His Brother’s Atonement Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: His Brother’s Atonement

Author: Amy Walsh

Genre: Contemporary romance – western

Release date: April 26, 2022

Shane Phillips had given up hope of ever meeting the nephew born to the woman his brother assaulted. After checks he sent to Aubrey Anders were returned, Shane decided the most he could ever do was pray for the Anders family. When Shane discovers that he and Aubrey work for the same graphic arts company, he must find a way to assure her he means no harm before both Wyoming branches meet for a conference.

Aubrey thinks she has worked through most of her trauma with the help of her psychologist and loving community. However, meeting Shane Phillips seems to have unleashed suppressed anxiety and insecurity. But as their paths continue to intersect, Aubrey begins to wonder if Shane could be part of God’s plan for her despite their painful connection.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Amy Walsh is a 5th-grade teacher who loves teaching children about what she loves to do herself: reading and writing. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially hiking and camping. Amy also appreciates opportunities to share her faith through singing, teaching, and writing for her church family. Amy and her husband, Patrick, have three children: Bree, Spencer, Liz, and a son-in-law, Kyle. Amy and her family love to spend time together celebrating special occasions, listening to great music, swimming and kayaking, and having occasional ping pong tournaments.

More from Amy

Thank you for helping me spread the word about my first Whispers in Wyoming novel! I am thrilled to be part of this gospel and heritage-themed series! If you haven’t read any of the novels yet, you are in for a treat! There are thirty-three novels ahead of His Brother’s Atonement – and they are all STANDALONES, so they can be read in any order!

Meet Aubrey, Shane, and Jayson

Aubrey is a young mother and graphic designer from Engelmann, Wyoming. Her terrible experience during college has caused her to keep to herself. Aubrey has no close friends and has never dated. But her parents are supportive, her son keeps her happy and busy, and she loves her job. Aubrey believes she is doing pretty well emotionally until the brother of the man who assaulted her turns up in town.

Shane suffered quite a bit when his brother was tried and imprisoned for assaulting Aubrey. People actually turned their backs on his family, and Shane’s fiancé ended their engagement. Even worse was watching how it affected his parents. After Shane’s brother died in a freak prison accident, their mother spent several days in the ICU. For years, Shane has yearned to do something to help Aubrey and her son, wanting to atone for his brother’s terrible action. But Shane gave up hope of ever meeting his nephew years ago.

Jayson is Aubrey’s six-year-old son. He is obsessed with cowboys, horses, and the wild west. Art runs in Jayson’s genes from both sides of his family, so it is not surprising that he loves drawing and helping his grandpa with woodworking. Jayson never seemed to notice that he doesn’t have a dad, but when he finds out that his father died, he is so heartbroken that Aubrey promises to let him meet his uncle. So much for her thinking that she would never have to see Shane again!

The Creation of His Brother’s Atonement

I never really know when or how a story idea will enter my head. I can drive by a house that catches my eye, and the next thing I know, I am imagining the characters that live there and writing their story in my imagination. Sometimes watching the interactions of people prompts a story. Other times my ideas come from research.

For His Brother’s Atonement, there were a bunch of factors that came into creating Aubrey and Shane’s story as far as the setting. I had just been to a writing conference where one of the speakers said that many readers still love contemporary westerns. Adding to that, I had been following the multi-author group Whispers in Wyoming and other authors who wrote westerns, and I had been enjoying their posts. Additionally, one of my teacher friends has spent portions of her summers out west and I love to hear her talk about landscapes and small communities. A camping trip to Yellowstone and other western parks has been high on my bucket list for several years.

As for the situation that Aubrey is in, how she became a single mother and how she now deals with anxiety, her story just came to me while I was brainstorming. Her and her son’s personalities developed in my mind as if they were real people. I have wondered what it must be like to have a family member who is a criminal, the conflicting emotions it must bring: to still love that person; to be ashamed for what that person has done; to yearn to find a way to help the victim. So I am sure those thoughts helped me create Shane’s struggles.

I wrote most of Aubrey and Shane’s story while I was spending nights with my grandmother in hospice. Grammy was often sleeping while lovely hymn instrumentals were playing, and I felt as though I was in a sacred space. I think some of my own inner struggles with trusting God’s sovereignty, with remembering that God does work out everything for our good, may have become part of the novel. And in the last chapter when Aubrey prays during the Thanksgiving dinner, you can see some of my own angst about life changing and my own feelings of grief being resolved.

His Brother’s Atonement is a fundraiser!

As I was researching for this novel, I read too many firsthand accounts of women who had been assaulted and the devastating effects of the violence in their lives. According to rainn.org, every 68 seconds another American is assaulted, and one out of every six American women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. According to multiples sources, there are at least 30,000 rape-related pregnancies in the U.S. each year. Sexual violence is a significant problem in the U.S., and in other countries around the globe, it is even more rampant.

As I was delving into Aubrey’s thoughts and pondering how her assault had affected her and her family, I decided that I needed to do more to help women and children who have been victimized. As a first step, ten percent of the profits from the sales of His Brother’s Atonement will be donated to Heaven’s Family. To find out more about this organization, follow this link: https://www.heavensfamily.org/ministries/victims-of-sexual-violence/

Here is the recipe for Nana Ander’s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pie. Bloggers can copy and paste or just share the link.

https://walshmountainpublishing.com/2022/03/26/nana-anders-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-pie/

Shane and Aubrey’s Anti-Meet-Cute

Aubrey and Shane don’t get to have a “meet-cute”, you know that sweet moment when a couple-to-be meet for the first time? In fact, when Aubrey sees Shane across Engelmann Park, she almost has a panic attack thinking that he is the man who assaulted her.

In the next book about Engelmann Wyoming, Portrait of Redemption, Cody will help Shane set up a “meet-cute” redo. I think it is so adorable that Shane wants to do that for Aubrey!

Two special characters mentioned in His Brother’s Atonement are from another of my novels, Elsie Whitmore. Elsie meets famous actor Graham Thurston for the first time when he tracks her down at her school, determined that she will audition for a movie he is producing. A somewhat spoiled star, he is annoyed that she hasn’t taken calls from his talent agency, so he is cold and judgy during their first meeting. In return, she thinks it is ridiculous for Graham to assume that she would consider giving up teaching just because he liked one of her YouTube videos. They also do not have a cute first meeting!

Here is my meet-cute! I worked part time at a Sears in a mall while I was going to college. My husband, Pat, was a loss prevention agent there. A coworker who had a crush on Pat asked me to draw a Christmas card for her to give to him. In the PS, she told Pat that I was the one that illustrated the card. That led to Pat investigating who I was, and soon he was regularly stopping by my register at Sears to make small talk. He would have silly excuses to stop by, like having me help him put a baby outfit on a stuffed animal to purchase for his nephew. It could have become very awkward if my co-worker hadn’t developed a crush on someone else in the meantime!

During the launch party for His Brother’s Atonement, some of the readers shared the stories of their first meeting with their husbands. Some were adorable, and some were so awkward. Have you shared your “meet-cutes” with your children and grandchildren? Surprisingly it is something we forget to talk about, but it is part of their heritage!

