When Stars Rain Down ~ Review with GIveaway

When Stars Rain Down

By Angela Jackson-Brown

It's 1936, and in Parsons, Georgia, the tension and anger are as hot if not hotter than the temperatures. And no relief is in sight. The Klan is determined to keep the residents of Colored Town in their place and Opal Pruitt is caught in the middle of everything. Soon to turn 18, Opal's life is in a state of flux with everything that is going on around her and her own conflicted feelings.

This is an emotionally moving and heartbreaking story. Everything that takes place during this summer will literally move one to tears. It is an excellent work though difficult at times as Opal deals with what life is currently giving her. 

Hated and demeaned for the color of her skin, Opal's life though difficult is not awful. She has family and friends who love, respect and care for her. But on the cusp of adulthood, her world starts crashing in around her. Seeing the world through her eyes isn't easy but I would highly recommend this book to adult and older teen readers. This book is both beautiful and ugly at the same time much like the fallen and broken world that we live in. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

This summer has the potential to change everything.
The summer of 1936 in Parsons, Georgia, is unseasonably hot, and Opal Pruitt can sense a nameless storm coming. She hopes this foreboding feeling won’t overshadow her upcoming eighteenth birthday or the annual Founder’s Day celebration in just a few weeks. As hard as she works in the home of the widow Miss Peggy, Opal enjoys having something to look forward to.

But when the Ku Klux Klan descends on Opal’s neighborhood of Colored Town, the tight-knit community is shaken in every way. Parsons’s residents—both Black and white—are forced to acknowledge the unspoken codes of conduct in their post-Reconstruction era town. To complicate matters, Opal finds herself torn between two unexpected romantic interests, awakening many new emotions. She never thought that becoming a woman would bring with it such complicated decisions about what type of person she wants to be.

In When Stars Rain Down, Angela Jackson-Brown introduces us to a small Southern town grappling with haunting questions still relevant today—and to a young woman whose search for meaning resonates across the ages.

Purchase Links

Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Angela Jackson-Brown

Angela Jackson-Brown is an award-winning writer, poet, and playwright who teaches Creative Writing and English at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. She is a graduate of the Spalding low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing. She is the author of the novel Drinking From A Bitter Cup and House Repairs.
 
Connect with Angela
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Review tour:
Monday, April 12th: @booksnbikram
Tuesday, April 13th: @hillysreads
Tuesday, April 13th: @vivibookshelf
Thursday, April 15th: @never_withouta_book
Friday, April 16th: What is That Book About
Monday, April 19th: @booksenvogue
Tuesday, April 20th: @itsabookishworld_
Wednesday, April 21st: Run Wright and @karen_runwright
Thursday, April 22nd: @readingmama_reviews
Friday, April 23rd: @nurse_bookie
Monday, April 26th: @bnjreads

Thursday, April 29th: @welovebigbooksandwecannotlie
Tuesday, April 27th: Books & Bindings

Wednesday, April 28th: @gluttonousshelf
Tuesday, May 4th: @prettylittlebookshelf
Wednesday, May 5th: @always_reading1
Thursday, May 6th: Blooming With Books
Friday, April 30th: She Just Loves Books and @shejustlovesbooks
Monday, May 3rd: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook
Friday, April 30th: @introvertinterrupted

Giveaway:

1 (one) copy of When Stars Rain Down

to US mail addresses only

Must be 18 or older.

Reply within 48 hours of notification or an alternate winner will be selected.

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The Amish Cowboy's Homecoming ~ Review with Giveaway

The Amish Cowboy's Homecoming

Honey Brook #2

By Ophelia London

Grace Zook has a way with horses and can't understand why her father insists on hiring a trainer when she knows she is more than capable of handling it. But an Amish young woman is just not supposed to do such things, instead, she should be focusing on finding a husband so she can be a proper Amish wife and mother. But her father is adamant that they need outside help.

Enter Isaac King who is in need of a job that will take him away from the current situation he currently finds himself in. Being offered a temporary job that has the potential of helping him make a name for himself and showcase his skills as a trainer is what he needs to start a new life for both himself and his young daughter. Honey Brook may be just what he needs, there is just one little problem Grace Zook is less than pleased that he there to do the work that she feels should be hers and hers alone.

