COVER REVEAL: A SOLSTICE OF FIRE AND LIGHT by Angela R. Watts!

 Hey everyone! Today I'm pumped to share the cover reveal for a FANTASTIC upcoming fantasy novel by Angela R. Watts. It's thought-provoking, impactful, and a few gut-punches are definitely in store for readers. Check out more about A Solstice of Fire and Light below, and then scroll for the cover! 

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Dionne, a Gifted nomad princess, hunts the warlocks that kidnapped her brother. 

Nnamdi, a popular caravan fighter, wishes to be freed from his sins. 

After they break out of prison together and spare each other in a death match, there’s no turning back… So they board a pirate ship and hunt the Order.

When Dionne learns that the wizards that took her brother have also taken child slaves and hides them all away in her kingdom, she creates a plan with the pirates to infiltrate the Order… But when Dionne reaches the kingdom, she will be sacrificed to the gods on winter solstice.

Swept in a world of deadly magic, Nnamdi swears his protection to Dionne… But then he learns she is a princess and that her fate is sealed at the hands of a jealous wizard. Nnamdi must break his chains and unleash his Gift like never before… Or lose the only woman he’s ever loved.

For lovers of slow-burn romance and fast-paced fantasy, get your next binge-read with one click! This standalone novel is perfect for readers who want a clean, swoon-worthy fantasy romance with high stakes and faith-elements.

Author’s note: this novel is suitable for ages 16+ due to dark themes and violence.

Click HERE to back the Kickstarter for A Solstice of Fire and Light!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ANGELA R. WATTS is the bestselling and award-nominated author of The Infidel Books and the Remnant Trilogy. She has over 22 works in print. When she’s not writing, Angela enjoys freelance editing, homesteading, and art. She lives in Tennessee with her family and many pets.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TWITTER | AMAZON

And now for the cover...

Isn't that epic?! Make sure to follow Watts online for more updates AND don't forget to check out the Kickstarter tiers! 

eARC SIGNUPS: BACK TO ME

 Hey everyone! Just a quick update to let you know that eARC signup for Back To Me is now live! 
Click the link HERE for more information and to sign up. eARCs will be sent out no later than September 1st! For more information and to check out the blurb and whatnot, check it out on Goodreads and shelf it HERE.

COVER REVEAL: EXTENSION SQUAD VOL 1 by Rachel Scheller!

 Hey everyone! Today I'm SO stoked to share the cover reveal for Extension Squad Vol 1 by R.M. Scheller! First, some info!

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Austin calls it honor. The others call it sulking. Either way, they’re all on death row.

The law is simple: a life for a life, no matter the circumstances. When aspiring hero Austin takes a life in defense of another person, he’s thrown in with the cutthroats on death row. Even though they’re doomed to die, they’re given an extension—by doing the grunt work for the heroes, they can prolong the time until they’re killed. But Austin refuses to play that game. If he’s going to die sooner or later anyway, he’ll do so with his pride intact. The only question is whether he has the resolve to see it through. Extension Squad Vol. 1, the first in a new original-English light novel series written by R.M. Scheller and illustrated by Heather Rose, is releasing September 1.

Preorders are open NOW, and if you check out R.M. Scheller's Instagram page HERE, there are preorder goodies involved... 

And now for the cover!

Okay, so now for my fangirl moment: I had the honors of editing this book, and let me tell you, it's SO. GOOD. Marvel fans, DC fans, graphic novel fans, anti-hero nerds...you'll love this. I'm dead serious. I adore how easily Scheller combined lovable and realistic characters with the fantastic, the thought-provoking and the stunning...and superhero-worthy abilities. 

Do you plan on picking up a copy? Click HERE!

COVER REVEAL: BACK TO ME!

 Hey everyone! Today I'm sharing the cover reveal for my contemporary Christian novel, Back To Me, which is arriving October 2022. Below, find some info about the book itself, and then scroll for the cover!

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I'm not me anymore. 

Bridget Owens spends her days working and her nights trying to escape the nightmare she was born into. One year after leaving her old life, she still sees ghosts, hears threats, feels nails digging into her flesh, and can't sleep unless she wants to wake up sobbing. Her memories become a graveyard of who she once was, and she nurtures it daily until she reaches her breaking point. 

When Nick, a childhood friend, suggests help at the last moment, she finds it hard to sit across from a counselor who says he cares. She finds it impossible to trust anything, even herself. She's broken, and she isn't sure how to put the pieces back together. What if they never fit right anymore?

A story of redemption, calling, healing, and recovery. 

Back To Me: A Contemporary Christian Novel, releasing October 25, 2022. 

And now...the cover!