Author Interview

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I think I have some unique favorite places to write:

One of the best writing opportunities is when my husband is playing one of his role playing XBox games in bed and I am snuggling next to him. If he were watching a show, it would be too distracting, but his games are boring enough (to me) and the background noise is repetitive enough for me to stay in my own characters’ heads. This is a great writing situation because it provides no-guilt writing time of togetherness!

Another of my favorite places to write is on the trampoline in the backyard. I pull it under our giant spruces so it is partially in the shade. When I am writing, I stay on the shady side. When I need to stretch and get some sun, I roll over to the other side. When I need exercise, I put my laptop down on the chair next to the trampoline and I can run and jump and listen to some music. And the entire time I am outside, I can listen to birds singing and feel like I haven’t wasted the day indoors.

Is there a particular literary period that you’re drawn to (Regency, Victorian, Romantic, Modernism, etc.)? Why?

I adore the Victorian Era. To be honest, I am a bit drawn to strange and morbid things, and the Victorians were also drawn to the strange and morbid. Some of their beliefs and traditions are so bizarre!
I also love studying contrasts and unearthing hypocrisies. Perhaps Charles Dickens said it best, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Charles Dickens is an example of these extremes himself. This same Victorian author whose writing instilled a global compassion for the impoverished treated the woman he had pledged to love until death terribly. The story of the Dickens Marriage is heartbreaking.

Two of my novels so far take place in the later part of the Victorian Era, both in the 1880s: A Misplaced Beauty and A Dark Lustre.

Describe your book in five words.

God redeeming a hopeless situation

What are your hobbies?

I love so many things. Sometimes I only have time to dabble due to my work and writing schedule, but I would love to have the hours in each day extended so I could focus on these more! Some of my favorite things to do are: reading, singing, racquet sports, hiking, arts and crafts, fancy teas, antiquing/ thrifting, card games/murder mystery games. I also love to “research” via traveling adventures!

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

I have so many wonderful people in my life that inspire me and hold me to a higher standard of diligence, discernment, and compassion.

One special person who I would hope to emulate is my Grandpa Cooley. He laughed all the time and he enjoyed the simple things of life. He would laugh until he cried reading Dr. Seuss books to his grandkids, no matter how many times he had already read them. He enjoyed sitting on his porch watching birds, and he delighted in visiting with people.

Grandpa had such a giving spirit and he was so consistent in noticing the needs of others and being willing to sacrifice for others. His pockets were deep in supporting missionaries, those in the community who were struggling, and taking care of his own family. He gave of his time so willingly. Some Sundays, he did multiple rounds of picking up people who needed rides to church. Since he lived in the country, those multiple rounds might have meant a couple hours of driving before the service started.

He never said an unkind word about others and his love for others was truly unconditional even though he had very high standards for himself as far as his convictions.

Grandpa was an avid reader. He would read every book that I borrowed from the library, borrowed, or purchased no matter the genre. We read everything from Georgette Heyer to Trixie Beldon to Louis L’Amour to Frank Peretti. And I will never forget his wild laughter while reading Patrick McManus and Gilbert Morris’s Barney Buck series.

Grandpa Whitmore, from Elsie Whitmore: A Star of Oak Hills, is a character very much like my Grandpa Cooley. He even tells a story about his siblings and a box of “donuts” that my grandfather told about his own brothers.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, September 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 24

deb’s Book Review, September 25

Inklings and notions, September 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 29

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 1

A Baker’s Perspective, October 2 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, October 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For the Love of Literature, October 4 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, October 4

Pause for Tales, October 5

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 6 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, October 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Amy is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 gift card along with His Brother’s Atonement, a Rocky Mountains Shirt and a Rocky Mountains wooden bookmark!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/21a6a/his-brother-s-atonement-celebration-tour-giveaway

Calm in the Mountain Storm Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Calm in the Mountain Storm

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: September 13, 2022

This epic journey will test his strength and ability to protect his children—and they’re all he has left.

When Elise Lane and her brother set out as missionaries to the native tribes in the Rocky Mountains, she knew the work would be challenging. But nothing fully prepared her for the hardships, nor the joys of getting to know the people. And even more so when some of them decide to accept God’s grace. When they discover the entire village where they’ve been working has been massacred, the mysterious brave standing at the edge of the devastation appears to be part of the danger. Especially when Elise realizes he’s holding a baby she recognizes as the daughter of one of the women who now lies dead.

Gone far too long on a mission to return his son who’d been taken by an enemy war party, Goes Ahead is relieved to return home with the boy. Until they reach their village, and the death they find there ignites his fury. His wife has been killed, along with all their friends and neighbors. No one is left alive—except their infant daughter. It can’t be coincidence that both his children have survived such evils. Now he must keep them alive and cross the mountains to return to his family, people who can help protect his family from further danger.

Traveling with an infant not yet four moons old—and no mother to feed her—is more than even Goes Ahead can overcome. Allowing the white strangers to accompany him seems the only choice since one in their party is already nursing a babe of her own. As winter closes in and the mountains prove treacherous beyond anything Goes Ahead can control, only a strength and love greater than his own can save his children—and the woman he’s come to love.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Early Missionaries to the Rocky Mountain Native American Tribes

One of the things I love about writing stories set in the 1830s Rocky Mountains is that Eastern civilization hadn’t yet touched the frontier. The only people who lived in or visited the Rockies during that were Native Americans and mountain men (usually trappers, but sometimes just explorers).

From that limited experience with white people, two of the native tribes realized they wanted to learn more about the white man’s God and his “Book of Heaven” (the Bible). In 1831, a delegation of four Native Americans—two Nez Perce and two Flathead—showed up in St. Louis, Missouri, asking for someone to come and teach their people about God.

Over the next several years, a number of people went west as missionaries, and this was the real-life inspiration for the heroine in Calm in the Mountain Storm. Though the characters in this story are fictional, the events certainly could have happened!

When Elise Lane heard that the Indians actually wanted to learn about God and simply needed someone to come tell them, she knew she had to answer that call. Of course, her brother Benjamin couldn’t let her go into that danger alone, so together, they set out on an expedition they knew would likely change them forever. Elise doesn’t have any idea exactly how much!

I pray you enjoy reading the story of Elise and Goes Ahead, the brave she meets who’s desperate for help getting his young children across the mountains. As with our hero and heroine in the story, I pray your faith is inspired!

Blessings!

Misty

My Review

This series just keeps getting better, and each title that releases becomes my new favorite! Even as an historical fiction aficionada, I am always impressed by Misty Beller’s ability to create new plotlines set in the Rocky Mountains with the same general cast of characters without any redundancy ever marring the narrative. Add to that the thrill of wilderness adventure and a sweet romance, and the Call of the Rockies series always exceeds my expectations! Calm in the Mountain Storm, book nine, appealed to me by the title alone, and I appreciate how the storm reflects both the natural phenomenon as well as that which occurs within us at times.