But as Grace and Isaac work together to ensure the successful training of a horse that has spent his first years in a stall and needs to be turned into a show-quality jumper. And they have a limited time to get Sin (Cincinnati) in top form. Can you say OUCH!!! Working together allows both the see and appreciate the skills the other has to offer. What's more, they develop a friendship with a promise of something more. But could any Amish man be satisfied with a wife more skilled with handling a horse than in domestic skills? Grace has never met a man who will be satisfied with her dream and she's not sure that she is willing to give it up for any man - no matter how skilled he is at managing a horse. And when misspoken words come between them everything they've for could come crumbling down around them

The Amish Cowboy's Homecoming is the second book in Ophelia London's Honey Brook series and the book can be read as a standalone title. The first book in the series Never An Amish Bride, though set in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, focuses on a different cast of main characters, so sit back and enjoy an Amish Cowboy Romance. Overall I would say this is a good read that will appeal to a wide audience just because of the genre-blending taking place. I'd say that finding one's place in the world is the main theme that I came away with after reading this book.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

What happens when a traditional horse whisperer clashes with an unconventional trainer within the charming Amish community of Honey Brook?

Grace Zook has always held a talent with horses, ever since she was a child growing up in her quaint Amish village of Honey Brook. Now, as an adult, she’s become a master trainer—but still struggles to prove to her father that she is worthy of taking over the family’s horse farm. With a fiery new stallion coming soon, Grace knows this challenge is her chance to prove she can finally take the reins.

When widower and horse whisperer Isaac King is offered the lead training job on a new farm out of town, he’s thrilled to finally make a name for himself and provide some permanent roots for his young daughter. But not only is the stallion seemingly unbreakable, so, too, is the owner’s headstrong daughter Grace, who has drastically different ideas about how to handle the impossible horse. Yet somehow, he can’t seem to get the confident, beautiful woman out of his mind…even though as his boss’s daughter, she is completely off-limits.

There’s too much at stake for Isaac to gamble his future on Grace…even though suddenly, he can’t imagine one without her.

Each book in the Honey Brook series is STANDALONE:
* Never an Amish Bride
* The Amish Cowboy’s Homecoming

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Ophelia London

USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas, and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. She enjoys cupcakes, treadmills, reruns of Dawson’s Creek, and obsessing over her Italian Greyhound, Peanut. Ophelia is the author of NEVER AN AMISH BRIDE (Honey Brook series), her very first Amish romance! As wells as the Sugar City series, the Perfect Kisses series, the Abby Road series, and other adult, NA, and YA sweet romances. Visit her at ophelialondon.com, but don’t call when she’s streaming The Walking Dead.

Connect with Ophelia Online:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway:

Enter to win 1 (one) paperback copy of The Amish Cowboy's Homecoming

Open to US mailing addresses only.

Must be 18 years or older.

The giveaway runs April 27 - May 4, 2021.

The winner will have 48 hours to reply (or an alternate winner will be selected) 

with their US mailing address

which will be forwarded to the tour coordinator. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review tour:

Tuesday, April 27th: @jenniaahava

Wednesday, April 28th: Blooming with Books

Thursday, April 29th: She Just Loves Books and @shejustlovesbooks

Friday, April 30th: The Adventures of a Travelers Wife and @travelerswife4life

Saturday, May 1st: A Baker’s Perspective

Saturday, May 1st: @littlebutfiercebookdiary

Sunday, May 2nd: Girl Who Reads

Monday, May 3rd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Tuesday, May 4th: SusanLovesBooks

Wednesday, May 5th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Wednesday, May 5th: @bookshelfmomma

Thursday, May 6th: @rozierreadsandwine

Friday, May 7th: Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama

Saturday, May 8th: @bookscoffeephotography

Monday, May 10th: From the TBR Pile

Tuesday, May 11th: Woven by Words and @books.n.blossoms

Wednesday, May 12th: @olivias.bookish. world

Drive ~ Review

Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life
By Kelley Earnhardt Miller
With Beth Clark

Forward by Dale Earnhardt JR.

