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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A Time of Mourning and Dancing ~ Review

A Time of Mourning and Dancing 
The Floramancy Archives #1

By Abigail Falanga

Toph was once a captain, serving with the Princes but when the war ended he was forgotten, left for dead with the rest of the dead and dying. With next to nothing to his name when he comes across an edict from King Victor - solve the secret the princesses are keeping and win the hand of one of them. Toph determines to be the one to solve the mystery.

The one thing the edict didn't share was that failure would cost him his head. With nothing but his life to lose Toph accepts the challenge. But the twelve princesses are holding their secret close. With three nights to discover how the princesses are destroying their dancing slippers, Toph doesn't have much time to gather the information that will help him. 

Vicia is the eldest of the twelve princesses and the heir to the throne. Her stepfather and stepmother are not the kindest parents and see her and her sisters as possessions that could be used to further their ends. Since the war stole their five brothers from them the sisters have been most peculiar and sillier than usual. 

Toph has a most daunting task before him but with a word of warning and a gift from an elderly woman he has a small advantage is completing his challenge before time runs out. A dark curse has made its presence known and he'll need to get the princesses to agree to work with him to find a way to break it. But discovering the truth may come with a great cost. Are they willing to pay it?

A Time of Mourning and Dancing is the first book The Floramancy Archives and it is a story well worth your time. I really liked Toph and the princesses with their cunning make them a formidable team when they put their minds to a task. The conclusion is satisfying though there is quite clearly a thread that could well lend itself to a second book. This is a world I would like to visit again. Excellent reading and highly recommended.

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: 

Once, Toph knew his place in the world. As a respected captain in a victorious army, he had triumph and promotion to look forward to. But crippling injury stole his future and war stole his friend. Belonging nowhere and with nothing left to lose, Toph accepts a challenge that could end his life: discover a secret the princesses will do anything to hide. 

Vicia is a princess, but powerless and in mourning. Her beloved brothers were killed in a war she’s beginning to question. Ever since she and her eleven sisters have become mere treasures for her stepfather the king to use to barter. A chance meeting with a frightened faery gave a wild hope that they may recover what they’ve lost. But it will cost a dance—and a dangerous secret. 

Soldier and princess must learn to rely on each other if they are to survive curses, slighted fae, and an enchanted lost land. Something dark and powerful lurks in the mists beyond the dance floor, conducting the steps… and time is running out. 

Purchase Link: Amazon

Add Book on Goodreads

About the Author: 

Abigail Falanga may be found in New Mexico creating magic in many ways – with fabric, food, paper, music, and especially with words! She’s loved fantasy ever since playing out epic adventures of swords, fairies, and monsters with her siblings, and loved sci-fi since her dad’s stories around the dinner table. Abigail has published nearly two dozen flash fiction stories across a variety of genres, having discovered that extra-short stories are a wonderful way to explore ideas without getting distracted by – Squirrel! But fantasy and fairytales are her first and truest loves. 

She's launching "The Floramancy Archives" - dark and epic fantasy reimaginings of classic tales, filled with plant-magic and portals, curses, and fae. 

Find her online at: Website || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Amazon

Enter the Giveaway here

Abby's Blog: A Soldier on the Road

Five Reasons to Read:
Knitted by God's Plan
Light and Shadows

Guest Posts:
Rachel Rossano's Words: Music Melded With Story
A Backwards Story: Sisters' Love

Character Spotlights:
Erudessa's News Blog: Toph
Dreams and Dragons: Vicia

Reviews:
Live. Love. Read.
A Synethete Writer
Blooming with Books
Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors
Paper, Ink, & Lizard
Isamonkey Reviews

Wrought of Silver and Ravens ~ Review

Wrought of Silver and Ravens
Of Magic Made #1

By E.J. Kitchens

First off let me just say I love this book and can't wait for the next one in the series. That being said you'll want to know why I loved this book. First off it isn't a read in a couple hours book and has some length to it which in my opinion is always a good thing unless it is just a repeat of what came before, which this book most definitely is not. Think of the A&E Pride and Prejudice mini-series versus a 2-hour theatrical movie release. You have more story to more fully flesh out the characters, the story-world, and the story itself. But it isn't too much - it is as Baby Bear would say "Just right!"