From the first heartrending chapter, Calm in the Mountain Storm dives headfirst into the grittiness and reality of frontier life in the early 1830s, as experienced by a group of missionaries. Elise Lane and her brother, Ben, joined by Lola and her husband, White Owl (a couple whose story is told in Grace on the Mountain Trail), travel to various tribal villages to introduce them to the God of the Bible: “In every village where they stopped to share the gospel, the people there would be resistant until a single person finally softened. Then one by one, others would come to meet the Lord for themselves.” Beller does not shy away from the challenges of this lifestyle, presenting it authentically yet without graphic details, even when the opening scene reveals the aftermath of a massacre survived by a single infant, whose warrior father returns with his young son to find the mother of his children dead with the rest of her tribe. Despite his deep distrust and disdain for the missionary party, he has no choice but to travel with them on his way to his own home village. The Lord works in mysterious ways, indeed.

One of the facets of Beller’s novels that I appreciate the most is the dual perspective that provides readers insight into both the Native American and white viewpoints. Realizing and recognizing such differences between people groups is just as important today, too, but can be easy to overlook. In Calm in the Mountain Storm, it becomes evident that Christianity is countercultural to the Native American way of life in general, and to that of Goes Away in particular. No matter how strong or capable we are, we will never be enough on our own because we all fall short and need the Savior, Jesus, who also provides strength in our weakness. The most incredible part is how, when the Lord is actively made a part of the equation, the two contrasting perspectives are brought together and reconciled, without either being cast aside. In the midst of prejudice, Elise’s frustration is no less apropos today: “Why couldn’t everyone let a person’s character stand for itself without worrying over their race or how they lived?” Then, as now, our faith must be demonstrated and lived out through our actions and not merely through words, because that is how we will reach people for Christ. Scripture is essential, yes, but only if we apply it to our lives.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 16

Texas Book-aholic, September 17

Holly’s Book Corner, September 17

Inklings and notions, September 18

Pause for Tales, September 19

Betti Mace, September 19

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 20

For Him and My Family, September 21

Blossoms and Blessings, September 22

deb’s Book Review, September 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 24

Connie’s History Classroom, September 25

For the Love of Literature, September 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 27

Mary Hake, September 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/21812/calm-in-the-mountain-storm-celebration-tour-giveaway

Taming Julia Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Taming Julia

Author: Jodie Wolfe

Genre: Christian fiction

Release date: November 2011

In 1875, Kansas bachelor Drew Montgomery’s sole desire is to serve God, but his congregation’s ultimatum that he marry or leave, forces him to advertise for a wife by proxy.

Jules Walker strides into Drew’s life wearing breeches and toting a gun and saddle–more cowboy than bride. After years on the trail, she’s not exactly wife material, but she longs for home and family, and will do anything to ensure Drew never discovers what she really is.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers, and COMPEL Training. She’s been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania.

More from Jodie

I love mail-order bride stories, so I wondered what would happen if a pastor advertised for a genteel woman and the opposite showed up instead. I thought I could further complicate things by having the couple marry by proxy before she even arrives. Just that scenario alone made for a fun story to write.

My heroine, Jules Walker moved to Kansas from Texas to be a mail-order bride, even though she didn’t know what that was at the time. For most of her adult life, she’s helped her brother track outlaws in Texas as part of his job as a deputy US Marshal.

As part of the story, she has to come to terms with a traumatic event in her past. I won’t share more so I don’t spoil it for you, but I needed somewhere in Texas for this incident to take place. Because my husband’s aunt and uncle live in Texas, they were a wealth of resources when it came to accurately describing the area. One place in particular is called the Narrows and it’s situated close to them, but it’s on private property.

A couple years ago, I had the opportunity to travel and visit them. We received special permission to go on the private ranch and see the Narrows. It’s an unexpected area with sharp limestone rocks, and a deep cavern carved out by the Blanco River. Most times, it’s a sleepy waterway, but when the area has a flash flood, water rushes through the cavern and often to the top. When this happens, you can hear the water gushing from far away.

I so enjoyed being able to see the area first-hand. There are places where the water is shallow and others that are extremely deep pools. It has such a distinct beauty. At some point I hope to use this setting in another book.

That’s a small snapshot into how Taming Julia came to life. I hope you’ll enjoy the story of two unlikely people who are thrown together.

Author Interview

When/how did you decide to become a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was a little girl. I wrote a poem in second grade as a school writing assignment. Soon after I was writing little stories and stapling them together to make a ‘book’. I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up.

Which author has most influenced your own writing?

That’s too hard to pinpoint. Although I can say that my love of historical fiction began as a child watching and reading Little House on the Prairie series.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Good question. I don’t know that it’s a quirk, but I try and finish my writing for the day by ending in the middle of a scene where things are still unresolved, so I have a place that’s easy to get back into writing the next day.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I don’t know that I have a standard schedule other than I try and write Monday through Friday during the day while my husband is working. I finish up before I know he’ll be heading home and take weekends off so we can spend time together unless I’m under a deadline.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I consider myself a plotster. 🙂 I often have a general idea of where the plot is going to head, but I allow my characters to lead. They often take me where I didn’t think they would go.

Do you have a favorite or special place to write?

Most times it’s at home, in my office. Although I’ve had some time this spring where I was helping out with the grandchildren which meant taking my computer with me and squeezing writing time in between naps.

Is there a particular literary period that you’re drawn to (Regency, Victorian, Romantic, Modernism, etc.)? Why?

For me, it’s the Victorian Era. I think it’s because of reading those Little House on the Prairie books.

Describe your book in five words.

Quirky, poignant, feisty character, faith-filled.

Which one of your characters speaks most to your heart? Why?

Definitely Jules from Taming Julia. She’s different than any other female character I’ve ever written. She’s naïve because she hasn’t been exposed to much in her life, but she has a heart for others.

Do you ever hide things in your stories for readers to find?

Not so much, although I do try to have a thread of mystery in each of them that I hope the reader doesn’t figure out right away. 🙂

What are your hobbies?

Reading, knitting, walking, and spending time with my husband.

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

My husband. He’s my hero. He’s the one who is always encouraging me and my writing.

What is your favorite book?

I can’t pick just one. I do have some favorite authors – Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer, and Kristi Ann Hunter.

Do you prefer traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Definitely traditional books. There’s nothing like the feel of the pages and the smell of a new book. 🙂

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, or is there a particular Bible story that really resonates with you?

It’s changed through the years. Right now, the one I keep going to is John 14:27 (NIV) which says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

If you could live inside a book, which one would it be?

There’s no way I can choose, sorry. 🙂

If you could meet one author, living or passed, who would it be?

Perhaps Laura Ingalls Wilder since her works impacted my life.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Trust God and His timing. He’ll bring about publication in His way and His timing.

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, May 25 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 25

Texas Book-aholic, May 26

Simple Harvest Reads, May 27 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, May 28

deb’s Book Review, May 29

For the Love of Literature, May 30 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 1

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 2

Connie’s History Classroom, June 3

Inklings and notions, June 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 5

Blossoms and Blessings, June 6 (Author Interview)

Vicarious Living, June 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jodie is giving away the grand prize of an audio CD of 12 historical novels and novellas. Stories of chivalry, adventure and romance!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1e36a/taming-julia-celebration-tour-giveaway

Peace in the Mountain Haven Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Peace in the Mountain Haven

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian historical romance

Release date: March 15, 2022

This epic journey is her best chance to find the family she and her daughter long for.

