“Lady of a Thousand Treasures” by Sandra Byrd, book review

Eleanor Sheffield has grown up in a house where antiquities are a part of everyday life. But as she soon learns, they are also what provides her family with their livelihood. After the death of her father, she also learns that antiquities tell more stories than quickly meets the eye. She has learned the trade from the best in the business, but as a young woman in the 1860’s she is not quickly respected by her peers. Upon the death of a wealthy client, Ellie is given the difficult task of cataloging and determining the owner of the collection. There is much pressure from both sides: those who think awarding the collection to the museum would be a logical choice; and those on the other side who believe the son should inherit the antiquities. Ellie has much to gain and much to lose from this decision.

Harry was once almost engaged to Eleanor, but the war and his father’s demands have put time and space between them. When he returns, he is a trusted friend to Ellie during the difficult time following her father’s death. But is he to be trusted or not. The deathbed letter from his father informs Ellie of his misdeeds. But her heart is leading her in a very different direction.

This is an intriguing story of Eleanor and Harry. They are both loyal to their families, and seek to do what is right and true. But there are secrets that each keep to protect those in their care. In the end, will they trust God and each other enough to be honest and follow their hearts? I enjoyed the book. The characters are so real, and the story line flows right along. I appreciate the attention to detail in the description of clothing and the antiquities. Those to like antiques will especially enjoy this book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

This is a plot summary

Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims. With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured. PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | Christian Book | Book Depository | Books-A-Million

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published fifty books. Sandra’s delighted to kick off her new historical romance series with Tyndale House Publishers, Victorian Ladies, with Lady of a Thousand Treasures. The three-book Victorian Ladies series follows her historically sound Gothic romances, Daughters of Hampshire, launched with the bestselling Mist of Midnight, which earned a coveted Editor’s Choice award from the Historical Novel Society. The
second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, was published in 2017. Check out her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2011, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. Sandra has published dozens of books for kids, tweens, and teens, including the bestselling The One Year Be-Tween You and God Devotions for Girls. She continued her work as a devotionalist, with The One Year Home and Garden Devotions, and The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional. Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more or to invite Sandra to your book club via Skype. CONTACT: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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SCAVENGER HUNT CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Instructions: Head to every stop on the tour to collect a word to finish the crossword puzzle. Hint: You might want to print out the crossword puzzle (link below) and enter it everyday to make it easier. Crossword Board: https://crosswordlabs.com/view/lady-of-a-thousand-treasures-scavenger-hunt Not a crossword puzzle fan? Just compile the clue words from each stop and enter it on the Rafflecopter entry.

This stop’s CLUE is: stamped

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive:

• a copy of Lady of a Thousand Treasures (print to US addresses OR ebook to international)
• Cork coaster set of the British Isles (US Only)
• “To The Lighthouse” diffuser made by Seawitch Candles in Cornwall, England. (US Only)
• $10 Amazon gift card (open international)

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 15, 2018 and lasts through 11:59pm October 22, 2018. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER HERE

Be sure to stop on every stop on the Tour Schedule for all the clues to enter!

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TOUR SCHEDULE

Launch Page at JustRead

For the full tour schedule, click on the launch page.

(All stops expected to post by 12:00 NOON EST)

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

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“beloved 365 devotions for young women” by Lindsey Franklin, book review

“beloved 365 devotions for young women” by Lindsey Franklin, book review

This is an incredibly beautiful book that is written for young women. The daily readings are 1 page long, starting with a verse or 2, then a short story or encouraging lesson from the Bible. There are several blank lines at the bottom of each page that the reader is encouraged to fill in with an action or idea that was sparked by the reading.

This layout, cover and just simple beauty of this hard bound gift style book is very inviting to any young woman. There is even a ribbon book mark that matches the book to be used to mark the place for the next reading. I really like that the daily passages are just labeled “Day 1” “Day 2” etc, rather than starting with January 1 and continuing through December. This makes the book perfect to give as a gift any time of year. And this book definitely will make a wonderful gift for any young woman.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book from the publisher, as a member of the Handlebar review group. All opinions expressed are my own.