Athdar Owain Leonidas is hunted. His family is dead and he has become separated from his people. He is charged with keeping the llewod gwerthfawr safe and out of the clutches of those who would corrupt them. Surviving from one day to the next is all he can hope for at present.

Athdar never meant to become involved but when he comes upon a young man who has fallen prey to raiders - Athdar acts. But saving the Prince of Ciliosthay brings him into contact with the Silver Guard and the royal family. Unfortunately, the prince has fallen under a curse - a curse that has entrapped his sisters, as well. Athdar is a half-magic which allows him some control over magic but helping the royal family could reveal what he is. When you are hunted trust does not come easily and in a kingdom filled with Enchanters, someone is sure to discover him. 

Princess Thea and her sisters have been betrayed - and the newest apprentice of the Silver Guard is a young man of unknown origins. As a Realm Walker, Thea has powers most enchantresses do not possess, and as such few know of her gift for her own safety. But someone knows and has bound these seven enchantress princesses to dance every night. And they are unable to speak of what is happening to anyone, such is their curse. 

Princess Thea knows that once the dances end the Kingdom of Giliosthay will most likely come to an end - an end that will find her people enslaved and at the mercy of a cruel lord. Can the truth be discovered before it is too late?

Wrought of Silver and Ravens was a good read and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Elisabeth Anne Stengel or Melanie Dickerson's works. The pacing is just right and the characters are totally relatable and worth getting to know. I appreciate the clean-read aspect of this book making it appropriate for all but the youngest readers - Tweens and up should thoroughly enjoy this world. 

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:

Of Magic Made #1

The rarest magic is the most dangerous.

 Athdar Owain is a hunted wanderer, one determined to keep his secrets and the treasure he carries safe at all costs. When he rescues the Kingdom of Giliosthay’s prince from raiders, he’s rewarded by being forced into the king’s elite Silver Guard. While this gives Athdar a temporary home and some protection from those hunting him, it also makes him responsible for the young prince, who still bears curses from the raiders, and seven enchantress princesses with curses as mysterious and dangerous as their brother’s. 

Princess Thea of Giliosthay is a Realm Walker. Betrayed by a trusted guard, her rare gift of enchantment is used to curse her brother and trap herself and her six sisters into a nightly dance with dragons in a secret Realm. The Realm’s prince has the ability to take and twist her magic for his own purposes, and Thea fears what those might be. For when one dances with a prince, a kingdom might be at stake. 

Athdar alone can save them, but to trust enchanters is to risk exposure. And Athdar isn’t sure where his loyalties lie. 

Wrought of Silver and Ravens is a clean adventure-romance retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses set in The Magic Collectors story world. 

Purchase Link: Books 2 Read  Amazon 

Add Book on Goodreads

Author Bio:

E.J. Kitchens loves tales of romance, adventure, and happily-ever-afters and strives to write such tales herself. When she’s not thinking about dashing heroes or how awesome bacteria are—she is a microbiologist after all—she’s taking photos, reading, or talking about classic books and black-and-white movies. She is the author of the historical fantasy series THE MAGIC COLLECTORS and of several fairytale retellings. She is a member of Realm Makers and lives in Alabama. 

Find her online at: Website || Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Newsletter || Amazon

Enter the Tour Giveaway here

Tour Schedule

Five Reasons to Read:
Knitted by God's Plan
Light and Shadows

Author Interviews:
Abby's Blog

Guest Posts:
Erudessa's News Blog: Favorite Fairytale Dances
Dreams and Dragons: Worn Out Shoes but Not Worn Tales
Rachel Rossano's Words: The Writer Who Pricked Her Finger
Reality Reflected: A Dance through Time

Reviews:
Live. Love. Read. + Mini Interview!
A Synethete Writer
Blooming with Books
TJ's Musings
Paper, Ink, & Lizard
Selina J. Eckert + Mini Interview!
A Backwards Story