Watkuese is desperate to return across the Rocky Mountains before winter sets in. Time is running out for her to get her adopted daughter back to the familiar surroundings of the Shoshone village before the grief of her parents’ death causes irreparable damage.

Hugh Charpentier has spent his life watching over his siblings, which meant also ensuring his brother’s widow and babe are settled well into their new life. Now he’s asked to help shepherd a woman and child he barely knows across the mountains. As hard as it is to keep up with a six-year-old in the treacherous Rockies, it’s not nearly as dangerous as risking his heart to a woman and child who may not ever be his.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

Click HERE to get your copy! $3, $15, $30

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

What do you love most about this genre?

I tend to be a bit of a sentimentalist, so Historical Romance is perfect for me! My favorite period is between 1800 – 1880, when the west was still an extreme frontier. I love the simpler life, where there’s no rat race. Just hard work, plenty of alone time (can you tell I’m an introvert?), and a strong family unit.

Are readers always promised a “happily ever after” in your novels? Why or why not?

Absolutely! I read as an escape, so that happily ever after is important to me. I know my characters will face challenges after the story ends, but I want to finish the book knowing they’ve grown through the story and will be able to meet future struggles with God’s strength and the support of each other—as well as family and friends!

How can readers connect with you?

I love to connect with readers! One of my favorite ways is through my newsletter, and readers can get a free copy of my book, A Pony Express Romance, when they sign up for the newsletter. Here’s the link for that: https://mistymbeller.com/freebook

My Review

In the current politically-charged, divisive culture that has seemingly permeated every aspect of society, it is a great relief to be able to escape into a novel for a breath of fresh air. How much more so when the characters are diverse and their conflicts acknowledged without sugarcoating, yet also without propagandized dogma. This is just one of the many reasons that Misty Beller is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, as her “Call of the Rockies” series continues with book seven, Peace in the Mountain Haven. As I often observe with regard to series, this one can be read as standalones, but it is most thoroughly enjoyed in chronological order.

Set in the Clearwater River Valley in 1831 in what will later become the Idaho Territory, Peace in the Mountain Haven tells Watkuese and Hugh Charpentier’s stories. A feature of this tale that I found especially interesting is the fact that neither main character is a practicing Christian at the beginning; in my opinion, this makes things more challenging for the author, but Beller still infuses the Christian element into the narrative in a believable manner. Despite the ethnic differences between them, both characters share similar struggles and are outliers of a sort amongst their own people. Watkuese possesses a fiercely independent nature that has led her to forge her own path in life and to resist being cowed by any man. When this comes to a head, she exclaims, “I am so weary of everyone thinking they know what’s best for me. My entire life, men think they know what’s best for me…I have a mind of my own, and I know what I want.” Much the same can be said of her adopted daughter, six-year-old Pop-pank, who has not come to terms with her grief over the death of her parents.

Holding people at arm’s length is Hugh’s approach to life after his childhood experiences, and his younger brother Louis is the only person he feels comfortable around. After all, “When it came to other people, he never could get it right.” His aloof disposition puts him in the ideal place to serve the Lord’s purposes, even if he hasn’t given God much thought over the years. Because of what he believes about himself and the ensuing gulf in his spiritual life, “He’d worked so hard not to let himself care or get too close to others. He was saving them from himself and making things easier on everyone when he left. Keeping his distance was necessary.” However, while God does not always heal by removing the pain, sometimes he uses our broken pieces to join us together with others who also need restoration, like a puzzle that only comes together when He is the builder. The best part of both Watkuese and Hugh’s journeys is when they come to the end of themselves and recognize that peace ultimately comes from the “Creator Father,” who is the only One who can be our true safe haven.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 8

Miriam Jacob, April 8

Texas Book-aholic, April 9

Inklings and notions, April 10

Mary Hake, April 10

For Him and My Family, April 11

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 12

deb’s Book Review, April 12

Betti Mace, April 13

Bizwings Blog, April 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 14

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 15

Connie’s History Classroom, April 16

For the Love of Literature, April 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 17

Splashes of Joy, April 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 18

Blossoms and Blessings, April 19

Pause for Tales, April 20

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c94c/peace-in-the-mountain-haven-celebration-tour-giveaway

Honor in the Mountain Refuge Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Honor in the Mountain Refuge

Author: Misty Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 9, 2021

This epic journey is his last chance to start a new life.

After being cast out of his Blackfoot village for his kindness to the Nez Perce captives, Chogan travels west in search of meaning for his life. Meaning that doesn’t require killing or torturing innocent people. Though the lovely face of Telípe, a Nez Perce woman, is imprinted on his heart, he avoids her village. She deserves a happy life with her husband and coming child.

With her husband dead and the birth of her babe imminent, Telípe’s reality looks nothing like she planned. She’s been forced to return to the village where she grew up and the chaos of her family’s lodge—with all her boisterous younger brothers. She desperately desires to start a new life for herself and the babe growing within her, but she can’t seem to climb above the mire of her past. When she stumbles into the brave who’d shown her kindness during her captivity, something ignites within her—a new hope.

Chogan’s determination to stay and help Telípe is thwarted by her people’s fear and hatred for his tribe—especially since he was among last winter’s kidnappers. It doesn’t matter that he did everything he could to keep her and her unborn child safe and comfortable during that awful event. But as a new predator threatens the safety of the village, Chogan determines to take down the massive wildcat that’s already injured several children—including one of Telípe’s younger brothers. When the danger escalates, Chogan is faced with an impossible choice. No matter which option he chooses, his life will never be the same—nor that of the woman he’s come to love.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty

When minor characters get their own story!

One of the things I love about writing in series is the chance for minor characters to become major characters, with fascinating lives and personalities of their own! The heroine in Honor in the Mountain Refuge, Telipe, first appeared in Light in the Mountain Sky as Meksem’s little sister who was kidnapped by a band of Blackfoot warriors. Even when I’m the writer, characters often surprise me by doing things very differently than what I expected!

Telipe did exactly that in one of the final scenes of that previous book. When Meksem and her friends showed up to rescue Telipe and the other captives, Telipe actually braced herself in front of one of one of her Blackfoot captors, stopping anyone from injuring him. Why would she do that?

In that book, Telipe only says that the man had been kind to her when the other warriors were not. I knew there HAD to be more though.

I pray you enjoy learning Telipe’s story as much as I did, including how that Blackfoot brave she protected shows up again in the most unexpected of places!

My Review

In this sixth book of the Call of the Rockies series, Misty Beller pens another engaging adventure. As with the prior books, Honor in the Mountain Refuge can be read as a stand-alone but continues the story of former characters and is best appreciated chronologically. Set in the Clearwater River Valley in the future Idaho Territory in the summer of 1831, this narrative follows Telipe, the Nez Perce half-sister of Meksem who was kidnapped by the Blackfoot in book 3, Light in the Mountain Sky. She has returned, pregnant, to her home village after the death of her husband, yearning for “her own life again, free from the pressure to wed a man she couldn’t even bring herself to like.” She misses her former life and finds it difficult to deal with the commotion of her younger brothers, but she doesn’t know where her future lies.