What do you think? Let me know in the comments! And stay tuned; ARC signups will open in August!

RELEASE DAY: LET THEM HEAR by Makenzie Gray!

 Hey everyone! Today I'm excited to announce the release of Let Them Hear by Makenzie Gray (my evil alter-ego)! In case you haven't checked out the series yet, here's some praise from some amazing Goodreads reviewers: 

By Stephanie, for Let Them Hear: "[...]it honestly took a couple chapters to get into it [Those With Ears](Takvi is intentionally hard to like, but I loved her brother, Noam, fairly early on) but within a few chapters, and it became one of my favorite reads of 2022, as well as one of my all time favorites as far as 'first books' in a Dystopian series! I absolutely could not WAIT to read this one, and boy! What a ride!

So much happens and I LOVED it! I can't (and won't) say much because, wow!, it's chock full of twists, surprises, and unpredictable challenges, but it was such a wonderful second installment, and I can't wait to see what happens next for this ragtag band of ragamuffins!" (Full review HERE)

By Vanessa, for Let Them Hear: "[...] Moral/Theme: Wow, this kind of book makes you think, and that's the beautiful part about dystopian books. I loved the characters' courage to do what was right and to proclaim the Gospel in the face of nearly-promised death. We ought to be that brave right now, when the majority of us won't be faced with death if we share the Gospel with someone. I also appreciated how the author approached the Will of God in protecting His people - if it's His Will for us to be protected, nothing can touch us!" (Full review HERE)

By Nathaniel, for Those With Ears: "Wow…I’m really looking forward to book two in this haunting series. This is a fictional (obviously) account of the end of the world. It’s told by a Christian and it’s SO good. Do I share the same beliefs in everything? Not necessarily…but that doesn’t take away from the POWER of this book. 
Wow. That’s literally all I can say.
But like the plot, the characters, the scariness…it’s all done so well. This is a really good book." (Full review HERE)

In case you haven't checked out Let Them Hear yet, here's the blurb!

Since the End began, Unmarked are hunted and imprisoned like animals while the Marked live in excess. Eighteen-year-old Takvi has been on the run since it all began. When she learns that her brother is in the One Order’s custody - alive - she leaves everything to search for him. But to succeed in her rescue mission, she’ll need aid.

Gathering a ragtag group of Unmarked is dangerous, but it’s Takvi’s only chance at saving her brother. As they travel across apocalypse-torn North America, they learn the Order is growing darker and more powerful than they ever imagined. The group wants to save as many tortured Unmarked as possible - but Takvi refuses to face the wickedness she’s running from. One person can’t stop the End and Takvi won’t die for a lost cause. But everything has a cost these days. Will the rescue come at a cost too high to pay?

A gripping novel about sacrifice and redemption, The Hunger Games meets Mad Max in this post-apocalyptic ride.

Let Them Hear is Book 2 in the Midnight Hour series.

Want to check out the books? 
Book one in the Midnight Hour series, Those With Ears, can be purchased HERE, and Let Them Here is now live HERE! Paperbacks and Kindle editions are available now. Those With Ears is currently FREE on Kindle, so now's a great time to jump into the series! (AND Amazon is having a bit of a sale on paperbacks for Those With Ears right now if that's your jam -- great timing on their part!) 

And if you've already devoured both books, stay tuned. #3 is on the horizon. 

REVIEW + SPOTLIGHT: A PRAYER UNANSWERED by Kellyn Roth!

 

Hey everyone! I was given the opportunity to read the next Chronicles of Alice & Ivy book, A Prayer Unanswered, and today's the day I get to share my review! But first, some info about the book:

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When her world is set adrift, she grasps for the strength to hold on ...

As Alice Strauss enters her first year of marriage, she finds herself wholly unprepared for her new life. In a new country, with a new family, she struggles to find her footing. Difficult relationships and new situations batter her, but she is determined to establish a perfect life with the man she loves.

Unfortunately, perfection seems out of reach. An unexpected tragedy flings Alice out of control, and she struggles to rise from the ruins. Her world seems to be gradually worsening, full of spinning variables and agony beyond anything she has ever experienced.

However, there is hope—in a God who loves her and a future established for her since before time began. Yet the devastation of Alice’s life seems beyond even the touch of grace.

A Prayer Unanswered is the fifth book in the historical family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellyn Roth is a historical romance & women’s fiction author who writes about the empty places where hope has the most room to grow. Her novels include the inspirational Victorian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, and the Kees & Colliers series, which follows a broken family in the tumultuous years of the first half of the 20th century.

Kellyn is a student of the Author Conservatory, a virtual assistant, and a writing coach. When not building her author career, she is likely getting lost somewhere in the Pacific Northwest with her friends, watching period dramas and facetious comedies, or spending time with her husband.

