in it. The editing could perhaps be a bit better, but overall it was a good story. I loved the redemption significance shared in here. A sweet, fairly short story with a delightful little girl in it!

Though there would be a toss-up for me between the first book and the second, I think Flowers in Her Heart is probably my most favorite of the series. Lady is good, but this one somehow touched a bit more of a chord with me and I really loved the story. It’s simple, and sad, and sweet…just the elements I like, with a character or two that really need a good shaking up and heart change. Somewhat of a short book, but I did enjoy it.

From Now ’Til Forever, book 3, unfortunately, did not really do a whole lot for me. It’s a good story, in and of itself, but I struggled with one doctrinal point shared here (nothing against the author personally, of course; I know lots of people who believe what is expressed or inferred here). Since that was a main element of the story, that made it harder. I did enjoy seeing the family grow up a bit more, and the thread of forgiveness that really started to show in the second book was still here in the third one. This is a very short story; I’d hardly call it a novella. If you want a good wrap-up to the series, this would be good to read.

And the last, which I should have read first but didn’t, is Souls Astray, book 0 (or prequel 1). If I had read it first, I have a feeling I would have enjoyed it a bit more; as it was, I had to consciously choose to pick it up, because otherwise, I wouldn’t have finished it. The reason why it was harder for me to read, I think, was because I felt like I already knew the story. Enough detail was needed in the main books of the series that I already knew about all the major events; this just fleshed them out a bit more. I thought the writing style could have been improved somewhat, and I would have liked a better ending, but in the end, that’s all the author’s choice. This was also the longest book of the lot. If you like backstory, you would love this book.

In all, I really enjoyed getting to hear Kellyn’s “voice” through the stories. She has taken some intriguing ideas and set them in a time and place where they work. My favorite parts were definitely the thread of forgiveness through the stories and the family life as it developed throughout the series. They were quite a fun, fairly easy read, but definitely sweet, too, in places. I didn’t understand why certain things were put in there quite as frequently as they were (I believe marital relations were mentioned in every book, and I didn’t think that was needed in some cases), but I was thankful that though things like loose living are mentioned, they aren’t described too much.

If you’re looking for something slightly different on the reading market or a redemption story, you might just enjoy this series. It wasn’t deep, nor was it super fluffy—just somewhere in the middle.

Thank you, Kellyn, for sharing your stories with us! I was thankful for the chance to find out what your books are like, and also thankful for the chance to help out a little!

Giveaway!

Kellyn has a lovely giveaway going. The first prize includes The Lady of the Vineyard and Flowers in Her Heart in paperback and a flower necklace (which goes perfectly with the theme of the books)!

And the second prize is The Lady of the Vineyard in paperback and Flowers in Her Heart and From Now ‘Til Forever in ebook!

Enter the giveaway here.

What World War I or II fiction have you read lately?

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Blog Tours, Book Reviews

Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia—Book Review and Giveaway!

July 11, 2019 // Esther Filbrun 1 Comment

I’m always curious when I see books about my namesake, Esther, Queen of Persia. I was given one years ago—an abridged version of the original, to be sure, but without the original’s awful scenes—and loved the picture it painted of Esther. A young girl, stripped of the life and dreams that she had, placed in a position where the King had absolute power over her life—and he was the one who would decide whether she would languish, alone, in a world not her own, or live as the wife of the most powerful man in the land. What odds! And, when God’s hand is in the works, what a job!

So when I saw a new book by Diana Wallis Taylor come up for review, Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia, I knew I wanted to try it out. In stories like this, you generally either strike out, sorta-like it, or find a story that fits the original pretty well. Thankfully, this one was the latter!

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Some links in this post may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this reader’s bookworm habits! Also, I requested a free review copy of this book from CelebrateLit, and this is my honest opinion of it.

About This Book…

Book: Hadassah
Author: Diana Wallis Taylor
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release date: July 2, 2019

One of the great heroines of the Old Testament, Hadassah was a beautiful, graceful young woman who put her faith in God and her guardian, her cousin Mordecai.

She dreams of marrying Shamir, a tall, handsome, studious young man who is the rabbi’s son. Her heart beats faster when she hears the sound of his deep voice as he reads the Torah. And she hopes that he will visit Mordecai soon to present a betrothal request.

Then, an upheaval in King Xerxes’ palace changes everything. Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen.

Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. Since he works as a record-keeper at the king’s gates, he can keep tabs on how she is doing.

Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia imagines what life was like for the woman who saved her people—and perhaps found love in the process.

What I Thought…

I’ve been pretty familiar with Esther’s story for years, so it was interesting to read through an authors interpretation of her story. I was also highly impressed—I only remember noticing one or two small mentions of things that made me ask, “is this really the way it happened in the Bible?” —But even of those, I’m pretty sure at least one thing doesn’t get a mention in the Bible, so it would be up to the author’s guess as to where it would fit.

What I loved, though, and what was one of my favorite aspects of this book, was how the history was brought into it. I remember hearing something about the correlation between Xerxes’ feast and his failed campaign that included the famous Battle of Salamis (thank you for that unforgettable picture, history books!), but I’d never studied up on that particular history behind the history in the Bible before. I loved seeing how all of that played out in here, as a result.

I feel like Hadassah was a good retelling of the Biblical story. I believe the author did a great job weaving in history, honoring the cultural customs of the Jews at the time, and telling Esther’s story in a way that was memorable. There was at least one time that the history actually caught me off-guard—Esther was telling Jonah’s story, and I had no idea that it actually happened 300(ish) years before Esther’s time! With what she had, Diana Taylor did a great job. The writing did feel somewhat stilted at times, but it did get somewhat better as the story went on—it never went all that quickly, but it kept up a good rhythm. If you’re looking for an interesting, but factual, retelling of the Biblical story, you might just enjoy this book.

About the Author…

Diana Wallis Taylor was first published at the age of twelve, when she sold a poem to a church newsletter. After receiving her B.A. in Elementary Education at San Diego State University, she was an elementary school teacher for twenty-two years. Diana has also sold real estate, opened two coffeehouse/used book stores, and was a conference director for a private Christian college.

She has an extensive portfolio of published works, including a collection of poetry; an Easter cantata, written with a musical collaborator; contributions to various magazines and compilations; and several books, including Lydia, Woman of Philippi; Mary, Chosen of God; Ruth, Mother of Kings; and Halloween: Harmless Fun or Risky Business?

Learn more at www.dianawallistaylor.com.

The Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Diana is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks card and a surprise book!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops (below) for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Go here to enter (or click the image above).

Next Blog Stops…

Aryn the Libraryan, July 10
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 10
Through the Fire Blogs, July 10
Lights in a Dark World, July 11
Mary Hake, July 11
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 11
Splashes of Joy, July 12
Simple Harvest Reads, July 12 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 12
Bigreadersite, July 13
Pause for Tales, July 13
Texas Book-aholic, July 13
Creating Romance, July 14
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, July 14
janicesbookreviews, July 14
Older & Smarter?, July 15
She Lives To Read, July 15
A Reader’s Brain, July 15
For the Love of Literature, July 16
Just the Write Escape, July 16
Inklings and notions, July 16
Henry Happens, July 17
Hebrews 12 Endurance, July 17
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, July 17
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 17

What was your most favorite recent Biblical fiction read?

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Blog Tours, Book Reviews, New Books

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Hi! I’m Esther, lover of the Lord Jesus Christ and brainstormer behind helping families find good books (read more about that here). My goal is to live a purposeful, fulfilling life—whether that is in what I read, write, cook, design, or do with my wonderful siblings. My life is full and often messy. But God is good. Welcome to the adventure!

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