Feeling similarly displaced, Chogan has been disowned by his father and the Blackfoot tribe whose bloodthirst he has never shared. As one of Telipe’s former captors, he ensured her wellbeing, and when they encounter each other in the woods, Chogan wonders if he was led here for a reason. Telipe feels understandably unsettled about him: “He was such a mystery, this man. Enemy, yet friend. Fierce warrior, yet gentle and kind. Undecided, yet determined.” I think that this unlikely pair is a large part of the reason that I found Honor in the Mountain Refuge so compelling. There were a few times during my reading that I questioned the odds of certain circumstances happening, but then again, that is part of the point; sometimes we encounter impossible situations in order for the Lord to step in to achieve what only He can, and sometimes things happen to reveal to us the divine intervention at work behind them.

Beller creates a unique model of harmonious collaboration within Telipe’s village, one that reminds me of the body of Christ. Besides the indigenous Nez Perce tribe, there are interracial couples, trappers, and native Blackfeet. Telipe amusedly remarks to herself, “Conversation flowed freely among the group, sometimes in Nimiiputimpt, sometimes in English. And she couldn’t be certain, but it seemed like every so often, a bit of the French tongue slipped in. There was such a mix of nationalities and languages represented in this group that it was a wonder anyone could follow along. Often, Elan or Beaver tail would lean forward and translate something said into a language the rest could understand.” The first thing that came to mind while reading this description was the “great multitude” spoken of in Revelation 7:9. It is a beautiful depiction of what the church should be like here on earth, too, and it dovetails well with the faith journey of the main characters. When people see the peace and joy that our faith produces in us and experience the Lord working through us, they will be more inclined to seek the Savior.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 9

Texas Book-aholic, November 10

Inklings and notions, November 11

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 11

Splashes of Joy, November 12

For Him and My Family, November 12

lakesidelivingsite, November 13

deb’s Book Review, November 14

Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 15

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 15

Vicarious Living, November 16

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 16

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 17

For the Love of Literature, November 18

Connie’s History Classroom, November 18

Betti Mace, November 19

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 19

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 20

Blossoms and Blessings, November 20

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, November 21

Through the Fire blogs, November 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 22

Pause for Tales, November 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/12f8d/honor-in-the-mountain-refuge-celebration-tour-giveaway

Faith in the Mountain Valley Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Faith in the Mountain Valley

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 15, 2021

This epic journey is the only way to leave her secrets behind.

After eleven years spent looking for the girl who stole his heart, Jean-Jacques Baptiste—better known as French to his friends—is tempted to give up. Until the day he spotted the flaxen-haired stranger traveling the wooded path with Blackfoot Indians. He never imagined he’d find his childhood friend masquerading as a man in this Rocky Mountain wilderness, hundreds of miles from the Canadian town where he last saw her. No matter her reasons, he can’t let her go this time.

Colette Mignon’s life has become a cacophony of lies, including the fact that her Blackfoot Indian companions believe she’s a man. She’s willing to live the taxing life of a trapper in these desolate mountains as long as it keeps her secrets hidden. When her childhood friend and first love discovers her, his determination to help might put everything at risk.

As the worst of her past threatens to catch up with her, the hope for Colette’s new life shatters. But no matter what, she must protect the one good thing that came from all her mistakes. Though French is determined to stay at her side, she can’t let him become entangled in the perilous consequences of her actions. If only it wasn’t so painful to push him away. The danger pressing in may leave her only one choice—leave everything behind…again.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Click HERE to get your copy!

More from Misty

Ever Played Dress-up?

I’ll bet most of us played “Let’s Pretend” when we were kids. Maybe you dressed up as a princess, or a knight, or a soldier. When we were little, my grandmother had a secondhand wedding dress she let us play with. It had the long train and veil that dragged several feet behind a grown woman. We spent so many fun hours dressing up and pretending. And of course, there were all the times my older brother and I played cowboys as we rode our horses.

With so much experience playing dress-up and “let’s pretend,” I thoroughly enjoyed writing the story of a heroine who pretended to be a man! And not just a fellow around town. She joined up with a group of five Blackfoot braves and attempted to pass herself off as a man for weeks while she lived in their camp, trapping alongside them!

She had a good reason for attempting the ruse, and you can find out if she pulls it off in Faith in the Mountain Valley. This might be my favorite of all the books in the Call of the Rockies series. I pray you enjoy it too!

My Review

Book five in Misty Beller’s Call of the Rockies series, Faith in the Mountain Valley takes readers on a journey through future Idaho Territory that is both poignant and inspiring. I am always impressed by this author’s ability to craft a multiplicity of stories with the same general setting and genre without them becoming repetitious or formulaic. Even though I would not consider myself much of a romance fan, I do love this series; it is undeniably romantic, but in a gentle manner, entwined within the Christian message and the adventure of the nineteenth-century wilderness. The stories can be easily transplanted into a contemporary context because the issues that the characters face are relevant across time periods.

Those familiar with the series will recall the group’s storyteller and entertainer, Jean-Jacques Baptiste (nicknamed French), and Faith in the Mountain Valley gives us his story. As such, while these books can be read as standalones, I would recommend reading them in chronological order; doing so will provide insight into the characters and nuances of the tales that would otherwise be overlooked. Of the five books in this series thus far, this one is my favorite. French is one of the characters to whom I’ve been the most drawn, and I was glad to find out more of his story, which dovetails with that of Colette Mignon. Interestingly enough, I will admit that she is not my favorite character, but even so, Beller makes her sympathetic by explaining her past, from the time she and her family moved away from Jean-Jacques. One aspect of the characters Beller employs in her novels that I appreciate the most is the inclusion of both whites and Native Americans as both primary and secondary characters. I enjoy learning by observing how their cultures interact with one another, including the various tribes.

Among the most prominent themes in this story are trust of other people and of God, and not running ahead of God and His plan for your life. Jumping to conclusions, while easy to do, rarely brings right assumptions and often results in unnecessary pain. French’s eleven years of searching for Colette reminded me of the Biblical figures who also had to wait, only receiving what they prayed for and were promised when it seemed that all hope was lost. Sometimes we need to be forced to wait in order to understand that ultimately God is the One who provides, and that we are incapable of doing anything without Him. Not only that, but it is in the trials that our faith develops, as Colette reflects: “At first, I was thinking of how much pain we could have missed if we’d reached this point sooner. But then God reminded me how much I’ve grown through the hard times. This moment is so much better for who I’ve become. Who we both are now.” This statement sums up Faith in the Mountain Valley, pointing to the blessed Scriptural promise of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all thing God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, June 8

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 8

Texas Book-aholic, June 9

Blessed & Bookish, June 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 10

Inklings and notions, June 11

Betti Mace, June 12

For Him and My Family, June 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 13

Connie’s History Classroom, June 14

cats in the cradle blog, June 14

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, June 15

deb’s Book Review, June 15

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 16

Mary Hake, June 16

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 17

Reviewingbooksplusmore, June 17

For the Love of Literature, June 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 19

Blossoms and Blessings, June 19

The Adventures of a Travelers Wife, June 20

Splashes of Joy, June 21

Jeanette’sThoughts, June 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10d0a/faith-in-the-mountain-valley-celebration-tour-giveaway

Courage in the Mountain Wilderness Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Courage in the Mountain Wilderness

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 6, 2021

Keeping her son safe on this epic journey may be harder than she imagined.