A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh ~ Review

A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh
Regency Brides: Daughters of Aynsley #1
By Carolyn Miller

If one read Carolyn Miller's previous book The Making of Mrs. Hale the opening chapter borrows a scene from that book in which we are introduced to Caroline Hatherleigh and Edward (Ned) Amherst. And from this chapter, a set of actions is put into place - one that finds Caroline being sent from London to Sidmouth, Devon, to the home of her grandmother Lady Aynsley. Fearing that Caroline's reputation could be tarnished by her association with Ned her mother would brook no opposition to her plan.

Gideon Kirby has taken refuge with his sister Emma in Sidmouth hiding he hopes from society and any chance of his true identity being discovered. Gideon has no time for courting or matters of the heart. He has come to the coastal region for two purposes - protect his sister and make a scientific discovery of renown. But his sister Emma has other plans once she makes the acquaintance of Miss Hatherleigh.

A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh is every bit as engaging a story as Carolyn Miller's previous Regency Brides series have been and it promises to an equally delightful series if this first book is any indication. This book doesn't have much in the way of interactions with previous characters as it mainly focuses on Caroline, Gideon, Emma and Lord Kenmore (friend of the Kirbys). I really liked how Caroline grew as a person through her interactions with her new acquaintances/friends. This change allowed her to see herself in a new light - one of a spiritual nature rather than through the looking glass of society.

This book falls in the gentle reads category but there are a few scenes that deal with the harsh realities of a world that is home to evil and sin. Overall a highly recommended read for any who enjoys Jane Austen, Regency fiction or historical English fiction.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher Kregel with no expectation but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Can a proper noble lady find a future with a fossil-hunting man of faith?

As the daughter of Viscount Aynsley, Caroline Hatherleigh knows every rule of society and she's always followed them precisely. But when she visits south Devonshire and encounters a fossil-hunting scientist and his sister, her assumptions about what is right are shaken. Questions she has never considered about the importance of friendship and faith suddenly confront her—and her comfortable understanding about how the world works is thrown off balance. What if God wants to be the center of her life, rather than merely a social obligation?

Gideon Kirby loves science, and hunting down proof of past lives is a joy he won't willingly give up. But his scientific leanings are being challenged both by his personal beliefs and by local smugglers in the Devonshire countryside. And every day his sister's illness becomes more desperate, her care growing more demanding. Adding a viscount's daughter to the mix is a complication Gideon never expected—especially since he must stay far away from this young woman he's falling for in order to protect his beloved sister's secret.

When a mysterious stranger visits the village, that secret will be exposed, no matter how Gideon fights. Then tragedy strikes in a smugglers' cave. And the threat of scandal may lead to broken hearts and passionless propriety. Will the shaky bond these two have nurtured be strong enough to overcome their differences, or will the trust they've withheld from each other tear three lives apart?

My Israel Trail ~ Spotlight with Snippet and Giveaway

My Israel Trail
By Aryeh Green

About the Book:

Genre:  Contemporary, Historical, Inspirational, Non-Fic, Memoir, Self-help, Religious
Publisher: Plain Sight/Cedar Fort
Publication date: May 1, 2018

Mayim Bialik calls the book a “fascinating journey” and “beautiful exploration of self and identity”. Natan Sharansky celebrates Aryeh’s “engaging passion and persistence”.
After his devastating divorce, which rocked his world and confounded his deeply-held optimism, Aryeh Green’s goal was to get his life back on track. His hike along The Israel National Trail enabled the discovery of a number of universal truths for living based on Jewish tradition.
In a uniquely moving and uplifting book, Aryeh invites you to join him on his trek, as he shares with you both a new perspective on Israel – the land, the country, its history and people – and illuminating insights from the experience.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

About the Author:

Aryeh Green is a passionate lover of Israel – the people, the land, the country, and the idea. Residing in or around Jerusalem for the past three decades, Aryeh lives and breathes a vibrant and living Judaism, which affects all he does – including serving as Chief Strategy Officer of EnergiyaGlobal, a Jerusalem-based renewable energy platform for Africa; as Director Emeritus of MediaCentral, providing services for the foreign press in the region; formerly as a senior advisor to Israel’s deputy prime minister Natan Sharansky; as a backyard vintner; and as a writer, activist, husband and father.