“Freedom’s Light” by Colleen Coble, book review

“Freedom’s LIght” by Colleen Coble, book review

Hannah Thomas is now the keeper of the lighthouse. Her husband, John, previously did the very time consuming job of keeping the lights burning, until he answered the call for volunteers to join Washington’s army. Now it is Hannah’s job.

Birch is fighting for the side he believes is in the right, and as a sea captain, has a unique position to be of aid. When his ship is torn apart on the rocks, he is rescued by Hannah and spends days recuperating in the light house. He sees how hard she works and what she endures at the hands of her in-laws and the strict religious community. He enjoys their verbal spats as they debate the merits of the war.

This is an interesting book and will be especially of interest to history buffs. The Revolutionary War was a difficult time for our country and the families who were involved. The lines were not always clear, and families were often torn apart.

I enjoyed the story, felt the plot was believable and the characters likable. I will look forward to reading the next book, hopefully, in the series.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are my own.

“This is the Day” by Tim Tebow, book review

“This is the Day” Reclaim your dream, ignite your passion, live your purpose. By Tim Tebow with A.J. Gregory, book review

We all get the amount of time each day, but do we get the same amount of stuff done with our time? Probably not, but we can do more to get the important things done. Author and athlete, Tim Tebow, has written a new book in which he shares a plan he has developed and put into practice to make the most of each day, including this day.

This 12 chapter book is easy to read, but I suggest you read it over a period of weeks rather than in 1 sitting or 2. There are many personal stories and practical suggestions to put a purpose and order to your day to accomplish what you feel is important. This is instead of just being pushed through your day by the projects and appointments that crowd our lives.

His stories are very personal and practical, and really show how easy it is to put the into our daily lives the things we feel are important. Each chapter ends with a summary and a series of questions that help the reader put into place the theme of the chapter. The reader is challenged to make it happen in their own life.

Disclaimer: I was provided with an advanced reader’s copy of the book from the publisher, Waterbrook Press. All opinions expressed are my own.

“The Brave Art of Motherhood” by Rachel Marie Martin, book review

“The Brave Art of Motherhood” by Rachel Marie Martin, book review

Being the mom is not always an easy job. And being a great mom can sometimes seem like a competition, especially in the world of social media. Other moms post the cutest pictures of their kids in home made smocked dresses, with matching everything…while you feel like you are doing well if the stains from breakfast are not too noticeable on your kids’ clothes as you head out the door, and that no one will notice that your toddler’s socks do not match.

Author Rachel Marie Martin shares a deeply personal story of her journey into motherhood. This 18 chapter book is full of examples of people who have found joy in the journey of motherhood. But the journey is not always joyful, it is actually kinda tough. But the rewards are work the fight.

This book is one that I suggest you read slowly, not in a sitting or two. It is meant to promote thought and self examination, then action. It is meant to encourage and empower moms to be yourself in the midst of being a mom to the little people in our life. I think it would be a nice book to read with other moms and talk about the issues and come up with creative solutions that work in the real world, your home.

Disclaimer: I was provided with an advanced reader’s copy of the book from the publisher, Waterbrook Press. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kroger- more than just groceries

Here in the South, we all know that Kroger is the place to go for groceries. But, there is so much more! Kroger has the best prices for gas. And with the fuel rewards program, the prices get even better. Every time you enter your Kroger card number (or in my case the alternate id, because I lost my card long ago), there is a $.03/gallon discount. And for every $100 you spend at Kroger, you get $.10/gallon. This can really help with the gas budget. As you can see, I drive a large pick up, so a fill up for me is over 20 gallons. I can easily save over $2.00 with each fill up.

So, check it out. Next time you need to fill up, try Kroger.