Caleb Jackson is on a journey. And not just the mission he and his friends have embarked on to fetch the Nez Perce chief’s runaway daughter. Maybe someday, he could also find God’s plan for his life. He’d once thought being a small town minister was the Lord’s will for him, but he’d proved a failure at living under the scrutiny of his congregation. Yet the chief’s niece and her feisty toddler accompanying them on this expedition make him feel like he might be able to make a difference yet.

Otskai is eager to take on a challenge. She’s lived under the shelter of other’s choices her entire life, especially when she was betrothed to one of the village braves at the tender age of eight. Now with her husband dead, she’s finally found the freedom she always craved—even with a two-year-old to raise. She’s built her camas root harvest into a thriving trade to provide all she and her son need and more, yet she can’t seem to keep her active child safe. When she agrees to accompany her new friends on a trip to bring back her wayward cousin, she knows she’ll have her hands full managing her boy.

The journey turns out nothing like Otskai expects, and for the first time in her life, she’s thankful to have others around to help. Especially Caleb, whose gentle attentions captivate her son and occupy him for hours at a time. But as the danger escalates and her worst fears come to light, she must find the courage to choose between freedom and a love more liberating than she imagined possible.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty

Mom Guilt—it’s real, no matter what your race or tribe.

One of the things I love about writing the Call of the Rockies series is the cast of characters that covers almost more races than I can count on all my fingers! From Spaniards, to Frenchman, to Southern Americans, to Blackfoot, to Nez Perce, to Salish, to Shoshone. And let’s not talk about the various sectors within some of the tribes (Peigan Blackfoot, Blood Blackfoot, Pikunin of the Nez Perce…oops, we weren’t going to talk about those!).

But what I love the most about so many people groups represented is learning how much we really are alike, down deep in our cores! Sure, some are introverts, some are extroverts. Some like to swim, some hate to swim. Some like to cook, some like to play with the kids (okay, maybe most like to play with the kids!).

Yet there are common threads that connect us all. As I was writing Courage in the Mountain Wilderness, I discovered a new thread that I have in common with Otskai, the Nez Perce hero of the story.

Mom guilt.

Yep. Our situations are a little different—I’m married with four kiddos, and she’s widowed with one very energetic two-year-old son. But we both struggle with that same push and pull. That same set of conflicting longings. When I’m with my kiddos, sometimes I just desperately want time alone. Time to actually get things done. But then at night when they snuggle close at bedtime, wrapping their sweet arms around my neck and not just saying, but showing, how much they love me, I can’t imagine how I could ever want to do anything but spend time with these sweet little ones God has trusted me with.

Thus, the guilt.

Maybe Otskai and I are the only ones who’ve ever experienced that particular strain of Mom Guilt. But I’ll bet there are other ways you can relate—both to these very real fictional characters who may or may not be the same race as you. And also to the very real real-life characters you meet every day.

The great news is that God loves each and every one of us, Mom Guilt and all.

My Review

Misty Beller never fails to deliver an adventurous, romantic historical novel that takes readers on an uplifting journey through the mountains. One of the aspects of these stories that I most appreciate is the fact that they are not sensationalized; I personally prefer a more realistic approach, with some danger and excitement written in but not belabored. My experience with Beller’s writing so far has been thoroughly satisfying: a gratifying mixture of both the serenity of nature and its inherent peril.

Courage in the Mountain Wilderness, book four in the “Call of the Rockies” series, weaves together the stories of former minister Caleb Jackson and Nez Perce widow Otskai, who has her hands full keeping her spirited two-year-old son, River Boy, out of trouble. Reading this series in order is not required, but I do recommend it for a more enriching experience; the main characters are part of a diverse group that travels together to accomplish missions, which in this case is bringing home the Nez Perce chief’s strong-willed daughter, Otskai’s cousin. I enjoy how they work together and take care of each other despite their ethnic differences. As Caleb thinks to himself when considering Otskai, “How hard it must be to travel with people who always spoke a foreign tongue.” The effort that they make to effectively communicate and learn each other’s language points to mutual respect and how people of different backgrounds can come together. This is a lesson that never becomes outdated!

Furthermore, the element of faith that Beller infuses into Courage in the Mountain Wilderness stems from recognizing and acknowledging different backgrounds. It is a gentle reminder to keep our testimony simple and to make sure that we are speaking in the hearer’s language. This doesn’t always just refer to someone’s mother tongue, but also to their level of knowledge about Christianity. People who are unfamiliar with the Bible and with church may well be intimidated if we use religious terms rather than speaking less formally. Otskai finds herself drawn to God through her struggles after Adam, another member of the group, talks to her: “He put is so simply, laid out a picture that called to her in its simplicity. In the image Adam painted, she wouldn’t have to find her own way in life. She worked so hard. And she accomplished much, yet it never seemed enough. There was always more. Always something she failed at, like protecting her son. Could God forgive those failures, put those bad things behind her? Could he show her a better way? She wasn’t sure she could stand putting her life under the control of another man who would be scrutinizing her every move. Expecting perfection. Was that what God would require?”

Overcoming trauma also plays a large role in this heartwarming story. Due to being orphaned at a young age, Otskai has fears that are put to the test along the mountain trek. She also fears failure as a mother and as an overall tribe member as she strives to keep her energetic son safe while doing daily chores. Likewise, Caleb is determined to minister to those in need on an individual level. As situations arise, both have to examine their own hearts to decide what freedom means to them, and to find their Courage in the Mountain Wilderness.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, April 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 6

Blossoms and Blessings, April 6

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 7

reviewingbooksplusmore, April 7

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 8

cats in the cradle blog, April 8

Betti Mace, April 9

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 9

For the Love of Literature, April 10

deb’s Book Review, April 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 11

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 11

Texas Book-aholic, April 12

Maidens for Modesty, April 12

Inklings and notions, April 13

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, April 13

Older & Smarter?, April 14

Blessed & Bookish, April 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 15

Splashes of Joy, April 15

Wishful Endings, April 16

Mary Hake, April 16

For Him and My Family, April 16

She Lives To Read, April 17

Connie’s History Classroom, April 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 18

Adventures Of A Travelers Wife, April 19

Simple Harvest Reads, April 19 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10a1f/courage-in-the-mountain-wilderness-celebration-tour-giveaway

Jack Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Jack

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Historical Western Romance

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Women are trouble—lying, cheating, untrustworthy bundles of trouble.

Jack Clausen doesn’t need anyone but his horse and a boss who won’t interfere in his personal life—or lack of one.

Sure, he’s a lonely cowboy, but better lonely than brokenhearted.