BOOK FACEBOOK | AUTHOR FACEBOOK | TWITTER

INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | WEBSITE

Snippet

I’m scared, standing on a thin ledge on the side of a cliff. To my left is a sheer rough wall; to my right, a drop of 30 feet or so to the river bed below. But directly ahead an angry tree blocks the way. (How does it hold to the side of the rock?) It seems threatening as it jumps in the hot wind. With about 50 pounds on my back, I’m too afraid of falling to turn around. Turn to the right and my backpack hits the rock face; turn to the left and the weight of the pack puts me off balance. And the boulders down below aren’t very welcoming.

What to do?

The trail leads into an abyss. Literally. I guess I’ve lost the path, which, while it’s happened before, has never been such a problem. Usually you just retrace your steps, find the last trail marker, and then pay a bit more attention to discover where you missed the next one. But here, on a cliff in Nachal Amud, the Stream of the Pillar connecting the holy city of Tzfat (Safed) with the Kinneret, the Sea of

Galilee, it’s just not that easy. Even with the backpack on (including the small guitar hanging from its side), just a minute or so ago I pretty nonchalantly leapt over a three-foot gap in the ledge a few paces back. But I just know—with all my casual confidence built up over the preceding weeks of hiking through Israel’s desert mountains and northern reaches—I can’t do it again.

That is, if I can even turn around on this one-foot-wide ledge.

It may be the perfect metaphor.

Sometimes you reach an impasse. Not only is it unclear what the next step is, but you’re also not sure how the heck you got there and are too scared to move. All the alternatives you can imagine are dangerous, or unpalatable, or frightening. You’re stuck, and the panic starts to rise.

Times of personal hardship, relationships, work situations, and other challenges we face test our mettle. Rabbi Herschel Schachter taught that the biblical “value” of a person in Vayikra, the Book of Leviticus, is calculated by his or her response to suffering and adversity. Elie Weisel and Victor Frankl took the personal and national horror of the Shoah/Holocaust and translated their experiences into timeless lessons for humanity. In Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl stresses the importance of having a goal to strive for, pushing us to move ahead, to take the next step, and the next.

My goal that day was to get to the Kinneret by nightfall (and not to plunge down the cliff face onto the rocks below). My grander goal was to finish what I’d started, hiking the Israel National Trail (“Shvil Yisrael”) from one end of our tiny country to the other. (It’s not that tiny—the Shvil runs some 1000 kilometers or 600 miles from the Red Sea in the South to the border with Lebanon in the North.) And after my devastating divorce, my ultimate goal was to get my life back on track, or to find a new track for myself.

I take three deep breaths—thank you, Thomas Crum—to calm down, focus, and discover the possibilities open before me; then I make a decision. Not moving my feet an inch, I lower the pack slowly to the ground, managing to lean it against the rock. Freed from the weight of the bag, I turn carefully and retrace my steps along the narrow path on the side of the cliff—jumping over the breach—and yes!—find the trail-marking high up on the rock face above an almost invisible foothold carved into the cliff. I did that ledge once with the pack, I know that; all I have to do now is convince myself I can do it again, this time in the opposite direction.

Retracing my steps, it’s funny, but when I (carefully!) heft the pack on my back, it seems somehow lighter, more manageable. It hasn’t changed; I have changed. Or rather, my attitude, my sense of self and sense of direction and purpose, my confidence and belief in my ability to walk the path, has changed.

It’s not that I’m no longer afraid; I just know I have it in me to keep going.

Sometimes we need to set aside our baggage and re-evaluate. My hike along the

Israel Trail—or my Israel Trail as I’m calling it—enabled the discovery, or rediscovery, of a number of essential truths for living. All come from the ancient wisdom of the

Torah and the rest of the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition, but at the same time they are universal and universally relevant for anyone seeking inner peace.

