Duets By Jordan Saez + GIVE AWAY

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Duets by Jordan Saez, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! This sounds like such a great story for ya readers!

About the Book

Title: Duets
Series: Honeybrook High (prequel novella)
Author: Jordan Saez
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: February 2025
Genre: Christian YA Fiction

No one gets me at all, except for Hester. And she’s not even real. She’s a woman from the 1800s, but she totally understands what it’s like to hide love. So, she’d understand why hiding text messages is super important. But, since my dad became a Christian and all, I have to be super careful. But my parents are hiding things too, like why my mom is riding the struggle bus while she’s expecting my baby brother or why dad is talking to the other woman at the office.  

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PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Everand | Amazon | AppleBooks

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Guest Post

First, thank you so much for hosting me on the blog!! I’m so grateful. I would love for teen girls to walk away from reading Duets knowing that they are seen and loved. They are seen by God and loved by Him. There’s no need to search for attention or keep secrets the way Candy does in the story because everything that goes on in the dark comes out in the light, as Proverbs says.

Candy doesn’t necessarily adopt this feeling immediately because she’s human. She has a lot of feelings to figure out and I want girls to understand that God does give us grace, but we need to put our trust in Him.

The second POV character, Leslie, leans into that a little bit more because she also keeps hiding secrets, even as an adult and she struggles to trust God and His timing. Leslie’s POV exists to keep Candy innocent, but take a “screenshot” of what happens down the road when secrets and mistakes catch up to you. That’s such a loaded sentence because Leslie’s POV continues throughout the series and even though it seems as though Candy learned this lesson about keeping terrible secrets, her grandfather, grandmother, and even Leslie didn’t!

I would also want girls to know that moms and dads aren’t “supposed” to share everything. They are the grownups. In Leslie’s POV, Rob “sees” Leslie. He knows she’s struggling and he suggests that Candy learn more about their family history because of the circumstances. And I would hope that girls realize that Mom is a person too and doing life can be hard for her sometimes as well! I’d want girls to read Duets and grow closer to God and their families after reading this. Know that it's okay to ask questions, but be respectful. Stay curious, because there could be very interesting things to discover right under your nose! However, don’t be the one to hide the dark and dangerous. Candy definitely learned that she wanted true love when she grew up and didn’t want to keep anymore secrets, on her phone, computer, or anywhere else!

About the Author

Jordan Saez is a God-lover, author, and avid reader. She thinks that chocolate should totally be considered healthy! When she's not writing stories, you can find her watching movies with her family (and eating chocolate) or baking homemade goodies (with chocolate!)

Connect with Jordan by signing up for her newsletter or following her on Instagram or TikTok.

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Tour Giveaway

(5) winners will receive a $10 gift card to their choice of either Amazon or Spotify!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 18, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 25, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals by Sharon Mondragon + GIVE AWAY

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals by Sharon Mondragon hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! If you haven't read Sharon's book, you are MISSING out! I received the book for the social portion of this tour. DON'T miss the excerpt below. It'll grab you and make you want to read the book asap. You've been warned! lol

About the Book

 

Title: Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals 

Author: Sharon Mondragon 

Publisher: Kregel Publications 

Release Date: February 11, 2025 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Something is brewing in Raeburne's Ferry, Georgia--and it's not sweet tea.

In a small town where gossip flows, bedridden Mary Ruth McCready reigns supreme, doling out wisdom and meddling in everyone's business with a fervor that would make a matchmaker blush. When her best friend has her world rocked by a scandalous revelation from her dying husband, Mary Ruth kicks into high gear, commandeering the help of her favorite granddaughter, Sarah Elizabeth, in tracking down the truth. Finding clues in funeral condolence cards and decades-old gossip dredged up at the Blue Moon Beauty Emporium, the two stir up trouble faster than you can say "pecan pie." 

But just when things are starting to look up, a blast from the past waltzes in with an outrageous claim. But as Grandma Ruth always says when things get tough, "God is too big." With him, nothing is impossible--even bringing long-held secrets to light. Grandma Ruth and Sarah just might have to ruffle a whole mess of feathers to do it.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

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Book Excerpt

“Goodness, Charlotte,” Mrs. Morgan said, losing patience. “He was eighty-five years old and not in the best of health. Surely you weren’t surprised.”

“No.” Mrs. Harrington sniffed into the tissue Mrs. Fogarty pressed into her hand. “I’ve known for weeks it was coming. I just wish I knew what he meant. His last words to me, his very last words, were—” Her voice caught. I saw her fight to gain enough control to get the words out. At last, she sat up straighter, took a large swallow from the glass of chardonnay she held in her other hand, and said, “His last words were ‘I loved you more than Millie.’” She gripped her glass so tightly I thought it might shatter. “Who’s Millie? I never knew he loved anybody named Millie. I thought I was the only one he ever loved. How could he say something like that and then just up and die without explaining?”

How indeed, I thought. Sure, he’d say he loved her more than Millie, but to even mention another woman in his dying breath was just plain . . . well, I told you he was mean.