Disclaimer: As a member of the MyMagazine sharing network, I was provided with a free sample. All opinions expressed are my own. #freesample

“Sound of Distant Thunder” by Jan Dexler, book review

“Sound of Distant Thunder” by Jan Dexler, book review. The Amish of Weaver’s Creek #1

Katie and Jonas have been friends since they were children. And now that they have come of age, they want to get married. They are planning a house, which Jonas has started to build, and becoming members of the Amish fellowship in the fall. Then they can get married.

But the War is really getting in the way. While Amish do not participate in war, when Samuel, Jonas’ brother is drafted, he takes his place. This begins a time of separation for Jonas and Katie. They write to each other and keep their relationship a live.

This is a really interesting book with some interesting details about how the Amish, at least in this fellowship, deal with war, fighting, the draft and family relationships. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more in the series.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Revell. All opinions expressed are my own.

“Thief of Corinth” by Tessa Afshar, book review

“Thief of Corinth” by Tessa Afshar, book review

Ariadne has lived in an unsettled family situation her whole life. Her mother and father did not get along and finally lived apart. And her grandfather did not really like her, so it was difficult to be around him. She runs away to live with her father. While there, she discovers an amazing and perilous secret: he is the honorable thief. Basically, a first century Robin Hood- stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Ariadne accidentally becomes an accomplice to the stealing. Together, they were quite a successful team, proving income for the family and helping the less fortunate.

When her brother brings home a stranger, Ariadne is challenged with what she believes and how it impacts everything. This stranger is Paul, and he brings the message from the “Unknown God.” This changes everything for her.

This is a very complex story with many layers of action. It was not easy for me to “get into” at the beginning, but I kept with it, and by the time I had read several chapters I had all the characters straight in my mind and was able to enjoy the story. It is a slow moving story, with a lot of details. This is not to say the story drags, it just has lots of details and we get a lot of insight into what the main characters are thinking and doing.

I enjoyed this story and especially liked how the author weaves the Biblical characters of Paul, Silas, and Timothy into the story. I would recommend this for anyone who especially likes Biblical historical fiction.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale Fiction. all opinions expressed are my own.

“Christmas by the Sea” by Melody Carlson, book review

“Christams By the Sea” by Melody Carlson, book review

Wendy has inherited the sea side cottage from her grandparents, following the death of her grandfather. While she had not visited the cottage in years, it was a place of wonderful memories from childhood visits. Now she has one goal, to sell the cottage and return home by Christmas. But her son, Jackson has different ideas. Jackson has been bullied at school and longs to start over. He sees to cottage and small sea side town as a wonderful new place to live.

While shopping for items to repair the cottage, Wendy meets Caleb. He has lived in the town for ages, they probably knew each other as kids. Caleb helps Wendy realize that staying in Seaside is a way for her to start a new phase in her life.

This is a small, hardbound gift style book that is centered around Christmas. It is a sweet story of a family rebuilding after tragedy. The plot is a bit like a Hallmark movie, but refreshing and inspirational.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Revell. All opinions expressed are my own.

“Everything She Didn’t Say” Jane Kirkpatrick, book review

“Everything She Didn’t Say” Jane Kirkpatrick, book review

Carrie Strahorn married Robert and joined him on a life long adventure to help settle the west for the Rail Road companies. Robert was an author, hired by RR companies to explore and write books to encourage folks to move west. And Carrie went with him. She kept a diary and wrote letters home to her mother, which she later used to write books about her life.

Carrie was a gifted writer in her own right and published articles under several pen names, as women were not really thought to be writers.

In this book, Carrie shares the “public” story of her life, but also her more private thoughts: her longing for children, her hope for a home of their own, and her love for Robert.

This was an interesting book, with lots of stories about travel in the westward expansion era. As with other books by the same author, this story is about a strong woman who overcomes challenges. The book is based on a true story. But I was hoping for a happier ending. Carrie was very faithful to Robert through many ups and downs, but he disappointed her many times.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from the publisher, Revell. All opinions expressed are my own.