I was overwhelmed by the daunting challenges facing me—on the Trail, in my life, and at the national level. Every day brought a new difficulty, from scorching heat and impossible inclines to aching loneliness and crises of confidence, from news of family problems to news of terror attacks. I meditated on mountaintops and cried in dry creek beds; I wrote anguished journal entries and composed songs to lift my spirits. I looked back, and inward, and up to the night sky, and over the valley to the next mountain range, and down at the ants in the dirt, and back along the trail to see how far I’d come.

What I discovered on the Shvil was a sense of self, a sense of personal and national history…and a perspective of sorts on the human condition. These are my reflections, a meditation as it were on existence, relationships, happiness, challenges, and hope.

Giveaway

Giveaway ends 11:59pm MT on July 21st.

Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

July 16-Blooming with Books

July 17-Why Not? Because I Said So!

July 18-Paulette’s Papers

July 19-Singing Librarian Books

July 20-July 21-Heidi Reads…

Ralphie, Always Loved ~ Spotlight, Author Guest Post, and Giveaway

Ralphie, Always Loved

Book Details:

Book Title: Ralphie, Always Loved by Andrea Yerramilli
Illustrated by: Samantha Van Riet
Category: Children's Fiction, 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: About Something Good, LLC
Release date: October 28, 2017
Tour dates: April 9 to May 4, 2018
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

This is the story of the life, love, and adventures of a beloved family dog, and how he delighted and touched his family and everyone he met.

Ralphie was born with a heart on his belly.
He loves food, his family, his friends, his neighbors.
He loves pretty much everything and everyone.
And they love him back.
And that's how it is all through his life.
Read the book and fall in love with him too.

Rambunctious and hyperactive, Ralphie had already been returned to the animal shelter three times, but when Andrea and her husband adopted him and gave him a loving home where he was understood, accepted, and taught, he learned fast. As Ralphie's human family grew, so did his capacity for love and the ways he could express it. He remained a loving and beloved family member who touched the hearts of the whole neighborhood until he was ready to say goodbye at the grand-old age of sixteen. Ralphie, Always Loved will remind you of all that is good, and reaffirm your belief in love's power to uplift and transform.

Follow the tour by visiting Andrea Yerramilli's page on iRead Book Tours.

​

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Indiebound

Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Andrea has always been an avid reader and that jumpstarted her imagination at a very early age. In fact she escaped to the Land of Make Believe more often than her mother liked.

She is a former marketing professional who is a mom to kids both with and without fur. Andrea says that it helps to have one foot planted firmly in reality while the other is foot loose and fancy-free in Imagination Land. She enjoys the best of both worlds.

In 2013, Andrea and her husband started About Something Good (ASG) as a vehicle to curate, inspire and share goodness in the world. In a world where negative images flood the media, and words like “hate” get tossed around so easily, Andrea felt she needed a space that encouraged and focused on the words like “love” and the beauty that is life.

Andrea is committed to finding the good in everything and believes: that a sense of belonging to someone's heart is what makes us feel complete, that kindness goes a long way, and that keeping your mind and heart open can help when things happen that you don't understand.

Andrea lives in New Jersey with her husband and children.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends May 12, 2018

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Guest Post:

A Legacy of Love

by Andrea Yerramilli

Ralphie, Always Loved is a picture book about my beloved dog Ralphie. I wrote it because I wanted to keep him alive, both in the hearts and memories of those who knew and loved him, and by sharing him with people who otherwise would never have had the chance to meet him.

During the last year of Ralphie’s life, I focused very clearly on this little dog who had been with me for fifteen years. Every gray hair on his face made him more special. There’s something about an old dog who’s been around for a while and has perfected the art of loving and being loved. And my Ralphie was a pro! He had a way of looking right into your eyes and seeing into your soul, and when you looked back into his eyes, you were lost forever.