About the Author

Sharon J. Mondragón is a Southern girl at heart, having spent most of her adult life where tea is sweet and mac and cheese is a vegetable. Settled in Midlothian, Texas, she writes, facilitates the prayer shawl ministry at her church, and teaches at the local yarn shop. She's the author of the Purls and Prayers series, and her work has earned recognition from The Saturday Evening Post, ACFW, Foreword INDIES, and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

Connect with Sharon by visiting sharonjmondragon.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 12, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on February 19, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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Right Before Their Eyes by Carrie Walker - GIVE AWAY

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Right Before Their Eyes by Carrie Walker, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! How sweet does this cover look? It also sounds really good!

About the Book

Title: Right Before Their Eyes
Series: Faith Endures #2
Author: Carrie Walker
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: February 5, 2025
Genre: Romantic Women's Fiction

Sometimes the love you need most looks different than you imagined. 

Clare Martin thought nothing of agreeing to live with her dementia-ridden grandmother when her parents left on mission. Balancing that with her job as a social worker and the expectations of her career-driven boyfriend proved doable—until Grandma started a house fire. 

Mason Hughes has loved Clare for years, but the time was never right to tell her and now she’s dating someone else, fixing Mason firmly in the friend zone. He’s working to be a pediatric neurologist, a dream inspired by a special boy with a terminal brain condition and must choose a medical school. Finances are so tight he’s forced to consider a program across the country, a troubling fact he’s kept secret. 

Lucia Roberts, a seventeen-year-old on Clare’s caseload, loses her foster home and is placed in an unwelcoming group home. At every turn she’s met with rejection and becomes desperate for any proof she has value—enough to make choices that could affect the rest of her life. 

When Grandma Dottie and Lucia's paths take a dangerous turn, Clare frantically tries to save them. As their lives knit together, will they find the love that’s right before their eyes?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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Book Excerpt

Stupid. She was stupid to get attached when she knew she wouldn’t stay.

Lucia lifted the hem of her T-shirt to her nose and inhaled lavender, all that remained of Mrs. Wilkens’s last hurried hug. As the car drove away from the Wilkens’s—her most recent “Mom and Dad,”—she steeled herself against another loss.

She bit her lip and stared at the house until the car turned a corner and stole the comfortable brick ranch from view. The para-medics had whisked her out of the way so fast she barely got to say goodbye. 

A lump clogged her throat. Mr. Wilkens.

Would she ever know if he was okay?

Would anyone care enough to tell her?

Miss Martin reached across Lucia’s garbage bag of belongings and brushed her arm. “Honey, Mrs. Wilkens feels awful. They intended to give me another month to find you a different foster home.”

Lucia glanced at her social worker’s glassy eyes. She’d come here during her time off. “It’s not your fault, Miss Martin.” She dropped her chin to her chest. “Sorry to interrupt your evening. I—”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” Miss Martin lifted her hand from the steering wheel, waving away the idea. “This is why I gave you my number. And, honey, call me Clare. This is such a shock. They were in good health, even at their age.”

Waves of nausea rose as Lucia replayed the last few hours. “Everything was fine. Then Mr. Wilkens said he couldn’t see right. His skin got so pale . . . his words slurred, half of his face drooped, and he stumbled . . .”

The screaming.

The frantic calls.

I’m so sorry, sweetie. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

About the Author

Carrie Walker is an award-winning author who lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. As an avid reader, she pens what she loves to read, stories that bring hope to a hurting world. Besides writing, Carrie enjoys board games, time with family and counting down the days ’til Christmas.

Connect with Carrie by visiting carriewalkerwrites.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a print copy of Right Before Their Eyes as well as a $20 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 11, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 18, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Midnight On The Scottish Shore By Sarah Sundin

Midnight on the Scottish Shore

by Sarah Sundin

Publisher: Revell

ISBN: 9780800741860

I'm a huge HUGE fan of Sarah Sundin! I will devour every book of hers I can get my hands on. I couldn't wait to read Midnight on the Scottish Shore! Let me tell you, I was completely invested. Thanks to the author and Revell for sending me the book for review!

Summary:

In a time of war, danger lurks beneath the water--and in the depths of the human heart

As the German war machine devours the Netherlands, the only way Cilla van der Zee can survive the occupation is to do the unthinkable--train to become a spy for the Nazis. Once dispatched to Britain, she plans to abandon her mission and instead aid the Allies. But her scheme is thwarted when naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie finds her along the Scottish shore and turns her in to be executed.

Yet perhaps she is more useful alive than dead. British intelligence employs her to radio misleading messages to Germany from the lighthouse at Dunnet Head in Scotland--messages filled with naval intelligence Lachlan must provide. If the war is to be won, Lachlan and Cilla must work together. But how can he trust a woman who arrived on his shores as a tool of the enemy--a woman certain to betray both him and the Allied cause?

My Review:

Midnight on the Scottish Shore is about Cilla van der Zee, cousin to Aleida from Embers in the London Sky. Cilla escapes the Netherlands, hoping to aid the Allies, but she's captured and believed to be a spy for Germany. The Allies decide to use her in their secret Double Cross unit of M15! Cilla is willing, but the man who captures her is also the one who has to aid her as part of the scheme.