First, off I'll admit it I'm not a NASCAR fan. I've seen it in passing but my dad was a fan - not diehard but if a race was on and he was off for the day he'd watch it. But whether or not you are into NASCAR this book has a lot to offer. Glimpses of what life behind the scenes is like for those who are in it and the personal perspective of the family behind the racer.

Kelley Earnhardt Miller offers a glimpse into her life as the daughter of Dale Earnhardt and as a NASCAR driver and as a businesswoman. She offers valuable insights on how to succeed in life and in business while drawing on her own experiences and overcoming obstacles along the way.

I really think the following quote is an excellent summation of what this book is all about. "Our early days don't have to dictate the rest of our lives, but they do influence and determine much about the way we think and feel, the way we relate to others, the way we approach and solve problems, our work ethic, our likes and dislikes, and our priorities." Your past has shaped your present but you can determine how your future will play out. It is up to you to define who you are with what you have been given. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life

Paperback: 224 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 9, 2021)

Successful businesswoman and daughter of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. shares her story of growing up in the world of auto racing and the lessons she learned along the way.

Just like a racecar as it takes to the track, each of us needs a certain amount of fine-tuning for our journey through life. In Drive, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, daughter of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and sister to Dale Jr., opens up about growing up in the world of NASCAR, sharing the lessons she learned about being a successful business leader and what she discovered, often the hard way, about winning in life.

Kelley never felt she was winning at anything until she began to deal with the thoughts and feelings that were driving her decisions and taking her in the wrong direction. Her journey of transformation is what empowered her to run the family business in an entirely different way than she had previously and to lead people not only with her head but also with her heart.

Drive offers nine important lessons learned about winning in business and in life, given not as a formula for greatness but as insight from a fellow traveler on a journey that is sometimes difficult, painful, unexpected, or confusing—and sometimes exhilarating and joyful:

• Be Authentic and Approachable
• Know How to Make Decisions
• Position for Success
• Let Go to Move Forward
• Customize Your Communication
• Aim for the Win-Win
• Manage Your Emotions
• Balance Your Work With Your Life
• Lead from the Heart

Become a stronger person and a more effective leader by facing the truth about your own life in a healthy way, and then drive to the win!

Purchase Links

Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Kelley Earnhardt Miller

Kelley Earnhardt Miller is part owner and general manager of JR Motorsports and is considered one of the most prominent businesswomen in NASCAR today. She oversees the company’s race team, management team, and business ventures for her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr. The daughter of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardt Miller graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in business administration. A multiple-award recipient, she was named in 2015 as one of SportsBusiness Journal’s Game Changers/Women in Sports Business for her impact on the motorsports industry. Kelley is married to L.W. Miller and is mom to Karsyn, Kennedy, and Wyatt.

Connect with Kelley

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Girl in the Painting ~ Review

The Girl in the Painting

By Tea Cooper

The Girl in the Painting is set in Australia in the late 1860s through 1913. The story focuses on these two different time periods as we, the readers get a chance to know Michael and Elizabeth Quinn and Jane Piper a young orphan they take in.

The earlier timeline follows Michael and Elizabeth as they leave England behind and make a home in Australia. But life isn't easy for a 15-year-old boy with a young sister to care for. But building upon the dreams and work of his parents Michael and Elizabeth manage to make not only a home but a name for themselves. Not content to revel in their material means they make a place in their home and businesses for orphans and the underprivileged. 

Jane's gift with numbers finds her in a unique position within the Quinn household, not a servant and not quite family. She calls the Quinns Aunt and Uncle and when old enough finds a place within their business. In her opinion, Jane is blessed and lucky with how her life has turned out. But when a shadow of the past enters their life Elizabeth finds herself lost. As Jane puts it "Aunt Elizabeth has had a turn." And if the cause is not determined the life that Jane, Michael, and Elizabeth share may never be the same.

The Girl in the Painting is not presented in a true linear chronology as the past and the present proceed to their climax. Each time period slowly reveals that everything is not as it first appears. And finding the truth is essential to both Elizabeth and Jane in their quest to finding where they belong. 

This book doesn't glamorize the past, it shares the prejudices and hardships that afflict many who called this vast land home. But what makes someplace a home and how do we know it when we encounter it? This is a moving story that should not be missed. This is the second book by Tea Cooper that I have had the pleasure of reading and it is as good as the other book I read (The Woman in the Green Dress). If you want Historical Fiction with a touch of Romance give this book a chance and add it to your TBR list - trust me you won't be sorry.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About The Girl in the Painting
Paperback: 384 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 9, 2021)

A young prodigy in need of a family. 