In January 2016, I started an Instagram account for Ralphie. I don’t really know what I hoped to achieve from it, but I did it anyway. The Instagram dog community, I found out, is a very supportive and loving group of people. Before long, Ralphie was a member of a much larger pack, and I was a member of an IG family. As the year went on, Ralphie found a voice and a group of friends who listened to what he had to say. We started to make a difference. Ralphie was building a legacy, a very loving one. RalphieAlwaysLoved aka The DogFather on Instagram was an old dog, one that pups looked up to. He made friends all over the world.

For his sixteenth birthday, we ran an Instagram event where we made sixteen donations to charities around the world with the help of sixteen Instagram accounts. In some cases, we made direct donations to a charity to which the particular account felt a special connection. In other cases, we sent the account a bunch of goodies, and they kept a few, added a bunch more of their favorite things, and then donated it to a local shelter of their choice. It was #MissionPawsible from a bunch of ALWAYSLOVED friends who made a difference. And it was a celebration that paid the love forward. 

Shortly after his sixteenth birthday, Ralphie was diagnosed with a splenic hemangiosarcoma. The outpouring of love and support from his many friends was tremendous. After Ralphie passed, thirty-seven Instagram accounts from around the world pooled resources, and a star in the Auriga constellation at the approximate coordinates 5h 19m 40.1 degrees was named Ralphie Always Loved. He’s up there shining down on us all. 

Ralphie is still spreading the light on Instagram. His memory and spirit are strong in those who love him. He still lives not only in my heart but also in hearts around the world; hashtags like #RalphieAlwaysLoved, #RalphiesHeart, #RalphiesLegacy, and #AlwaysLovedIsland keep his legacy alive.

First Love Forever ~ Book Blitz with Author Spotlight and Excerpt

First Love Forever Romance Collection
9 Historical Romances Where First Loves are Rekindled
by Susanne Dietze, Cynthia Hickey, 
      Marcia Gruver, Carrie Fancett        
      Pagels, Martha Rogers, Lorna Seilstad, 
      Connie Stevens, Jennifer Uhlarik, 
      and Erica Vetsch




About the Book:
A first love is never easily forgotten...and coming face to face with that person again can be awkward when the heartstrings are still holding on to the “what ifs.”

In settings from 1865 to 1910, nine couples are thrown back on the same path by life’s changes and challenges. A neighbor returns from law school. An heiress seeks a quick marriage. A soldier’s homecoming is painful. A family needs help. A prodigal son returns. A rogue aeronaut drops from the sky. A runaway bridegroom comes home. A letter for aid is sent. A doctor needs a nurse. Can love rekindle despite the separation of time and space?

Author Spotlight:

  Susanne Dietze: began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, n she's the award-winning author of a dozen new and upcoming historical romances. A pastor's wife and mom of two, she loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. 

You can visit her on her website, www.susannedietze.com, 
and sign up for her newsletter for an occasional cheery hello: http://eepurl.com/bieza5


First Things First 
by Susanne Dietze

1877 – South Texas: Texas rancher’s daughter Georgie Bridge mourned when her first love, Ward Harper, left town to study the law, but now he’s back — as opposing counsel in a case against her father.

Susanne Dietze

began writing love stories in high school, casting her

friends in the starring roles. Today,

she's the award-winning author of a dozen new and upcom

ing historical romances. A pastor's wife and

mom of two, she loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, the b

each, and curling up on the couch with a

costume drama and a plate of nachos. You can visit her on

her website,

www.susannedietze.com

, and

sign up for her newsletter for an occasional cheery hello:

http://eepurl.com/bieza5

First Things First

by Susanne Dietze

1877

–

South Texas: Texas rancher

’

s daughter Georgie Bridge mourned when her first love, Ward

Harper,

left town to study the law, but now he

’

s back

—

as opposing counsel in a case against her father.

Excerpt:
First Things First by Susanne Dietze
Wildrye, South Texas
Spring, 1977


For the first time in her twenty-three years of life, Georgia Bridge was rendered speechless.

“Georgie?”Pa removed his Stetson now they’d moved inside the courthouse vestibule.
He smoothed his gray-streaked brown curls and peered down at her, his brows furrowed. “The ledgers show missing cattle?”