I loved Cilla! LOVED her! She takes lemons and makes lemonade. While the lighthouse becomes her prison, she also learns to find freedom in it. It doesn't come quickly or easily. And let's just say Lachlan Mackenzie doesn't make it very enjoyable. I mean, while Cilla is lovely, she's also a spy for Germany (repeated over and over in Lachlan's mind)!

Lachlan, for his part, wants to do his duty to his country, but his past is always looming over him thanks to his younger, wayward brother, Neil. Lachlan toes the line and is very black & white. He's also honorable, loyal, and trustworthy. What woman would fall for the fuddy-duddy?

I knew this was going to be a book I didn't want to put down! There's so much to talk about in regards to it. Cilla used humor in hard circumstances, and she was sharp as a tack! Extending forgiveness to someone who has hurt you makes you vulnerable. Earning trust can seem impossible, but it is worthwhile. All of the ways military and gov't people have to come up with plausible ways to misdirect the enemy and the way it's done with Yardley, Cilla, and Lachlan is masterful. 

I'll admit that I can't get enough of Sarah Sundin's stories! They're so well written and keep me riveted on every page! I'm already ready for her next book... no pressure, Sarah!

About the Author:

Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris, The Sound of Light, Embers in the London Sky, and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Sarah lives in Southern California. Visit SarahSundin.com for more information.

Misgivings By Anne Gibson + GIVE AWAY

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Misgivings by Anne Gibson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Misgivings
Author: Anne Gibson
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: September 2, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Desperate to avoid the turmoil that now engulfs her, Dee would do anything for a chance to turn back time. Wracked with regret and paralyzed by fear, she is forced to hide halfway across the world, all in a bid to safeguard the one person she holds most dear. If only she could undo the past and prevent this disastrous situation from ever unfolding. 

After waiting five long years, Luke thought he was finally making progress in his relationship with Dee. But just as she begins to open up and trust him, she suddenly vanishes, leaving him bewildered and determined to uncover the truth behind her sudden disappearance.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

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Guest Post

Deciding what topics you were going to cover in your first book & how much detail to put

in or leave out. They're pretty heavy topics.

There are some heavy topics in my book. I remember sitting in a university class and hearing a statistic that 1 in 4 women had suffered from some form of abuse. I looked at all the women in my class, counted 1-2-3-4, and imagined every fourth woman being a victim of abuse. No one “looked” abused, but how would I know? Every time I was in the grocery store, there was a chance that an abuse victim was in my midst. Even in my church, there was the likelihood that someone sitting near me was a victim of abuse. Yet, no one was talking about it. This was years ago, and now the statistic is closer to 1 in 3 women. I wanted to write a character that women could silently identify with: a character who suffered and struggled, a character who found hope despite the odds being against her, and a character who found a way to trust Christ after someone broke their trust. Even more importantly, I wanted to write a story about a God who cares, a God who is in control, and a God who saves.

As for the events that happened in Colombia, many of the details came from stories my landlady shared with me (who had immigrated from Colombia). I took some of her details and then let my imagination run wild.

The process of becoming self-published.

I wrote Misgivings 15 years ago. I was pregnant with my first child and put on bed rest. I always wanted to be a writer and I had hoped bed rest was God’s way of saying, “The time is now.” After my baby was born, I submitted my manuscript and started the long, grueling game of waiting for rejections. I was very sick with my second pregnancy and took a break. After baby #2 was born I was able to look at my manuscript with fresh eyes (it sat for over a year). I edited it, started sending it to agents, and resumed the waiting game. Then baby #3 came and I pressed pause, and baby #4 came and writing was put aside.

Now my eldest is 15 and my kids are more independent. I pulled out my manuscript this summer thinking it would be fun to read. I ended up editing it again and decided it was time to do something with it. Since it sat for 15 years, I didn’t want to wait any longer. Rather than having it sit for years as I looked for an agent, I decided to try self-publishing, which is totally different than it was 15 years ago.

This journey has been full of surprises! I loved solving the puzzle of formatting. I enjoyed creating the cover and exercising the crafty side of my brain that also was neglected when the children were little. I built a website, which was not fun at all, but I am proud to say I endured and conquered! The advertising, social media, and anything with an algorithm is still overwhelming. I’d rather write, but it has been validating learning new skills. The most fun part has been discovering the world of Bookstagram. I wasn’t a social media person before, but I would have been if I knew there were so many fantastic people sharing such wonderful books!

About the Author

Award-winning author Anne Gibson is blessed to call the stunning Canadian Rockies home. When she isn't penning her stories, she relishes time in nature—hiking, paddling, and basking in the sun at the beach alongside her family and beloved furball. A true romantic at heart, Anne often finds herself curled up with an engaging book, dreaming up her own captivating love stories.

Connect with Anne by visiting authorannegibson.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Misgivings as well as a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 3, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 10, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!