If only he hadn’t met a girl who made him hope that honest and true women do exist. Maybe he wouldn’t be riding off into a snowstorm with a fresh determination to avoid women—indefinitely.

When Hazel Meissner sees a cowboy risk life, limb, and horse to save a child, she knows he’s someone special. When he finally gives her his heart, she considers herself the most blessed woman alive.

However, when he rides off without a word, she wonders if her heart will survive the loss.

One broken man. One trusting woman. One orchestrated misunderstanding that tears them apart. What’ll it take to bring Jack home again?

It’s Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing mashed up with the old ballad, “Cowboy Jack.” Don’t miss a cast of characters inspired by the Bard himself—especially Dirk and Deborah (Benedick & Beatrice).

Jack: a lot of hullaballoo on the prairie.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona

The Inspiration I Hate to Love

The plaintive notes of a ballad filled the living room. People sat on couches and chairs or stood in the doorway, listening. Three steps up the staircase, out of view of most of the room, a little girl sat, chin in her hands, listening.

If you looked close, you’d see freckles dotting her nose and crooked teeth that never were too large for her mouth like most children’s were. Just a bit closer, and you’d see wide, hazel eyes riveted to the man with the guitar seated on the hearth. To his right, a cup of coffee and sometimes a shot of whiskey.

With a voice like Jim Reeves (the non-twangy Reeves, mind you), the songs told stories, like all ballads do—a little blind girl praying for her father’s future happiness, a girl of thirteen who barely escaped a massacre in 19th century Wyoming. “Hazel eyes,” the man called her. California Joe—he was a real man, although not as good of one as the song made out.

Sometimes the man sang happier songs, but most of them were slow, western ballads that could keep Nicolas Sparks writing for decades.

And the little girl loved them all—especially California Joe and one about a cowboy who left his sweetheart alone on the prairie after a quarrel. One called “Cowboy Jack.”

As you’ve probably surmised, I was the little girl, and that man who sang and stirred the hearts of our family at nearly every gathering was my father.

How I miss those days.

For years, I wanted to give Jack a happier ending. See, the song goes like this. A lonely cowboy (with a heart so brave and true) meets and falls in love with a maiden (with eyes of heaven’s own blue). Alas, as with all good romances, the couple quarrel and Jack rides away. He finds a new band of cowboys and would have been just fine, but someone asks him to sing a song to “drive all cares away.” Alas, the song he devises is one about a “lonely maiden who waited for her Jack.”

Of course, he rides off to ask forgiveness. It’s all his fault. He arrives too late. She died of a broken heart on the “lonely prairie where skies are always blue.”

After I began writing, the idea came to me to turn those songs Dad sang—old ones that had been passed on and down through many different versions—into novels. I’d write all the subtext the songs left out.

I’d give them happy endings.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. One by one, I figured out how to do it, but Jack… well, I didn’t want to change the stories. I just wanted to leave on hope instead of despair.

Shakespeare to the rescue!

I was watching Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado about Nothing adaptation, and the answer came to me so clearly. It had the solution I needed. So, I smooshed the song and the play together. Inside, you’ll find the characters Shakespeare created (including Dirk and Deborah and their biting repartee—they steal the show!) in the setting and with the elements of the ballad, too.

Dad’s older now. His hands are gnarled with age, swollen with arthritis. His mind is slipping away. Today, you’ll find his guitar at my house. My son now owns it, but he doesn’t know the songs I heard played on the old Goya. Still, when I take it out of the case, tune it up, and pluck the strings, everything shifts. Suddenly, I’m nine years old again, sitting on my uncle’s stairs, just out of sight, watching. Listening. Heart breaking.

See, I’ll never hear my father play again, and I can’t play either. So, the songs will have to live on with stories of Mary, Jethro, Maggie… and of course, Jack.

My Review

Hearing the word ballad calls to mind images of Davy Crockett and of men sitting around a campfire. I love the author’s inspiration for this novel, basing it on a ballad she heard as a child and simultaneously remaining true to the original while also handling the ending a bit differently. In literature, a ballad and an epic poem can be very similar, so with that in mind it does not seem much of a stretch to go a step further to novel format. Although not necessarily a defining attribute, I tend to associate ballads with highly dramatized action and heroic feats, and with a subtitle of “a lot of hullabaloo on the prairie”, I figured that this book was going to fit the bill.

One aspect of the (too few) Chautona Havig books that I’ve read to date that I particularly enjoy is the combination of sincerity and humor, and Jack showcases this especially well. On the one hand, there is the cowboy Jack, a drifter of sorts with a checkered past that began on the streets of New York as a young boy and has caused him to keep his distance from women—until he meets Hazel Meissner, who could marry into high society but chooses a wary cowboy instead. However, the course of true love never did run smooth, and the same can be said for Dirk and Deborah, whose clever verbal jousting belies their mutual affection. The most amusing character, by far, is Sheriff Hawmutt, whose brief interlude offers a reprieve from an emotional section of the story and provides comic relief in the form of hilarious malapropisms.

A strong Christian faith element suffuses the narrative, focusing on forgiveness and trust. One of my favorite quotations from the book sums it up so well: “You can’t have it both ways. Either the Lord is good and what He says is also good, or the Lord is a liar and a liar cannot be good.” While it is easy to become frustrated with Jack because he trusts someone he knows is dishonest over Hazel, who has never given him reason to doubt her, it’s the same thing that we do all too often. We listen to the lies of the enemy rather than the truth of God. Our reaction when hurt or wronged should be to forgive others and trust God, as Hazel does, but how often do we actually do that? For as implausibly perfect as I found Hazel to be, I have to admire her Christlike attitude throughout the story. As the apostle Paul implores us in Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 21

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 21

Connie’s History Classroom, September 22

deb’s Book Review, September 22

For the Love of Literature, September 23

Bigreadersite, September 23

Texas Book-aholic, September 24

lakesidelivingsite, September 24

Inklings and notions, September 25

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 25

For Him and My Family, September 26

Reviewingbooksplusmore, September 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 27

Hookmeinabook, September 27

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 28

Artistic Nobody, September 29 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

21st Century Keeper at Home, September 29

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 30

Lots of Helpers, September 30

She Lives To Read, October 1

Mary Hake, October 1

Daysong Reflections, October 2

Godly Book Reviews, October 2

Simple Harvest Reads, October 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Captive Dreams Window, October 3

Spoken from the Heart, October 4

Pause for Tales, October 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of the book and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10101/jack-celebration-tour-giveaway

Two Rivers Review and GIVEAWAY!

 

About the Book

 

Book: Two Rivers

Author: Michael W. Henry

Genre: Fiction

Release Date: April 10, 2020

In 1840 Pastor Allen Hartman leaves behind his white-steepled church in New York, and the woman he hopes to marry, to serve as a missionary to Indians in the Oregon Territory. On his epic westward journey, he is plunged into the dark end of spiritual warfare and vital intercession. His mettle is further tested when he’s asked to stay in a village of Arapaho already contending with a malevolent witch doctor—where Allen has to draw upon courage he didn’t know he possessed and discovers ministering to Indians is not at all what he imagined.