She blinked in case her vision was somehow affected by the change in light, or because of the headache she’d had since studying Pa’s ledgers earlier—

Oh. Yes. The ledgers. Missing cattle. 

The matter lost its urgency at the sight of a man across the whitewashed vestibule. She blinked again. It was really him, all grown up, carrying a worn satchel and wearing a dark gray suit. Looking quite handsome in it too.

Pa's gentle touch on her shoulder drew her gaze back and jostled her tongue loose. “Ward.”

“Who?”

“Ward. Harper.”
Her childhood friend. One of her favorite school companions who, when she was fifteen or so, became her favorite companion, ever. He was at the house all the time until that day five years past. A day full of expectations and hope, until he walked out the door. 

Ward Harper had broken her heart, and while it had healed, she wasn’t sure it worked properly anymore. Even now, it thumped in her throat instead of her chest, pumping jitters through her veins and making it hard to breathe. 

A low whistle escaped Pa’s lips. 

“I’ll be. He’s changed a fair piece.”

He had and he hadn’t. His sandy-blond hair was shorter now, neater than it had ever been when
he was younger. His shoulders had broadened and stubble darkened his cheeks more than when
he was nineteen, last time she saw him. 

But those blue eyes were the same. And they widened when they met her stare across the crowded
vestibule. 

Ward’s gaze fixed on her longer than it should have, considering he
spoke with two gentlemen. She might have stared at him, too, had the mayor not blocked her view to greet Pa. 

After offering a brief hello to the mayor, she shifted position, the better to view Ward while
he talked to the fellows she didn’t recognize. 

He was back in Wildrye. For how long? When had he arrived?

Regardless, it was no wonder he found himself at the courthouse today. He’d probably viewed hundreds of trials since he went to study law at Baylor and then found an apprenticeship position
in Fort Worth. He’d enjoy today’s events, and not just because he studied law. No, he’d get a good laugh out of this ludicrous, so-called trial. 

To think, someone was suing Pa. 

Sure to be dropped immediately, this frivolous lawsuit was brought by a neighbor who hadn’t
fared as well as Pa in the financial panic of’73. Pa’s cattle ranch was thriving and his horse-breeding
business was ever growing, so more than one person thought he could try to squeeze something out of Pa, while assuming Pa wouldn’t even feel the pinch. 

Well, Pa did. Every loss hurt, not just her family, but the families who relied on Pa for employment. When Georgie found that discrepancy in the ledgers today, it looked as if the loss of stock would cost Bridge Ranch a few hundred dollars.

But folks like their neighbor Mr. Odell Norwood, who thought to make money off Pa today by quibbling over well-established water rights, clearly didn’t care about honesty or integrity.  

As the mayor moved off, Georgie bit back a harrumph. Pa’s business had grown the right way: legitimately, over time, with a great deal of hard work, patience, and care. He and Ma had been a team, building their home, family, and business together. They did not cheat their neighbors out of water, land, stock, or anything else.  

Ward should know that as well as anyone.  

Her heart plummeted from her throat to her stomach when he pulled away from his conversation and strode toward her. 

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But folks like their neighbor Mr. Odell Norwood, who thought to

make money off Pa

today by quibbling over well-established water rights, clearly d

idn

’

t care about honesty or

integrity.

As the mayor moved off, Georgie bit back a harrumph. Pa

’

s business had grown the right

way: legitimately, over time, with a great deal of hard wo

rk, patience, and care. He and Ma had

been a team, building their home, family, and business toge

ther. They did not cheat their

neighbors out of water, land, stock, or anything else.

Ward should know that as well as anyone.

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April 2

Book by Book

Edits and Reviews by Leslie

The Christian Fiction Girl

Reflections from My Bookshelves

Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Broken and Reclaimed

April 3

Faithfully Bookish

Fiction Aficionado

A Baker’s Perspective

For the Love of Books

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April 4

Remembrancy

By The Book

Heidi Reads…

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Blooming with Books

Singing Librarian Books

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