A painting that shatters a woman’s peace. 

And a decades-old mystery demanding to be solved.

Australia, 1906

Orphan Jane Piper is nine years old when philanthropist siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn take her into their home to further her schooling. The Quinns are no strangers to hardship— having arrived in Australia as penniless immigrants, they now care for others as lost as they once were.

Despite Jane’s mysterious past, her remarkable aptitude for mathematics takes her far over the next seven years, and her relationship with Elizabeth and Michael flourishes as she plays an increasingly prominent part in their business.

But when Elizabeth reacts in terror to an exhibition at the local gallery, Jane realizes no one knows Elizabeth after all—not even Elizabeth herself. As the past and the present converge and Elizabeth’s grasp on reality loosens, Jane sets out to unravel Elizabeth’s story before it is too late.

From the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, this compelling novel takes us on a mystery across continents and decades as both women finally discover a place to call home.

Purchase Links

Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Tea Cooper

Tea Cooper is an Australian author of historical and contemporary fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling.

Connect with Tea

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Review tour:

Monday, March 1st: Mammanatty’s Raves and Reviews

Tuesday, March 2nd: Read Eat Repeat

Wednesday, March 3rd: Pacific Northwest Bookworm and @pnwbookworm

Thursday, March 4th: @lovemybooks2020

Friday, March 5th: She Just Loves Books and @shejustlovesbooks

Saturday, March 6th: @suethebookie

Monday, March 8th: Reading Reality

Monday, March 8th: @welovebigbooksandwecannotlie

Tuesday, March 9th: Lit and Life

Wednesday, March 10th: @irishgirliereads

Thursday, March 11th: Buried Under Books

Friday, March 12th: @mynovelmenagerie

Monday, March 15th: Books with Jams and @bookswithjams

Monday, March 15th: Blunt Scissors Book Reviews and @bluntscissorsbookreviews

Tuesday, March 16th: A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, March 17th: @booksloveandunderstanding

Thursday, March 18th: @booksaremagictoo

Friday, March 19th: The Sketchy Reader

Monday, March 22nd: @megsbookclub

Monday, March 22nd: Amy’s Book-et List and @amysbooketlist

Tuesday, March 23rd: Christian Chick’s Thoughts and @cctblog

Wednesday, March 24th: Girl Who Reads

Thursday, March 25th: The OC Book Girl and @theocbookgirl

Friday, March 26th: @lowkey.bookish

Monday, March 29th: @rendezvous_with_reading

Monday, March 29th: What is That Book About

Tuesday, March 30th: @lovelyplacebooks

Tuesday, March 30th: Blooming with Books

Wednesday, March 31st: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook

Thursday, April 1st: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Friday, April 2nd: @booktimistic

Monday, April 5th: Eliot’s Eats

Wednesday, April 7th: Blooming with Books 

Limitless ~ Review with Giveaway

Limitless

The Power of Hope and Resilience to Overcome Circumstance

By Mallory Weggemann

With Tiffany Yecke Brooks

Mallory's childhood was one of happy memories but her family wasn't unfamiliar with heartache and struggles. So when a medical procedure went wrong, altering her life permanently she had a foundation on which to build on and the strength of her family to help see her through it. 

With hard work, Mallory remade her life but swimming was something that carried over. Swimming provided a challenge that forced her to improve herself. And competing was a goal that could be defined and focused on. But when an accident threatens the life she has created she needs to rediscover who she is and what defines her life.

When life throws us the unexpected we are left with questions. Questions that must be answered, that demand a response from us. If we don't respond we will be stuck, limiting ourselves. But with the love and support of those closest to us, we can respond. As circumstances change our response may change, but it is our choice. And our choices are limitless, defined only by the limits we place upon ourselves.

Limitless falls into the self-help, motivational genre with a good dose of biographical material as we are taken on a journey of discovery through Mallory Weggemann's life. A life of highs and lows. Joys and disappointments. A life filled with family, love, and support. Throughout this book, there are little gems of wisdom that are best stored away to provide us with needed treasure when we too face challenges. 