Arapaho medicine man Two Rivers knows one thing—the Great Spirit is sending White Falcon to help his people defeat the malicious spiritual forces determined to overpower the tribe. But even as White Falcon teams up with Two Rivers, Allen finds himself enslaved in a cave and in a heaven-meets-earth clash of faith with an evil sorcerer. With his life at stake and his new friends unable to help, will Spirit-led prayers of believers lead to a complete victory, or will something be left undone?

Click HERE to get your copy!

 

About the Author

 

Michael W. Henry’s ministry has spanned from serving as a missionary in Mexico, where he encountered intense spiritual warfare, to planting and pastoring churches in Washington state. A Christian counselor, Michael is certified through the American Association of Christian Counselors and offers spiritual-life coaching to believers searching for deep faith encounters with Jesus. Michael has long been fascinated by Native American spirituality and culture. He and his wife, also a certified counselor, live in Wenatchee, Washington, and enjoy hunting, hiking, canoeing, and other outdoor activities with their four adult children and two grandchildren.

 

 

More from Michael

Two Rivers is a story about courageous faith. I wrote it because as a missionary in Mexico, I had experienced spiritual encounters that I felt needed to be shared. A historical fiction seemed the perfect place to demonstrate the power of prayer and cross cultural respect in an authentic way.

 

My Review

If I had to choose only one word to describe Michael Henry’s Two Rivers, it would be intriguing. It is a story unlike any I’ve read, and one that will remain in my thoughts for a long time to come. What sets it apart in my mind is the unique combination of elements; it is a Western, a survival story, an Oregon Trail missionary journey, and a spiritual warfare novel. At times it takes on aspects of the supernatural, and there is an aura of suspense as well. Quite unusual for a work of Christian historical fiction, yet the author weaves it all together excellently. The title, too, shows forethought; at first blush, it seems to refer simply to one of the main characters, yet I surmise that it also symbolizes divergence from the mainstream course and, naturally, good vs. evil.

Set in 1840, Two Rivers demonstrates the prejudices of the time period. From Violet’s aversion to a life in the wilderness to the manner in which the Methodist Episcopal ministers in the missionary band avoid their fellow Negro pastors to the prevailing view of the Native Americans as ignorant heathens, the behavior of those who should know better and be more loving is made apparent. However, this serves to highlight the true light of Christ while acknowledging the uncomfortable truth about racism, which sadly still exists today. The fact that Henry took the time to include this rather than whitewashing the novel and portraying all of the missionaries as angels of mercy enhances my respect for and appreciation of this book. Part of a conversation between Gloria and Pastor Allen Hartman, both part of the missionary group to take the Gospel to Indians in the far-off Oregon Territory, indicates their awareness of the Native American culture. Gloria remarks: “We travel with a wagonload of material possessions, and they have just the essentials. We live such a complicated life. I can’t see them as savages anymore.” Allen follows this by saying: “How can we expect them to understand what our culture has developed over centuries? We have to walk in their shoes, not make them walk in our ours. The commissioning makes sense to me now.”

Without a doubt, the spiritual warfare is what sets this book apart. Henry skillfully employs foreshadowing to alert readers to impending conflict. There are just enough chapters focused on the antipodal Arapaho men, one a malicious witch doctor and the other a medicine man, to build tension. As the missionary group and the Native Americans come closer to converging, the suspense likewise crescendos to a battle for survival. The way in which Christianity and Native American religion meet each other in this book is interesting and, again, distinguishes this from any number of other novels with similar settings or themes. A timely reminder of the apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Let’s remember to put on the armor of God daily as we follow His marching orders!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 14

Inklings and notions, August 15

For Him and My Family, August 16

Texas Book-aholic, August 17

Joanne Markey, August 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 18

deb’s Book Review, August 19

For the Love of Literature, August 20

Rebecca Tews, August 21

Artistic Nobody, August 22 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 23

Connie’s History Classroom, August 24

Simple Harvest Reads, August 25 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Quiet Workings, August 26

To Everything There Is A Season, August 27

 

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Michael is giving away the grand prize package of an eBook copy of Two Rivers, a $50 Amazon gift card, and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fec3/two-rivers-celebration-tour-giveaway

Survival, Love, and Faith in the Rocky Mountains: A Book Review of Angela Couch’s “Heart of a Warrior”

Nineteenth-century historical fiction is and always has been my favorite genre, one which I never tire of reading. While much of the subject matter may remain similar, skillful authors will develop unique sets of circumstances and create enough nuances to set their stories apart. Angela Couch accomplishes this with her novel Heart of a Warrior, which is a tale of survival, romance, and faith in the Rocky Mountains in 1859. This is the first of her works that I have read, and it won’t be the last. She draws readers in from the startling opening chapter and continues to pepper the novel with suspenseful scenes interspersed among the more domestic ones.

Rife with the struggles of the western frontier, Heart of a Warrior nevertheless remains a predominantly character-driven story. All of the primary events in the novel serve to promote interaction between the characters, especially Christina and Towan. Towan is the first to suspect that God made their paths cross for a purpose, and with him as the starting point, Couch goes on to overturn stereotypes from that era right up to the very last page. While it may seem an unnecessary and antiquated point at first glance, the firestorm of race relations this year suggests otherwise. Christina describes Towan as “A most peculiar mix of the Rocky Mountains and civilization. As refined as any gentlemen, yet as wild as nature itself. He was a living, breathing, walking paradox.” She is the one who had a Bible in her possession, but Towan is the one who reads and believes it, and he wrestles with the anger and bitterness he carries toward the white race.

Both Towan and Christina grow in unexpected ways as the story progresses. They each soften their erroneous views of the other’s culture while not abandoning their own. Their names, too, are noteworthy; Towan means black fox, which I researched and found to be a rare genetic variant of the red fox, and therefore a very apt title. He repeatedly exhibits a sacrificial, Christ-like love for which he seeks to gain nothing. On the other hand, I admittedly was not fond of Christina for the majority of the story due to her seeming lack of gratitude and trust and her prejudice. However, it occurred to me that we are all Christinas (and her name is, fittingly, an anagram of Christian) who fail daily. No matter how many times the Lord proves His goodness, we still distrust Him at times, and we still complain when we should be thankful.

For readers interested in Shoshone life, survival in the Rocky Mountains in the nineteenth century, historical romance, or inspirational historical fiction, I recommend Heart of a Warrior. The only issues I had were with Towan’s acknowledgement that “There is only one God. Only understanding of Him differs. Knowledge about Him. Where knowledge lacks, men form opinions, some true, some false.” I am a bit unclear on this because the views of his tribe were never mentioned, and from what little I know about Native American religion, they do not believe in the Christian God, so I wonder if he is trying to reconcile the Shoshone religion with Christianity when he speaks of having a different understanding of God, which I do not agree with. Also, I would have liked to see Christina’s moment of truly accepting Christ because as it is, I am unsure as to where exactly she stands. Overall, however, I truly enjoyed this novel, and I particularly loved the final scene.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 stars ♥♥♥♥

Purchase your copy at Pelican or Amazon, or at your favorite Christian bookstore!