Check out her website for more information: https://kellynrothauthor.com/

MY REVIEW
This is definitely one of the deeper Alice & Ivy stories, with generations of struggle culminating. I think it speaks volumes to humbling oneself to speak truthfully in all things, loving someone who is spiraling mentally, and the fierce love that God provides in every situation. I stayed up late to finish and more than once was brought to tears by the sharp prose. Fans of the series will get to see most of their beloved cast again, but make no mistake, the characters are growing up and the series itself is maturing, taking risks in deeper waters than what Christian historical fiction typically wades into -- and it pulls it off splendidly. I will say that if you struggle with depression and suicidal tendencies, you will want to take it slowly with this book; that being said, Roth wholeheartedly presents hope in the midst of desperation, and it's a story that must be told. 

Do you plan on picking up a copy? Have you read any of the other books in the series yet? Let me know in the comments and check out the giveaway below!

GIVEAWAY
Kellyn will be offering a paperback copy of A Prayer Unanswered, a bracelet, and a locket to a lucky winner. To enter, check it out below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you want to keep up with the tour stops along the way, check the schedule out below!

16th:

Book Spotlight @ https://kristinahallauthor.wordpress.com/blog/

Author Interview/Book Spotlight @ https://onceuponanordinary.wordpress.com/

17th:

Book Review @ novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com

Book Review/Spotlight @ https://tangledupinwriting.com

18th:

Book Spotlight @ www.graceajohnson.com/blog

Book Review @ http://www.precariousbookstacks.com/

19th:

Book Review @ Oldfashionedbooklove.WordPress.com

Book Review/Spotlight @ https://vanessahallauthor.wordpress.com/

20th:

Author Interview/Book Spotlight @ thelongvoyage.org

Book Review @ https://thewriterlyworm.com/

Book Review/Spotlight @ losingthebusyness.wordpress.com

21st:

Book Review @ https://mckennedyauthor.com/

Book Review @ janemouttet.wordpress.com

22nd:

Book Review/Spotlight @ https://discipleshipwithjoy.com

Book Review @ www.towerintheplainswordpress.com

Tour hosted by Jen’s Author Assistance

REVIEW: ONCE I KNEW by Victoria Lynn

 Hey everyone! Today I have a review for Once I Knew by Victoria Lynn! It just released yesterday, so make sure to snag a copy when you get a chance! Check out some info about the book before we dive in...

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Violet lives her quiet little life in her sleepy village. Trying to remain as dead to the politics that are threatening their world as possible. She follows the rules, stays out of trouble and does her best to remain out of sight of the dreaded and overbearing Kingsmen.

With the new regent on the throne, the country has been thrown into a turmoil. Unlike the kindly king before him, the new ruler is overbearing, frightening and tyrannical in his rule. Taxes are bleeding the people dry and without the money or goods to pay, they have been forced into penal servitude and imprisonment by the Kingsmen, who know no mercy. The despair and fear that has taken over their lives has ruled out any level of hope.

When Violet stumbles upon an unconscious and injured Kingsman in the woods, despite the consequences, she cannot help but take care of the injured man. When he wakes and has no memory of who he is, she takes the only precaution that will keep her and her grandmother safe; she destroys the evidence of his past life.

If Violet’s lowly Kingsman regains his memory, will she be able to live with the consequences? And will the Kingsman be able to live with his past life?

AMAZON | GOODREADS

AUTHOR

Victoria Lynn is in her 20s and if she's not writing, she is probably sewing, singing, playing the piano, washing dishes, creating something with her hands, or learning something new. She has a passion for serving her Creator, encouraging others and being creative. She blogs at www.rufflesandgrace.com about writing, fashion, her walk with God and life. She lives in Michigan with her parents and 8 siblings.

REVIEW

3.5/5 stars 
This is a squeaky clean low-fantasy novel with strong themes of redemption and following God's will even if it's hard. 

The prose is very nicely written and you'll get a strong "cottagecore" vibe from reading this, which was interesting to see! I also appreciated the themes Lynn incorporated into the story, as well as seeing how the dysfunction of the kingdom's leadership affected the villagers. However, the characters just felt a bit one-dimensional to me. I love characters that you can really grow attached to and that just wasn't there for some reason; may just be me. I would have loved to see Violet growing and learning to rely on God more for her severe anxiety, and would have appreciated a smoother character arc for Obed -- I can't get into details on that one though ;) I did very much enjoy Markus' character though!

If you enjoy low-fantasy novels with a sweet romance and no concern of finding gruesome descriptions or language, this one's for you!