This book would make an excellent book club selection. If one is drawn to "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" this would be a worthy choice to add to your shelf of books. If you are asking why and unable to find an answer this book may help you find peace in not knowing.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:
Hardcover: 272 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 2, 2021)

The Paralympic gold-medalist, world champion swimmer, ESPY winner, and NBC Sports commentator uses her extraordinary story to equip others to meet whatever challenges they face in life.

On January 21, 2008, a routine medical procedure left Mallory Weggemann paralyzed from her waist down. Less than two years later, Mallory had broken eight world records, and by the 2012 Paralympic Games, she held fifteen world records and thirty-four American records. Two years later a devastating fall severely damaged her left arm, yet Mallory refused to give up. After two reconstructive surgeries and extended rehab, she won two golds and a silver at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships. And perhaps most significantly, she found confidence, independence, and persevering love as she walked down the aisle on her wedding day.

Mallory’s extraordinary resilience and uncompromising commitment to excellence are rooted in her resolve, perseverance, and sheer grit. In this remarkable new book, Mallory shares the lessons she learned by pushing past every obstacle, expectation, and limitation that stood in her way, including the need to:

• redefine limitations;
• remember that healing is not chronological;
• be willing to fail;
• and embrace your comeback.

Mallory’s story reminds us that whatever circumstances we face, we have the capacity to face down whatever challenges, labels, or difficulties confront us–and to do so on our own terms.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Mallory Weggemann

Mallory Weggemann is a record-setting, two-time Paralympic swimmer for Team USA. She has set fifteen world records and thirty-four American records, and is also the recipient of an ESPY Award, a 15-time World Champion, and a Paralympic gold and bronze medalist. Weggemann has also served as a commentator on NBC for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games, the first female reporter in a wheelchair ever to serve in that capacity. Weggemann has established herself as a leader outside of the pool, as well; she is an inclusion advocate serving on the Advisory Board of Disability for Delta Air Lines as well as a cofounder and co-CEO of TFA Group, a social impact agency and production studio. A highly sought-after motivational speaker, Weggemann has presented at numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Comcast, PepsiCo, Northwestern Mutual, Aetna, Accenture, and Delta Air Lines.

Connect with Mallory

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Reviews:

Monday, March 1st: Books, Tea, Healthy Me

Wednesday, March 3rd: Where the Reader Grows and @wherethereadergrows

Friday, March 5th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Monday, March 8th: @pages.and.plates

Wednesday, March 10th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Friday, March 12th: Blooming with Books

Monday, March 15th: What is That Book About

Thursday, March 18th: @books_faith_love

Monday, March 22nd: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook

Wednesday, March 24th: @lyon.brit.andthebookshelf

Thursday, March 25th: Pick a Good Book and @pickagoodbook

Monday, March 29th: Well Read Traveler and @wellreadtraveler

Instagram features:

Monday, March 29th: @nurse_bookie

Monday, March 29th: @itsbibliotherapy

Tuesday, March 30th: @bookscoffeephotography

Wednesday, March 31st: @lovelyplacebooks

Thursday, April 1st: @baytownbookie

Thursday, April 1st: @books_and_broadway_

Friday, April 2nd: @mixed_matched_socks

Saturday, April 3rd: @shobizreads

Monday, April 5th: @christina.marie.reads

Monday, April 5th: @books_with_bethany

Tuesday, April 6th: @travelerswife4life

Tuesday, April 6th: @chill_jilland_read

Wednesday, April 7th: @lovemybooks2020

Thursday, April 8th: @bookshelfmomma

Friday, April 9th: @beautyinthebinding

Saturday, April 10th: @pnwbookworm

Sunday, April 11th: @hannah_reads

Giveaway:

Enter to win one (1) copy of Limitless

Open to US residents (No P.O. boxes) over 18 years of age.

Giveaway runs from Friday, March 12, 2020, 12 am CST to 

Thursday, March 18, 2020, 11:59 pm CST.

The winner will have 48 hours to respond from the time 

winning notification is sent or another winner will be 

chosen.

The winner's mailing address will be forwarded to a third party

who will ship the book to the winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway